Admin User Message Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/admin-user-message

Add message to users of your site. Choose wheter they can dismiss it or not.

200 active installs v0.0.9 PHP + WP 4.2+ Updated Nov 24, 2015
adminmessage
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Download
Safety Verdict

Is Admin User Message Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

Admin User Message has no known CVEs and is actively maintained. It's a solid choice for most WordPress installations.

No known CVEs Updated 10yr ago
Risk Assessment

The "admin-user-message" plugin v0.0.9 presents a generally positive security posture based on the provided static analysis. The plugin demonstrates good practices by utilizing prepared statements for all SQL queries and implementing a nonce check for its single AJAX handler, indicating an effort to prevent common web vulnerabilities. The absence of critical or high severity taint flows, along with no recorded vulnerabilities in its history, further reinforces this perception of a well-secured plugin.

However, there are areas for improvement. The plugin lacks capability checks on its AJAX handler, which could potentially allow any logged-in user, regardless of their role or permissions, to interact with this entry point. Additionally, 60% of output escaping is not ideal; while not a critical flaw on its own in this instance, it could become a vector for Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) if sensitive data were processed without proper sanitization. The presence of one file operation, while not inherently risky, warrants attention to ensure it's used securely and doesn't introduce unintended side effects or vulnerabilities.

In conclusion, the plugin is built with some strong security foundations, particularly in its database interactions and basic input validation. The primary concern lies in the lack of role-based access control for its administrative functionality. Addressing the output escaping and scrutinizing the file operation would further enhance its security, making it a more robust and trustworthy plugin.

Key Concerns

  • Missing capability checks on AJAX handler
  • Insufficient output escaping
Vulnerabilities
None known

Admin User Message Security Vulnerabilities

No known vulnerabilities — this is a good sign.
Code Analysis
Analyzed Mar 16, 2026

Admin User Message Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
0
Raw SQL Queries
0
0 prepared
Unescaped Output
2
3 escaped
Nonce Checks
1
Capability Checks
0
File Operations
1
External Requests
0
Bundled Libraries
0

Output Escaping

60% escaped5 total outputs
Attack Surface

Admin User Message Attack Surface

Entry Points1
Unprotected0

AJAX Handlers 1

authwp_ajax_admin_user_message_dismissadmin-user-message.php:44
WordPress Hooks 6
actionadmin_initadmin-user-message.php:38
actionadmin_menuadmin-user-message.php:39
actionadmin_noticesadmin-user-message.php:43
filterattach_session_informationadmin-user-message.php:388
actionplugins_loadedadmin-user-message.php:396
actionplugins_loadedadmin-user-message.php:397
Maintenance & Trust

Admin User Message Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested4.4.34
Last updatedNov 24, 2015
PHP min version
Downloads9K

Community Trust

Rating94/100
Number of ratings3
Active installs200
Developer Profile

Admin User Message Developer Profile

Jonathan Bardo

5 plugins · 710 total installs

84
trust score
Avg Security Score
85/100
Avg Patch Time
30 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect Admin User Message

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/admin-user-message/admin-user-message.php

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
admin-user-messageadmin-user-message-update-nag
Data Attributes
name="admin_user_message_active"name="admin_user_message_type"name="admin_user_message_content"name="admin_user_message_exclude[]"name="admin_user_message_dismiss"name="admin_user_message_reset"
REST Endpoints
/wp-json/admin-user-message/v1/dismiss
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Admin User Message