CVE-2025-31413 identifies a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the bdthemes Element Pack Elementor Addons WordPress plugin, specifically affecting versions up to 8.3.13. CSRF vulnerabilities allow attackers to induce authenticated users to perform unwanted actions without their consent, leveraging the victim's active session and privileges. In this case, the plugin fails to implement adequate anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms, enabling remote attackers to craft malicious web requests that, when visited by an authenticated user, execute arbitrary actions such as modifying plugin settings, injecting malicious content, or altering site configurations. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without requiring authentication (AV:N, PR:N), though it requires user interaction (UI:R), such as visiting a crafted URL. The impact is severe, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H), as attackers can manipulate site content, potentially inject malicious code, or disrupt site functionality. The vulnerability affects a widely used WordPress addon that enhances Elementor page builder capabilities, making it a valuable target for attackers aiming to compromise websites for defacement, data theft, or further exploitation. Although no public exploits are known yet, the high CVSS score (8.8) reflects the critical nature of the flaw and the urgency for remediation. The vulnerability was reserved in March 2025 and published in January 2026, indicating a recent discovery and disclosure timeline.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to websites built on WordPress using the affected bdthemes Element Pack Elementor Addons plugin. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized changes in website content, defacement, injection of malicious scripts (leading to further compromise or phishing), and potential data leakage. This can damage organizational reputation, disrupt business operations, and lead to regulatory non-compliance under GDPR if personal data is exposed or manipulated. The broad use of WordPress in Europe, especially among SMEs and digital service providers, increases the attack surface. Additionally, public sector websites and e-commerce platforms using this plugin are attractive targets due to their visibility and data sensitivity. The vulnerability’s ability to impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability simultaneously elevates the threat level, potentially causing financial losses and undermining trust in digital services.

Organizations should prioritize updating the bdthemes Element Pack Elementor Addons plugin to a patched version once released by the vendor. Until a patch is available, administrators should implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious CSRF attempts targeting the plugin’s endpoints. Enforcing strict Content Security Policies (CSP) and SameSite cookie attributes can reduce CSRF risks. Additionally, reviewing and restricting user privileges to the minimum necessary reduces the impact of potential exploitation. Monitoring web server logs for unusual POST requests or referrer headers can help detect exploitation attempts. For critical sites, consider temporarily disabling or replacing the plugin with alternative solutions that follow secure coding practices. Educating users about the risks of clicking untrusted links while authenticated can also reduce successful exploitation chances. Finally, integrating regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on WordPress plugins will help identify similar issues proactively.