# CVE-2026-16144: wpchill Kali Forms remote code execution in _save_data

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-16144-wpchill-kali-forms-remote-code-execution-in-save-data  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-01. Updated: 2026-08-01  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-16144 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.1 · Published 2026-08-01

Kali Forms, a popular WordPress plugin used for building contact forms, contains a security flaw that could allow an attacker to take control of a website. By submitting specially crafted data through a form, an unauthenticated user could execute malicious code on the server. This could lead to a complete site takeover, theft of customer data, or service disruption. The risk is highest for forms that use specific internal field names like 'thisPermalink'.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-16144 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-16144 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-16144?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.1, published 1 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** wpchill Kali Forms — Contact Form & Drag-and-Drop Builder up to, and including, 2.4.20.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-16144?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-16144 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-16144?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The Kali Forms plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution (RCE) due to a code injection flaw in the `_save_data` function. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of the 'thisPermalink' field value, which allows an attacker-controlled string to overwrite a trusted callable placeholder. This string eventually reaches the PHP `call_user_func()` function. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by submitting a POST request to a form that contains a field name matching reserved keys such as 'thisPermalink', 'entryCounter', or 'submission_link'. Successful exploitation allows for arbitrary code execution on the underlying server. The issue is addressed in versions following 2.4.20.

## Affected products

- wpchill Kali Forms — Contact Form & Drag-and-Drop Builder up to, and including, 2.4.20

## Timeline

- 2026-08-01: disclosed
- 2026-08-01: advisory

## References

- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.19/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.19/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.19/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.19/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.19/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.19/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.19/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.19/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.19/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.19/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.20/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.20/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.20/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/kali-forms/tags/2.4.20/Inc/Frontend/class-form-processor.php)