# CVE-2023-3155: NextGEN Gallery < 3.39 - Admin+ Arbitrary File Read and Delete

> An authenticated admin can read and delete arbitrary files on the server due to insufficient input validation in the NextGEN Gallery plugin.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 23 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4mq9-mp5g-r83q

## What is CVE-2023-3155?

CVE-2023-3155 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Unknown WordPress Gallery Plugin, published on 16 Oct 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The WordPress Gallery Plugin WordPress plugin before 3.39 is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Read and Delete due to a lack of input parameter validation in the `gallery_edit` function, allowing an attacker to access arbitrary resources on the server.

Weakness: CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-3155?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Imagely Nextgen Gallery.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-3155?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-3155 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-3155 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-3155 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown WordPress Gallery Plugin

- [CVE-2013-3684](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3684/): File upload in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-14314](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-14314/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-10889](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-10889/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2015-1784](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-1784/): File upload in nextgen-gallery (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-35942](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35942/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-3155 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-3155 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Unknown WordPress Gallery Plugin, published on 16 Oct 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-3155 exists.

Affected product: Unknown WordPress Gallery Plugin. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3155/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3155/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-3155
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3155
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-3155

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3155/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.