SimpleForm Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via wp_capabilities
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Privilege escalation
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-269.
Summary
The SimpleForm Form Maker plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in all versions up to and including 3.10.0. An unauthenticated attacker can create a new Administrator-level WordPress account by supplying wp_capabilities in the registration request, because the AJAX registration action lacks a capability check and the user meta writer omits wp_capabilities from its exclusion list (CWE-269). The required nonce is publicly exposed on every front-end page, so it is easy to obtain.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
Description from the CNA
The SimpleForm – Form Maker to Chat Apps with Quiz, Poll and Multi Lead Notifications plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 3.10.0 This is due to the `wp_ajax_nopriv_simpleform_wp_register` AJAX action lacking any capability check for role assignment and the `save_custom_fields_to_user_meta()` function using an exclusion list that omits `wp_capabilities`, combined with `get_form_settings()` returning a hard-coded defaults array that unconditionally enables meta writing regardless of the supplied `form_id`. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to create a new Administrator-level WordPress account by supplying `wp_capabilities[administrator]=1` alongside standard registration fields. The nonce required by the endpoint is publicly emitted into the `front_end_data` JavaScript object on every front-end page via `wp_enqueue_scripts`, making it trivially obtainable by any unauthenticated visitor before submitting the malicious request.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wpazleen | SimpleForm – Form Maker to Chat Apps with Quiz, Poll and Multi Lead Notifications | up to 3.10.0 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- SimpleForm – Form Maker to Chat Apps with Quiz, Poll and Multi Lead Notifications Vendorwpazleen Affected up to 3.10.0 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
The sources list no fixed version for SimpleForm Form Maker to Chat Apps with Quiz, Poll and Multi Lead Notifications.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
Timeline
- 2026-10-14 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-104748
- 2026-10-14 Alias added: GHSA-5hqh-jvjf-mpvw
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-19 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
References
Other 7
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/b2b973fe-1209-43dc-b2a3-74086b12fe97?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-form/tags/3.10.0/app/Integrations/WordPressAuth.php#L291
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-form/tags/3.10.0/app/Integrations/WordPressAuth.php#L184
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-form/tags/3.10.0/app/Integrations/WordPressAuth.php#L32
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-form/tags/3.10.0/app/Assets.php#L265
- https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/simple-form/trunk/
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3726513/simple-form/trunk/app/Integrations/WordPressAuth.php
More wpazleen vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-83523 Arbitrary file upload in SimpleForm WordPress plugin CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-11366 Unrestricted file upload in wpazleen Post Export Import with Media CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.2
- TI-2026-73821 Post Export Import with Media: Authenticated PHP Object Injection CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.2
- TI-2026-76039 Path traversal in Post Export Import with Media WordPress plugin CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.9
- TI-2026-70261 Path traversal in Post Export Import with Media allows file reads CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.9
Sources
- CVE-2026-104748 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-104748 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-5hqh-jvjf-mpvw · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences