Cyber Posture

CVE-2026-23978

High

Published: 22 January 2026

Published
22 January 2026
Modified
23 April 2026
KEV Added
—
Patch
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CVSS Score 7.5 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0016 36.1th percentile
Risk Priority 15 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Description

Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in Softwebmedia Gyan Elements gyan-elements allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Gyan Elements: from n/a through <= 2.2.1.

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match
prevent

Directly mitigates improper filename control in PHP include/require by validating inputs to prevent local file inclusion attacks.

SI-9 Information Input Restrictions good match
prevent

Restricts filenames and paths used in PHP include/require statements to approved safe locations, blocking unauthorized local file access.

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match
prevent

Ensures timely patching of the vulnerable Gyan Elements WordPress plugin versions up to 2.2.1, remediating the specific LFI flaw.

Security SummaryAI

CVE-2026-23978 is an Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program vulnerability, classified as a PHP Remote File Inclusion issue that enables PHP Local File Inclusion, in the Softwebmedia Gyan Elements WordPress plugin (gyan-elements). It affects all versions from n/a through 2.2.1 and is associated with CWE-98.

The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating exploitation over the network by low-privileged authenticated users (PR:L) with high attack complexity (AC:H) and no user interaction (UI:N). Attackers can achieve high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, potentially allowing unauthorized access to local files on the server.

The Patchstack advisory documents this Local File Inclusion vulnerability in the Gyan Elements WordPress plugin up to version 2.2.1, with further details available at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Plugin/gyan-elements/vulnerability/wordpress-gyan-elements-plugin-2-2-1-local-file-inclusion-vulnerability?_s_id=cve.

Details

CWE(s)
CWE-98

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
Why these techniques?

The vulnerability is an unauthenticated remote file inclusion flaw in a public-facing WordPress plugin, directly enabling exploitation of a public-facing application for initial access and potential RCE.

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v19.0

References