CVE-2026-111574 in Redirection for Contact Form 7 Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
The Redirection for Contact Form 7 WordPress plugin before 3.2.12 does not sanitise or escape submitted form data stored as lead entries before outputting it in the lead debug metabox, allowing unauthenticated attackers to store a malicious script that executes when a logged-in user views the entry with the Redirection for Contact Form 7 WordPress plugin before 3.2.12's debug mode enabled.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The vulnerability identified within the Redirection for Contact Form 7 WordPress plugin prior to version 3.2.12 represents a critical security flaw rooted in improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Specifically, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data that is submitted through contact forms before it is persisted as lead entries. This lack of sanitization allows malicious actors to inject executable code directly into the database records associated with form submissions. The severity of this issue is compounded by the fact that the unsanitized data is subsequently rendered without adequate protection in the plugin's debug metabox, which is accessible only to users with administrative privileges who have enabled the debug mode feature.
From a technical perspective, this flaw constitutes an instance of Stored Cross-Site Scripting, commonly referred to as persistent XSS. Unlike reflected XSS attacks where malicious scripts are executed immediately within a victim's browser via a crafted link, stored vulnerabilities persist on the target server and execute whenever a legitimate user accesses the affected page. In this specific context, when an administrator views the lead debug metabox containing the tainted data, the browser interprets the injected script as part of the webpage content rather than plain text. This behavior aligns with CWE-79, which describes Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, highlighting the failure to neutralize special characters that could be interpreted by a web browser or other application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its unauthenticated nature and high privilege requirement for exploitation success. An attacker does not need valid credentials to inject the malicious payload; they simply need access to submit forms on the public-facing website, which is typically open to all internet users. However, the execution phase requires a privileged user, such as an administrator or editor with debug mode enabled, to view the specific entry containing the injected script. Once executed, this script can perform various harmful actions including session hijacking by stealing administrative cookies, credential harvesting through keylogging mechanisms, defacement of the WordPress dashboard interface, or even serving as a vector for further malware distribution via drive-by downloads. This scenario maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers JavaScript execution within web browsers, and potentially T1078 if used to maintain persistent access through stolen administrative credentials.
Mitigation strategies must address both the immediate technical flaw and broader security hygiene practices. The primary remediation is to upgrade the Redirection for Contact Form 7 plugin to version 3.2.12 or later, where developers have implemented proper escaping functions such as esc_html or wp_kses_post before rendering user data in admin interfaces. For organizations unable to patch immediately due to compatibility concerns, temporary workarounds include disabling debug mode if it is not strictly necessary for development workflows, thereby preventing the vulnerable metabox from being rendered with unescaped content. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall can provide an additional layer of defense by filtering out common XSS payloads in HTTP requests before they reach the application logic. Long-term security improvements should involve adopting secure coding standards that mandate input validation at ingestion and output encoding at rendering points for all user-controlled data streams to prevent similar vulnerabilities across the entire WordPress ecosystem.