Title: [Plugin: EWWW Image Optimizer] Function "exec" being used Last modified: August 20, 2016 --- # [Plugin: EWWW Image Optimizer] Function "exec" being used * Resolved [Julian Fernandes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hitoriix/) * (@hitoriix) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/) * Hello, me again haha (: * So, everything is working fine since our last talk and fixes you gave me. But today i was taking a look at my php error logs to fix some issues and i saw the plugin use “exec” to work, a function i disabled on my php.ini. * Is there any way to change the function used? * [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/ewww-image-optimizer/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/ewww-image-optimizer/) Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) * Plugin Author [Shane Bishop](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nosilver4u/) * (@nosilver4u) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831048) * There are two ways for php to run command-line programs: “exec” and “system” which does nearly the same thing except it also displays the output. It is certainly a security concern, and for that reason the options page should be restricted to wordpress admin’s, and perhaps I need to have a bit more error-checking built- in to the plugin to make sure folks aren’t executing arbitrary command-line code on the servers. I was getting nearly ready to release 1.0.7, but I’ll hold off until I can add in the extra protection. If it isn’t out tonight, it’ll be later this week, as I’m done with my paternity leave tomorrow. * Thread Starter [Julian Fernandes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hitoriix/) * (@hitoriix) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831050) * Hummm… now that is a big decision. Get exec out of restriction and hope other plugins don’t have security issue, or disable EWWWW Image Optimizer and stay with crappy images… i mean, i can optimize them localy, but my writers never do it… * Guess i will keep EWWW and hope other plugins don’t have security issues haha * Plugin Author [Shane Bishop](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nosilver4u/) * (@nosilver4u) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831076) * If you’re worried about exec, I think you might want to screen every plugin you install just to see if they are using exec. The rgrep command would do that for you. Something like this: * `rgrep exec /yourwebfolder/wp/wp-content/plugins/` * or if you don’t have rgrep, this does the same thing: * `grep -r exec /yourwebfolder/wp/wp-content/plugins/` * Could probably even write it into a cronjob to e-mail the results of that command every so often, just to make sure you don’t miss any. * Plugin Author [Shane Bishop](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nosilver4u/) * (@nosilver4u) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831079) * Also, here’s my plans (so far), let me know if you think this sounds reasonable. * First, I’m going to change the optipng level to a drop-down list, so users can’t type in arbitrary values or add in extra commands. * Second, the plugin will check the paths entered by the user for the various utilities( as much as we can) to try and ensure they aren’t using the fields to execute arbitrary commands, and can’t include additional arguments. * Lastly, I’m thinking about restricting where the can install the utilities. Specifically, I will have the plugin check to see if the binaries are within the web accessible folder, and throw an error if they are. Not sure on this one exactly, but I think it’s generally recommended to have executables that php is running outside of the web folder. The idea is that if someone manages to hack your site and upload a file to your web folder, they can’t use the plugin to execute it. * Let me know if you can think of additional precautions, or if you find other resources on what to be careful of when using exec(). * Thread Starter [Julian Fernandes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hitoriix/) * (@hitoriix) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831099) * Did the command and the close i think yours is the only one using it 🙂 * Unless this is “rfxnum.exec” is also exec… i also saw an “if functions exists curl_exec” on a backup plugin, but i don’t think that counts? I mean… if there is an if, there is an else, right? * About the precautions, i liked it 🙂 * Plugin Author [Shane Bishop](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nosilver4u/) * (@nosilver4u) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831100) * so far as I know, rfxnum.exec is probably just the name chosen by someone to for a function to ‘execute’ a particular portion of php code. I’ve worked with curl before, and curl_exec is the command that actually goes and retrieves a web page after you’ve supplied it with various options. Not at all related to the exec() command, so I think you’re definitely safe on all the others. * Thread Starter [Julian Fernandes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hitoriix/) * (@hitoriix) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831101) * Great (: On a side note not related to this particular subject, how do i use optipng so it will optimize all images inside a folder? * I ask because i have been caching gravatars, but gravatar.com don’t optimize them… so. * Plugin Author [Shane Bishop](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nosilver4u/) * (@nosilver4u) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831153) * not sure, you’d want to look for a shell script that would process all the files in a folder, then you could adapt that to run the optipng command over on the FAQ against each image. * Thread Starter [Julian Fernandes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hitoriix/) * (@hitoriix) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831155) * Yeah, just found one on Github (: Thanks again man! * Plugin Author [Shane Bishop](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nosilver4u/) * (@nosilver4u) * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831188) * released version 1.0.7 to address security concerns * Thread Starter [Julian Fernandes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hitoriix/) * (@hitoriix) * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831189) * Updated yesterday 🙂 Must say, your plugin + CloudFlare Pro imagem optimization = awesome. * Thank you for this awesome plugin 🙂 Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) The topic ‘[Plugin: EWWW Image Optimizer] Function "exec" being used’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://ps.w.org/ewww-image-optimizer/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=1582276) * [EWWW Image Optimizer](https://wordpress.org/plugins/ewww-image-optimizer/) * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/ewww-image-optimizer/#faq) * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ewww-image-optimizer/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ewww-image-optimizer/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ewww-image-optimizer/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ewww-image-optimizer/reviews/) * 11 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [Julian Fernandes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hitoriix/) * Last activity: [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-ewww-image-optimizer-function-exec-being-used/#post-2831189) * Status: resolved