LinkCentral – URL shortener, Custom Links & Affiliate Link Shortener with Link Tracking Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/linkcentral

The easiest URL shortener, short links manager, and link tracking plugin. Fast and optimised for better short links, redirects and affiliate links.

300 active installs v1.5.3 PHP 7.4+ WP 6.0+ Updated Feb 18, 2026
affiliate-linkscloakingcustom-linkslink-shortenerlink-tracking
100
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is LinkCentral – URL shortener, Custom Links & Affiliate Link Shortener with Link Tracking Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 100/100

LinkCentral – URL shortener, Custom Links & Affiliate Link Shortener with Link Tracking has no known CVEs and is actively maintained. It's a solid choice for most WordPress installations.

No known CVEs Updated 1mo ago
Risk Assessment

This plugin exhibits a generally strong security posture with several good practices in place. A significant majority of SQL queries use prepared statements, and output escaping is highly consistent. The presence of numerous nonce and capability checks across its entry points further bolsters its defenses. However, the static analysis reveals specific areas of concern, particularly within the taint analysis. Three high-severity taint flows with unsanitized paths indicate potential injection vulnerabilities that could be exploited if user input is not meticulously validated and sanitized before being used in sensitive operations. While the plugin has no recorded vulnerability history, this does not negate the risks identified in the static analysis. The lack of historical CVEs is positive, suggesting the developers have a good track record, but it's crucial to address the current code-level risks.

In conclusion, linkcentral v1.5.3 demonstrates a commitment to secure coding practices with robust input validation and output escaping mechanisms. The extensive use of prepared statements and numerous security checks are commendable. The primary weakness lies in the identified high-severity taint flows, which represent a tangible risk that requires immediate attention. The absence of past vulnerabilities is a positive indicator of developer diligence, but the current analysis necessitates focused remediation efforts on the identified taint issues to maintain a secure environment.

Key Concerns

  • High severity taint flows with unsanitized paths
  • 3 high severity taint flows
  • 8 flows with unsanitized paths
  • Bundled Freemius v1.0 library
Vulnerabilities
None known

LinkCentral – URL shortener, Custom Links & Affiliate Link Shortener with Link Tracking Security Vulnerabilities

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

LinkCentral – URL shortener, Custom Links & Affiliate Link Shortener with Link Tracking Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
0
Raw SQL Queries
30
104 prepared
Unescaped Output
7
405 escaped
Nonce Checks
36
Capability Checks
42
File Operations
2
External Requests
3
Bundled Libraries
2

Bundled Libraries

TinyMCEFreemius1.0

SQL Query Safety

78% prepared134 total queries

Output Escaping

98% escaped412 total outputs
Data Flows
8 unsanitized

Data Flow Analysis

15 flows8 with unsanitized paths
search_box (includes\admin\links-overview.php:493)
Source (user input) Sink (dangerous op) Sanitizer Transform Unsanitized Sanitized
Attack Surface

LinkCentral – URL shortener, Custom Links & Affiliate Link Shortener with Link Tracking Attack Surface

Entry Points23
Unprotected0

AJAX Handlers 22

authwp_ajax_linkcentral_get_top_linksincludes\admin\insights\most-popular-links.php:28
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_get_recent_clicksincludes\admin\insights\recent-clicks.php:28
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_get_statsincludes\admin\insights\total-clicks.php:31
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_get_link_statsincludes\admin\insights\total-clicks.php:32
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_get_category_statsincludes\admin\insights\total-clicks.php:33
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_insights_search_linksincludes\admin\insights.php:73
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_insights_search_categoriesincludes\admin\insights.php:75
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_dismiss_thirstyaffiliates_noticeincludes\admin\migration-notices.php:30
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_dismiss_prettylinks_noticeincludes\admin\migration-notices.php:31
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_dismiss_mtsurlshortener_noticeincludes\admin\migration-notices.php:32
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_import_csvincludes\import\core.php:28
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_import_jsonincludes\import\core.php:29
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_import_thirstyaffiliatesincludes\import\core.php:30
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_get_thirstyaffiliates_statsincludes\import\core.php:31
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_disable_thirstyaffiliatesincludes\import\core.php:32
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_import_prettylinksincludes\import\core.php:33
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_get_prettylinks_statsincludes\import\core.php:34
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_disable_prettylinksincludes\import\core.php:35
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_import_mtsurlshortenerincludes\import\core.php:36
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_get_mtsurlshortener_statsincludes\import\core.php:37
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_disable_mtsurlshortenerincludes\import\core.php:38
authwp_ajax_linkcentral_check_slugincludes\post-type\post-type.php:68

Shortcodes 1

[linkcentral] includes\integrations\frontend\shortcode.php:30
WordPress Hooks 69
actionadmin_menuincludes\admin\admin.php:38
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsincludes\admin\admin.php:40
filterparent_fileincludes\admin\admin.php:42
actionlinkcentral_admin_headerincludes\admin\admin.php:44
actionadmin_bar_menuincludes\admin\admin.php:46
filteradmin_body_classincludes\admin\admin.php:242
actionwp_dashboard_setupincludes\admin\dashboard-widget.php:46
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsincludes\admin\dashboard-widget.php:49
actionsave_post_linkcentral_linkincludes\admin\dashboard-widget.php:52
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsincludes\admin\insights.php:77
filterposts_whereincludes\admin\links-overview.php:130
filterposts_joinincludes\admin\links-overview.php:136
filterposts_groupbyincludes\admin\links-overview.php:142
actionadmin_initincludes\admin\links-overview.php:592
actionadmin_noticesincludes\admin\migration-notices.php:27
actionadmin_noticesincludes\admin\migration-notices.php:28
actionadmin_noticesincludes\admin\migration-notices.php:29
actionadmin_initincludes\admin\settings.php:41
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsincludes\admin\settings.php:43
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsincludes\admin\settings.php:45
actionlinkcentral_daily_cleanupincludes\automations\cleanup.php:19
actionelementor/dynamic_tags/registerincludes\integrations\backend\elementor\elementor-controls.php:102
actionenqueue_block_editor_assetsincludes\integrations\backend\integrations.php:17
actionadmin_initincludes\integrations\backend\integrations.php:18
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsincludes\integrations\backend\integrations.php:19
filtermce_external_pluginsincludes\integrations\backend\integrations.php:20
filtermce_buttonsincludes\integrations\backend\integrations.php:21
actionelementor/initincludes\integrations\backend\integrations.php:24
actionelementor/editor/before_enqueue_scriptsincludes\integrations\backend\integrations.php:26
actionelementor/preview/enqueue_scriptsincludes\integrations\backend\integrations.php:27
actionwp_enqueue_scriptsincludes\integrations\backend\integrations.php:34
filterelementor/frontend/the_contentincludes\integrations\frontend\content-filter.php:35
actionwpincludes\integrations\frontend\content-filter.php:38
filterthe_contentincludes\integrations\frontend\content-filter.php:40
actioninitincludes\post-type\post-type.php:40
actioninitincludes\post-type\post-type.php:41
filtermanage_edit-linkcentral_category_columnsincludes\post-type\post-type.php:42
actionadd_meta_boxesincludes\post-type\post-type.php:43
actionadd_meta_boxesincludes\post-type\post-type.php:44
actionadd_meta_boxesincludes\post-type\post-type.php:45
filterwp_insert_post_dataincludes\post-type\post-type.php:46
actionsave_postincludes\post-type\post-type.php:52
actionbefore_delete_postincludes\post-type\post-type.php:58
actionwp_trash_postincludes\post-type\post-type.php:59
actionpost_updated_messagesincludes\post-type\post-type.php:60
actionin_admin_headerincludes\post-type\post-type.php:61
filterredirect_post_locationincludes\post-type\post-type.php:62
filterwp_statuses_listincludes\post-type\post-type.php:69
filterwp_insert_post_dataincludes\post-type\post-type.php:75
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsincludes\post-type\post-type.php:82
actioninitincludes\redirection\redirection.php:62
actiontemplate_redirectincludes\redirection\redirection.php:64
actionlinkcentral_send_webhook_asyncincludes\redirection\webhook-handler.php:18
actionrest_api_initincludes\rest-api.php:27
filterrest_pre_dispatchincludes\rest-api.php:28
filterrest_pre_insert_linkcentral_linkincludes\rest-api.php:35
actionrest_after_insert_linkcentral_linkincludes\rest-api.php:42
actioninitlinkcentral.php:62
filterpermission_diagnostic_defaultlinkcentral.php:69
filterpermission_extensions_defaultlinkcentral.php:70
filterhide_freemius_powered_bylinkcentral.php:71
filtershow_admin_noticelinkcentral.php:73
actionadmin_headlinkcentral.php:87
filterwp_speculation_rules_href_exclude_pathslinkcentral.php:92
actioninitlinkcentral.php:178
actionplugins_loadedlinkcentral.php:225
actionwp_initialize_sitelinkcentral.php:311
actionwp_delete_sitelinkcentral.php:328
actionwp_enqueue_scriptsviews\password-form.php:13

Scheduled Events 2

linkcentral_daily_cleanup
linkcentral_send_webhook_async
Maintenance & Trust

LinkCentral – URL shortener, Custom Links & Affiliate Link Shortener with Link Tracking Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested6.9.4
Last updatedFeb 18, 2026
PHP min version7.4
Downloads5K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings16
Active installs300
Developer Profile

LinkCentral – URL shortener, Custom Links & Affiliate Link Shortener with Link Tracking Developer Profile

Design for WP

2 plugins · 350 total installs

94
trust score
Avg Security Score
100/100
Avg Patch Time
30 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect LinkCentral – URL shortener, Custom Links & Affiliate Link Shortener with Link Tracking

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/linkcentral/includes/redirection/js/visitor-manager.js/wp-content/plugins/linkcentral/includes/redirection/js/geolocation.js/wp-content/plugins/linkcentral/includes/redirection/js/dynamic-rules.js/wp-content/plugins/linkcentral/includes/redirection/js/click-tracker.js/wp-content/plugins/linkcentral/includes/admin/js/settings.js/wp-content/plugins/linkcentral/includes/admin/js/links-overview.js/wp-content/plugins/linkcentral/includes/admin/js/insights.js
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/linkcentral/vendor/freemius/wordpress-sdk/start.php
Version Parameters
linkcentral/includes/redirection/js/visitor-manager.js?ver=linkcentral/includes/redirection/js/geolocation.js?ver=linkcentral/includes/redirection/js/dynamic-rules.js?ver=linkcentral/includes/redirection/js/click-tracker.js?ver=linkcentral/includes/admin/js/settings.js?ver=linkcentral/includes/admin/js/links-overview.js?ver=linkcentral/includes/admin/js/insights.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
linkcentral-settingslinkcentral-links-overviewlinkcentral-insights
Data Attributes
data-lc-iddata-lc-type
JS Globals
LinkCentralVisitorManagerLinkCentralGeolocationLinkCentralDynamicRulesLinkCentralTrackerlinkcentral_fs
REST Endpoints
/wp-json/linkcentral/v1/clicks/wp-json/linkcentral/v1/geolocation
Shortcode Output
[linkcentral_stats]
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about LinkCentral – URL shortener, Custom Links & Affiliate Link Shortener with Link Tracking