Author Profile Widget Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/author-profile-widget

Author Profile Widget add authors list widget and profile widget.

100 active installs v0.4.2 PHP + WP 3.9.1+ Updated Dec 25, 2014
profilewidget
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is Author Profile Widget Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

Author Profile Widget has no known CVEs and is actively maintained. It's a solid choice for most WordPress installations.

No known CVEs Updated 11yr ago
Risk Assessment

The author-profile-widget plugin version 0.4.2 exhibits a generally strong security posture based on the provided static analysis. The plugin demonstrates good development practices by implementing capability checks for all identified entry points and correctly utilizing prepared statements for any SQL queries, of which there are none. The high percentage of properly escaped output further mitigates risks associated with cross-site scripting (XSS). The absence of dangerous functions, file operations, and external HTTP requests is also a positive indicator.

However, a minor concern exists regarding the limited number of nonce checks. While capability checks are present, the single nonce check might indicate a potential area for improvement in comprehensively securing all potential interaction points, although no direct vulnerability is evident from the data. The plugin's vulnerability history is remarkably clean, with zero known CVEs, indicating a track record of security-consciousness or simply a lack of past discoveries. Overall, author-profile-widget v0.4.2 appears to be a secure plugin with minimal apparent risks, primarily benefiting from careful coding practices and a clean history. The lack of any critical or high-severity findings in static analysis and taint flows, coupled with a robust approach to input validation and output sanitization, contributes to a positive security assessment.

Key Concerns

  • Limited nonce checks found
Vulnerabilities
None known

Author Profile Widget Security Vulnerabilities

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

Author Profile Widget Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
0
Raw SQL Queries
0
0 prepared
Unescaped Output
9
64 escaped
Nonce Checks
1
Capability Checks
2
File Operations
0
External Requests
0
Bundled Libraries
0

Output Escaping

88% escaped73 total outputs
Attack Surface

Author Profile Widget Attack Surface

Entry Points2
Unprotected0

Shortcodes 2

[apw-profile] system\shortcodes.php:18
[apw-list] system\shortcodes.php:19
WordPress Hooks 8
actionplugins_loadedauthor-profile-widget.php:26
actionshow_user_profileauthor-profile-widget.php:41
actionedit_user_profileauthor-profile-widget.php:42
actionpersonal_options_updateauthor-profile-widget.php:43
actionedit_user_profile_updateauthor-profile-widget.php:44
actionwidgets_initauthor-profile-widget.php:45
actionpre_user_queryauthor-profile-widget.php:46
actionwp_enqueue_scriptsauthor-profile-widget.php:47
Maintenance & Trust

Author Profile Widget Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested4.1.0
Last updatedDec 25, 2014
PHP min version
Downloads4K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings1
Active installs100
Developer Profile

Author Profile Widget Developer Profile

Takashi Kitajima

11 plugins · 331K total installs

71
trust score
Avg Security Score
89/100
Avg Patch Time
122 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect Author Profile Widget

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/author-profile-widget/css/author-profile-widget.css
Version Parameters
author-profile-widget.css?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
author-profilevcardauthors-list
Data Attributes
data-template
Shortcode Output
<dl class="author-profile vcard"><dt class="avatar"><dt class="fn"><dd>
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Author Profile Widget