(MB) YouTube Widget Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/mb-youtube-videos

The YouTube videos widget lets you quickly and easily display your most recent YouTube videos in your blog's sidebar.

70 active installs v1.05 PHP + WP 3.0+ Updated Aug 2, 2013
recent-videossocialsubscribevideosyoutube
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is (MB) YouTube Widget Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

(MB) YouTube Widget has no known CVEs and is actively maintained. It's a solid choice for most WordPress installations.

No known CVEs Updated 12yr ago
Risk Assessment

The "mb-youtube-videos" v1.05 plugin exhibits a mixed security posture. While it has a small attack surface and a clean vulnerability history with no recorded CVEs, the static analysis reveals several concerning code practices. The presence of the `create_function` dangerous function is a significant red flag, as it can lead to arbitrary code execution vulnerabilities if not handled with extreme care, though its specific usage here is not detailed.

Furthermore, a substantial portion (84%) of the plugin's output is not properly escaped. This is a critical weakness that could allow for cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, especially considering the lack of nonce checks and capability checks on its entry points. The single external HTTP request also warrants attention, as it could be a vector for SSRF or other network-related vulnerabilities if not properly validated and sanitized.

The lack of any recorded vulnerabilities in its history is positive, but it does not negate the inherent risks identified in the static analysis. The plugin demonstrates a reliance on good coding practices that are currently not being fully met, particularly around output sanitization. While the absence of known exploits is reassuring, the identified code signals suggest a potential for future vulnerabilities if not addressed.

Key Concerns

  • Dangerous function create_function used
  • Low percentage of properly escaped output
  • No nonce checks on entry points
  • No capability checks on entry points
Vulnerabilities
None known

(MB) YouTube Widget Security Vulnerabilities

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

(MB) YouTube Widget Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
1
Raw SQL Queries
0
0 prepared
Unescaped Output
26
5 escaped
Nonce Checks
0
Capability Checks
0
File Operations
0
External Requests
1
Bundled Libraries
0

Dangerous Functions Found

create_functionadd_action('widgets_init', create_function('', 'register_widget("mechabyteYouTube_Widget");'));mechabyte-youtube.php:22

Output Escaping

16% escaped31 total outputs
Attack Surface

(MB) YouTube Widget Attack Surface

Entry Points1
Unprotected0

Shortcodes 1

[mechabyte_youtube] mechabyte-youtube.php:25
WordPress Hooks 4
filtermbYT_construct_decoratedmechabyte-youtube.php:19
filtermbYT_construct_plainmechabyte-youtube.php:20
actionwidgets_initmechabyte-youtube.php:22
actionwp_enqueue_scriptsmechabyte-youtube.php:23
Maintenance & Trust

(MB) YouTube Widget Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested3.6.1
Last updatedAug 2, 2013
PHP min version
Downloads12K

Community Trust

Rating74/100
Number of ratings3
Active installs70
Developer Profile

(MB) YouTube Widget Developer Profile

Mechabyte

1 plugin · 70 total installs

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

How We Detect (MB) YouTube Widget

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/mb-youtube-videos/css/mechabyte-youtube.css
Version Parameters
mechabyte-youtube.css?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
mechabyte-youtube-videosmechabyte-display-decoratedmechabyte-display-plain
Data Attributes
target="_blank"
Shortcode Output
<ul class="mechabyte-youtube-videos mechabyte-display-<li class="<img src="<div class="label"><h5>
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about (MB) YouTube Widget