Refback Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/refback

Enable Refbacks on your WordPress site

10 active installs v2.0.1 PHP + WP 4.9.9+ Updated Unknown
commentlinkbackrefbackresponse
100
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is Refback Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 100/100

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

No known CVEs
Risk Assessment

The refback plugin v2.0.1 demonstrates a strong security posture based on the provided static analysis and vulnerability history. There are no critical or high-severity vulnerabilities identified, and the code adheres to several good security practices. Notably, all SQL queries utilize prepared statements, and all output is properly escaped, significantly reducing the risk of injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. The absence of any recorded vulnerabilities in its history further reinforces its stable security record. The plugin also has a minimal attack surface, with no apparent unprotected entry points identified.

However, a few areas warrant attention. The plugin performs three external HTTP requests, which, while not inherently insecure, could be a vector for issues if the external endpoints are compromised or become unavailable. More significantly, the absence of nonce checks and capability checks across its limited entry points, though currently not presenting a direct risk due to the small attack surface and lack of documented exploits, represents a potential weakness. In a more complex plugin, this would be a significant concern, as it could allow for unauthorized actions if an attacker could trigger the cron event without proper authentication or authorization.

In conclusion, refback v2.0.1 appears to be a well-secured plugin with a clean security history and good coding practices. The main areas for improvement lie in the potential for external dependencies to introduce risk and the lack of robust authorization checks on its limited entry points. Overall, the current risk is low, but attention to these minor points could further enhance its security.

Key Concerns

  • External HTTP requests detected
  • No nonce checks detected
  • No capability checks detected
Vulnerabilities
None known

Refback Security Vulnerabilities

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

Refback Code Analysis

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

Output Escaping

100% escaped2 total outputs
Attack Surface

Refback Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
WordPress Hooks 15
actionpre_get_postsincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:12
actiondo_refbacksincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:14
filterduplicate_comment_idincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:16
filterget_avatar_comment_typesincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:18
filterrefback_comment_dataincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:21
filterrefback_comment_dataincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:22
filterrefback_comment_dataincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:25
filterrefback_comment_dataincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:26
filtersemantic_linkbacks_enhance_comment_typesincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:28
actionadmin_comment_types_dropdownincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:31
actioncheck_comment_floodincludes\class-refback-receiver.php:249
actionplugins_loadedrefback.php:15
actioninitrefback.php:45
filterget_default_comment_statusrefback.php:48
filterpings_openrefback.php:49

Scheduled Events 1

do_refbacks
Maintenance & Trust

Refback Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested5.6.17
Last updatedUnknown
PHP min version
Downloads2K

Community Trust

Rating0/100
Number of ratings0
Active installs10
Developer Profile

Refback Developer Profile

David Shanske

5 plugins · 720 total installs

77
trust score
Avg Security Score
97/100
Avg Patch Time
3177 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect Refback

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/refback/css/refback.css/wp-content/plugins/refback/js/refback.js
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/refback/js/refback.js
Version Parameters
refback/css/refback.css?ver=refback/js/refback.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Refback