
HTML Special Characters Helper Security & Risk Analysis
wordpress.org/plugins/html-special-characters-helperAdmin widget on the Add/Edit Post pages for inserting HTML encodings of special characters into the post.
Is HTML Special Characters Helper Safe to Use in 2026?
Generally Safe
Score 85/100HTML Special Characters Helper has no known CVEs and is actively maintained. It's a solid choice for most WordPress installations.
Based on the provided static analysis and vulnerability history, the 'html-special-characters-helper' plugin v2.2 appears to have a strong security posture. The absence of any identified AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, or cron events significantly limits the attack surface. Furthermore, the code signals show no dangerous functions, all SQL queries utilize prepared statements, and there are no file operations or external HTTP requests. This indicates a well-written and securely coded plugin, focusing on its intended functionality without introducing common web vulnerabilities.
While the static analysis is largely positive, a potential area of concern is the output escaping. With 6 total outputs and 33% not properly escaped, there is a possibility for cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities if the unescaped output is rendered in a user-facing context. However, the absence of taint analysis flows and known CVEs suggests that these potential issues may not be exploitable or have not been identified. The plugin's vulnerability history is completely clean, with no recorded CVEs, which is a significant strength. This indicates a track record of security and potentially thorough internal testing.
In conclusion, 'html-special-characters-helper' v2.2 exhibits excellent security practices by minimizing its attack surface and avoiding common risky coding patterns. The lack of any historical vulnerabilities further reinforces its security. The only notable weakness identified is the incomplete output escaping, which warrants attention. However, given the overall context, the risk is currently assessed as low, but it would be prudent to investigate the unescaped outputs further.
Key Concerns
- Unescaped output found
HTML Special Characters Helper Security Vulnerabilities
HTML Special Characters Helper Release Timeline
HTML Special Characters Helper Code Analysis
Output Escaping
HTML Special Characters Helper Attack Surface
WordPress Hooks 6
Maintenance & Trust
HTML Special Characters Helper Maintenance & Trust
Maintenance Signals
Community Trust
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HTML Special Characters Helper Developer Profile
63 plugins · 92K total installs
How We Detect HTML Special Characters Helper
Patterns used to identify this plugin on WordPress sites during automated security audits and web crawling.
Asset Fingerprints
/wp-content/plugins/html-special-characters-helper/css/meta-box.css/wp-content/plugins/html-special-characters-helper/js/meta-box.js/wp-content/plugins/html-special-characters-helper/js/meta-box.jshtml-special-characters-helper/css/meta-box.css?ver=html-special-characters-helper/js/meta-box.js?ver=HTML / DOM Fingerprints
c2c-html-special-characters-helper-metabox