SpeedyCache <= 1.3.8 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Arbitrary File Read
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.3.9
- Affected Plugin
- SpeedyCache – Cache, Optimization, Performance
- Affected Version
<= 1.3.8- CVSS
- 4.9Medium
- Weakness type
- CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CVE
CVE-2026-5114
At a glance
CVE-2026-5114 is a medium-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the SpeedyCache WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.3.8. It carries a CVSS score of 4.9 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Administrator level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.3.9; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2026, reported by Chiao-Lin Yu (Steven Meow).
Vulnerability Overview
The SpeedyCache plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Read via Path Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 1.3.8. This is due to a mismatch between CSS URL validation (which allows query strings like `.css?...`) and path resolution (which strips query strings), combined with no validation that the resolved file is actually a CSS file. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to read arbitrary files from the server (including `wp-config.php` and `/etc/passwd`) by injecting crafted `<link>` tags into page content, with the file contents written to publicly accessible cache files.
Technical Analysis
The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality.
CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Reaching this weakness in SpeedyCache <= 1.3.8 takes an account at Administrator level or above. Path traversal happens when user-controlled text is used to build a filesystem path without being constrained to an intended directory, so sequences like ../ walk the resolved path somewhere else.
Depending on the operation, it means reading files outside the intended folder — wp-config.php being the usual target — or writing to and deleting paths the web server can touch. For SpeedyCache the fix is 1.3.9: builds <= 1.3.8 are affected, anything from 1.3.9 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.3.9, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
An attacker needs Administrator access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: SpeedyCache 1.3.9 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in SpeedyCache – Cache, Optimization, Performance
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