# CVE-2021-4446: Essential Addons for Elementor <= 4.6.4 - Missing Authorization

> Authenticated attackers with minimal permissions can bypass authorization to change settings and install arbitrary plugins in the Essential Addons for Elementor WordPress plugin.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Oct 2024
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f886-67j8-9x8w

## What is CVE-2021-4446?

CVE-2021-4446 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Wpdeveloper Essential Addons for Elementor, published on 16 Oct 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Essential Addons for Elementor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in versions up to and including 4.6.4 due to missing capability checks and nonce disclosure. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with minimal permissions such as a subscriber, to perform many unauthorized actions such as changing settings and installing arbitrary plugins.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-4446?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Wpdeveloper Essential Addons for Elementor.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-4446?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-4446 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-4446 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-4446 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Wpdeveloper Essential Addons for Elementor

- [CVE-2023-32243](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32243/): WordPress Essential Addons for Elementor Plugin 5.4.0-5.7.1 is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-0320](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0320/): Essential Addons for Elementor < 5.0.5 - Unauthenticated LFI (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-4447](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4447/): Essential Addons for Elementor <= 4.6.4 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Privilege Escalation (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-41955](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41955/): WordPress Essential Addons for Elementor plugin <= 5.8.8 - Contributor+ Privilege Escalation vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-3018](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-3018/): Essential Addons for Elementor <= 5.9.13 - Authenticated (Author+) PHP Object Injection via error_resetpassword (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-4446 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-4446 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Wpdeveloper Essential Addons for Elementor, published on 16 Oct 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-4446 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Wpdeveloper Essential Addons for Elementor. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4446/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4446/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-4446
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-4446
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-4446

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4446/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.