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CVE Record

CVE-2015-9538: The NextGEN Gallery plugin before 2.1.15 for WordPress allows ../ Directory Traversal in path selection.

The NextGEN Gallery plugin before 2.1.15 for WordPress allows ../ Directory Traversal in path selection.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2015-9538 affects the WordPress NextGEN Gallery plugin before version 2.1.15. The reported flaw allows directory traversal through path selection, meaning an attacker may be able to make the plugin reference files outside intended directories. Business risk depends on where the plugin is deployed and what files the web server can access.

Executive priority

Prioritize remediation for internet-facing WordPress sites and managed customer environments. The absence of CVSS and KEV data lowers certainty, but public path traversal in a popular plugin is enough to warrant timely upgrade and exposure review.

Technical view

The CVE record describes ../ directory traversal in NextGEN Gallery before 2.1.15 for WordPress. Public references also discuss path traversal and related disclosure history. The source bundle does not provide CVSS, CWE, exploit maturity, authentication requirements, or precise impacted code paths, so validation should focus on version exposure and vendor advisory confirmation.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely on public WordPress sites running NextGEN Gallery older than 2.1.15. Risk is higher where WordPress has broad filesystem access, sensitive files near web-accessible paths, or weak plugin update controls.

Exploitation context

The bundle includes public disclosure and exploit-database style references, but KEV is false and no cited source in the bundle establishes active exploitation. Treat this as publicly known, not confirmed currently exploited.

Researcher notes

The available evidence is sparse: affected range is stated as before 2.1.15, but the bundle lacks scoring, CWE mapping, authentication context, and complete remediation details. Avoid assuming file disclosure scope without reproducing behavior in a controlled, authorized test environment.

Mitigation direction

  • Identify all WordPress sites using NextGEN Gallery.
  • Upgrade NextGEN Gallery beyond the affected pre-2.1.15 range.
  • Confirm the current vendor changelog or guidance before relying on version assumptions.
  • Restrict filesystem permissions for the WordPress runtime user.
  • Remove unused or abandoned NextGEN Gallery installations.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory installed NextGEN Gallery versions across WordPress estates.
  • Flag any installation older than 2.1.15 for remediation review.
  • Check plugin source and vendor release notes for the relevant path-selection fix.
  • Review web and application logs for suspicious traversal indicators.
  • Confirm WordPress runtime permissions cannot read sensitive system files.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
6

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

description · low confidence lookup

File access behavior lookup

The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2015-9538 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
8Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.