CVE-2026-5226
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 · uneditedThe Optimole – Optimize Images in Real Time plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via URL paths in versions up to, and including, 4.2.3 This is due to insufficient output escaping on user-supplied URL paths in the get_current_url() function, which are inserted into JavaScript code via str_replace() without proper JavaScript context escaping in the replace_content() function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that execute if they can successfully trick a user into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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 confidenceThe Optimole WordPress plugin up to version 4.2.3 contains a reflected XSS vulnerability in the get_current_url() function, which fails to properly escape user-supplied URL paths. These unsanitized values are inserted into JavaScript code via str_replace() in the replace_content() function without proper JavaScript context escaping, allowing injection of arbitrary scripts.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
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
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
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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Confirm Optimole plugin installation and versionIn WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and find Optimole, or check the plugin file header in wp-content/plugins/optimole/optimole.php for the Version commentAffected if The plugin is installed and the version is 4.2.3 or lower
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Verify plugin is activeCheck the Plugins page in WordPress admin - the plugin must be activated for the vulnerable code to executeAffected if The plugin is active and the version is 4.2.3 or lower
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Confirm frontend image processing is enabledThe vulnerability affects the get_current_url() function which processes URL paths. Check if Optimole's image replacement feature is enabled in plugin settings at Optimole > SettingsAffected if The plugin is active, version is 4.2.3 or lower, and image replacement/optimization is enabled
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Identify vulnerable code presenceExamine the plugin file wp-content/plugins/optimole/inc/... for get_current_url() and replace_content() functions - look for str_replace() inserting URL paths into JavaScript without proper escapingAffected if The vulnerable code path exists in the installed version and the server processes image URLs through this function
You are affected if the Optimole WordPress plugin version 4.2.3 or lower is installed and active with image replacement enabled, as the get_current_url() function injects unsanitized URL paths into JavaScript context via replace_content().
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.
From vendor dataUpdate to the latest version of the Optimole plugin when available, as the vendor is expected to have released a patch that properly escapes URL paths in JavaScript context.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-5226 — 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-2026-5226 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data