● Critical · CVSS 9.8

How to Fix CVE-2026-2599: Unsafe deserialization in Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms

Q: What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-2599?

9.8 (Critical). Vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`.

Q: Where is the official advisory for CVE-2026-2599?

The vendor advisory is at [https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7a116f28-a560-4b54-9cd1-f1dd9ac3238d?source=cve](https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7a116f28-a560-4b54-9cd1-f1dd9ac3238d?source=cve). The NVD record is at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-2599.

By Sai Kiran Pandrala. Last verified: 2026-05-25.

CVE-2026-2599 is a unsafe deserialization in crmperks Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms. The fix is to apply the vendor patch noted below.

⚡ At a glance


Severity	9.8 (Critical)
Actively exploited?	No public listing in CISA KEV
Affected	Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms 0 to <=1.4.7
Fixed in	See vendor advisory
Type (CWE)	CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data

What is CVE-2026-2599?

The Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.7 via deserialization of untrusted input in the 'download_csv' function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject a PHP Object. No known POP chain is present in the vulnerable software, which means this vulnerability has no impact unless another plugin or theme containing a POP chain is installed on the site. If a POP chain is present via an additional plugin or theme installed on the target system, it may allow the attacker to perform actions like delete arbitrary files, retrieve sensitive data, or execute code depending on the POP chain present. The CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical), which puts this in the upper risk band and warrants a fast patch cycle. The official advisory is at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7a116f28-a560-4b54-9cd1-f1dd9ac3238d?source=cve.

Am I affected?

Check the version of Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms you are running and compare it against the Affected row above (Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms 0 to <=1.4.7). If your build sits inside the affected range, you must patch.

Run the version check that fits your platform:


# Linux package check
dpkg -s database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version
rpm -q database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms 2>/dev/null
command -v database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms >/dev/null && database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms --version 2>/dev/null


# Windows (PowerShell)
Get-Package -Name "*Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms*" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object Name, Version
winget list --name "Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms" 2>$null

How to fix CVE-2026-2599

Upgrade Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms to a patched build: See vendor advisory. The vendor advisory is the source of truth for the exact fixed version.

Ubuntu / Debian


sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms
dpkg -s database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms | grep -i ^Version

RHEL / CentOS / Rocky / AlmaLinux


sudo dnf upgrade --refresh database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms -y
# or for older releases:
sudo yum update database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms -y
rpm -q database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms

SUSE / openSUSE


sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper update database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms
rpm -q database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms

PHP / Composer


composer update crmperks/database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms 2>/dev/null || composer update
composer show | head -20

WordPress


# Update via WP-CLI
wp plugin update --all
wp core update

Complete PowerShell remediation script (Windows)


# Fix script for CVE-2026-2599 affecting Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms
# Run as administrator. Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$LogPath  = "C:\Logs\CVE-2026-2599-fix-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd-HHmmss).log"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force (Split-Path $LogPath) | Out-Null
Start-Transcript -Path $LogPath -Append

try {
    Write-Host "[1/4] Detect installed version"
    $pkg = Get-Package -Name "*Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms*" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($pkg) { $pkg | Format-Table Name, Version }
    else { Write-Host "Not detected via Get-Package; try winget list" }

    Write-Host "[2/4] Backup configuration"
    $backup = "C:\Backup\database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd)"
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force $backup | Out-Null
    Get-ChildItem "C:\ProgramData\Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
        Copy-Item -Destination $backup -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    Write-Host "[3/4] Apply the upgrade to See vendor advisory"
    winget upgrade --name "Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms" --silent --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
        # Fallback: pull latest via OS update channel
        Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force -SkipPublisherCheck -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate
        Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -IgnoreReboot
    }

    Write-Host "[4/4] Verify the patched build"
    winget list --name "Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms"
    Write-Host "Patch applied. Reboot if prompted."
    exit 0
} catch {
    Write-Error "Patch failed: $_"
    exit 1
} finally {
    Stop-Transcript
}

Complete Bash remediation script (Linux)


#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Fix script for CVE-2026-2599 affecting Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms
# Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

set -euo pipefail
LOG="/var/log/cve-2026-2599-fix-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"
exec > >(tee -a "$LOG") 2>&1

echo "[1/4] Detect installed version"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version || echo "database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms not installed via dpkg"
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms || echo "database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms not installed via rpm"
fi

echo "[2/4] Backup configuration"
BACKUP="/root/backup-cve-2026-2599-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP"
for d in /etc/database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms /etc/database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms.d /etc/database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms.conf; do
    [ -e "$d" ] && cp -a "$d" "$BACKUP/" || true
done

echo "[3/4] Apply the upgrade (target: See vendor advisory)"
if command -v apt-get >/dev/null; then
    apt-get update
    apt-get install --only-upgrade -y database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms
elif command -v dnf >/dev/null; then
    dnf upgrade --refresh -y database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms
elif command -v yum >/dev/null; then
    yum update -y database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms
elif command -v zypper >/dev/null; then
    zypper --non-interactive update database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms
fi

echo "[4/4] Verify the patched build"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms
fi
echo "Done. Restart any service that loaded the old library."

If you can't patch immediately

Apply at least one of the following inline controls until you can deploy the patched build. None replace the upgrade.

Restrict exposure with nftables (Linux)


# Allow only trusted CIDR to reach the affected service ports
sudo nft add table inet filter 2>/dev/null || true
sudo nft 'add chain inet filter input { type filter hook input priority 0 ; }' 2>/dev/null || true
sudo nft 'add rule inet filter input tcp dport {80, 443} ip saddr != 10.0.0.0/8 drop'
sudo nft list ruleset

Block at the host firewall (Windows)


New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block-CVE-2026-2599" -Direction Inbound -Action Block -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 80,443 -RemoteAddress Any -Enabled True
Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block-CVE-2026-2599"

Disable the affected service (Linux)


sudo systemctl stop database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms 2>/dev/null || true
sudo systemctl disable database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms 2>/dev/null || true

If the vendor advisory lists an official workaround, prefer that wording verbatim. If no workaround is published, the only safe remediation is the patch.

How to verify the fix worked

After upgrading, confirm the installed version matches the patched build and that no old library is still loaded by a long-running process.


# Linux
dpkg -s database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version
rpm -q database-for-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-forms 2>/dev/null || true
# Pid map check for old library handles
sudo lsof +c0 2>/dev/null | grep -i "DEL.*lib" || true


# Windows
Get-Package -Name "*Database for Contact Form 7, WPforms, Elementor forms*" | Select-Object Name, Version
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 5

Expected: the reported version is at or above See vendor advisory. Restart the affected service (systemctl restart <service> on Linux, or restart the Windows service) so it loads the patched binary.

Frequently asked questions

Other vulnerabilities in the same area that are worth patching alongside this one:

How to Fix CVE-2026-4336: Cross-site scripting in Ultimate FAQ Accordion Plugin — Cross-site scripting in Ultimate FAQ Accordion Plugin
How to Fix CVE-2026-0730: Critical Vulnerability in Staff Leave Management System — Critical Vulnerability in Staff Leave Management System
How to Fix CVE-2026-6369: Missing authentication in canonical-livepatch , Missing authentication in canonical-livepatch
How to Fix CVE-2026-32509: Deserialization RCE in Gracey , Deserialization RCE in Gracey
How to Fix CVE-2026-0396: HTML injection in the web dashboard in DNSdist , HTML injection in the web dashboard in DNSdist

Is CVE-2026-2599 actively exploited?

There is no public confirmation of exploitation in the wild listed in CISA KEV at the time of this writing. Patch anyway. Public exploits commonly follow disclosure within weeks.

Do I need to reboot after patching CVE-2026-2599?

For kernel and OS-level updates, yes. For most userland packages a systemctl restart <service> is enough on Linux, and restarting the Windows service or app on Windows. Any process that loaded the old library keeps using it until restarted.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-2599?

9.8 (Critical). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Where is the official advisory for CVE-2026-2599?

The vendor advisory is at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7a116f28-a560-4b54-9cd1-f1dd9ac3238d?source=cve. The NVD record is at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-2599.

References

Official vendor advisory: https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7a116f28-a560-4b54-9cd1-f1dd9ac3238d?source=cve
NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-2599
CISA KEV catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
Additional reference: https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/contact-form-entries/trunk/contact-form-entries.php#L3016
Additional reference: https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/contact-form-entries/trunk/contact-form-entries.php#L2972
Additional reference: https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3474882/

*Written by Sai Kiran Pandrala. Assembled from the official vendor advisory, NVD record, and CISA KEV listing on 2026-05-25. Always confirm against the vendor's advisory before applying changes in production.*