Autoptimize <= 2.7.7 — Arbitrary File Upload (and Remote Code Execution) via Import Settings
CVE-2021-24376Published · Updated Action summary
Affected: <2.7.8Update to 2.7.8 or newer
All remediation steps- Severity
- Critical9.8
- CVSS
- 9.8CVSS 3.1 · CNA (Wordfence)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HWhat does this vector mean?
AV:NAttack vector- Network
AC:LAttack complexity- Low
PR:NPrivileges required- None
UI:NUser interaction- None
S:UScope- Unchanged
C:HConfidentiality- High
I:HIntegrity- High
A:HAvailability- High
- Weakness
- CWE-434 Arbitrary File Upload
- Required access
- No account needed
- Exploit prediction (EPSS)
- No score
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
On this page8
Am I affected?
Autoptimize autoptimize
- Affected< 2.7.8
- Patched in2.7.8
Update to 2.7.8 or newer.
You are affected if you run < 2.7.8. Version 2.7.8 and later are not affected by this issue.
- Check your version: in wp-admin go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and read the version under Autoptimize.
- No admin access? Run a passive check of your site. It reads public files only.
- No account is needed to exploit this. Treat any exposed site on an affected version as at risk.
What to do
- Update to version 2.7.8, or a newer patched version
- Rotate administrator passwords and application secrets if the site ran a vulnerable version while publicly reachable.
- Watch Autoptimize to get an email when the next vulnerability is published.
Advisory
Source description from Wordfence Intelligence, credited to Marcin Węgłowski.
The Autoptimize WordPress plugin before 2.7.8 attempts to delete malicious files (such as .php) form the uploaded archive via the "Import Settings" feature, after its extraction. However, the extracted folders are not checked and it is possible to upload a zip which contained a directory with PHP file in it and then it is not removed from the disk. It is a bypass of CVE-2020-24948 which allows sending a PHP file via the "Import Settings" functionality to achieve Remote Code Execution.
Exploits & references
Proof-of-concept & detection
No public proof-of-concept or detection template is known for this vulnerability.
Advisories & patches
- Advisorywordfence.com
Related CVEs
More in Autoptimize
All 15| Severity | Vulnerability | CVE | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium5.4 | Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment Author Name ≤3.1.15.1Update to 3.1.16 | CVE-2026-78471 | |
| High7.2 | Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via REQUEST_URI Path ≤3.1.15.1Update to 3.1.16 | CVE-2026-14995 | |
| High7.2 | Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting <2.4.2Update to 2.4.2 | CVE-2026-3220 | |
| Medium6.4 | Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'ao_post_preload' Meta Value ≤3.1.14Update to 3.1.15 | CVE-2026-2352 | |
| Medium6.4 | Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Lazy-loaded Image Attributes ≤3.1.14Update to 3.1.15 | CVE-2026-2430 |
- Medium5.4Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment Author Name
≤3.1.15.1Update to 3.1.16
- High7.2Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via REQUEST_URI Path
≤3.1.15.1Update to 3.1.16
- High7.2Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting
<2.4.2Update to 2.4.2
- Medium6.4Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'ao_post_preload' Meta Value
≤3.1.14Update to 3.1.15
- Medium6.4Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Lazy-loaded Image Attributes
≤3.1.14Update to 3.1.15
Same weakness (Arbitrary File Upload)
All Arbitrary File Upload| Severity | Vulnerability | CVE | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| High7.2 | Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment User-Agent Header | CVE-2026-120688 | |
| Critical9.8 | Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload via File Upload via Public Form Submission | CVE-2026-125055 | |
| Critical9.8 | Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection to Remote Code Execution via 'form' Parameter | CVE-2026-119077 | |
| Medium5.3 | Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Exposure in 'search' Parameter | CVE-2026-121518 |
- High7.2Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment User-Agent Header
EZ SQL Reports Shortcode Widget and DB Backup
≤5.25.25Update to 5.26.45
- Critical9.8Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload via File Upload via Public Form Submission
Chatterbug Forms – Fast, Flexible WordPress Form Builder
≤1.0.2Update to 1.1
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ELEX WordPress HelpDesk & Customer Ticketing System
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Timeline
CVE published
Severity critical, CVSS 9.8
Record last updated
Sources & licenses
Wordfence record- Vulnerability data
- Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. Licensed under the CC BY-SA 4.0.
- CVE® identifiers
- Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. Used under the CVE Program. CVE® is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation.
- CVSS / CWE
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD), shown unmodified. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
- VulnCrest content
- Summary, remediation guidance and page layout © VulnCrest. Not sourced from NVD.