Rescue Shortcodes Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/rescue-shortcodes

A lightweight WordPress shortcodes plugin.

1K active installs v3.4 PHP + WP 4.0+ Updated Dec 19, 2025
animationsbuttonscolumnsshortcodestabs
96
A · Safe
CVEs total4
Unpatched0
Last CVEApr 16, 2025
Safety Verdict

Is Rescue Shortcodes Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 96/100

Rescue Shortcodes has a strong security track record. Known vulnerabilities have been patched promptly.

4 known CVEsLast CVE: Apr 16, 2025Updated 3mo ago
Risk Assessment

The plugin "rescue-shortcodes" v3.4 exhibits a generally good security posture in its static code analysis, with no critical or high-severity vulnerabilities found in taint analysis, no dangerous functions, and robust handling of SQL queries and output escaping. The attack surface, while consisting of 14 shortcodes, has no identified unprotected entry points from the static analysis perspective.

However, the plugin's vulnerability history is a significant concern. The presence of 4 known medium-severity CVEs, all of which were Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities, indicates a recurring pattern of insecure input handling. While the most recent vulnerability was patched in April 2025, this history suggests that even with good static analysis practices, past issues point to potential weaknesses that could re-emerge or be introduced in future updates if not meticulously addressed.

In conclusion, while the current version's static analysis is promising, the historical pattern of XSS vulnerabilities necessitates a cautious approach. Users should remain vigilant and ensure timely updates, as past trends suggest a susceptibility to input manipulation. The lack of detected unescaped output or unprotected entry points in the static analysis is a strength, but it is overshadowed by the historical context of security flaws.

Key Concerns

  • Recurring medium-severity XSS vulnerabilities
  • Lack of nonce checks
  • Lack of capability checks
Vulnerabilities
4

Rescue Shortcodes Security Vulnerabilities

CVEs by Year

1 CVE in 2023
2023
2 CVEs in 2024
2024
1 CVE in 2025
2025
Patched Has unpatched

Severity Breakdown

Medium
4

4 total CVEs

CVE-2025-39528medium · 6.4Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

Rescue Shortcodes <= 3.1 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting

Apr 16, 2025 Patched in 3.3 (178d)
CVE-2024-11199medium · 6.4Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

Rescue Shortcodes <= 2.9 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via rescue_progressbar Shortcode

Nov 22, 2024 Patched in 3.0 (1d)
CVE-2024-9696medium · 6.4Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

Rescue Shortcodes <= 2.8 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Shortcode

Oct 11, 2024 Patched in 2.9 (1d)
CVE-2023-41728medium · 6.4Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

Rescue Shortcodes <= 2.5 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting

Sep 5, 2023 Patched in 2.6 (242d)
Code Analysis
Analyzed Mar 16, 2026

Rescue Shortcodes Code Analysis

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

Output Escaping

98% escaped96 total outputs
Attack Surface

Rescue Shortcodes Attack Surface

Entry Points14
Unprotected0

Shortcodes 14

[rescue_clear_floats] includes\shortcode-functions.php:31
[rescue_spacing] includes\shortcode-functions.php:49
[rescue_highlight] includes\shortcode-functions.php:72
[rescue_button] includes\shortcode-functions.php:145
[rescue_box] includes\shortcode-functions.php:189
[rescue_column] includes\shortcode-functions.php:213
[rescue_toggle] includes\shortcode-functions.php:237
[rescue_tabgroup] includes\shortcode-functions.php:278
[rescue_tab] includes\shortcode-functions.php:297
[rescue_donation_tabgroup] includes\shortcode-functions.php:339
[rescue_donation_tab] includes\shortcode-functions.php:358
[rescue_progressbar] includes\shortcode-functions.php:397
[icon] includes\shortcode-functions.php:441
[rescue_animate] includes\shortcode-functions.php:521
WordPress Hooks 7
actionwp_enqueue_scriptsincludes\scripts.php:30
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsincludes\scripts.php:36
filterwidget_textincludes\shortcode-functions.php:6
filterthe_contentincludes\shortcode-functions.php:21
actionmedia_buttonsincludes\shortcodes-button.php:5
actionadmin_footerincludes\shortcodes-button.php:29
actionplugins_loadedrescue-shortcodes.php:50
Maintenance & Trust

Rescue Shortcodes Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested6.8.5
Last updatedDec 19, 2025
PHP min version
Downloads66K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings2
Active installs1K
Developer Profile

Rescue Shortcodes Developer Profile

Rescue Themes

5 plugins · 2K total installs

72
trust score
Avg Security Score
90/100
Avg Patch Time
106 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect Rescue Shortcodes

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/rescue-shortcodes/css/animate.min.css/wp-content/plugins/rescue-shortcodes/fonts/font-awesome.min.css/wp-content/plugins/rescue-shortcodes/css/rescue_shortcodes_styles.css/wp-content/plugins/rescue-shortcodes/js/wow.min.js/wp-content/plugins/rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_wow.js/wp-content/plugins/rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_tabs.js/wp-content/plugins/rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_donation_tabs.js/wp-content/plugins/rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_toggle.js+5 more
Script Paths
wp_enqueue_script( 'jquery' )wp_register_script('rescue_wow', plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) . 'js/wow.min.js'wp_register_script('rescue_wow_init', plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) . 'js/rescue_wow.js'wp_register_script('rescue_tabs', plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) . 'js/rescue_tabs.js'wp_register_script('rescue_donation_tabs', plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) . 'js/rescue_donation_tabs.js'wp_register_script('rescue_toggle', plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) . 'js/rescue_toggle.js'+5 more
Version Parameters
rescue-shortcodes/css/animate.min.css?ver=rescue-shortcodes/fonts/font-awesome.min.css?ver=rescue-shortcodes/css/rescue_shortcodes_styles.css?ver=rescue-shortcodes/js/wow.min.js?ver=rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_wow.js?ver=rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_tabs.js?ver=rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_donation_tabs.js?ver=rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_toggle.js?ver=rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_accordion.js?ver=rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_googlemap.js?ver=rescue-shortcodes/js/rescue_progressbar.js?ver=rescue-shortcodes/js/waypoints.min.js?ver=rescue-shortcodes/js/shortcode-buttons.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
rescue-clear-floatsrescue-spacingrescue-highlightrescue-highlight-rescue-rescue-buttonrescue-social-iconrescue-social-icon-wrap+13 more
Data Attributes
data-hoverdelaydata-targetdata-tabdata-parentdata-icon
JS Globals
wowrescue_tabsrescue_donation_tabsrescue_togglerescue_accordionrescue_googlemap+3 more
Shortcode Output
<div class="rescue-clear-floats"></div><hr class="rescue-spacing<span class="rescue-highlight<a class="rescue-button
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Rescue Shortcodes