WordPress security changelog
MEDIUM CVE-2026-102291 Deferred

Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer: A security weakness

A Subscriber can put shortcode text in their own display_name through the core profile interface. If a published Kirki element uses the dynamic display_name value, TheFrontend::replace_content inserts it into the page and then runs do_shortcode across the result. This can execute registered shortcodes in the viewing user’s context, including anonymous visitors. Effects depend on available shortcodes and configuration; arbitrary PHP execution is not established. Affected versions: <= 6.3.1.

CVE / CNA score 5.4 CVSS 3.1 · security@wordfence.com
NVD score Pending NVD has not published its own CVSS assessment.
Component
Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer
Plugin slug
kirki
Affected
<= 6.3.1
Safe version
6.3.2
Published
Oct 10, 2026
Weakness
CWE-74 — Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')

This CVE was published Oct 10, 2026 and is one of 42 known issues for this plugin.

What to do

Update, patch or deactivate.

The official author release notes confirm remediation by 6.3.2; this does not establish that every intervening release was affected. Update the affected edition to 6.3.2 or a later maintained release on its supported branch. Disable the affected feature or deactivate the component until the update is installed. Application-level remediation: Do not run shortcode expansion over a page after inserting user-profile data. Expand only trusted, explicitly authored shortcode fields and keep dynamic display names as escaped text. Official author release notes: https://wordpress.org/plugins/kirki/.

A safe version is available, so updating to that version or later is the preferred remediation. If an immediate update is not practical, consider a targeted application patch or temporarily restricting the affected functionality.

Deactivate only when warranted by your risk profile, or when advised by your hosting provider in the limited circumstances where the vulnerability cannot otherwise be mitigated. If you’re unsure which action is appropriate, contact Fused or your hosting provider for guidance.

Source record

Technical description

The Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary shortcode execution in all versions up to, and including, 6.3.1 This is due to the plugin substituting a user's `display_name` into the composed page markup unfiltered and then running the whole result through `do_shortcode()` in `TheFrontend::replace_content()`. Because `display_name` is writable by any user on their own account through the core profile form, this makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access and above to execute arbitrary shortcodes. Where the page is a users collection — an ordinary team or member-directory page — the shortcode runs in the request of every visitor, including unauthenticated ones. Requires a published page with a Kirki element whose dynamic content is bound to the `display_name` user field.

CVE / CNA vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

References

Primary and upstream sources