Global Admin Search Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/omnisearch

This is a proposal for inclusion in Core in 3.8

10 active installs v0.9.1 PHP + WP 3.5+ Updated Oct 27, 2013
core-pluginsomnisearch
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is Global Admin Search Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

Global Admin Search 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 Omnisearch v0.9.1 plugin exhibits a mixed security posture. On the positive side, it demonstrates good practices by utilizing prepared statements for all SQL queries and avoiding dangerous functions, file operations, and external HTTP requests. It also has a clean vulnerability history with no recorded CVEs, suggesting a relatively stable and secure codebase historically.

However, significant concerns arise from the static analysis. The plugin has a single entry point via an AJAX handler that lacks authentication checks. This unprotected AJAX endpoint presents a clear risk, as it could be exploited by unauthenticated users to trigger arbitrary actions or disclose information. Furthermore, the taint analysis revealed two flows with unsanitized paths, indicating potential vulnerabilities that could be leveraged if an attacker can control the input leading to these paths.

While the absence of known CVEs is encouraging, the presence of an unprotected AJAX endpoint and unsanitized paths in the taint analysis are critical findings that cannot be overlooked. The plugin has a small attack surface, but the unprotected nature of its sole entry point is a major weakness. Robust security would necessitate authentication and capability checks on all AJAX handlers, and proper sanitization of any data flowing through identified unsanitized paths.

Key Concerns

  • Unprotected AJAX handler
  • Flows with unsanitized paths (taint analysis)
  • Limited capability checks
  • Output escaping concerns (61% proper)
Vulnerabilities
None known

Global Admin Search Security Vulnerabilities

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

Global Admin Search Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
0
Raw SQL Queries
0
0 prepared
Unescaped Output
14
22 escaped
Nonce Checks
0
Capability Checks
3
File Operations
0
External Requests
0
Bundled Libraries
0

Output Escaping

61% escaped36 total outputs
Data Flows
2 unsanitized

Data Flow Analysis

4 flows2 with unsanitized paths
wp_ajax_wp_search_plugins (wp-admin\includes\class-wp-search-plugins.php:58)
Source (user input) Sink (dangerous op) Sanitizer Transform Unsanitized Sanitized
Attack Surface
1 unprotected

Global Admin Search Attack Surface

Entry Points1
Unprotected1

AJAX Handlers 1

authwp_ajax_wp_search_pluginswp-admin\includes\class-wp-search-plugins.php:12
WordPress Hooks 13
filterwp_search_resultswp-admin\includes\class-wp-search-comments.php:12
filtercomment_row_actionswp-admin\includes\class-wp-search-comments.php:16
filterwp_search_resultswp-admin\includes\class-wp-search-media.php:11
filterwp_search_resultswp-admin\includes\class-wp-search-plugins.php:11
filterwp_search_resultswp-admin\includes\class-wp-search-posts.php:17
actionpage_row_actionswp-admin\includes\class-wp-search-posts.php:21
actionpost_row_actionswp-admin\includes\class-wp-search-posts.php:22
filterthe_titlewp-admin\includes\class-wp-search-posts.php:88
actionadmin_initwp-admin\includes\class-wp-search.php:12
actionadmin_menuwp-admin\includes\class-wp-search.php:13
actionadmin_bar_menuwp-admin\includes\class-wp-search.php:14
filterwp_search_num_resultswp-admin\includes\class-wp-search.php:15
filterwp_search_auto_post_typeswp-admin\includes\class-wp-search.php:16
Maintenance & Trust

Global Admin Search Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested3.7.41
Last updatedOct 27, 2013
PHP min version
Downloads3K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings1
Active installs10
Alternatives

Global Admin Search Alternatives

No alternatives data available yet.

Developer Profile

Global Admin Search Developer Profile

George Stephanis

16 plugins · 16K total installs

84
trust score
Avg Security Score
86/100
Avg Patch Time
30 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect Global Admin Search

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/omnisearch/css/global-search.css

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
global-searchwp-search-formwp-searchwp-search-submitadd-new-h2no-resultsjump-towp-search-results+1 more
Data Attributes
data-label
JS Globals
search_termnum_results
REST Endpoints
/wp-json/omnisearch/
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Global Admin Search