Require Featured Image Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/require-featured-image

Requires content you specify to have a featured image set before they can be published.

4K active installs v1.5.0 PHP + WP 3.5+ Updated Dec 17, 2019
admineditfeatured-imageimagespost
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is Require Featured Image Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 6yr ago
Risk Assessment

The 'require-featured-image' plugin v1.5.0 exhibits a generally strong security posture based on the provided static analysis. The absence of any identified AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, or cron events significantly limits its attack surface. Furthermore, the code signals indicate a responsible approach to database interactions, with all SQL queries utilizing prepared statements. The lack of dangerous functions, file operations, and external HTTP requests further contributes to a secure design. However, the analysis reveals a critical weakness in output escaping, with 0% of identified outputs being properly escaped. This means that data displayed to users could potentially be manipulated by attackers, leading to cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities. The plugin's vulnerability history is clean, with no recorded CVEs, which is a positive indicator. Despite the lack of direct vulnerabilities found in this analysis, the unescaped output presents a tangible risk that needs immediate attention. The plugin's small attack surface and clean history are strengths, but the unescaped output is a significant concern that lowers its overall security score.

Key Concerns

  • Output escaping is not properly handled
Vulnerabilities
None known

Require Featured Image Security Vulnerabilities

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

Require Featured Image Code Analysis

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

Output Escaping

0% escaped4 total outputs
Attack Surface

Require Featured Image Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
WordPress Hooks 5
actionadmin_menuadmin-options.php:2
actionadmin_initadmin-options.php:20
actiontransition_post_statusrequire-featured-image.php:14
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsrequire-featured-image.php:38
actionplugins_loadedrequire-featured-image.php:75
Maintenance & Trust

Require Featured Image Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested5.3.21
Last updatedDec 17, 2019
PHP min version
Downloads96K

Community Trust

Rating78/100
Number of ratings16
Active installs4K
Developer Profile

Require Featured Image Developer Profile

pressupinc

3 plugins · 5K total installs

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

How We Detect Require Featured Image

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/require-featured-image/require-featured-image-on-edit.js
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/require-featured-image/require-featured-image-on-edit.js

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

HTML Comments
<!-- EXPLANATION: The Block/Gutenberg editor works differently than classic, ... -->
Data Attributes
data-rfi-widthdata-rfi-height
JS Globals
passedFromServer
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Require Featured Image