Chamakh, 32, is a free agent, having been released by Premier League side Crystal Palace at the end of his contract in the summer.
The Morocco international had a three-year spell at Arsenal, having arrived from French club Bordeaux in 2010.
He had loan spells at West Ham United and Palace before joining the Eagles on a permanent basis in 2014.
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Warnock, appointed on Tuesday, is moving rapidly to revamp the Cardiff squad.
The Bluebirds are expected to confirm the signings of Junior Hoilett and Sol Bamba as well as Chamakh, in time for the opening game under Warnock at home to Bristol City, on Friday, 14 October.

It follows a string of high-profile gang rapes in the country.
The watch, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, can be used to alert authorities and family members if the wearer is in danger.
The wearer can send a message to the nearest police station or chosen relatives by pressing a button. The GPS system will pinpoint the location.
The watch will also feature a built-in camera that can record for up to half an hour.
According to the Wall Street Journal blog India Real Time, a prototype watch will be ready by mid-year and will cost between $20 and $50 (Â£13 to Â£32).
The government has held initial talks with state-run telecom equipment maker ITI Ltd about manufacturing the watch, it said.
The brutal gang rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi in December raised questions about how well the country is protecting women from sexual violence.
It led to nationwide protests with campaigners calling for tougher rape laws.
This month, a 21-year-old factory worker living in a suburb of Delhi was found dead, allegedly another victim of gang rape.
Meanwhile in Goa, a seven-year-old girl was raped in a school toilet.
The cases have sparked a search for technologies that can help and Indian trade group Nasscom recently announced a competition for firms to develop apps specifically focused on keeping women safe.

Habibur Chowdhury, paid Mohammed Manik just over half the minimum wage to work a 72-hour week.
Chowdhury's Ashiana restaurant was raided in June 2015 following a tip-off about illegal immigrants working there.
He later told police he had nothing to do with the restaurant and claimed not to know who Mr Manik was.
His defence agent described 60-year-old Chowdhury as "wilfully blind" when it came to checking the Bangladeshi national's papers.
Mr Manik told Home Office investigators he "felt exploited" by Chowdhury.
Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson previously told Dundee Sheriff Court that Mr Manik had applied for asylum but had been refused.
She said: "He couldn't support himself and was living in Glasgow.
"He explained his predicament to a friend who put him in touch with the accused who offered him a job in Dundee."
The court was told Mr Manik was paid cash to work six days a week for 12 hours a day.
Miss Robertson said: "He was paid £300 a week regardless of how much he worked."
Chowdhury, of Dundee, admitted employing someone who had not been granted leave to enter or remain in the UK.
Sheriff Alastair Brown imposed a restriction of liberty order confining Chowdhury to his home address from 19:00 to 07:00 every day for six months.
Sheriff Brown said: "It seems reasonably clear that the UK government and a significant proportion of the UK public is exercised about immigration.
"The laws are there to protect the vulnerable.
"The picture I get from your record, this offence and your attitude to the social workers preparing reports in this case is of a man who regards regulatory rules with an arrogant attitude that they don't apply to him unless he so chooses."
Former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh is the latest target for new Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
The Indian government is working on a GPS watch that it hopes will help in the fight against rape.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
A Dundee restaurateur who paid a failed asylum seeker £4 an hour to run his kitchen has been placed on a six-month curfew.