Nginx Helper Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/nginx-helper

Cleans nginx's fastcgi/proxy cache or redis-cache whenever a post is edited/published. Also does a few more things.

100K active installs v2.3.5 PHP + WP 3.0+ Updated Aug 21, 2025
cache-purgefastcginginxpermalinksredis-cache
100
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is Nginx Helper Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 100/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 7mo ago
Risk Assessment

The nginx-helper plugin v2.3.5 exhibits a generally strong security posture with good coding practices, as evidenced by the high percentage of prepared SQL statements and properly escaped output. The absence of known CVEs and a clean vulnerability history further reinforces this positive impression. However, a significant concern arises from the presence of one unprotected AJAX handler, which represents a direct attack vector. While taint analysis found no critical or high severity issues, the single unprotected entry point is a notable weakness that could be exploited if not properly addressed.

The plugin's strengths lie in its robust handling of SQL queries and output, as well as its lack of historical vulnerabilities. This suggests developers are diligent in implementing secure coding principles. The limited attack surface is also a positive, but the unprotected AJAX handler undermines this by offering an exploitable entry point. The absence of critical taint flows is reassuring, but the existence of an unprotected AJAX handler warrants careful consideration and immediate mitigation.

Key Concerns

  • Unprotected AJAX handler identified
Vulnerabilities
None known

Nginx Helper Security Vulnerabilities

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

Nginx Helper Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
0
Raw SQL Queries
2
9 prepared
Unescaped Output
5
87 escaped
Nonce Checks
2
Capability Checks
4
File Operations
16
External Requests
5
Bundled Libraries
0

SQL Query Safety

82% prepared11 total queries

Output Escaping

95% escaped92 total outputs
Attack Surface
1 unprotected

Nginx Helper Attack Surface

Entry Points1
Unprotected1

AJAX Handlers 1

authwp_ajax_rt_get_feedsincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:210
WordPress Hooks 28
actionadmin_noticesadmin\class-nginx-helper-admin.php:785
actionnetwork_admin_noticesadmin\class-nginx-helper-admin.php:786
actionplugins_loadedincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:158
actioninitincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:173
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:195
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:196
actionnetwork_admin_menuincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:199
actionadmin_menuincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:202
actionadmin_bar_menuincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:207
actionshutdownincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:212
actionadd_initincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:213
actionwp_insert_commentincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:216
actiontransition_comment_statusincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:217
actiontransition_post_statusincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:218
actiondelete_postincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:219
actionrt_wp_nginx_helper_check_log_file_size_dailyincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:220
actionedit_attachmentincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:221
actionwpmu_new_blogincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:222
actiontransition_post_statusincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:223
actionedit_termincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:224
actiondelete_termincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:225
actioncheck_ajax_refererincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:226
actionadmin_bar_initincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:227
actionrt_nginx_helper_purge_allincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:230
actionadmin_initincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:233
actionplugins_loadedincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:234
actionadmin_noticesincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:295
actionnetwork_admin_noticesincludes\class-nginx-helper.php:296

Scheduled Events 1

rt_wp_nginx_helper_check_log_file_size_daily
Maintenance & Trust

Nginx Helper Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested6.8.5
Last updatedAug 21, 2025
PHP min version
Downloads6.1M

Community Trust

Rating88/100
Number of ratings31
Active installs100K
Developer Profile

Nginx Helper Developer Profile

rtCamp

19 plugins · 119K total installs

75
trust score
Avg Security Score
94/100
Avg Patch Time
883 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect Nginx Helper

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/nginx-helper/icons/css/nginx-fontello.css/wp-content/plugins/nginx-helper/css/nginx-helper-admin.css/wp-content/plugins/nginx-helper/js/nginx-helper-admin.js
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/nginx-helper/js/nginx-helper-admin.js
Version Parameters
nginx-helper/css/nginx-helper-admin.css?ver=nginx-helper/js/nginx-helper-admin.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

Data Attributes
data-iddata-key
JS Globals
nginx_helper
REST Endpoints
/wp-json/nginx-helper/v1/purge_all/wp-json/nginx-helper/v1/purge_url
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Nginx Helper