EUVD-2026-59862
GHSA-g2qc-vm5h-cg28
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAttacker holds delegated EVF role
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DeliveryAccess EVF admin page
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ExploitHarvest emitted AJAX nonce
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ExecutionSubmit crafted plugin-activation request to unguarded handler
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PersistActivate vulnerable deactivated plugin
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ImpactExploit reactivated plugin for escalated site impact
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization checks on every request
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires an authenticated WordPress account that has been explicitly assigned at least one of three delegated Everest Forms capabilities: |
| Impact | The CVSS 4.3 base score (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N) accurately reflects the direct, isolated impact of this flaw: low-complexity network exploitation by a low-privilege authenticated user with limited integrity impact and no scope change attributed to the base vulnerability itself. However, real-world risk materially exceeds the numerical score in sites where administrators have delegated EVF roles to non-admin users AND where vulnerable or deprecated plugins remain installed but deactivated. In such configurations, this authorization bypass becomes a bridge vulnerability enabling a privilege escalation chain: a compromised Author-level account could reactivate a plugin with a known unauthenticated RCE flaw, transforming a CVSS 4.3 issue into a full-site compromise vector. EPSS data was not provided; absence from CISA KEV and lack of a confirmed public POC suggest opportunistic mass exploitation is unlikely at this time. The practical risk is configuration-dependent: sites with no delegated EVF roles assigned to non-admins are not exploitable, while sites with permissive role delegation and a backlog of deactivated-but-installed vulnerable plugins face substantially elevated risk. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An Author-level WordPress user assigned the |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 16, 2026
Authorization bypass in the Everest Forms WordPress plugin (all versions ≤ 3.5.2) allows authenticated attackers holding any delegated Everest Forms capability to activate arbitrary already-installed WordPress plugins - including previously deactivated or known-vulnerable ones - without the WordPress core activate_plugins capability. The flaw exists in AJAX handlers (class-evf-ajax.php) and REST API endpoints (class-evf-modules.php) that issue nonces to any delegated EVF user on admin pages but fail to enforce the required core capability before executing plugin activation. No public exploit is identified at time of analysis, though Wordfence has published direct source code references to the vulnerable handlers, reducing the research burden for potential exploitation.
RemediationAI
Update the Everest Forms plugin to a version above 3.5.2 - the upstream fix is confirmed in WordPress SVN changeset 3634069 (https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&old=3634069%40everest-forms&new=3634069%40everest-forms); verify the WordPress.org plugin repository for the exact released patched version number, as this was not stated in the available data. If an immediate update is not feasible, administrators should audit the Everest Forms roles and permissions configuration and revoke the manage_everest_forms, everest_forms_create_forms, and everest_forms_view_forms capabilities from all non-administrator roles - this eliminates the prerequisite for exploitation entirely, though it also removes delegated form management functionality. As an additional compensating control, delete (rather than merely deactivate) all unused or known-vulnerable plugins from the WordPress installation; deactivated-but-installed exploitable plugins represent the primary amplification risk in this attack chain. Consult the Wordfence advisory at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/6d1ba996-e26c-45cc-ab95-338663f481d9 for patch confirmation and further guidance.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability is rooted in CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) within two distinct code paths of the Everest Forms plugin. The AJAX handlers at class-evf-ajax.php#L709, #L1408, and #L121, and the REST API controllers at class-evf-modules.php#L730 and #L315, all perform plugin activation operations without verifying the WordPress core activate_plugins capability. The plugin ships its own roles and permissions management interface that allows administrators to delegate three custom capabilities - manage_everest_forms, everest_forms_create_forms, and everest_forms_view_forms - to non-administrator roles such as Author or Contributor. Because nonces for the vulnerable AJAX handlers are emitted on any EVF admin page accessible to these delegated roles, a user with only one of these lower-privilege capabilities can forge a valid, nonce-authenticated request to the plugin activation endpoint. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:wpeverest:everest_forms_-_contact_form,_payment_form,_quiz,_survey_&_custom_form_builder_with_ai:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* confirms scope across all minor/patch variants through 3.5.2.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Network exploitation requires a low-privilege authenticated account with a delegated EVF role (PR:L); scope unchanged and no confidentiality or availability impact from plugin activation alone.
Primary rating from Vendor (Wordfence).
CVSS VectorVendor: Wordfence
DescriptionCVE.org
The Everest Forms - Contact Form, Payment Form, Quiz, Survey & Custom Form Builder with AI plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 3.5.2. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with delegated form management access and above, to activate arbitrary already-installed WordPress plugins - including previously deactivated or vulnerable plugins - without holding the core activate_plugins capability. Exploitation requires the target user to hold a delegated Everest Forms capability (manage_everest_forms, everest_forms_create_forms, or everest_forms_view_forms), which the plugin's own roles and permissions tool allows administrators to assign to non-administrator roles such as Author; the nonces required to exploit the AJAX handlers are emitted on EVF admin pages accessible to any such delegated user.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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