
Head Meta Data Security & Risk Analysis
wordpress.org/plugins/head-meta-dataAdds a custom set of <meta> tags to the <head> section of all posts & pages.
Is Head Meta Data Safe to Use in 2026?
Generally Safe
Score 98/100Head Meta Data has a strong security track record. Known vulnerabilities have been patched promptly.
The 'head-meta-data' plugin exhibits a generally strong security posture based on the static analysis. It demonstrates good practices by utilizing prepared statements for all SQL queries, performing capability checks on its entry points, and implementing nonce checks. The vast majority of output is properly escaped, mitigating a significant portion of cross-site scripting risks. Furthermore, there are no detected dangerous functions, file operations, or external HTTP requests, all of which reduce potential attack vectors.
However, a notable concern arises from the plugin's vulnerability history. The presence of two medium-severity Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities, even though they are currently patched, indicates a recurring weakness in input sanitization or output escaping within the plugin's codebase. The fact that the last vulnerability was recent (January 2026) suggests that these issues may resurface if not carefully addressed during development. While the current static analysis shows no immediate critical or high-severity risks, the historical pattern warrants caution.
In conclusion, the 'head-meta-data' plugin has made significant strides in its security implementation, with robust handling of SQL and good output escaping. The absence of immediate critical flaws in the static analysis is positive. Nevertheless, the historical pattern of medium-severity XSS vulnerabilities should be a key consideration. Developers should remain vigilant in their ongoing code reviews and testing to prevent recurrence of past issues.
Key Concerns
- Medium severity XSS vulnerability in history
- Medium severity XSS vulnerability in history
- Output escaping is not 100%
Head Meta Data Security Vulnerabilities
CVEs by Year
Severity Breakdown
2 total CVEs
Head Meta Data <= 20251118 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Post Meta
Head Meta Data <= 20250327 - Authenticated (Author+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting
Head Meta Data Code Analysis
Output Escaping
Head Meta Data Attack Surface
Shortcodes 2
WordPress Hooks 13
Maintenance & Trust
Head Meta Data Maintenance & Trust
Maintenance Signals
Community Trust
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Head Meta Data Developer Profile
30 plugins · 1.2M total installs
How We Detect Head Meta Data
Patterns used to identify this plugin on WordPress sites during automated security audits and web crawling.
Asset Fingerprints
HTML / DOM Fingerprints
<meta charset="<meta name="abstract" content="<meta name="author" content="<meta name="classification" content="