CVE-2022-4701 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A detailed analysis of the vulnerability in the Royal Elementor Addons plugin for WordPress.

Understanding CVE-2022-4701

This section provides insights into the nature and impact of the vulnerability.

What is CVE-2022-4701?

The Royal Elementor Addons plugin for WordPress suffers from insufficient access control in the 'wpr_activate_required_plugins' AJAX action in versions up to and including 1.3.59. This flaw allows any authenticated user, even those with subscriber-level permissions, to activate certain plugins like 'contact-form-7', 'media-library-assistant', or 'woocommerce' on the site.

The Impact of CVE-2022-4701

The vulnerability enables unauthorized users to manipulate plugins, potentially leading to unauthorized actions on the affected site, compromising its security.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-4701

Exploring the specifics of the vulnerability to better understand its implications.

Vulnerability Description

The insufficient access control in the 'wpr_activate_required_plugins' AJAX action allows unauthorized users to activate specific plugins on the WordPress site.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects versions up to and including 1.3.59 of the Royal Elementor Addons plugin for WordPress.

Exploitation Mechanism

Any authenticated user, including those with limited permissions, can exploit this vulnerability to activate certain plugins on the site.

Mitigation and Prevention

Guidelines on how to address and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2022-4701.

Immediate Steps to Take

Site administrators should immediately update the Royal Elementor Addons plugin to version 1.3.60 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update plugins and ensure robust access controls to prevent unauthorized activities on WordPress sites.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security patches and updates provided by plugin developers to address known vulnerabilities.