CVE-2019-16117 in photo-gallery Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross site scripting (XSS) in the photo-gallery (10Web Photo Gallery) plugin before 1.5.35 for WordPress exists via admin/models/Galleries.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2019-16117 represents a cross site scripting flaw within the 10Web Photo Gallery WordPress plugin affecting versions prior to 1.5.35. This security weakness resides in the admin/models/Galleries.php file and specifically targets the administrative interface of the plugin. The vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to inject malicious scripts into the gallery management system, creating a persistent threat vector that could be exploited to compromise the entire WordPress installation. The flaw demonstrates a classic XSS vulnerability pattern where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the admin interface, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of the victim's browser.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization practices within the plugin's backend processing logic. When administrators interact with gallery management features, the application fails to adequately escape or filter user-supplied data before storing or displaying it in administrative contexts. This creates an environment where malicious payloads can be injected through gallery configurations, image metadata, or other user-editable fields. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative models layer, indicating that the issue occurs during the processing of gallery-related data structures rather than frontend rendering, making it particularly dangerous as it operates within the trusted administrative environment where users possess elevated privileges.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to escalate their privileges and potentially take full control of the WordPress installation. The XSS attack vector allows for session hijacking, credential theft, and the execution of malicious code that could lead to data exfiltration or system compromise. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to install backdoors, modify plugin functionality, or redirect users to malicious websites. The administrative context of the vulnerability means that successful exploitation would provide attackers with complete control over the photo gallery plugin and potentially broader access to the WordPress system. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous for websites that rely heavily on user-generated content management or have multiple administrators with varying privilege levels.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross site scripting flaws as a fundamental web application security weakness. It also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks and T1566 for social engineering through malicious content. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to version 1.5.35 or later of the 10Web Photo Gallery plugin, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block XSS payloads, and conducting thorough security audits of all installed plugins. Additionally, administrators should enforce strict input validation policies, implement proper output encoding for all administrative interfaces, and establish monitoring protocols to detect unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and patch management procedures should be prioritized to prevent similar vulnerabilities from remaining unaddressed in the WordPress ecosystem.