Count Posts in a Category, Tag, or Custom Taxonomy Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/count-posts-in-a-category

Adds a custom shortcode that returns the number of posts in a category, tag, or custom taxonomy. Accepts a slug (default), ID, or name as input and wo …

100 active installs v3.1 PHP + WP 2.8+ Updated Jan 1, 2013
categorycountpoststagtemplate
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is Count Posts in a Category, Tag, or Custom Taxonomy Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

Count Posts in a Category, Tag, or Custom Taxonomy has no known CVEs and is actively maintained. It's a solid choice for most WordPress installations.

No known CVEs Updated 13yr ago
Risk Assessment

The "count-posts-in-a-category" plugin version 3.1 exhibits a strong security posture based on the provided static analysis. The absence of dangerous functions, SQL queries not using prepared statements, and proper output escaping are all excellent indicators of secure coding practices. Furthermore, the lack of file operations and external HTTP requests minimizes the plugin's potential to interact with sensitive resources or external services in an insecure manner.

The vulnerability history is completely clean, with no recorded CVEs, which is a significant strength. This suggests a history of stable and secure development. The absence of any identified taint flows further reinforces the good security standing, indicating no apparent pathways for untrusted data to reach sensitive operations without proper sanitization.

While the static analysis reveals no direct vulnerabilities, it's important to note that the plugin has 3 shortcodes with no explicitly mentioned capability checks. Although the entry points are reported as unprotected, the absence of specific details on shortcode validation might leave a small, theoretical surface for issues if user-supplied data is mishandled within these shortcodes, even without direct capability checks. Overall, this plugin appears to be very secure, with its strengths far outweighing any minor theoretical concerns.

Key Concerns

  • Shortcodes lack explicit capability checks
Vulnerabilities
None known

Count Posts in a Category, Tag, or Custom Taxonomy Security Vulnerabilities

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

Count Posts in a Category, Tag, or Custom Taxonomy Code Analysis

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

Count Posts in a Category, Tag, or Custom Taxonomy Attack Surface

Entry Points3
Unprotected0

Shortcodes 3

[cat_count] count_posts_in_cat.php:57
[tag_count] count_posts_in_cat.php:92
[tax_count] count_posts_in_cat.php:130
Maintenance & Trust

Count Posts in a Category, Tag, or Custom Taxonomy Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested3.5.2
Last updatedJan 1, 2013
PHP min version
Downloads9K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings2
Active installs100
Developer Profile

Count Posts in a Category, Tag, or Custom Taxonomy Developer Profile

Luke Mlsna

11 plugins · 13K total installs

83
trust score
Avg Security Score
84/100
Avg Patch Time
30 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect Count Posts in a Category, Tag, or Custom Taxonomy

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

Asset Fingerprints

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

Shortcode Output
[cat_count slug="category-slug"][tag_count slug="tag-slug"][tax_count tax="custom-taxonomy-type" slug="taxonomy-slug"][cat_count id="44,56,77,198"]
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Count Posts in a Category, Tag, or Custom Taxonomy