CVE-2026-16144 Kali Forms <= 2.4.20 - Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution via 'thisPermalink' Field Parameter
Unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary code on WordPress sites using the Kali Forms plugin if specific reserved field names are present in the form configuration.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-16144?
CVE-2026-16144 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in wpchill Kali Forms — Contact Form & Drag-and-Drop Builder, published on 1 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The Kali Forms — Contact Form & Drag-and-Drop Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 2.4.20 via the _save_data function. This is due to insufficient validation of the 'thisPermalink' field value before it overwrites a trusted callable placeholder, allowing attacker-controlled strings to reach call_user_func() in _save_data(). This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute code on the server. Exploitation requires the target form to define a field with a name matching one of the reserved placeholder keys ('thisPermalink', 'entryCounter', or 'submission_link'), as check_if_placeholders_changed() only processes POST keys present in the form's field_type_map.
Weakness: CWE-94
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-16144?
How do I fix CVE-2026-16144?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-16144 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and never evaluate templates, expressions or code built from user input. More about Code injection.
Is CVE-2026-16144 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-16144 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-w9gv-h9qh-63cm.