CVE-2026-1463
Published: 18 March 2026
Summary
CVE-2026-1463 is a high-severity PHP Remote File Inclusion (CWE-98) vulnerability in Wordpress (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 35.9th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2026-1463 is a Local File Inclusion vulnerability (CWE-98) affecting the Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery plugin for WordPress in all versions up to and including 4.0.3. The flaw exists via the 'template' parameter in gallery shortcodes, which allows improper handling of file paths, enabling the inclusion of arbitrary files on the server.
Authenticated attackers with Author-level access or higher can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low complexity and no user interaction required. Successful exploitation permits the inclusion and execution of arbitrary .php files, resulting in PHP code execution. This can bypass access controls, disclose sensitive data, or enable remote code execution in scenarios where .php files are uploadable. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.
References provided include code locations in the affected plugin files, such as Controller.php at line 369 and LegacyTemplateLocator.php at line 140 in version 4.0.3, along with a changeset (3460327) modifying LegacyTemplateLocator.php, suggesting a patch has been applied in trunk. Additional details are available in the Wordfence threat intelligence advisory.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-12851
Vulnerability details
The Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 4.0.3 via the 'template' parameter in gallery shortcodes. This makes it possible for authenticated…
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attackers, with Author-level access and above, to include and execute arbitrary .php files on the server, allowing the execution of any PHP code in those files. This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where .php file types can be uploaded and included.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Local File Inclusion vulnerability in WordPress plugin enables remote code execution for authenticated low-privilege (Author+) users via arbitrary PHP file inclusion, directly mapping to exploitation of a public-facing web application (T1190) and exploitation for privilege escalation (T1068).
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
SI-10 directly mitigates the LFI vulnerability by requiring validation of the 'template' parameter to block arbitrary file path inclusion and PHP execution.
SI-2 remediates the specific flaw in NextGEN Gallery versions up to 4.0.3 by applying patches, such as the changeset to LegacyTemplateLocator.php, to prevent exploitation.
AC-3 enforces access controls on server files, limiting authenticated Author+ users from including arbitrary .php files via gallery shortcodes.