CVE-2025-1639

High

Published: 04 March 2025

Published

04 March 2025

Modified

05 March 2025

KEV Added

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Patch

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CVSS Score 8.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.1110 93.5th percentile

Risk Priority 24 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2025-1639 is a high-severity Missing Authorization (CWE-862) vulnerability in Crowdytheme Arolax. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 6.5% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190) and 1 other technique. What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.

Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

CM-11 User-installed Software good match

prevent

Directly prohibits or authorizes user-installed software, preventing authenticated low-privilege users from installing arbitrary plugins via the vulnerable function.

AC-6 Least Privilege good match

prevent

Enforces least privilege to ensure subscriber-level users lack capabilities for plugin installation and activation.

AC-3 Access Enforcement good match

prevent

Mandates enforcement of approved authorizations, addressing the missing capability check in the install_elementor_plugin_handler() function.

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access

Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.

attack.mitre.org →

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation

Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.

attack.mitre.org →

Why these techniques?

The vulnerability allows authenticated low-privilege (Subscriber) users to bypass authorization and install arbitrary plugins on a public-facing WordPress site, directly enabling exploitation of the application (T1190) for privilege escalation (T1068) to achieve backdoor deployment or further compromise.

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v19.0

NVD Description

The Animation Addons for Elementor Pro plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized arbitrary plugin installation due to a missing capability check on the install_elementor_plugin_handler() function in all versions up to, and including, 1.6. This makes it possible for authenticated…

attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to install and activate arbitrary plugins which can be leveraged to further infect a victim when Elementor is not activated on a vulnerable site.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2025-1639 is a vulnerability in the Animation Addons for Elementor Pro plugin for WordPress that allows unauthorized arbitrary plugin installation due to a missing capability check in the install_elementor_plugin_handler() function. It affects all versions up to and including 1.6. The issue is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high severity due to its potential for confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.

Authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access or higher can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low complexity and no user interaction required. By calling the vulnerable function, they can install and activate arbitrary plugins, enabling further compromise of the site, such as backdoor deployment or escalation, even on sites where Elementor is not activated.

Mitigation details are available in advisories referenced by the CVE, including Wordfence's threat intelligence report at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/fb310bdb-fc74-47b2-9371-3d10abd287fb?source=cve and the plugin's ThemeForest page at https://themeforest.net/item/arolax-creative-digital-agency-theme/53547630. Security practitioners should update to a patched version beyond 1.6 and review access controls for low-privilege users.