CVE-2025-49416: FW Gallery Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2025-49416 Overview

CVE-2025-49416 is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability affecting the FW Gallery WordPress plugin developed by Fastw3b LLC. The vulnerability stems from improper control of filename parameters used in PHP include/require statements, allowing attackers to include arbitrary local files from the server. This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-98 (Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program).

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow unauthenticated remote attackers to read sensitive files, potentially leading to information disclosure, privilege escalation, or remote code execution if combined with file upload capabilities.

Affected Products

• FW Gallery WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 8.0.0
• WordPress installations using vulnerable versions of the fw-gallery plugin
• Websites running Fastw3b LLC FW Gallery plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-06-27 - CVE-2025-49416 published to NVD
• 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-49416

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability arises from insufficient validation of user-controlled input that is passed to PHP file inclusion functions. The FW Gallery plugin fails to properly sanitize or validate filename parameters before using them in include(), require(), include_once(), or require_once() statements. This allows an attacker to manipulate the file path and include arbitrary files from the local filesystem.

The network-accessible attack vector combined with the potential for high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability makes this a significant security concern for WordPress administrators using the affected plugin. Although the attack complexity is rated as high, successful exploitation requires no authentication or user interaction.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-49416 is the lack of proper input validation and sanitization on user-supplied filename parameters within the FW Gallery plugin. The plugin accepts external input that directly influences which PHP files are included during execution, without implementing adequate allowlists, path canonicalization, or directory traversal prevention mechanisms.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences (such as ../) or specially crafted filenames to include sensitive files from the server. Common exploitation targets include:

• WordPress configuration files (wp-config.php) containing database credentials
• System files like /etc/passwd for user enumeration
• Application log files that may contain sensitive data
• PHP session files for session hijacking

When combined with other techniques such as log poisoning or file upload functionality, this LFI vulnerability could potentially be escalated to achieve remote code execution on the target server.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49416

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests to FW Gallery plugin endpoints containing path traversal sequences (../, ..%2f, ..%5c)
• Web server access logs showing attempts to access system files through the plugin
• Unexpected file access patterns in PHP error logs related to the fw-gallery plugin
• Requests containing null byte sequences (%00) or other filter bypass attempts

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block path traversal patterns in requests
• Monitor HTTP request parameters for directory traversal sequences targeting the fw-gallery plugin
• Enable file integrity monitoring on WordPress core files and sensitive configuration files
• Configure intrusion detection systems to alert on anomalous file access patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Review web server access logs for suspicious requests to /wp-content/plugins/fw-gallery/ paths
• Set up alerts for failed file access attempts that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Monitor for unusual outbound data transfers that could indicate successful data exfiltration
• Implement logging for PHP include/require operations to detect file inclusion attacks

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49416

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the FW Gallery plugin to a patched version if one is available from Fastw3b LLC
• If no patch is available, consider temporarily deactivating and removing the FW Gallery plugin
• Implement WAF rules to block path traversal attempts targeting the plugin
• Review server logs for signs of prior exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Organizations using the FW Gallery WordPress plugin should check for security updates from Fastw3b LLC. The vulnerability affects all versions through 8.0.0. For detailed vulnerability information and patch status, consult the Patchstack WordPress Plugin Vulnerability Database.

Workarounds

• Temporarily disable the FW Gallery plugin until a security patch is available
• Implement server-level restrictions using open_basedir PHP directive to limit file inclusion scope
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with rules specifically targeting LFI attack patterns
• Restrict access to sensitive WordPress configuration files using .htaccess rules or web server configuration

# Apache .htaccess configuration to restrict access to sensitive files
<FilesMatch "^wp-config\.php$">
    Require all denied
</FilesMatch>

# Disable direct access to plugin directory
<Directory /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/fw-gallery/>
    <Files "*.php">
        Require all denied
    </Files>
</Directory>