404 Widget for Google Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/google-404

Add Google search capabilities to your site's 404 "page not found" template.

50 active installs v2.1 PHP 5.3+ WP 4.4+ Updated Nov 28, 2019
404errorgoogle
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is 404 Widget for Google Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 6yr ago
Risk Assessment

The "google-404" plugin version 2.1 exhibits a generally positive security posture based on the provided static analysis. The absence of any AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, or cron events with unprotected entry points indicates a well-defined and limited attack surface. The code also demonstrates good practices by exclusively using prepared statements for SQL queries and avoiding dangerous functions and file operations. The lack of recorded vulnerabilities or CVEs in its history further supports a perception of stability and security.

However, the analysis does highlight a significant area of concern: output escaping. With 5 total outputs and only 40% properly escaped, there is a notable risk of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities. Any dynamic data displayed to users that is not adequately sanitized before being outputted could be exploited by attackers. The absence of capability checks and nonce checks, while not explicitly problematic given the zero entry points with auth checks, could become a weakness if the plugin were to be extended or if the static analysis missed potential indirect entry points. The zero taint flows are encouraging, but the unescaped output remains a concrete risk.

In conclusion, while the plugin benefits from a small attack surface and good SQL handling, the poor output escaping is a clear weakness that requires immediate attention. The vulnerability history is clean, which is a strength, but the static analysis reveals a specific flaw that could be exploited. The plugin is on the right track, but this output sanitization issue needs to be addressed to improve its overall security.

Key Concerns

  • Poor output escaping (40% properly escaped)
Vulnerabilities
None known

404 Widget for Google Security Vulnerabilities

No known vulnerabilities — this is a good sign.
Version History

404 Widget for Google Release Timeline

v2.1Current
v2.0
v1.1
v1.0.2
v1.0.1
v1.0
Code Analysis
Analyzed Mar 16, 2026

404 Widget for Google Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
0
Raw SQL Queries
0
0 prepared
Unescaped Output
3
2 escaped
Nonce Checks
0
Capability Checks
0
File Operations
0
External Requests
0
Bundled Libraries
0

Output Escaping

40% escaped5 total outputs
Attack Surface

404 Widget for Google Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
WordPress Hooks 4
actionadmin_noticesclasses\requirements-check.php:26
actionadmin_noticesclasses\requirements-check.php:41
actionadmin_noticesclasses\requirements-check.php:60
actioninitgoogle-404.php:23
Maintenance & Trust

404 Widget for Google Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested5.3.21
Last updatedNov 28, 2019
PHP min version5.3
Downloads13K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings1
Active installs50
Developer Profile

404 Widget for Google Developer Profile

Dave McHale

5 plugins · 90K total installs

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

How We Detect 404 Widget for Google

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/google-404/css/google-404.css/wp-content/plugins/google-404/js/google-404.js
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/google-404/js/google-404.js
Version Parameters
google-404/css/google-404.css?ver=google-404/js/google-404.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about 404 Widget for Google