NextGEN Gallery <= 2.1.56 - Authenticated Local File Inclusion & SQL injection
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 2.1.57
- Affected Version
<= 2.1.56- CVSS
- 9.8Critical
- Weakness type
- CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
- CVE
CVE-2016-10889
At a glance
CVE-2016-10889 is a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.1.56. It carries a CVSS score of 9.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.1.57; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2016.
Vulnerability Overview
The nextgen-gallery plugin before 2.1.57 for WordPress has SQL injection via a gallery name.
Technical Analysis
The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.
CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
Reaching this weakness in Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes <= 2.1.56 takes any authenticated account. SQL injection happens when request data is concatenated into a query instead of being bound as a parameter, letting an attacker change the structure of the statement rather than just its values.
A working injection can read any table the database user can see, which on a WordPress install means user records, password hashes and session or API secrets stored in options. For Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes the fix is 2.1.57: builds <= 2.1.56 are affected, anything from 2.1.57 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 2.1.57, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes 2.1.57 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Same weakness class
Other vulnerabilities in Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery
- 9.8CVE-2013-3684: WordPress Gallery Plugin Arbitrary File Upload
CVE-2013-3684 - 8.8CVE-2026-1463: Photo Gallery LFI
CVE-2026-1463 - 8.8CVE-2025-13641: Photo Gallery LFI
CVE-2025-13641 - 8.8CVE-2020-35942: WordPress Gallery Plugin – NextGEN Gallery CSRF
CVE-2020-35942 - 8.8CVE-2020-35943: WordPress Gallery Plugin CSRF to Arbitrary File Upload
CVE-2020-35943 - 8.8Freemius SDK <= 2.2.3 Arbitrary Options Update
- 8.8NextGen Gallery <= 3.1.5 PHP Object Injection
- 8.8CVE-2015-9228: NextGen Gallery <= 2.1.10 Unrestricted File Upload
CVE-2015-9228
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