Disable Trackbacks Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/disable-trackbacks

Globally disables trackbacks to cut down on spam. Very, very few people legitimately use trackbacks and spammers love them, so it's worthy tradeo …

200 active installs v1.0.0 PHP + WP + Updated Sep 29, 2008
spamtrackback
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is Disable Trackbacks Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 17yr ago
Risk Assessment

The "disable-trackbacks" v1.0.0 plugin exhibits a generally strong security posture with a very limited attack surface and a commendable absence of known vulnerabilities. The static analysis reveals no AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, or cron events, which significantly reduces the potential for external exploitation. Furthermore, all SQL queries are properly prepared, and output is consistently escaped, indicating good coding practices regarding data handling and presentation. The lack of file operations and external HTTP requests further solidifies its secure design.

However, a significant concern arises from the presence of the `create_function` dangerous function. While the static analysis doesn't show any direct exploitable flows involving this function, its mere presence can be a potential security risk. The absence of any recorded vulnerabilities in its history is positive, suggesting the developers have maintained security diligence. Despite this, the reliance on `create_function` is a notable weakness that could become an attack vector in future code iterations or if combined with other factors not immediately apparent in this analysis.

In conclusion, the plugin is largely secure due to its minimal attack surface and good practices around SQL and output. The vulnerability history further reinforces this perception. The primary weakness lies in the use of `create_function`, which warrants attention and potential refactoring to eliminate this inherent risk. Overall, the plugin presents a low immediate risk, but this single code signal prevents it from achieving a perfect security score.

Key Concerns

  • Use of dangerous function create_function
Vulnerabilities
None known

Disable Trackbacks Security Vulnerabilities

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

Disable Trackbacks Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
1
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

Dangerous Functions Found

create_functionadd_action( 'plugins_loaded', create_function( '', 'global $DisableTrackbacks; $DisableTrackbacks = disable-trackbacks.php:46
Attack Surface

Disable Trackbacks Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
WordPress Hooks 2
actionpings_opendisable-trackbacks.php:35
actionplugins_loadeddisable-trackbacks.php:46
Maintenance & Trust

Disable Trackbacks Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested
Last updatedSep 29, 2008
PHP min version
Downloads11K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings1
Active installs200
Developer Profile

Disable Trackbacks Developer Profile

Automattic

213 plugins · 19.2M total installs

73
trust score
Avg Security Score
92/100
Avg Patch Time
1384 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect Disable Trackbacks

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

Asset Fingerprints

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Disable Trackbacks