Atomic Edge analysis of CVE-2026-5486 (metadata-based):
This vulnerability in Unlimited Elements for Elementor (versions 2.0.7 and earlier) allows authenticated SQL injection through the ‘data[filter_search]’ parameter in the get_cat_addons AJAX action. The CVSS score of 6.5 (High) reflects the potential for significant data exposure, though exploitation requires Contributor-level access or higher. Atomic Edge analysis confirms that the root cause involves multiple defensive failures: the normalizeAjaxInputData() function strips slashes from all user input, which removes the protective layer added by WordPress’s wp_magic_quotes() function. After stripping slashes, the plugin passes the filter_search value through wpdb->_escape() (a deprecated function that provides incomplete escaping for LIKE clause wildcards). The escaped value is then directly concatenated into a SQL LIKE clause without using prepared statements or parameterized queries. The CWE-89 classification confirms this is a classic SQL injection vulnerability, and the description explicitly confirms these code patterns, so Atomic Edge considers this analysis to be based on confirmed report details rather than inference.
For exploitation, an authenticated attacker with Contributor-level access must first obtain a valid AJAX nonce, which is accessible through the Elementor editor interface. The attacker then sends a POST request to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=unlimited_elements_get_cat_addons (the typical pattern for this plugin’s AJAX handlers) and a crafted data[filter_search] parameter containing SQL injection payloads. The attack exploits the LIKE clause context, allowing the use of wildcard characters and UNION-based injection to extract arbitrary data from the WordPress database. A typical payload might include a UNION SELECT statement that extracts usernames and password hashes from the wp_users table, with the injected SQL appended via a closing quote and OR clause.
Remediation requires replacing the deprecated wpdb->_escape() function with proper prepared statements using $wpdb->prepare() with placeholders (%s) for the LIKE clause parameter. The normalizeAjaxInputData() function should stop stripping slashes globally, as that counteracts WordPress’s built-in input validation. The fix should also implement proper nonce verification and capability checks (at least edit_posts for Contributors) before processing the AJAX request. The patched version 2.0.8 likely implements these changes by replacing string concatenation with parameterized queries and removing the stripslashes() call.
The impact of successful exploitation is limited to data confidentiality (CVSS: H/I:N/A:N), meaning an attacker can read sensitive information from the database but cannot modify or delete data. This includes extracting WordPress user credentials (username and password hashes), user email addresses, session tokens, and any other data stored in the WordPress database. While the attacker cannot directly achieve remote code execution through this vulnerability, extracted password hashes could be cracked offline, leading to administrator account compromise and eventual full site takeover. The confidentiality breach alone represents a critical risk to user privacy and site security.







