Vertex Addons for Elementor <= 1.6.4 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Plugin Installation and Activation via 'afeb_activate_required_plugins'
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.7.0
- Affected Plugin
- Vertex Addons for Elementor
- Affected Version
<= 1.6.4- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
- CVE
CVE-2026-4326
At a glance
CVE-2026-4326 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Vertex Addons for Elementor WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.6.4. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.7.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2026, reported by Athiwat Tiprasaharn (Jitlada).
Vulnerability Overview
The Vertex Addons for Elementor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Missing Authorization in all versions up to and including 1.6.4. This is due to improper authorization enforcement in the activate_required_plugins() function. Specifically, the current_user_can('install_plugins') capability check does not terminate execution when it fails — it only sets an error message variable while allowing the plugin installation and activation code to execute. The error response is only sent after the installation and activation have already completed. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to install and activate arbitrary plugins from the WordPress.
Technical Analysis
The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.
CWE-862: Missing Authorization
Vertex Addons for Elementor <= 1.6.4 carries this weakness at install_plugins, and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.
Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For Vertex Addons for Elementor the fix is 1.7.0: builds <= 1.6.4 are affected, anything from 1.7.0 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.7.0, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: Vertex Addons for Elementor 1.7.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Same weakness class
Other vulnerabilities in Vertex Addons for Elementor
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