Autoptimize <= 3.1.15.1 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment Author Name
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Cross-site scripting
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · None
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-79.
Summary
The Autoptimize plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment Author Name in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.15.1 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page. Exploitation requires an administrator to have enabled Autoptimize's 'Lazy-load images?' option, the w3-total-cache/w3-total-cache.php file to be present on disk with the plugin disabled, a class named Minify_HTML to be loaded into scope by another plugin, and the malicious comment to be approved by a moderator before the payload renders.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| optimizingmatters | Autoptimize | up to 3.1.15.1 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- Autoptimize Vendoroptimizingmatters Affected up to 3.1.15.1 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-78471
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-fcq7-9xcx-6xxw
- 2026-10-03 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Other 6
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/b14f574d-1490-423e-9ef3-ce8f844cb8f0?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/autoptimize/tags/3.1.15.1/classes/autoptimizeImages.php#L1232
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/autoptimize/tags/3.1.15.1/classes/autoptimizeImages.php#L960
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/autoptimize/tags/3.1.15.1/classes/autoptimizeImages.php#L908
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&new=3713884%40autoptimize%2Ftags%2F3.1.16&old=3657650%40autoptimize%2Ftags%2F3.1.15.1
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3713884/autoptimize/trunk/classes/autoptimizeImages.php
More optimizingmatters vulnerabilities
- TI-2022-03722 Autoptimize < 3.1.0 - Sensitive Data Disclosure CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.3
- TI-2026-12621 Autoptimize <= 3.1.15.1 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via REQUEST_URI Path CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.2
- TI-2026-02062 Autoptimize <= 3.1.14 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Lazy-loaded Image Attributes CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.4
- TI-2026-01989 Autoptimize <= 3.1.14 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'ao_post_preload' Meta Value CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.4
- TI-2025-12251 Autoptimize <= 3.1.13 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-78471 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-78471 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-fcq7-9xcx-6xxw · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences