Black Widgets For Elementor Security & Risk Analysis

The "black-widgets" plugin version 1.3.9 presents a mixed security posture. While the static analysis indicates a lack of direct attack surface in terms of AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, and cron events, and all SQL queries utilize prepared statements, there are significant concerns regarding output escaping. With only 58% of outputs properly escaped, there is a considerable risk of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities, especially considering that XSS is the common vulnerability type in its history.

The vulnerability history is a major red flag. The plugin has a total of 6 known CVEs, with one still unpatched. All of these past vulnerabilities are rated as medium severity, and they predominantly fall under Cross-Site Scripting. This pattern suggests a recurring weakness in how the plugin handles user-supplied data and prevents it from being interpreted as executable code within the browser. The most recent vulnerability occurring in April 2025 is particularly concerning, indicating ongoing issues that have not been fully addressed.

In conclusion, despite the absence of obvious code execution pathways and the proper use of prepared statements for SQL, the plugin's history of numerous XSS vulnerabilities and the current unpatched medium-severity CVE indicate a substantial security risk. The poor output escaping further exacerbates this risk. Users should exercise extreme caution and consider alternatives if a more robust security posture is required.