CVE-2026-57379 Overview
CVE-2026-57379 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the WPPOOL FormyChat WordPress plugin, also known as social-contact-form. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation [CWE-79]. Attackers can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute in the browsers of users who view affected pages. The vulnerability affects all FormyChat plugin versions up to and including 2.15.3. Successful exploitation requires user interaction and can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized administrative actions in the WordPress environment.
Critical Impact
Attackers can store malicious scripts in the FormyChat plugin that execute in visitor and administrator browsers, enabling session theft and defacement across the affected WordPress site.
Affected Products
- WPPOOL FormyChat (social-contact-form) plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 2.15.3
- WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-13 - CVE-2026-57379 published to NVD
- 2026-07-13 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-57379
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a stored XSS flaw [CWE-79] in the FormyChat plugin's input handling pipeline. The plugin fails to sanitize or encode user-controlled input before rendering it in the resulting HTML output. Because the payload persists in the WordPress database, it executes each time a victim loads the affected page. The attack requires user interaction, and the scope is changed, meaning the injected script can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component's security boundary. Confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are limited but material for administrative sessions.
Root Cause
The plugin does not apply proper output encoding or input filtering on values submitted through the FormyChat interface. Standard WordPress sanitization functions such as wp_kses_post(), esc_html(), or esc_attr() are either missing or applied inconsistently. As a result, HTML and JavaScript delivered by an attacker are stored verbatim and later served to visitors.
Attack Vector
A remote unauthenticated or low-privileged attacker submits a crafted payload containing JavaScript through a FormyChat form field or configuration input. The payload is persisted server-side. When an administrator or another user opens a page rendering the stored content, the browser parses and executes the injected script within the site's origin. Typical outcomes include stealing session cookies, forcing state-changing requests, or pivoting to plugin and theme configuration abuse.
No verified exploit code is publicly available. See the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for advisory details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-57379
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, <iframe>, or event-handler attributes (for example onerror=, onload=) stored in FormyChat plugin database tables or WordPress wp_options and wp_postmeta entries.
- Outbound HTTP requests from visitor browsers to unfamiliar domains after loading pages that render FormyChat content.
- New or modified WordPress administrator accounts created shortly after administrator page loads.
Detection Strategies
- Review FormyChat configuration values and stored form submissions for HTML tags and JavaScript syntax.
- Enable WordPress audit logging and flag changes to plugin settings, user roles, and options tables.
- Deploy a web application firewall rule set that inspects requests to admin-ajax.php and FormyChat endpoints for XSS payload patterns.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for inline script executions on pages that embed FormyChat widgets.
- Alert on anomalous session activity such as impossible-travel logins or privilege changes originating from administrator sessions.
- Track file integrity and database changes tied to the social-contact-form plugin directory and its options.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-57379
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the FormyChat (social-contact-form) plugin to a version later than 2.15.3 as soon as a fixed release is published by WPPOOL.
- Audit existing FormyChat configuration entries and stored submissions for injected HTML or JavaScript, and purge malicious content.
- Rotate WordPress administrator credentials and invalidate active sessions if compromise is suspected.
Patch Information
Refer to the Patchstack advisory for the current patched version. Verify plugin updates through the official WordPress plugin repository or the vendor's release channel before deployment.
Workarounds
- Deactivate and remove the FormyChat plugin until a fixed version is available.
- Restrict administrative access to trusted networks and enforce multi-factor authentication for all WordPress accounts.
- Deploy a strict Content Security Policy that blocks inline scripts and unapproved external script sources on pages rendering plugin output.
# Content Security Policy header example for WordPress (.htaccess)
Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'; object-src 'none'; base-uri 'self'; frame-ancestors 'self'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
