CVE-2026-2268 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) affecting the Ninja Forms plugin for WordPress, versions up to and including 3.14.0. The root cause is the unsafe application of the ninja_forms_merge_tags filter to user-supplied input within repeater fields, which allows unauthenticated attackers to resolve {post_meta:KEY} merge tags without any authorization checks. This vulnerability is exploitable via the nf_ajax_submit AJAX action, which processes form submissions asynchronously. By crafting malicious requests, attackers can retrieve arbitrary post metadata from any post on the WordPress site, including sensitive information such as WooCommerce billing emails, API keys, private tokens, and customer personal data. The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, making it remotely exploitable over the network with low complexity. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5 (high), reflecting the high confidentiality impact, no impact on integrity or availability, and the ease of exploitation. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the exposure of sensitive data can lead to privacy violations, credential theft, and further compromise of the affected systems. The lack of patches at the time of reporting necessitates immediate mitigation steps by site administrators.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2026-2268 can be significant, especially for those operating e-commerce platforms or handling personal customer data through WordPress sites using Ninja Forms. Exposure of billing emails, API keys, and private tokens can lead to identity theft, financial fraud, unauthorized access to backend systems, and regulatory non-compliance, particularly under GDPR. Data breaches involving personal information can result in heavy fines and reputational damage. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation without authentication increases the risk of widespread attacks. Organizations relying on WooCommerce integrated with Ninja Forms are particularly vulnerable, as sensitive transactional data may be exposed. The confidentiality breach can also facilitate further attacks such as phishing, account takeover, or lateral movement within corporate networks. Given the critical role of web presence in European businesses, this vulnerability poses a direct threat to operational security and customer trust.

To mitigate CVE-2026-2268, European organizations should take the following specific actions: 1) Immediately update the Ninja Forms plugin to a patched version once available from the vendor. 2) Until a patch is released, restrict access to the nf_ajax_submit AJAX endpoint by implementing web application firewall (WAF) rules that block suspicious or unauthenticated requests targeting this endpoint. 3) Disable or limit the use of repeater fields and merge tags that resolve post_meta values if feasible. 4) Audit and sanitize all user-supplied inputs related to form submissions to prevent unauthorized merge tag resolution. 5) Monitor web server and application logs for unusual AJAX requests or data exfiltration attempts. 6) Employ strict access controls and least privilege principles on WordPress administrative accounts and API keys to minimize the impact of potential data exposure. 7) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on WordPress plugins and AJAX endpoints. 8) Educate development and security teams about secure plugin usage and the risks of unsafe merge tag processing.