CVE-2026-5821: Image Optimizer (WordPress plugin) · External Control of File Name or Path
Affects Image Optimizer (WordPress plugin)Source CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.1 High.
Data as of 13 Nov 2026, 23:54 UTC
Thin evidence
One scorer or none| CNA (Wordfence) | CVSS 3.1 | 8.1 |
|---|
- EPSS
- 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 55% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 2 Jul 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 13 Nov 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| elemntorImage Optimizer – Compress Images and Convert to WebP or AVIF | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
Until an official fix is available, restrict Author-level user capabilities if possible and monitor for suspicious activity related to attachment deletion. Avoid using the vulnerable plugin version or disable it if feasible.
Description
The Image Optimizer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion in versions up to and including 1.7.4. This is due to insufficient path validation in the Image_Backup::remove() function where backup file paths stored in post meta are used directly in file deletion operations without verifying they are within the uploads directory. The plugin stores backup file paths in the image_optimizer_metadata post meta field and trusts these paths completely when deleting backups on the delete_attachment hook. An authenticated attacker with Author-level access can edit the image_optimizer_metadata post meta on their own attachments via WordPress's Custom Fields interface, injecting arbitrary absolute file paths into the backups array. When the attacker subsequently deletes the attachment, the plugin calls File_System::delete() on each path without validation. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to delete arbitrary files on the server within the web server's filesystem permissions, potentially leading to denial of service, data loss, or security degradation.
References
- wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/a1a00374-e9d6-46f9-a28c-cb7768505787?source=cve (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/trunk/classes/image/image-backup.php (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/tags/1.7.3/classes/image/image-backup.php (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/trunk/modules/backups/components/handle-backups-removing.php (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/tags/1.7.3/modules/backups/components/handle-backups-removing.php (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/trunk/classes/image/image-meta.php (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/tags/1.7.3/classes/image/image-meta.php (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3557772%40image-optimization&new=3557772%40image-optimization&sfp_email=&sfph_mail= (opens in a new tab)
- research.cleantalk.org/cve-2026-5821 (opens in a new tab)