Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network-delivered exploit requiring only a Contributor account (PR:L); no special conditions (AC:L); full C/I/A reflects admin-level takeover potential post-escalation.
Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).
CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Contributor Privilege Escalation in Forminator <= 1.56.0 versions.
AnalysisAI
Privilege escalation in the Forminator WordPress plugin (≤1.56.0) allows authenticated Contributor-level users to elevate their privileges to a higher role, potentially achieving administrative control over the WordPress installation. The flaw, rooted in CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment), carries a CVSS score of 8.8 and a full High C/I/A impact rating, indicating that successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected site. No public exploit code or CISA KEV listing has been identified at time of analysis, but the low-privilege entry bar and network accessibility make this an elevated priority for WordPress deployments using this plugin.
Technical ContextAI
Forminator (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:wpmu_dev:forminator:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) is a feature-rich drag-and-drop form builder plugin for WordPress developed by WPMU DEV. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment), meaning the plugin fails to properly enforce role-based access controls - likely permitting a Contributor-level WordPress user (a role that normally has only limited post-creation rights with no publish capability) to invoke restricted functionality or modify privileged data structures that should require higher roles such as Editor, Administrator, or Super Admin. This class of flaw typically arises when REST API endpoints, AJAX handlers, or admin-side actions lack proper capability checks (e.g., current_user_can()) or rely on insufficient nonce validation tied to low-privilege roles.
RemediationAI
Update the Forminator plugin to a version above 1.56.0 immediately, as the fix version has not been independently confirmed from available data - check the WordPress plugin repository or WPMU DEV dashboard for the latest patched release. Until a verified patched version is confirmed, site administrators should restrict Contributor role registration and audit existing Contributor accounts for signs of unauthorized privilege escalation. As a compensating control, consider temporarily removing the Contributor role assignment from untrusted users or using a role management plugin to further restrict Contributor capabilities. Sites that do not require the Contributor role for operations should revoke it from all non-essential accounts to eliminate the attack surface entirely. The Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/forminator/vulnerability/wordpress-forminator-plugin-1-56-0-privilege-escalation-vulnerability should be monitored for patch version confirmation.
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Same weakness CWE-266 – Incorrect Privilege Assignment
View allSame technique Privilege Escalation
View allShare
External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-53941
GHSA-p66m-599j-249c