Phoenix Media Rename Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/phoenix-media-rename

The Phoenix Media Rename plugin allows you to easily rename (and retitle) your media files, once uploaded.

50K active installs v3.13.1 PHP 8.0+ WP 5.0+ Updated Sep 25, 2025
fileimagemediarenameretitle
100
A · Safe
CVEs total1
Unpatched0
Last CVEOct 6, 2021
Safety Verdict

Is Phoenix Media Rename Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 100/100

Phoenix Media Rename has a strong security track record. Known vulnerabilities have been patched promptly.

1 known CVELast CVE: Oct 6, 2021Updated 6mo ago
Risk Assessment

The phoenix-media-rename plugin v3.13.1 exhibits a mixed security posture with several concerning findings. While it demonstrates some good practices such as a low number of entry points and the use of prepared statements for the majority of SQL queries, the presence of a single unprotected AJAX handler presents a significant risk. This unprotected entry point, combined with the use of the `unserialize` function and a flow with an unsanitized path, creates a potential avenue for attackers to execute arbitrary code or manipulate plugin functionality without proper authentication.

The plugin's vulnerability history shows one known medium-severity CVE related to improper access control. While currently patched, this history suggests a pattern of potential weaknesses in how access is managed. The overall low percentage of properly escaped output is also a concern, as it could lead to cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities.

In conclusion, while the plugin has strengths in its limited attack surface and SQL query practices, the unprotected AJAX handler, the use of `unserialize`, and the historical access control issues warrant caution. Further investigation into the specific implementation of the AJAX handler and the use of `unserialize` is recommended to fully assess the risk.

Key Concerns

  • Unprotected AJAX handler
  • Use of dangerous function: unserialize
  • Flow with unsanitized path
  • Low percentage of properly escaped output
  • One known medium CVE (improper access control)
Vulnerabilities
1

Phoenix Media Rename Security Vulnerabilities

CVEs by Year

1 CVE in 2021
2021
Patched Has unpatched

Severity Breakdown

Medium
1

1 total CVE

CVE-2021-24816medium · 4.3Improper Access Control

Phoenix Media Rename <= 3.4.2 - Author Arbitrary Media File Renaming

Oct 6, 2021 Patched in 3.4.4 (839d)
Code Analysis
Analyzed Mar 16, 2026

Phoenix Media Rename Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
1
Raw SQL Queries
4
16 prepared
Unescaped Output
31
7 escaped
Nonce Checks
1
Capability Checks
1
File Operations
7
External Requests
0
Bundled Libraries
0

Dangerous Functions Found

unserialize$var = @unserialize($var);classes\class-lib.php:332

SQL Query Safety

80% prepared20 total queries

Output Escaping

18% escaped38 total outputs
Data Flows
1 unsanitized

Data Flow Analysis

2 flows1 with unsanitized paths
ajax_pnx_rename (classes\class-media-rename.php:300)
Source (user input) Sink (dangerous op) Sanitizer Transform Unsanitized Sanitized
Attack Surface
1 unprotected

Phoenix Media Rename Attack Surface

Entry Points1
Unprotected1

AJAX Handlers 1

authwp_ajax_phoenix_media_renamephoenix-media-rename.php:49
WordPress Hooks 17
filteras3cf_get_attached_file_copy_back_to_localclasses\class-media-rename.php:651
actionatai_alttext_generatedclasses\class-plugins.php:28
actionadmin_menuclasses\class-pmr-settings.php:19
actionadmin_initclasses\class-pmr-settings.php:20
actionplugins_loadedphoenix-media-rename.php:33
filtermanage_media_columnsphoenix-media-rename.php:42
filterattachment_fields_to_editphoenix-media-rename.php:43
filtersanitize_file_name_charsphoenix-media-rename.php:44
actionload-upload.phpphoenix-media-rename.php:46
actionadmin_noticesphoenix-media-rename.php:47
actionmanage_media_custom_columnphoenix-media-rename.php:48
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsphoenix-media-rename.php:50
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsphoenix-media-rename.php:51
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsphoenix-media-rename.php:52
actionadmin_footerphoenix-media-rename.php:53
actionplugins_loadedphoenix-media-rename.php:57
actionin_plugin_update_message-phoenix-media-rename/phoenix-media-rename.phpphoenix-media-rename.php:79
Maintenance & Trust

Phoenix Media Rename Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested6.8.5
Last updatedSep 25, 2025
PHP min version8.0
Downloads1.5M

Community Trust

Rating94/100
Number of ratings75
Active installs50K
Developer Profile

Phoenix Media Rename Developer Profile

crossi72

1 plugin · 50K total installs

79
trust score
Avg Security Score
100/100
Avg Patch Time
839 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect Phoenix Media Rename

Patterns used to identify this plugin on WordPress sites during automated security audits and web crawling.

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/phoenix-media-rename/css/phoenix-media-rename.css/wp-content/plugins/phoenix-media-rename/js/phoenix-media-rename.js/wp-content/plugins/phoenix-media-rename/js/phoenix-media-rename-options.js/wp-content/plugins/phoenix-media-rename/js/phoenix-media-rename-edit.js
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/phoenix-media-rename/js/phoenix-media-rename.js/wp-content/plugins/phoenix-media-rename/js/phoenix-media-rename-options.js/wp-content/plugins/phoenix-media-rename/js/phoenix-media-rename-edit.js
Version Parameters
phoenix-media-rename/css/phoenix-media-rename.css?ver=phoenix-media-rename/js/phoenix-media-rename.js?ver=phoenix-media-rename/js/phoenix-media-rename-options.js?ver=phoenix-media-rename/js/phoenix-media-rename-edit.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
phoenix-media-rename-column
Data Attributes
data-titledata-fielddata-actiondata-type
JS Globals
phoenix_media_rename_params
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Phoenix Media Rename