CVE-2025-49451 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability (CWE-35) found in the yannisraft Aeroscroll Gallery plugin, which provides infinite scroll image gallery and post grid functionalities with photo gallery features. This vulnerability affects all versions up to 1.0.12 of the plugin. Path traversal vulnerabilities allow an attacker to manipulate file path inputs to access files and directories outside the intended scope, potentially exposing sensitive files on the server. In this case, the vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality by allowing unauthorized reading of files, but does not affect integrity or availability. No known exploits have been reported in the wild yet. The plugin is typically used in WordPress environments to enhance image gallery presentation, meaning the vulnerability could expose server-side files if exploited. Since the plugin is web-facing, attackers could craft specially crafted HTTP requests to exploit the path traversal flaw and retrieve sensitive files such as configuration files, credentials, or other private data stored on the server. The lack of patches currently available increases the urgency for mitigation. Given the plugin’s role in content management systems, exploitation could lead to significant data leakage and potential further compromise if sensitive credentials or keys are exposed.

For European organizations using the yannisraft Aeroscroll Gallery plugin, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality of sensitive data hosted on their web servers. Organizations in sectors such as media, e-commerce, education, and public administration that rely on WordPress-based websites with this plugin could have their internal files exposed, including configuration files, private keys, or personal data of users. This could lead to data breaches, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), reputational damage, and potential follow-on attacks leveraging leaked credentials or configuration details. Since the vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, attackers can exploit it remotely and anonymously, increasing the attack surface. The absence of known exploits in the wild suggests that proactive mitigation is critical to prevent initial compromise. Additionally, organizations with limited patch management capabilities or those unaware of the plugin’s presence are at higher risk. The impact is primarily on confidentiality, but indirect effects could include further system compromise if attackers use exposed data to escalate privileges or move laterally within networks.

1. Immediate identification and inventory of all WordPress instances using the yannisraft Aeroscroll Gallery plugin across the organization’s web infrastructure. 2. Disable or remove the Aeroscroll Gallery plugin until a vendor patch or update is released. 3. Implement strict web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block path traversal attack patterns targeting the plugin endpoints, including requests containing ../ sequences or encoded variants. 4. Restrict file system permissions on web servers to limit the plugin’s access to only necessary directories, minimizing exposure if exploited. 5. Monitor web server logs for unusual access patterns or attempts to retrieve sensitive files via path traversal. 6. Educate web administrators and developers about the vulnerability and encourage timely patching once a fix is available. 7. Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) or intrusion detection systems (IDS) that can detect anomalous file access attempts. 8. Review and tighten overall WordPress security posture, including limiting plugin usage to trusted and actively maintained components. 9. Prepare incident response plans to quickly address any exploitation attempts or data leaks related to this vulnerability.