---
id: "CVE-2012-20002"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2012-20002"]
title: "WordPress TinyMCE Thumbnail Gallery plugin: unauthenticated file read via path traversal"
severity: "high"
cvss: 8.7
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["package", "self-hosted", "wordpress"]
not_affected_if: ["plugin-not-installed", "version-1.1.0-or-later"]
published_at: "2026-10-20T21:17:10+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:21+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T22:37:20+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-20002", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:21+00:00"}]
---

# WordPress TinyMCE Thumbnail Gallery plugin: unauthenticated file read via path traversal

The TinyMCE Thumbnail Gallery plugin for WordPress before 1.1.0 lets anyone send a GET request to /php/download-image.php with traversal sequences in the href parameter. An attacker can read arbitrary server files such as wp-config.php, exposing database credentials.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

Check the installed plugin version under wp-content/plugins/ (look for the TinyMCE Thumbnail Gallery directory and its version).
Request /wp-content/plugins/tinymce-thumbnail-gallery/php/download-image.php and look for a response.

## Fix

Update the TinyMCE Thumbnail Gallery plugin to 1.1.0 or later, or remove it.
Rotate database credentials in wp-config.php if the plugin was exposed.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:21+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-20002

## From the sources

TinyMCE Thumbnail Gallery plugin for WordPress before 1.1.0 contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files via the href parameter. Attackers can send GET requests to /php/download-image.php with traversal sequences like ../../../../wp-config.php to retrieve database credentials and system files. Exploitation evidence was first observed by the Shadowserver Foundation on 2023-10-19.

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