Better Footnotes Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/better-footnotes

A robust solution to provide a fast reference and link to additional information for your readers

40 active installs v1.3 PHP 7.0+ WP 4.0+ Updated Oct 22, 2020
bibliographyfootnotefootnotesnotesreferences
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Download
Safety Verdict

Is Better Footnotes Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

Better Footnotes has no known CVEs and is actively maintained. It's a solid choice for most WordPress installations.

No known CVEs Updated 5yr ago
Risk Assessment

The "better-footnotes" plugin v1.3 exhibits a strong security posture based on the provided static analysis. The code demonstrates excellent practices by exclusively using prepared statements for SQL queries and ensuring all output is properly escaped. The absence of dangerous functions, file operations, and external HTTP requests further reduces the potential attack surface. A single capability check is present, indicating some level of authorization for certain functionalities.

However, the static analysis does reveal some areas that warrant caution. The plugin has two shortcodes, which represent potential entry points into the plugin's functionality. While the analysis indicates zero unprotected entry points, a deeper review of how these shortcodes handle their input and output would be beneficial. The absence of nonce checks on these shortcodes, if they handle user-supplied data, could be a concern. The fact that there are no recorded vulnerabilities in its history is a positive indicator of its past security performance, suggesting a commitment to secure coding or a lack of attractive targets. The inclusion of TinyMCE as a bundled library, while common, could introduce risks if it's an outdated version, though this is not explicitly detailed in the provided data.

In conclusion, "better-footnotes" v1.3 appears to be a well-developed plugin with a focus on core security principles. The lack of identified critical vulnerabilities and its adherence to secure coding practices like prepared statements and output escaping are commendable. The primary areas for potential improvement and further investigation lie in the input sanitization and validation for its shortcodes, particularly concerning nonce checks, to ensure a truly robust security profile.

Key Concerns

  • No nonce checks on shortcodes
  • Bundled library (TinyMCE) potentially outdated
Vulnerabilities
None known

Better Footnotes Security Vulnerabilities

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

Better Footnotes Code Analysis

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

Bundled Libraries

TinyMCE

Output Escaping

100% escaped29 total outputs
Attack Surface

Better Footnotes Attack Surface

Entry Points2
Unprotected0

Shortcodes 2

[footnote] src\BetterFootnotes\src\Main.php:66
[footnotes] src\BetterFootnotes\src\Main.php:67
WordPress Hooks 9
actionadmin_menusrc\BetterFootnotes\src\Admin.php:35
actionadmin_initsrc\BetterFootnotes\src\Admin.php:36
actioninitsrc\BetterFootnotes\src\Main.php:35
actionwp_enqueue_scriptssrc\BetterFootnotes\src\Main.php:37
actionwp_enqueue_scriptssrc\BetterFootnotes\src\Main.php:38
filterthe_contentsrc\BetterFootnotes\src\Main.php:40
filtermce_external_languagessrc\BetterFootnotes\src\Main.php:42
filtermce_external_pluginssrc\BetterFootnotes\src\Main.php:43
filtermce_buttonssrc\BetterFootnotes\src\Main.php:44
Maintenance & Trust

Better Footnotes Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested5.5.18
Last updatedOct 22, 2020
PHP min version7.0
Downloads3K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings3
Active installs40
Developer Profile

Better Footnotes Developer Profile

Nashwan D

5 plugins · 610 total installs

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

How We Detect Better Footnotes

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/better-footnotes/assets/css/better-footnotes.css/wp-content/plugins/better-footnotes/assets/js/better-footnotes.js/wp-content/plugins/better-footnotes/assets/css/better-footnotes.min.css/wp-content/plugins/better-footnotes/assets/js/better-footnotes.min.js
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/better-footnotes/assets/js/better-footnotes.js/wp-content/plugins/better-footnotes/assets/js/better-footnotes.min.js
Version Parameters
better-footnotes/assets/css/better-footnotes.css?ver=better-footnotes/assets/js/better-footnotes.js?ver=better-footnotes/assets/css/better-footnotes.min.css?ver=better-footnotes/assets/js/better-footnotes.min.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
bfn-footnoteHookbfn-footnotesbfn-footnotes-titlebfn-footnotesList
Data Attributes
data-footnote-typedata-footnote-contentdata-post-iddata-container
JS Globals
betterFootnotesOptions
Shortcode Output
<a href="#bfn-footnotes-<div id="bfn-footnotes-<h3 class='bfn-footnotes-title'>
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Better Footnotes