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Speed OptimizerWordPress extension · Siteground

CVE-2019-25217

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-10-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.0.12 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The SiteGround Optimizer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass leading to Remote Code Execution and Local File Inclusion in versions up to, and including, 5.0.12 due to incorrect use of an access control attribute on the switch_php function called via the /switch-php REST API route. This allows attackers to include and execute arbitrary files on the server, allowing the execution of any PHP code in those files. This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where images and other “safe” file types can be uploaded and included.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The SiteGround Optimizer WordPress plugin (versions ≤5.0.12) contains an authorization bypass vulnerability in its REST API endpoint `/switch-php`. The `switch_php` function lacks proper access control validation, allowing unauthenticated or improperly authenticated attackers to trigger file inclusion and execute arbitrary PHP code by including uploaded files containing malicious code.

MitigationUpdate SiteGround Optimizer to version 5.0.13 or later which contains the proper authorization fix. As an interim measure, disable the plugin or implement web server-level restrictions on the vulnerable REST API route.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Speed OptimizerWordPress extension
Affected:< 5.0.12

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify SiteGround Optimizer plugin is installed
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'SiteGround Optimizer' or 'Siteground Speed Optimizer'. Note whether it is active.
    Affected if The plugin is installed and active in WordPress
  2. Check installed plugin version
    In WordPress admin, click on the plugin from the installed plugins list to view its version, or check the plugin header in /wp-content/plugins/siteground-optimizer/ folder via file manager or FTP.
    Affected if The version number displayed is 5.0.12 or lower
  3. Confirm REST API endpoint exists and is accessible
    Send a GET request to /wp-json/sg-optimizer/v1/switch-php using curl or a browser. No authentication headers should be required for this check.
    Affected if The endpoint responds with HTTP 200 and returns any JSON payload (even an error response indicates the route exists and is reachable)
  4. Test authorization bypass on switch-php endpoint
    Send a POST request to /wp-json/sg-optimizer/v1/switch-php with a test parameter (such as a file path in the request body). Observe if the server processes the request without requiring WordPress authentication.
    Affected if The server accepts and processes the request without returning a 401 or 403 authentication error, indicating the access control is missing

If SiteGround Optimizer version 5.0.12 or lower is installed and the /wp-json/sg-optimizer/v1/switch-php endpoint responds to unauthenticated requests, the environment is affected by CVE-2019-25217.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.0.12 or later
Fixed in 5.0.12
Interim mitigation

Update SiteGround Optimizer to version 5.0.13 or later which contains the proper authorization fix. As an interim measure, disable the plugin or implement web server-level restrictions on the vulnerable REST API route.

Recommended fix High confidence

SiteGround Optimizer (Speed Optimizer) version 5.0.12 or later

  1. Log in to WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Find the 'SiteGround Optimizer' (also named 'Speed Optimizer') plugin
  4. Click 'Update now' if an update is available, or manually upload version 5.0.12 or later from the WordPress plugin repository
  5. Verify the updated version number reflects 5.0.12 or higher after update completes
  6. Test that the site functionality remains intact after the update

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Speed Optimizer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,210
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,936.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-25217 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data