CVE-2026-3831: WordPress Forms Plugin Data Vulnerability

CVE-2026-3831 Overview

The Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms plugin for WordPress contains a missing capability check vulnerability in the entries_shortcode() function. This broken access control flaw allows authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher to extract all form submissions stored by the plugin, potentially exposing sensitive user data including names, emails, and phone numbers.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers with minimal privileges (Contributor-level) can access and exfiltrate all form submission data, leading to significant privacy violations and potential regulatory compliance issues.

Affected Products

• Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms plugin versions up to and including 1.4.9
• WordPress installations using vulnerable versions of the contact-form-entries plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-01 - CVE-2026-3831 published to NVD
• 2026-04-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-3831

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), a common weakness where an application fails to perform adequate access control checks before executing privileged operations. The entries_shortcode() function in the contact-form-entries plugin does not verify that the requesting user has appropriate permissions before returning form submission data.

In a properly secured WordPress plugin, shortcode functions that expose sensitive data should implement capability checks using functions like current_user_can() to ensure only administrators or authorized roles can access the information. The absence of this check means any authenticated user with Contributor-level access can leverage this shortcode to retrieve all stored form entries.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing authorization check in the entries_shortcode() function located in contact-form-entries.php. The function processes requests and returns form submission data without validating whether the requesting user has the necessary capabilities to view this sensitive information. This oversight creates a direct path for low-privileged users to access data that should be restricted to administrators.

Attack Vector

The attack is executed over the network and requires the attacker to have valid WordPress credentials with at least Contributor-level access. The attacker can craft a post or page containing the vulnerable shortcode to extract form submissions. Since Contributors can create draft posts with shortcodes, they can preview their content to trigger the shortcode execution and retrieve sensitive data.

The vulnerability allows extraction of all form entries stored by the plugin, which may include:

• Personal names
• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Any other data collected through Contact Form 7, WPforms, or Elementor forms

For technical details on the vulnerable code, refer to the WordPress Plugin Code Inspection.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-3831

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual shortcode usage in posts or pages created by Contributor-level users
• Unexpected queries to form entry database tables from non-administrative contexts
• Draft posts containing entries-related shortcodes created by low-privilege users
• Access logs showing repeated rendering of pages containing the vulnerable shortcode

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress activity logs for shortcode usage patterns by non-administrator users
• Implement database query monitoring to detect bulk retrieval of form submission data
• Review user-generated content for suspicious shortcode patterns related to form entries
• Deploy web application firewall rules to detect and alert on exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive WordPress audit logging with plugins that track shortcode execution
• Configure alerts for unusual data access patterns from low-privilege user accounts
• Regularly review the user roster to identify and remove unnecessary Contributor accounts
• Monitor plugin update notifications and apply security patches promptly

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-3831

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms plugin to the latest patched version immediately
• Audit all Contributor-level and above user accounts for unauthorized access
• Review WordPress access logs for potential historical exploitation
• Consider temporarily deactivating the plugin until a patched version can be applied

Patch Information

A security patch addressing the missing capability check has been released. Plugin administrators should update to a version newer than 1.4.9 through the WordPress plugin dashboard. Review the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for additional details on the fix.

Workarounds

• Restrict Contributor-level access to trusted users only until the patch is applied
• Implement additional server-level access controls to limit exposure of form data
• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to filter malicious shortcode execution attempts
• Consider disabling shortcode functionality for non-administrator users if feasible

# Verify current plugin version in WordPress CLI
wp plugin list --fields=name,version | grep contact-form-entries

# Update the vulnerable plugin to latest version
wp plugin update contact-form-entries

# Review users with Contributor role or above
wp user list --role=contributor --fields=ID,user_login,user_email