CVE-2026-118100 in BuddyForms Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2026
The BuddyForms WordPress plugin before 2.10.3 does not check that the requester is allowed to manage a form before exporting its configuration, allowing unauthenticated users to download any form's stored settings, including notification recipient email addresses and reCAPTCHA secret keys that are not shown on the public form.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2026
The vulnerability identified in BuddyForms versions prior to 2.10.3 represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms within the WordPress plugin ecosystem. This flaw specifically affects the functionality responsible for exporting form configurations, which is intended as an administrative feature for site owners and developers who need to backup or migrate their custom forms. The core technical deficiency lies in the absence of proper authorization checks during the export process. When a user requests to download the configuration data for a specific form, the application logic fails to verify whether that user possesses the necessary permissions to manage or edit that particular form instance. Consequently, the system treats any request originating from an unauthenticated source with the same level of trust as one coming from an authorized administrator, effectively bypassing security boundaries designed to protect sensitive configuration data.
From a technical perspective, this issue is classified under CWE-284, which describes Improper Access Control, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1530, Data from Cloud Storage Objects or Local System Files, as it involves the unauthorized retrieval of stored application settings. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit a broken access control mechanism by directly invoking the export endpoint associated with BuddyForms. Since WordPress plugins often expose various endpoints for AJAX requests or REST API interactions, an attacker can craft specific HTTP requests targeting these endpoints without needing valid session cookies or authentication tokens. This lack of server-side validation means that any individual on the internet can iterate through form IDs and retrieve their corresponding configuration files, turning a legitimate administrative tool into a vector for data exfiltration.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the nature of the data contained within exported form configurations. These exports typically include not only structural definitions but also sensitive runtime parameters such as notification recipient email addresses and reCAPTCHA secret keys. The exposure of notification emails can facilitate targeted phishing campaigns or spamming activities, where attackers use legitimate-looking sender information derived from the plugin's configuration to deceive users. More critically, the leakage of reCAPTCHA secret keys compromises the integrity of the site's bot protection mechanisms. If an attacker obtains these keys, they may attempt to bypass CAPTCHA challenges on other sites using the same key or engage in malicious automation that evades detection, thereby undermining the security posture of the entire web application infrastructure dependent on this plugin.
Mitigation strategies must focus primarily on immediate patching and secondary hardening measures. The most effective remediation is to upgrade BuddyForms to version 2.10.3 or later, where the developers have implemented proper role-based access control checks before allowing any form configuration export. Until an update can be applied, administrators should consider disabling the specific functionality if it is not actively required for daily operations, although this may limit legitimate administrative tasks. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules that detect and block unauthorized attempts to access plugin-specific endpoints associated with file exports or sensitive data retrieval can provide an additional layer of defense. Regular audits of installed plugins and their permissions are also recommended to ensure that no other components suffer from similar authorization flaws.