CVE-2026-81653

NextGEN Gallery <= 4.4.0 - Authenticated (Admin+) Insecure Direct Object Reference

2026-09-18 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 4.5.0
Affected Plugin: Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery
Affected Version: <= 4.4.0
CVSS: 2.7Low
Weakness type: CWE-639 · Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key
CVE: CVE-2026-81653

View all Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-81653 is a low-severity Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key vulnerability in the Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.4.0. It carries a CVSS score of 2.7 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Admin level or above. The issue is fixed in version 4.5.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed September 2026, reported by Erwan LR.

Vulnerability Overview

The NextGEN Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in all versions up to, and including, 4.4.0. This is due to missing validation on a user controlled key. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with admin-level access and above, to perform an unauthorized action.

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 interaction from a victim user.

CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key

Reaching this weakness in Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes <= 4.4.0 takes an account at Admin level or above. Authorization bypass through a user-controlled key, often called insecure direct object reference, means the application looks up a record by an identifier from the request without checking that the caller owns it.

Changing a number in the request is enough to read or modify other users' records, which on commerce and membership sites means customer data. For Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes the fix is 4.5.0: builds <= 4.4.0 are affected, anything from 4.5.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 4.5.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes 4.5.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-81653 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/8631b31a-b892-4667-9e64-b4ded1815977 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-81653

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery

CVSS Vector

2.7

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredHigh
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone

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