CVE-2024-23511 identifies a DOM-based Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in The Plus Addons for Elementor Page Builder Lite plugin developed by POSIMYTH. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during the generation of web pages, classified under CWE-79. This flaw allows malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of the victim's browser when they visit a compromised or maliciously crafted page. The affected versions include all releases up to 5.3.3, with no specific earliest affected version identified. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have low privileges (PR:L) and user interaction (UI:R), such as convincing a user to click a crafted link or visit a malicious page. The CVSS v3.1 score is 6.5, indicating medium severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), and scope change (S:C), meaning the vulnerability can impact resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a limited extent (C:L/I:L/A:L). No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability poses a risk to websites using this plugin, which is popular among WordPress users for enhancing Elementor page builder capabilities. Exploitation could lead to session hijacking, theft of sensitive data, or defacement of websites. The vulnerability highlights the need for secure coding practices, especially proper input sanitization and output encoding in dynamic web content generation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, leakage of sensitive information, and potential website defacement or disruption. Organizations relying on WordPress sites with The Plus Addons for Elementor Page Builder Lite are at risk of targeted attacks that exploit this XSS flaw to compromise customer data or internal user accounts. This is particularly critical for e-commerce platforms, media outlets, and government websites where trust and data integrity are paramount. The vulnerability's ability to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability, even at a limited level, can result in reputational damage, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR breaches), and financial losses. Since exploitation requires user interaction, phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to trigger the attack, increasing the threat surface. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks once exploit code becomes available.

1. Monitor POSIMYTH and Elementor plugin vendor channels for official patches and apply updates immediately upon release to remediate the vulnerability. 2. Implement strict Content Security Policies (CSP) to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 3. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules specifically designed to detect and block XSS payloads targeting this plugin. 4. Conduct thorough input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data within custom code or site configurations to prevent injection of malicious scripts. 5. Educate users and administrators about phishing risks and the importance of cautious interaction with untrusted links or content. 6. Regularly audit and scan WordPress installations for vulnerable plugin versions and anomalous behavior. 7. Consider isolating critical web applications or sensitive user sessions to limit the scope of potential compromise. 8. Use security plugins that can detect and mitigate DOM-based XSS vulnerabilities dynamically.