PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/pdf-viewer-block

A simple and 100% free Gutenberg Block to display PDF Viewers / Readers on your website.

10K active installs v1.1 PHP 5.6+ WP 5.0+ Updated Nov 27, 2025
pdfpdf-blockreaderviewer
100
A · Safe
CVEs total1
Unpatched0
Last CVESep 20, 2021
Safety Verdict

Is PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 100/100

PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg has a strong security track record. Known vulnerabilities have been patched promptly.

1 known CVELast CVE: Sep 20, 2021Updated 4mo ago
Risk Assessment

The static analysis of pdf-viewer-block v1.1 reveals a generally strong security posture, with no apparent vulnerabilities in the analyzed code. The absence of dangerous functions, the exclusive use of prepared statements for SQL queries, and the 100% output escaping indicate good development practices. Furthermore, the lack of file operations, external HTTP requests, and a completely clean taint analysis with zero unsanitized paths are all positive indicators. The plugin also exhibits a minimal attack surface, with no observable AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, or cron events exposed directly without authentication or permission checks.

Despite these positive findings in the current version's code, the plugin has a known history of vulnerabilities, specifically one medium-severity Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability discovered in 2021. While this vulnerability is reportedly patched, the past occurrence necessitates continued vigilance. The fact that this was the only recorded vulnerability and that it's not currently unpatched is encouraging, but it does highlight a past weakness that could potentially resurface if not managed carefully in future development.

In conclusion, pdf-viewer-block v1.1 appears to be well-secured based on the provided static analysis. The development team has implemented robust security measures within the code. However, the historical XSS vulnerability, though patched, serves as a reminder that even seemingly secure plugins can have exploitable flaws. Ongoing monitoring and prompt patching of any future vulnerabilities remain critical for maintaining a strong security profile.

Key Concerns

  • Past medium XSS vulnerability
Vulnerabilities
1

PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg Security Vulnerabilities

CVEs by Year

1 CVE in 2021
2021
Patched Has unpatched

Severity Breakdown

Medium
1

1 total CVE

CVE-2021-24760medium · 5.4Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

Gutenberg PDF Viewer Block <= 1.0 - Cross-Site Scripting

Sep 20, 2021 Patched in 1.0.1 (855d)
Code Analysis
Analyzed Mar 16, 2026

PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
0
Raw SQL Queries
0
0 prepared
Unescaped Output
0
0 escaped
Nonce Checks
0
Capability Checks
0
File Operations
0
External Requests
0
Bundled Libraries
0
Attack Surface

PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
WordPress Hooks 2
actionenqueue_block_editor_assetsadmin\admin.php:27
actionwp_enqueue_scriptspublic\public.php:22
Maintenance & Trust

PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested6.9.4
Last updatedNov 27, 2025
PHP min version5.6
Downloads72K

Community Trust

Rating96/100
Number of ratings9
Active installs10K
Developer Profile

PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg Developer Profile

Jb Audras

24 plugins · 64K total installs

78
trust score
Avg Security Score
98/100
Avg Patch Time
661 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/pdf-viewer-block/admin/css/admin.css/wp-content/plugins/pdf-viewer-block/admin/js/block.js/wp-content/plugins/pdf-viewer-block/public/css/pdf-viewer-block.css/wp-content/plugins/pdf-viewer-block/public/js/pdf-viewer-block.js/wp-content/plugins/pdf-viewer-block/inc/pdfjs/web/viewer.html
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/pdf-viewer-block/admin/js/block.js/wp-content/plugins/pdf-viewer-block/public/js/pdf-viewer-block.js
Version Parameters
pdf-viewer-block/admin/js/block.js?ver=pdf-viewer-block/public/css/pdf-viewer-block.css?ver=pdf-viewer-block/public/js/pdf-viewer-block.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
pdf-viewer-block-viewer
Data Attributes
data-pdf-viewer-block-content
JS Globals
pdfViewerUrl
Shortcode Output
[pdfviewer]
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg