{"cve":"CVE-2026-5821","nvd":{"published":"2026-07-02T06:16:14.220","modified":"2026-10-28T01:16:55.603","status":"Deferred","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.","cvss_v4":null,"cvss_v3":{"version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H","score":8.1},"cwes":["CWE-73"],"references":["https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/tags/1.7.3/classes/image/image-backup.php#L117","https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/tags/1.7.3/classes/image/image-meta.php#L97","https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/tags/1.7.3/modules/backups/components/handle-backups-removing.php#L19","https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/trunk/classes/image/image-backup.php#L117","https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-optimization/trunk/classes/image/image-meta.php#L97"],"products":[],"source":"nvd","synced_at":"2026-10-28T01:46:17.796035460+00:00"},"epss":{"cve":"CVE-2026-5821","score":0.00661,"percentile":0.51424,"date":"2026-10-27"},"kev":null,"osv":[],"attribution":["This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.","EPSS scores: FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System, https://www.first.org/epss","Known exploited vulnerabilities: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","Package advisories: OSV (https://osv.dev), from the GitHub Advisory Database, PyPA, Go, RustSec and other ecosystem databases, under CC-BY 4.0 or CC0","CVE records: the CVE Program's CVE List (https://www.cve.org), under its terms of use (https://www.cve.org/Legal/TermsOfUse). CVE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation; this product is not affiliated with the CVE Program."]}