# CVE-2021-24163: Ninja Forms < 3.4.34 - Authenticated SendWP Plugin Installation and Client Secret Key Disclosure

> Low-privilege users can install plugins and disclose secret keys due to missing capability checks in the Ninja Forms WordPress plugin.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Apr 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pxq6-8799-5v2r

## What is CVE-2021-24163?

CVE-2021-24163 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Ninjaforms Ninja Forms, published on 5 Apr 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The AJAX action, wp_ajax_ninja_forms_sendwp_remote_install_handler, did not have a capability check on it, nor did it have any nonce protection, therefore making it possible for low-level users, such as subscribers, to install and activate the SendWP Ninja Forms Contact Form – The Drag and Drop Form Builder for WordPress WordPress plugin before 3.4.34 and retrieve the client_secret key needed to establish the SendWP connection while also installing the SendWP plugin.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-24163?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ninjaforms Ninja Forms.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-24163?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-24163 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-24163 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-24163 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ninjaforms Ninja Forms

- [CVE-2025-9083](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-9083/): Ninja-forms < 3.11.1 - Unauthenticated PHP Objection (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-1209](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1209/): Deserialization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-20981](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-20981/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2024-25572](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-25572/): Cross-site request forgery in Ninja Forms (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-16308](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16308/): Other in n/a (high 8.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-24163 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-24163 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Ninjaforms Ninja Forms, published on 5 Apr 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-24163 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ninjaforms Ninja Forms. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24163/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24163/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24163
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24163
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24163

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24163/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.