CVE-2023-49739 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the PowerPack Pro plugin for Elementor, developed by IdeaBox Creations. Elementor is a widely used WordPress page builder, and PowerPack Pro is an add-on that extends its functionality. This vulnerability impacts versions up to 2.9.23 of PowerPack Pro for Elementor. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.1, indicating a high severity level. The vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L reveals several critical technical details: the attack vector is network-based (AV:N), meaning the vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the internet without physical access; the attack complexity is low (AC:L), so no special conditions are required; no privileges are needed (PR:N), so an unauthenticated attacker can exploit it; however, user interaction is required (UI:R), implying that the victim must perform some action such as clicking a link or visiting a malicious page. The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component, potentially allowing an attacker to impact other parts of the system. The impact metrics indicate partial loss of confidentiality (C:L), integrity (I:L), and availability (A:L), which suggests that an attacker could gain limited unauthorized access to data, modify content, or disrupt service availability. Although no known exploits in the wild have been reported yet, the combination of remote exploitability without privileges and the changed scope makes this vulnerability a significant risk. The lack of publicly available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for mitigation. Since PowerPack Pro is a plugin for WordPress sites using Elementor, websites leveraging this plugin are at risk, especially those exposed to the internet and with users who might be tricked into interacting with malicious content.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a considerable threat, particularly to businesses and institutions relying on WordPress websites enhanced with Elementor and PowerPack Pro. The partial compromise of confidentiality could lead to leakage of sensitive customer or internal data. Integrity impacts might allow attackers to alter website content, potentially damaging brand reputation or distributing malicious code to visitors. Availability impacts, though limited, could disrupt online services, affecting customer access and business continuity. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe for e-commerce, government portals, and corporate websites, exploitation could result in financial losses, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations due to data leakage), and erosion of user trust. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to trigger the exploit, increasing the attack surface. The changed scope indicates that the vulnerability could allow attackers to escalate privileges or affect other components beyond the plugin itself, amplifying the potential damage.

European organizations should immediately audit their WordPress environments to identify installations of PowerPack Pro for Elementor, especially versions up to 2.9.23. Until an official patch is released, organizations should consider temporarily disabling or uninstalling the plugin to eliminate exposure. Implement strict web application firewalls (WAF) with rules targeting known exploit patterns for Elementor plugins to block malicious requests. Educate users and administrators about the risk of phishing and social engineering attacks that could trigger the vulnerability, emphasizing cautious behavior when interacting with unsolicited links or content. Monitor web server and application logs for unusual activities, such as unexpected user interactions or anomalous requests targeting the plugin endpoints. Employ network segmentation to limit the impact scope if exploitation occurs. Once a patch becomes available, prioritize immediate deployment after testing in a staging environment. Additionally, ensure that WordPress core and all plugins are kept up to date to reduce the overall attack surface. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access to reduce the risk of post-exploitation privilege escalation.