CVE-2026-7284: Critical WordPress Elementor Plugin Privilege Escalation
A critical privilege escalation vulnerability, CVE-2026-7284, has been identified in the Easy Elements for Elementor – Addons & Website Templates plugin for WordPress. According to the National Vulnerability Database, this flaw impacts all versions up to and including 1.4.4. The core issue lies in the easyel_handle_register function, which fails to restrict the user roles that can be specified during registration.
This oversight creates a wide-open door for unauthenticated attackers. They can simply supply the ‘administrator’ role when registering a new account, immediately gaining full administrative access to the WordPress site. The National Vulnerability Database assigns this a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical), underscoring the severe risk it poses to affected websites. This isn’t theoretical; it’s a direct path to total site compromise.
For defenders, this means an unauthenticated attacker can go from zero access to full administrative control in a single request. The attacker’s calculus is straightforward: find a site running this plugin, register as admin, and you own it. There’s no complex chain of exploits, no social engineering required. It’s a direct bypass of access controls that should be fundamental to any web application.
What This Means For You
- If your organization uses the Easy Elements for Elementor – Addons & Website Templates plugin on any WordPress site, you must immediately check your plugin version. Patching is non-negotiable. If you cannot patch immediately, consider disabling user registration or implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block registration attempts specifying the 'administrator' role. Assume compromise if this plugin is unpatched and public-facing.
Related ATT&CK Techniques
🛡️ Detection Rules
2 rules · 6 SIEM formats2 detection rules auto-generated for this incident, mapped to MITRE ATT&CK. Sigma YAML is free — export to any SIEM format via the Intel Bot.
CVE-2026-7284: WordPress Elementor Privilege Escalation via User Registration
title: CVE-2026-7284: WordPress Elementor Privilege Escalation via User Registration
id: scw-2026-05-20-ai-1
status: experimental
level: critical
description: |
Detects the specific user registration action within the Easy Elements for Elementor plugin that allows unauthenticated attackers to register with the administrator role, exploiting CVE-2026-7284 for privilege escalation.
author: SCW Feed Engine (AI-generated)
date: 2026-05-20
references:
- https://shimiscyberworld.com/posts/nvd-CVE-2026-7284/
tags:
- attack.initial_access
- attack.t1190
logsource:
category: webserver
detection:
selection:
cs-uri|contains:
- '/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php'
cs-method:
- 'POST'
cs-uri-query|contains:
- 'action=easyel_handle_register'
cs-uri-query|contains:
- 'role=administrator'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate administrative activity
Source: Shimi's Cyber World · License & reuse
Indicators of Compromise
| ID | Type | Indicator |
|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-7284 | Privilege Escalation | Easy Elements for Elementor – Addons & Website Templates plugin for WordPress |
| CVE-2026-7284 | Privilege Escalation | Affected versions: All versions up to, and including, 1.4.4 |
| CVE-2026-7284 | Privilege Escalation | Vulnerable function: 'easyel_handle_register' |
| CVE-2026-7284 | Privilege Escalation | Attack vector: Unauthenticated attackers supplying 'administrator' role during user registration |
Written by SCW Vulnerability Desk
Source & Attribution
| Source Platform | NVD |
| Channel | National Vulnerability Database |
| Published | May 20, 2026 at 05:16 UTC |
This content was AI-rewritten and enriched by Shimi's Cyber World based on the original source. All intellectual property rights remain with the original author.
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