Highly exploitable, CVE-2026-76012 poses a critical security risk that could lead to severe breaches.
Status: Deferred
Published on: 30 Oct 2026, 18:18 UTC
CVSS Release: version 3
security@wordfence.com
Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVE-2026-76012: The Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 4.4.1 via the legacy_render function. This is due to broken authorization on the Lightroom gallery_edit endpoint combined with mass assignment of gallery path and unrestricted file upload into a registered template directory, whose extension check uses a substring match that accepts sanitized .php_ filenames as valid templates. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with custom-level access and above, to execute code on the server. Exploitation requires the authenticated attacker to be the stored author of at least one existing NextGEN gallery, as ownership of that gallery is the sole authorization check gating the mass-assignment and upload steps.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-76012 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
This vulnerability, CVE-2026-76012, requires a high level of attack complexity and low privileges, making it difficult but not impossible to exploit. Organizations should ensure robust security configurations to mitigate risks.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-76012, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-76012, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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