Idea Factory Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/idea-factory

Front end submission and voting system.

200 active installs v1.2 PHP + WP 3.8+ Updated Aug 19, 2015
feedbackideauser-submissionvotevoting
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is Idea Factory Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 10yr ago
Risk Assessment

The 'idea-factory' v1.2 plugin exhibits a generally good security posture with a well-defined attack surface that appears to be protected by authentication checks. The absence of known CVEs and a clean vulnerability history are positive indicators. However, the static analysis reveals specific areas for concern. The presence of the `create_function` function is a significant red flag, as it can be a vector for code injection vulnerabilities if not handled with extreme care. Additionally, the taint analysis highlighting two flows with unsanitized paths, despite no critical or high severity reported, suggests potential risks that require further investigation. While the majority of SQL queries utilize prepared statements, the remaining ones could still be susceptible to injection if not properly parameterized. The moderate rate of properly escaped output also indicates a potential for cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities.

Key Concerns

  • Use of dangerous function create_function
  • Taint flow with unsanitized path (High Severity)
  • Taint flow with unsanitized path (High Severity)
  • Output escaping is not properly handled
  • SQL queries not using prepared statements
  • SQL queries not using prepared statements
  • SQL queries not using prepared statements
  • SQL queries not using prepared statements
  • SQL queries not using prepared statements
  • SQL queries not using prepared statements
Vulnerabilities
None known

Idea Factory Security Vulnerabilities

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

Idea Factory Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
1
Raw SQL Queries
3
5 prepared
Unescaped Output
29
21 escaped
Nonce Checks
6
Capability Checks
2
File Operations
0
External Requests
0
Bundled Libraries
0

Dangerous Functions Found

create_function$callback = create_function('', 'echo "'.str_replace('"', '\"', $section['desc']).'";');admin\includes\class.settings-api.php:97

SQL Query Safety

63% prepared8 total queries

Output Escaping

42% escaped50 total outputs
Data Flows
2 unsanitized

Data Flow Analysis

3 flows2 with unsanitized paths
idea_factory_has_public_voted (public\includes\helpers.php:255)
Source (user input) Sink (dangerous op) Sanitizer Transform Unsanitized Sanitized
Attack Surface

Idea Factory Attack Surface

Entry Points9
Unprotected0

AJAX Handlers 8

authwp_ajax_idea_factory_resetadmin\includes\class.settings.php:28
authwp_ajax_idea_factory_db_resetadmin\includes\class.settings.php:29
authwp_ajax_process_entryincludes\class.process-entry.php:12
noprivwp_ajax_process_entryincludes\class.process-entry.php:13
authwp_ajax_process_vote_upincludes\class.process-vote.php:11
authwp_ajax_process_vote_downincludes\class.process-vote.php:12
noprivwp_ajax_process_vote_upincludes\class.process-vote.php:14
noprivwp_ajax_process_vote_downincludes\class.process-vote.php:15

Shortcodes 1

[idea_factory] public\includes\class.shortcodes.php:12
WordPress Hooks 21
filtermanage_ideas_posts_columnsadmin\includes\class.column-mods.php:17
actionmanage_ideas_posts_custom_columnadmin\includes\class.column-mods.php:18
actionadd_meta_boxesadmin\includes\class.meta.php:14
actionsave_postadmin\includes\class.meta.php:15
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsadmin\includes\class.settings-api.php:32
actionadmin_initadmin\includes\class.settings.php:25
actionadmin_menuadmin\includes\class.settings.php:26
actionadmin_headadmin\includes\class.settings.php:27
actionplugins_loadedidea-factory.php:40
actionplugins_loadedidea-factory.php:45
actionidea_factory_entry_submittedincludes\class.process-entry.php:14
actionidea_factory_vote_upincludes\class.process-status.php:13
actionidea_factory_vote_downincludes\class.process-status.php:14
actionidea_factory_statusincludes\class.process-status.php:15
actioninitincludes\class.type.php:13
actionwpmu_new_blogpublic\class-idea-factory.php:54
actioninitpublic\class-idea-factory.php:70
actionplugins_loadedpublic\class-idea-factory.php:71
actionwp_enqueue_scriptspublic\includes\class.assets.php:11
filtertemplate_includepublic\includes\class.template-loader.php:12
actionpre_get_postspublic\includes\helpers.php:126
Maintenance & Trust

Idea Factory Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested4.3.34
Last updatedAug 19, 2015
PHP min version
Downloads12K

Community Trust

Rating88/100
Number of ratings12
Active installs200
Developer Profile

Idea Factory Developer Profile

Nick Haskins

4 plugins · 280 total installs

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

How We Detect Idea Factory

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 Idea Factory