XSS in Optimizingmatters Autoptimize

CVE-2026-2352

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.

Vulnerability class: XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)

Published · last modified .

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 6.4 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.

EPSS exploit prediction

EPSS: 0.003 (14.8th percentile), scored .

Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 15th percentile — 14.8% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.

EPSS trend (30 days)EPSS over the last 30 days for CVE-2026-2352: held from 0.003 to 0.003.

EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.003 · newest: 0.003 · change: 0.000

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-2352?
CVE-2026-2352 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Optimizingmatters Autoptimize, classified under Cross-site Scripting. CVSS score: 6.4/10. Published 2026-03-21.
How severe is CVE-2026-2352?
Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.4 out of 10.