WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance: A security weakness
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance is affected by a security weakness. Exploitation requires an authenticated subscriber account. The resulting impact depends on how the affected component exposes the vulnerable operation. The published affected range is <= 4.5.0.
- Component
- WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance
- Plugin slug
wp-optimize- Affected
- <= 4.5.0
- Safe version
- See mitigation notes
- Published
- Apr 10, 2026
This CVE was published Apr 10, 2026 and is one of 3 known issues for this plugin.
Update, patch or deactivate.
No fixed release is identified. Update WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance when a release after 4.5.0 becomes available; until then, disable and remove it when the site's risk warrants. The official upstream changelog lists version 4.6.1, which is newer than the published affected range. Its changelog does not clearly confirm this specific fix, so it is not counted as a known-safe release.
No confirmed safe version is listed. Consider a vendor-supported patch or temporarily restricting the affected functionality while you assess the risk.
Deactivate only when warranted by your risk profile, or when advised by your hosting provider in the limited circumstances where the vulnerability cannot otherwise be mitigated. If you’re unsure which action is appropriate, contact Fused or your hosting provider for guidance.
Technical description
The WP-Optimize plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of functionality due to missing capability checks in the `receive_heartbeat()` function in `includes/class-wp-optimize-heartbeat.php` in all versions up to, and including, 4.5.0. This is due to the Heartbeat handler directly invoking `Updraft_Smush_Manager_Commands` methods without verifying user capabilities, nonce tokens, or the allowed commands whitelist that the normal AJAX handler (`updraft_smush_ajax`) enforces. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to invoke admin-only Smush operations including reading log files (`get_smush_logs`), deleting all backup images (`clean_all_backup_images`), triggering bulk image processing (`process_bulk_smush`), and modifying Smush options (`update_smush_options`).
CVE / CNA vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L