Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessObtain or register subscriber-level WordPress credentials
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DeliveryAuthenticate to target WordPress site
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ExploitSend crafted POST to unprotected notice action handler
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ExecutionBypass missing authorization check
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ImpactOverwrite ShortPixel API key or third-party plugin configuration
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization checks on every request
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires an authenticated WordPress session with at minimum subscriber-level role - the lowest role assigned to any registered user. Sites with open user registration are directly exposed to unauthenticated visitors who can self-register. The primary impact (API key and account binding modification) requires no additional conditions beyond authentication. Secondary impact against third-party plugin settings (Autoptimize, WP Rocket, Imagify, LiteSpeed Cache, ShortPixel Image Optimizer) is only reachable when those specific plugins are installed and active on the same WordPress instance. Exploitation is not possible by unauthenticated visitors. Sites with closed registration or no subscriber-level accounts are not exposed without prior credential compromise. |
| Impact | CVSS 4.3 (Medium) accurately reflects constrained real-world risk: PR:L requires at minimum subscriber-level authentication, S:U limits blast radius to the same WordPress instance, and C:N/A:N confirm no direct data disclosure or service disruption. The most impactful outcome - overwriting the ShortPixel API key - could redirect API quota or disrupt image delivery, but this falls short of code execution. The additional third-party plugin impact (WP Rocket, Autoptimize, Imagify, LiteSpeed Cache) is gated behind those plugins being installed, further narrowing the realistic attack surface. No EPSS score was provided; KEV status is absent, meaning no confirmed active exploitation is known. The primary risk scenario is a malicious or compromised low-privilege account on a site with open registration. No conflicting signals are present between the CVSS vector and the description. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker registers a subscriber account on a WordPress site running ShortPixel Adaptive Images ≤ 3.11.5 and sends a crafted authenticated POST request to one of the unprotected notice action handlers. The handler executes without verifying the caller's privilege level, allowing the attacker to overwrite the ShortPixel API key with an attacker-controlled value, disrupting image optimization services or redirecting API usage. No public POC is known at time of analysis, though the vulnerable code paths are publicly browsable in the WordPress plugin SVN repository. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 16, 2026
Authorization bypass in the ShortPixel Adaptive Images WordPress plugin (all versions ≤ 3.11.5) allows authenticated subscribers to modify configuration settings of co-installed optimization plugins including WP Rocket, Autoptimize, Imagify, LiteSpeed Cache, and ShortPixel Image Optimizer, as well as the plugin's own API key and account binding. The CVSS vector (PR:L) confirms exploitation requires at minimum a subscriber-level WordPress account, limiting opportunistic risk but making it relevant where open user registration is enabled. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV.
RemediationAI
Upstream fix available (PR/commit); released patched version not independently confirmed - a code change was committed to the WordPress plugin SVN repository at changeset 3625451 (https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&old=3625451%40shortpixel-adaptive-images&new=3625451%40shortpixel-adaptive-images), but the exact tagged release version incorporating this fix is not confirmed from available data. WordPress administrators should update the plugin to the latest available version via the WordPress dashboard and verify the installed version exceeds 3.11.5. As a compensating control, disable open user registration (Settings > General > Membership) to eliminate the subscriber-level attack surface on sites that do not require it - this removes exploitation paths without functional trade-offs for most sites. Additionally, deactivating co-located target plugins (Autoptimize, WP Rocket, Imagify, LiteSpeed Cache, ShortPixel Image Optimizer) eliminates the cross-plugin configuration impact, though this trades off their functionality. API key rotation for the ShortPixel account is advisable if exploitation is suspected.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The affected product is identified via CPE cpe:2.3:a:shortpixel:shortpixel_adaptive_images_-_webp,_avif,_cdn,_image_optimization:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*. CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) indicates the plugin executes privileged configuration-change actions without first verifying whether the requesting user holds sufficient permissions. The vulnerable code paths are publicly visible in the WordPress SVN repository within notice.actions.class.php (lines 16, 87, 566, 614) and notice.class.php (line 747), suggesting authorization gates are absent or bypassable in the plugin's notice and action handler layer. In WordPress's role hierarchy, subscriber is the lowest authenticated role - available to any registered site user - making the attack surface broad wherever user registration is open.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Network-accessible action handler; PR:L reflects minimum subscriber authentication; integrity-only impact on plugin configuration with no confidentiality or availability consequence.
Primary rating from Vendor (Wordfence).
CVSS VectorVendor: Wordfence
DescriptionCVE.org
The ShortPixel Adaptive Images - WebP, AVIF, CDN, Image Optimization plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 3.11.5. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to modify configuration options of third-party plugins including ShortPixel Image Optimizer, Autoptimize, WP Rocket, Imagify, and LiteSpeed Cache, as well as the plugin's own API key and account binding. Exploitation requires the respective third-party plugins to be installed, as the impact against those plugins' settings is only reachable when those plugins are present.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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EUVD-2026-59903
GHSA-6c4v-hv9q-25jc
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB