CVE-2026-22486 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) found in the Hakob Re Gallery & Responsive Photo Gallery Plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to 1.17.18. This vulnerability stems from improperly configured access control mechanisms within the plugin, which fail to enforce authorization checks on certain operations. As a result, an unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this flaw to perform unauthorized actions that should be restricted, such as modifying gallery content or settings. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3 (medium), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N), but impacts only integrity (I:L) without affecting confidentiality or availability. The scope remains unchanged (S:U), meaning the exploit affects only the vulnerable component. No patches or fixes have been published at the time of disclosure, and no known active exploits exist in the wild. The vulnerability highlights a common security oversight in WordPress plugins where access control is not rigorously enforced, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate website content or configurations without proper permissions. This can undermine the integrity of the website's media galleries, potentially damaging brand reputation or enabling further attacks through manipulated content.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to the integrity of web content managed via the affected plugin. Unauthorized modifications to photo galleries could lead to misinformation, defacement, or insertion of malicious content, which can harm organizational reputation and user trust. While confidentiality and availability are not directly impacted, the integrity compromise could be leveraged as a foothold for more sophisticated attacks or social engineering campaigns. Organizations relying heavily on WordPress for their web presence, especially those using the Hakob Re Gallery & Responsive Photo Gallery Plugin, are at risk. The impact is more pronounced for sectors where content integrity is critical, such as media, e-commerce, education, and government websites. Given the lack of authentication requirements for exploitation, attackers can remotely target vulnerable sites without needing user credentials, increasing the threat surface. However, the absence of known exploits in the wild and the medium severity score suggest that immediate widespread impact may be limited if mitigations are promptly applied.

1. Monitor official channels and the plugin vendor for security updates or patches addressing CVE-2026-22486 and apply them immediately upon release. 2. Until a patch is available, restrict access to the plugin’s management interfaces to trusted administrators only, using WordPress role management and permissions. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the plugin’s endpoints, especially those attempting unauthorized modifications. 4. Conduct regular audits of user roles and permissions in WordPress to ensure least privilege principles are enforced. 5. Consider temporarily disabling or replacing the plugin with alternative, more secure gallery plugins if critical business operations depend on content integrity. 6. Employ security monitoring tools to detect anomalous changes in gallery content or configurations. 7. Educate site administrators about the risks of missing authorization vulnerabilities and the importance of timely patching and access control.