# CVE-2026-16747: Kirki < 6.2.1 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Shortcode Execution via Form Email Actions

> Unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary shortcodes via form actions, leading to admin email disclosure and mail relay abuse.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 12 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p469-wjxr-57rr

## What is CVE-2026-16747?

CVE-2026-16747 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Unknown Kirki, published on 12 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Kirki WordPress plugin before 6.2.1 does not properly authorise its front-end form submission REST routes and passes attacker-controlled input through shortcode execution, allowing unauthenticated users to run any shortcode registered on the site, which on a default install leads to disclosure of the site administrator's email address and an arbitrary-recipient mail relay from the victim's domain.

Weakness: CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-16747?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-16747?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-16747 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-16747 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-16747 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-16747 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-16747 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Unknown Kirki, published on 12 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-16747 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Unknown Kirki. 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-2026-16747/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16747/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-16747
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-16747
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-16747

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16747/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.