Author-level web shell upload via missing validation
Published Jan 22, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Unrestricted file upload in NgocCode WP Load Gallery 2.1.6 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to upload web shells. The wpgallery AJAX action's wplg_upload task accepts wplg_gallery_file input without validating the uploaded file type. Author-level WordPress access is required, and a successfully placed PHP file enables command execution under the web server account.
Summary
What happened
Unrestricted file upload in NgocCode WP Load Gallery 2.1.6 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to upload web shells. The wpgallery AJAX action's wplg_upload task accepts wplg_gallery_file input without validating the uploaded file type. Author-level WordPress access is required, and a successfully placed PHP file enables command execution under the web server account.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-23942
- Published
- Jan 22, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- NgocCode
- Product
- WP Load Gallery
- Classifications
- CWE-434, CAPEC-650, T1505.003
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 22, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <=2.1.6
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Nxploited CVE-2025-23942 proof of conceptfunctional · unverified
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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