Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in King Addons for Elementor Exploited

A critical privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2025-8489) in the King Addons for Elementor WordPress plugin has been actively exploited by attackers. The flaw, present in versions 24.12.92 through 51.1.14, allows unauthenticated users to register as administrators by specifying the administrator role during the registration process via a crafted request to the admin-ajax.php endpoint. This vulnerability, discovered by Peter Thaleikis and patched in version 51.1.35 on September 25, 2025, affects over 10,000 active installations. Wordfence has reported blocking more than 48,400 exploit attempts since the public disclosure, with mass exploitation beginning in early November 2025. Attackers have used several IP addresses, with two being particularly active, to create rogue admin accounts and potentially seize control of vulnerable sites.

Successful exploitation enables attackers to upload malicious code, deliver malware, redirect visitors, or inject spam into compromised sites. Security researchers recommend that website owners upgrade to the patched version immediately and check for unauthorized administrator accounts as a sign of compromise. Wordfence has provided a list of offensive IP addresses for administrators to monitor in their logs. The incident highlights the ongoing risk posed by third-party WordPress plugins and the importance of timely patching and monitoring for suspicious activity.