Description
The Contest Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 28.0.2. This is due to the plugin registering the `cg_check_wp_admin_upload_v10` AJAX action for both authenticated and unauthenticated users without implementing capability checks or nonce verification. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary WordPress media attachments into galleries and manipulate gallery metadata via the `cg_check_wp_admin_upload_v10` action. It does not enable an attacker to move or upload files.
Published: 2025-11-15
Score: 5.3 Medium
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Authorization bypass that lets unauthenticated users inject media attachments and modify gallery metadata within the Contest Gallery WordPress plugin
Action: Upgrade Plugin
AI Analysis

Impact

The Contest Gallery plugin registers an AJAX action, cg_check_wp_admin_upload_v10, for both authenticated and unauthenticated users without performing capability checks or nonce verification. This omission allows an unauthenticated attacker to call the endpoint and insert arbitrary WordPress media attachments into galleries, and to alter gallery metadata, thereby gaining unauthorised control over content displayed to site visitors. The vulnerability does not provide file upload or movement capabilities, so it is limited to gallery manipulation rather than full system compromise.

Affected Systems

All WordPress sites running Contest Gallery versions up to and including 28.0.2 are affected. The issue is present in the plugin regardless of the WordPress core version, and the vendor is contest-gallery, as listed in the CNA data.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 5.3 indicates moderate severity, while the EPSS score of less than 1% and absence from the CISA KEV catalog suggest a low likelihood of widespread exploitation. The attack vector is through unauthenticated HTTP requests to the vulnerable AJAX endpoint; attackers can craft requests to inject media or modify gallery metadata. Because no file upload capability is provided, the impact is confined to manipulation of existing gallery content rather than arbitrary code execution.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on April 21, 2026 at 18:20 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Apply the vendor’s official patch by upgrading Contest Gallery to the latest release above 28.0.2
  • Modify the plugin code or use a security plug‑in to restrict the cg_check_wp_admin_upload_v10 AJAX action to users with appropriate capabilities and add nonce verification
  • If upgrading or modifying is not immediately possible, disable or uninstall the Contest Gallery plugin or restrict its functionality so the vulnerable AJAX endpoint is inaccessible to unauthenticated users

Generated by OpenCVE AI on April 21, 2026 at 18:20 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 19:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Sat, 15 Nov 2025 22:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Contest-gallery
Contest-gallery contest Gallery
Wordpress
Wordpress wordpress
Vendors & Products Contest-gallery
Contest-gallery contest Gallery
Wordpress
Wordpress wordpress

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description The Contest Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 28.0.2. This is due to the plugin registering the `cg_check_wp_admin_upload_v10` AJAX action for both authenticated and unauthenticated users without implementing capability checks or nonce verification. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary WordPress media attachments into galleries and manipulate gallery metadata via the `cg_check_wp_admin_upload_v10` action. It does not enable an attacker to move or upload files.
Title Contest Gallery <= 28.0.2 - Missing Authorization
Weaknesses CWE-862
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N'}


Subscriptions

Contest-gallery Contest Gallery
Wordpress Wordpress
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Wordfence

Published:

Updated: 2026-04-08T17:28:36.066Z

Reserved: 2025-11-06T21:38:51.157Z

Link: CVE-2025-12849

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2025-11-17T18:47:07.808Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Deferred

Published: 2025-11-15T07:15:42.640

Modified: 2026-04-15T00:35:42.020

Link: CVE-2025-12849

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-04-21T18:30:27Z

Weaknesses