CVE-2024-1335 in ImageRecycle PDF & Image Compression Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/29/2024
The ImageRecycle pdf & image compression plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.13. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the disableOptimization function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to disable the image optimization setting via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2025
The ImageRecycle pdf & image compression plugin for WordPress represents a critical security vulnerability classified as CVE-2024-1335, affecting all versions up to and including 3.1.13. This vulnerability manifests as a cross-site request forgery flaw that undermines the plugin's security posture and exposes WordPress sites to potential compromise. The vulnerability specifically targets the disableOptimization function within the plugin's codebase, where proper nonce validation mechanisms are either absent or incorrectly implemented. This weakness creates a pathway for unauthenticated attackers to manipulate the plugin's optimization settings without proper authorization, fundamentally compromising the security controls that protect site administrators from unauthorized modifications.
The technical flaw stems from the absence of proper nonce validation within the disableOptimization function, which violates fundamental web application security principles outlined in CWE-352. Nonce validation serves as a critical anti-CSRF mechanism that ensures requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session context. When this validation is missing or improperly implemented, it creates a scenario where attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated users. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple configuration changes, as disabling image optimization can significantly affect site performance, user experience, and potentially expose additional attack vectors through reduced security controls. This flaw operates under the ATT&CK framework category of privilege escalation through web application vulnerabilities, specifically targeting the T1548.001 technique related to abuse of credentials and access control bypass.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for WordPress site administrators who rely on the ImageRecycle plugin for their optimization needs. An attacker can exploit this weakness to disable critical image optimization features, potentially causing performance degradation, increased bandwidth consumption, and altered site behavior that may go unnoticed for extended periods. The vulnerability's exploitation requires social engineering elements to trick administrators into clicking malicious links, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently interact with external content or email communications. This makes the attack surface broader and more likely to succeed in real-world scenarios. The consequences of successful exploitation extend beyond immediate performance impacts to potential cascading security issues, as disabling optimization features may remove important security layers that protect against other attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-1335 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the nonce validation issue, as this represents the most direct solution to the vulnerability. Site administrators should implement additional monitoring of plugin configuration changes to detect unauthorized modifications promptly. Network-level security controls such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional protection against CSRF attacks by identifying and blocking suspicious request patterns. Regular security audits and penetration testing should include verification of nonce implementation across all plugin components to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies, where multiple security controls work together to protect against various attack vectors, as outlined in industry best practices for WordPress security management.