# CVE-2025-22288: WordPress Smush Image Compression and Optimization plugin <= 3.17.0 - Directory Traversal vulnerability

> Attackers can exploit a path traversal flaw in the Smush WordPress plugin to read arbitrary files from the server.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Nov 2025
- **Updated:** 28 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mwrg-545v-m46r

## What is CVE-2025-22288?

CVE-2025-22288 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in WPMU DEV - Your All-in-One WordPress Platform Smush Image Compression and Optimization, published on 6 Nov 2025. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Path Traversal: '.../...//' vulnerability in WPMU DEV - Your All-in-One WordPress Platform Smush Image Compression and Optimization wp-smushit allows Path Traversal.This issue affects Smush Image Compression and Optimization: from n/a through <= 3.17.0.

Weakness: CWE-35 (Path Traversal: '.../...//')

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-22288?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-22288?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-22288 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-22288 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-22288 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-22288 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-22288 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in WPMU DEV - Your All-in-One WordPress Platform Smush Image Compression and Optimization, published on 6 Nov 2025. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-22288 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: WPMU DEV - Your All-in-One WordPress Platform Smush Image Compression and Optimization. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22288/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22288/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-22288
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-22288
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-22288

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22288/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.