CVE-2026-7046 Overview
CVE-2026-7046 is a time-based blind SQL injection vulnerability in the NEX-Forms – Ultimate Forms Plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 9.1.12. The vulnerability stems from insufficient escaping of the user-supplied table parameter and inadequate query preparation in class.dashboard.php. Authenticated attackers with administrator-level access can append SQL queries to existing statements to extract sensitive database contents. The issue is tracked under [CWE-89] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command).
Critical Impact
Authenticated administrators can exfiltrate sensitive database content through time-based blind SQL injection in the table parameter, compromising confidentiality of WordPress site data.
Affected Products
- NEX-Forms – Ultimate Forms Plugin for WordPress (versions ≤ 9.1.12)
- WordPress sites using the nex-forms-express-wp-form-builder plugin
- Fixed in NEX-Forms version 9.1.13
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-05-15 - CVE-2026-7046 published to NVD
- 2026-05-15 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-7046
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the dashboard handler at includes/classes/class.dashboard.php, specifically around lines 4220, 4224, and 4344 in version 9.1.12. The plugin accepts a table parameter from authenticated requests and concatenates it into a SQL statement without proper escaping or use of parameterized queries.
Because the injected SQL is not reflected in the response body, attackers exploit time-based blind techniques. They append conditional statements containing time-delay functions such as SLEEP() or BENCHMARK() to infer database content one bit at a time based on response latency. This allows extraction of credentials, session tokens, user metadata, and other sensitive content stored in the WordPress database.
Exploitation requires administrator-level privileges, which limits the attacker pool but elevates concern in multi-administrator environments and scenarios where administrator credentials are obtained through phishing or credential reuse.
Root Cause
The root cause is two-fold: the table parameter is not escaped using esc_sql() or $wpdb->_real_escape(), and the surrounding SQL statement does not use $wpdb->prepare() with placeholders. Direct string concatenation of attacker-controlled input into a SQL query enables injection.
Attack Vector
An authenticated administrator submits a crafted request to the affected dashboard endpoint with a malicious value in the table parameter. The payload contains conditional time-delay SQL statements. By measuring server response times across many requests, the attacker reconstructs database contents character by character. The attack is conducted over the network and requires no user interaction.
No public proof-of-concept exploit code is currently available. Refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Report and the NEX-Forms source reference for technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-7046
Indicators of Compromise
- Administrator-originated HTTP requests to NEX-Forms dashboard endpoints containing SQL keywords such as SLEEP, BENCHMARK, SELECT, or UNION in the table parameter.
- Web server access logs showing unusually long response times for requests to NEX-Forms admin AJAX or dashboard handlers.
- Repeated parameterized requests from the same administrator session targeting the same endpoint with incrementally varied payloads.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect WordPress wp-admin request logs for requests carrying a table parameter with non-alphanumeric characters or SQL syntax.
- Configure web application firewall rules to flag time-delay SQL functions in any POST or GET parameter destined for /wp-admin/admin.php or admin-ajax.php actions registered by NEX-Forms.
- Enable MySQL slow query logging and correlate unusually slow queries containing the table identifier with corresponding HTTP requests.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Audit administrator account activity for anomalous form-builder dashboard usage outside normal operating patterns.
- Monitor for new or unexpected administrator accounts that may be used to reach the vulnerable endpoint.
- Alert on outbound database queries returning unusually large result sets initiated from wp-admin sessions.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-7046
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the NEX-Forms – Ultimate Forms Plugin for WordPress to version 9.1.13 or later on all WordPress sites.
- Audit all administrator-level accounts and remove or downgrade accounts that do not require administrative privileges.
- Enforce strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication for every WordPress administrator account.
Patch Information
The vendor addressed CVE-2026-7046 in version 9.1.13 of the nex-forms-express-wp-form-builder plugin. The fix corrects parameter handling in includes/classes/class.dashboard.php. Refer to the patched source reference and the Wordfence advisory for verification.
Workarounds
- Deactivate the NEX-Forms plugin until the update to version 9.1.13 can be applied.
- Restrict access to the WordPress admin interface using IP allowlists or VPN gateways to reduce exposure.
- Deploy a web application firewall rule that blocks SQL keywords and time-delay functions in the table parameter for NEX-Forms endpoints.
# Update NEX-Forms via WP-CLI to the patched version
wp plugin update nex-forms-express-wp-form-builder --version=9.1.13
wp plugin list --name=nex-forms-express-wp-form-builder --fields=name,status,version
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
