Image OptimizerWordPress extension · Shortpixel
CVE-2024-48044
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 · uneditedMissing Authorization vulnerability in ShortPixel ShortPixel Image Optimizer shortpixel-image-optimiser allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects ShortPixel Image Optimizer: from n/a through <= 5.6.3.
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 · moderate confidenceMissing authorization vulnerability in ShortPixel Image Optimizer plugin allows authenticated attackers to access functionality without proper capability checks. The plugin fails to validate user permissions before executing certain actions, enabling privilege escalation or unauthorized image optimization operations.
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
Image OptimizerWordPress extension
< 5.6.4CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify the installed version of ShortPixel Image OptimizerAccess your WordPress admin dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. Locate ShortPixel Image Optimizer and check the version number displayed, or inspect the main plugin file (such as shortpixel-image-optimiser.php) to read the Version header comment.Affected if The displayed version number is lower than 5.6.4 (for example, 5.6.3, 5.6.0, or any version beginning with 4.x or below).
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Identify AJAX endpoints exposed by the pluginInspect the plugin directory for PHP files containing 'wp_ajax_' hooks or 'add_action' calls registering AJAX handlers. Review the callback functions to determine whether they invoke current_user_can() or a similar capability check before processing requests.Affected if AJAX action handlers exist that execute optimization or administrative functions without calling current_user_can() or equivalent permission validation at the start of the callback.
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Review admin action handlers for capability validationSearch the plugin files for 'admin_post_' hooks or other admin action registrations. Examine whether these handlers include capability checks (such as current_user_can('manage_options') or 'manage_options') before executing sensitive operations like image optimization or settings changes.Affected if Admin action handlers process requests without verifying that the current user possesses the required capability (such as administrator-level access).
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Audit user role and permission configurationIn WordPress admin, go to Users > Roles or use a role management plugin to review which user roles have access to ShortPixel-related capabilities. Check if lower-privileged users (such as Editors or Authors) can access plugin settings or optimization triggers.Affected if Non-administrator users (such as Editors, Authors, or Contributors) have permissions to trigger image optimization operations or modify plugin settings through the identified unauthored endpoints.
You are affected if your installed ShortPixel Image Optimizer version is below 5.6.4 AND any AJAX or admin action handlers lack proper current_user_can() capability checks, allowing lower-privileged authenticated users to perform actions beyond their assigned role permissions.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped5.6.4
Update to the latest version of ShortPixel Image Optimizer and ensure all AJAX endpoints and admin actions include proper capability checks and nonce verification. Review access control configurations.
ShortPixel Image Optimizer version 5.6.4
- Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
- Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
- Locate ShortPixel Image Optimizer in the plugin list
- Click 'Update now' if an update is available, or manually update to version 5.6.4
- Verify the plugin version after update to confirm version 5.6.4 is installed
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Image Optimizer
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,832.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-48044 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-48044 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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