dbcve.org
Path TraversalWeakness · CWE-22

CVE-2025-7641

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-08-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Assistant for NextGEN Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary directory deletion due to insufficient file path validation in the /wp-json/nextgenassistant/v1.0.0/control REST endpoint in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.9. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete arbitrary directories on the server, which can cause a complete loss of availability.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Assistant for NextGEN Gallery WordPress plugin exposes a REST API endpoint (/wp-json/nextgenassistant/v1.0.0/control) that accepts directory deletion requests without proper path validation. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this to delete arbitrary directories on the server by supplying directory traversal sequences in the request, leading to complete loss of site availability.

MitigationUpdate to the latest version of the plugin (1.0.10 or later) which includes proper path validation. Until patched, consider disabling the plugin or blocking unauthenticated access to the REST endpoint via web server configuration.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the NextGEN Gallery plugin installation
    Check the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/) for the 'nextgen-gallery' folder, or look in wp-admin > Plugins for 'NextGEN Gallery' listing
    Affected if The plugin folder or listing is present in the WordPress installation
  2. Determine the installed plugin version
    Open the main plugin file (nextgen-gallery/readme.txt or nextgen-gallery/nggallery.php) and locate the 'Version:' header in the plugin metadata, or check in wp-admin > Plugins > NextGEN Gallery
    Affected if The version number found is lower than 1.0.10 (e.g., 1.0.9, 1.0.8, etc.)
  3. Verify the vulnerable REST endpoint is accessible
    Send a GET request to /wp-json/nextgenassistant/v1.0.0/control using curl or a browser, or check if the endpoint returns a valid JSON response rather than a 404
    Affected if The endpoint returns a response (even an error) instead of 404 Not Found, indicating the Assistant component is loaded
  4. Confirm the plugin is active
    Check wp-admin > Plugins > NextGEN Gallery shows 'Active' status, or query the WordPress database table wp_options for option_name 'active_plugins' containing 'nextgen-gallery'
    Affected if The plugin status shows as Active or the option includes nextgen-gallery in the active plugins list

You are affected if the NextGEN Gallery plugin is installed, active, and the installed version is below 1.0.10, which makes the unauthenticated /wp-json/nextgenassistant/v1.0.0/control endpoint vulnerable to directory traversal attacks.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update to the latest version of the plugin (1.0.10 or later) which includes proper path validation. Until patched, consider disabling the plugin or blocking unauthenticated access to the REST endpoint via web server configuration.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Version greater than 1.0.9 (latest available version)

  1. 1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Locate the 'Assistant for NextGEN Gallery' plugin
  4. 4. If an update is available, click 'Update Now'
  5. 5. After updating, verify the plugin version is greater than 1.0.9

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-7641 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data