CVE-2026-2352
Autoptimize <= 3.1.14 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'ao_post_preload' Meta Value
Description
The Autoptimize plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'ao_post_preload' meta value in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.14. This is due to insufficient input sanitization in the `ao_metabox_save()` function and missing output escaping when the value is rendered into a `<link>` tag in `autoptimizeImages.php`. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page, granted the "Image optimization" or "Lazy-load images" setting is enabled in the plugin configuration.
INFO
Published Date :
March 21, 2026, 12:16 a.m.
Last Modified :
March 21, 2026, 12:16 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-2352
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update the Autoptimize plugin to the latest version.
- Verify input sanitization and output escaping in the code.
- Ensure proper security configurations are enabled.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-2352.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-2352 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-2352
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-2352 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-2352 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Mar. 21, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description The Autoptimize plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'ao_post_preload' meta value in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.14. This is due to insufficient input sanitization in the `ao_metabox_save()` function and missing output escaping when the value is rendered into a `<link>` tag in `autoptimizeImages.php`. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page, granted the "Image optimization" or "Lazy-load images" setting is enabled in the plugin configuration. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N Added CWE CWE-79 Added Reference https://github.com/futtta/autoptimize/commit/60d1e487e536a97ae317784f8aeaf0d2e93cd717 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/autoptimize/tags/3.1.14/classes/autoptimizeImages.php#L804 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/autoptimize/tags/3.1.14/classes/autoptimizeImages.php#L938 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/autoptimize/tags/3.1.14/classes/autoptimizeMetabox.php#L276 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/autoptimize/trunk/classes/autoptimizeImages.php#L804 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/autoptimize/trunk/classes/autoptimizeMetabox.php#L276 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3482530%40autoptimize&new=3482530%40autoptimize&sfp_email=&sfph_mail= Added Reference https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/5f3f9891-710e-49e4-b388-aa6d99c01840?source=cve