CVE-2026-19222 in Forminator Forms Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/22/2026
The Forminator Forms WordPress plugin before 1.57.0.7 does not consistently enforce the role restriction it applies to registration forms, allowing users who are permitted to build forms to configure one that assigns the administrator role to any visitor who registers through it.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2026
The vulnerability identified in Forminator Forms for WordPress prior to version 1.57.0.7 represents a critical authorization flaw rooted in inconsistent enforcement of user role restrictions during form configuration. This plugin is widely utilized by website administrators and content creators to generate custom forms, including registration mechanisms that allow new users to create accounts on the site. Under normal operational parameters, WordPress enforces strict capabilities regarding which roles can be assigned through these forms. Typically, only high-privilege users such as super admins or those with specific management capabilities should have the authority to assign elevated roles like Administrator to newly registered users. However, in versions of Forminator preceding 1.57.0.7, this security control is bypassed due to a logic error that fails to validate the intended role assignment against the permissions of the user creating or editing the form.
Technically, the flaw stems from an insufficient check on the server side when processing requests related to registration form settings. When a user with lower privileges, such as an Editor or Author who is permitted to build forms but not manage users directly, attempts to configure a registration form, the application accepts input that specifies the Administrator role for new registrants without verifying if this action violates WordPress core capability restrictions. This lack of consistent enforcement allows any authenticated user capable of creating or modifying forms to manipulate the backend logic to assign administrative privileges to arbitrary accounts. The vulnerability is particularly insidious because it does not require a traditional injection attack or buffer overflow; rather, it exploits the trust placed in form configuration interfaces by failing to re-evaluate role assignment permissions at the point of submission and storage.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it effectively allows for privilege escalation from any authenticated user level up to full administrative control over the WordPress installation. An attacker who gains access to a low-privileged account on an affected site can exploit this flaw by creating or editing a registration form that assigns the Administrator role upon submission. By registering through this maliciously configured form, the attacker obtains complete administrative rights. With these elevated privileges, the attacker can install arbitrary plugins, modify theme files, execute code via plugin editors, access sensitive database information, and potentially achieve remote code execution depending on other installed software configurations. This compromises the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the entire web application environment.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which describes Improper Privilege Management, specifically where an actor is able to elevate privileges beyond what is intended by the system design. Furthermore, in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework for enterprise security, this behavior maps closely to T1078, Valid Accounts, and more specifically T1098, Account Manipulation, as it involves altering account properties to gain unauthorized access. The exploitation path also reflects aspects of CWE-284, Improper Access Control, where the system fails to restrict actions based on user roles during critical configuration changes.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running Forminator Forms must immediately upgrade to version 1.57.0.7 or later, which addresses these inconsistencies by enforcing strict role assignment restrictions regardless of who is configuring the form. Until an update can be applied, administrators should restrict access to form creation and editing capabilities to only those users with explicit administrative privileges. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules that monitor for unusual changes in user roles or registration configurations may provide a layer of detection against exploitation attempts. Regular auditing of user role assignments and monitoring for new administrator accounts created through non-standard channels are also recommended defensive measures to detect potential compromise resulting from this vulnerability.