Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2026-23978 affects the WordPress Gyan Elements plugin through version 2.2.1. It can allow a logged-in low-privilege user to cause the site to include local files improperly. The reported impact is high because confidentiality, integrity, and availability could all be affected. No cited source here confirms active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority WordPress plugin issue for sites using Gyan Elements. Prioritize internet-facing sites, sites with user registration, and sites with many contributor-level accounts. If the plugin is not present, no direct action is needed beyond normal monitoring.
Technical view
The CVE describes CWE-98 improper control of a filename used in a PHP include/require operation, resulting in local file inclusion in Softwebmedia Gyan Elements. CVSS 3.1 is 7.5 with AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The vulnerability affects Gyan Elements versions up to and including 2.2.1.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress sites running the Gyan Elements plugin at version 2.2.1 or earlier. The CVSS vector requires network access and low privileges, with no user interaction. Sites allowing broad user registration or many low-privilege accounts have higher practical exposure.
Exploitation context
The available sources do not state that exploitation is occurring in the wild, and this CVE is not marked KEV in the provided data. Attack complexity is rated high and privileges are required, but successful exploitation could have severe consequences for site data and operation.
Researcher notes
Public detail in the provided bundle is limited to the CVE record and Patchstack entry metadata. No proof-of-concept, active exploitation claim, fixed version, or specific vulnerable parameter is provided here. Avoid assuming exploitability beyond the CVSS vector and CWE description.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the Gyan Elements plugin and version.
- Check Softwebmedia, WordPress, and Patchstack guidance for a fixed version or official workaround.
- Update the plugin if a vendor-approved fixed release is available.
- If no fix is available, disable or remove the plugin where business impact allows.
- Restrict creation and use of low-privilege WordPress accounts until remediated.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Gyan Elements is installed on each WordPress instance.
- Record installed plugin versions and flag versions 2.2.1 or earlier.
- Review WordPress users for unnecessary low-privilege accounts.
- Check web and application logs for abnormal file-include related errors or requests.
- Track CVE and vendor advisory updates for remediation status changes.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
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.
CWE-98: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-23978 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.65.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.5HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion')
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.