# CVE-2024-3097: WordPress Gallery Plugin – NextGEN Gallery <= 3.59 - Missing Authorization to Unauthenticated Information Disclosure

> Unauthenticated attackers can extract sensitive image metadata due to missing capability checks in the NextGEN Gallery plugin.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Apr 2024
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w249-f84q-3v47

## What is CVE-2024-3097?

CVE-2024-3097 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in smub Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery, published on 9 Apr 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The WordPress Gallery Plugin – NextGEN Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data due to a missing capability check on the get_item function in versions up to, and including, 3.59. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to extract sensitive data including EXIF and other metadata of any image uploaded through the plugin.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-3097?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Imagely Nextgen Gallery.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-3097?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-3097 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-3097 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-3097 exists.

Public exploit code:

- NextGEN Gallery <= 3.59 - Missing Authorization to Unauthenticated Information Disclosure (nuclei): http/cves/2024/CVE-2024-3097.yaml

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

- [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-2024-3097 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-3097 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in smub Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery, published on 9 Apr 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-3097 exists.

Affected product: smub Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery. 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-2024-3097/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-3097/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-3097
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-3097
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-3097

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-3097/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.