CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-89435NVD status: Deferred

Formidable Forms – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz…: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-89435 is a high-severity improper neutralization of special elements in output used by a downstream component vulnerability in Formidable Forms – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Payment, Calculator Form & Custom Form Builder from Strategy11team, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected Formidable Forms – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Payment, Calculator Form & Custom Form Builder versions: 6.35 and earlier. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.39% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of Formidable Forms – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Payment, Calculator Form & Custom Form Builder you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Strategy11teamFormidable Forms – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Payment, Calculator Form & Custom Form Builder6.35 and earlierNot stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (wordfence.com).

Official description

The Formidable Forms – WordPress Form Builder for Contact Forms, Calculators, Quizzes & More plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary Plugin Installation in all versions up to, and including, 6.35 via the 'file_url' parameter parameter. This is due to insufficient URL prefix validation in validate_url_is_in_s3_bucket() and a permission callback that relies solely on a shared token obtainable by any user with the delegable frm_view_forms capability, without checking install_plugins or activate_plugins capabilities. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to install arbitrary plugins on the server. Exploitation additionally requires that the site is free-only (Formidable Pro is NOT installed).

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component

The product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Programming languages and supporting technologies might be chosen which are not subject to these issues.
  • Utilize an appropriate mix of allowlist and denylist parsing to filter control-plane syntax from all input.

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

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).

References

Other references

Recent Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component vulnerabilities

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