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Options, Meta APIs: Remove orphaned transient timeout rows on delete and cleanup #13211

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Options, Meta APIs: Remove orphaned transient timeout rows on delete and cleanup #13211

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c2b109d
Options, Meta APIs: Remove orphaned transient timeout rows on delete …
HasnainAshfaq Aug 20, 2026
e1a1ac2
Tests: Query DB directly in delete_expired_transients orphan tests.
HasnainAshfaq Aug 20, 2026
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56 changes: 50 additions & 6 deletions src/wp-includes/option.php
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -1397,9 +1397,7 @@ function delete_transient( $transient ) {
$option = '_transient_' . $transient;
$result = delete_option( $option );

if ( $result ) {
delete_option( $option_timeout );
}
delete_option( $option_timeout );
}

if ( $result ) {
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1629,7 +1627,13 @@ function set_transient( $transient, $value, $expiration = 0 ) {
* The multi-table delete syntax is used to delete the transient record
* from table a, and the corresponding transient_timeout record from table b.
*
* Orphaned timeout rows — where a `_transient_timeout_` row exists without a
* matching `_transient_` row — are also removed when their timestamp has passed.
* These can be created when a request dies between the two writes in
* set_transient(), leaving the timeout row committed but the value row absent.
*
* @since 4.9.0
* @since 7.2.0 Orphaned timeout rows without a matching value row are also deleted.
*
* @global wpdb $wpdb WordPress database abstraction object.
*
Expand All @@ -1655,6 +1659,20 @@ function delete_expired_transients( $force_db = false ) {
)
);

// Remove orphaned transient timeout rows (timeout exists, value row is missing).
$wpdb->query(
$wpdb->prepare(
"DELETE a FROM {$wpdb->options} a
LEFT JOIN {$wpdb->options} b
ON b.option_name = CONCAT( '_transient_', SUBSTRING( a.option_name, 20 ) )
WHERE a.option_name LIKE %s
AND a.option_value < %d
AND b.option_id IS NULL",
$wpdb->esc_like( '_transient_timeout_' ) . '%',
time()
)
);

if ( ! is_multisite() ) {
// Single site stores site transients in the options table.
$wpdb->query(
Expand All @@ -1669,6 +1687,20 @@ function delete_expired_transients( $force_db = false ) {
time()
)
);

// Remove orphaned site transient timeout rows (timeout exists, value row is missing).
$wpdb->query(
$wpdb->prepare(
"DELETE a FROM {$wpdb->options} a
LEFT JOIN {$wpdb->options} b
ON b.option_name = CONCAT( '_site_transient_', SUBSTRING( a.option_name, 25 ) )
WHERE a.option_name LIKE %s
AND a.option_value < %d
AND b.option_id IS NULL",
$wpdb->esc_like( '_site_transient_timeout_' ) . '%',
time()
)
);
} elseif ( is_main_site() && is_main_network() ) {
// Multisite stores site transients in the sitemeta table.
$wpdb->query(
Expand All @@ -1683,6 +1715,20 @@ function delete_expired_transients( $force_db = false ) {
time()
)
);

// Remove orphaned site transient timeout rows from sitemeta (timeout exists, value row is missing).
$wpdb->query(
$wpdb->prepare(
"DELETE a FROM {$wpdb->sitemeta} a
LEFT JOIN {$wpdb->sitemeta} b
ON b.meta_key = CONCAT( '_site_transient_', SUBSTRING( a.meta_key, 25 ) )
WHERE a.meta_key LIKE %s
AND a.meta_value < %d
AND b.meta_id IS NULL",
$wpdb->esc_like( '_site_transient_timeout_' ) . '%',
time()
)
);
}
}

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -2528,9 +2574,7 @@ function delete_site_transient( $transient ) {
$option = '_site_transient_' . $transient;
$result = delete_site_option( $option );

if ( $result ) {
delete_site_option( $option_timeout );
}
delete_site_option( $option_timeout );
}

if ( $result ) {
Expand Down
107 changes: 107 additions & 0 deletions tests/phpunit/tests/option/transient.php
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -265,4 +265,111 @@ public function test_nonexistent_key_old_timeout() {
);
$this->assertSame( $expected, $a->get_events() );
}

/**
* Tests that delete_transient() removes an orphaned timeout row when the value row is missing.
*
* set_transient() writes the timeout row before the value row in two separate statements.
* If a request aborts between those two writes, the timeout row is committed but the value
* row never arrives. delete_transient() must still remove the orphaned timeout row.
*
* @ticket 65863
*
* @covers ::delete_transient
*/
public function test_delete_transient_removes_orphaned_timeout_row() {
global $wpdb;

$transient = 'test_orphan_timeout';

// Simulate an orphaned timeout row by writing it directly without the value row.
add_option( '_transient_timeout_' . $transient, time() + 3600, '', false );

// Confirm the value row does not exist and the timeout row does.
$this->assertFalse( get_option( '_transient_' . $transient ), 'Value row should not exist.' );
$this->assertNotFalse( get_option( '_transient_timeout_' . $transient ), 'Timeout row should exist.' );

// delete_transient() should remove the orphaned timeout row.
delete_transient( $transient );

$this->assertFalse(
get_option( '_transient_timeout_' . $transient ),
'Orphaned timeout row should have been removed by delete_transient().'
);
}

/**
* Tests that delete_expired_transients() removes orphaned timeout rows whose timestamp has passed.
*
* An orphaned timeout row — a `_transient_timeout_` row without a matching `_transient_` row —
* is invisible to the normal multi-table DELETE used by delete_expired_transients() because the
* JOIN requires both rows to exist. A dedicated LEFT JOIN query must remove them.
*
* @ticket 65863
*
* @covers ::delete_expired_transients
*/
public function test_delete_expired_transients_removes_orphaned_expired_timeout_row() {
global $wpdb;

$transient = 'test_orphan_expired';
$option_timeout = '_transient_timeout_' . $transient;

// Simulate an orphaned timeout row that has already expired.
add_option( $option_timeout, time() - 1, '', false );

// Confirm the value row does not exist and the timeout row does.
$this->assertFalse( get_option( '_transient_' . $transient ), 'Value row should not exist.' );
$this->assertNotFalse( get_option( $option_timeout ), 'Timeout row should exist before cleanup.' );

delete_expired_transients();

/*
* delete_expired_transients() uses raw SQL and does not clear the option cache.
* Query the database directly to verify the row was physically removed.
*/
$row = $wpdb->get_var(
$wpdb->prepare(
"SELECT option_value FROM {$wpdb->options} WHERE option_name = %s",
$option_timeout
)
);

$this->assertNull(
$row,
'Orphaned expired timeout row should have been removed from the database by delete_expired_transients().'
);
}

/**
* Tests that delete_expired_transients() does not remove an orphaned timeout row that has not yet expired.
*
* @ticket 65863
*
* @covers ::delete_expired_transients
*/
public function test_delete_expired_transients_keeps_orphaned_future_timeout_row() {
global $wpdb;

$transient = 'test_orphan_future';
$option_timeout = '_transient_timeout_' . $transient;

// Simulate an orphaned timeout row that has not yet expired.
add_option( $option_timeout, time() + 3600, '', false );

delete_expired_transients();

// Query the database directly to confirm the row is still present.
$row = $wpdb->get_var(
$wpdb->prepare(
"SELECT option_value FROM {$wpdb->options} WHERE option_name = %s",
$option_timeout
)
);

$this->assertNotNull(
$row,
'Orphaned timeout row with a future expiry should not be removed by delete_expired_transients().'
);
}
}
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