Shortcake (Shortcode UI) Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/shortcode-ui

Shortcake makes using WordPress shortcodes a piece of cake.

10K active installs v0.7.4 PHP + WP 4.5+ Updated Jan 16, 2019
shortcodes
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Download
Safety Verdict

Is Shortcake (Shortcode UI) Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

Shortcake (Shortcode UI) has no known CVEs and is actively maintained. It's a solid choice for most WordPress installations.

No known CVEs Updated 7yr ago
Risk Assessment

The 'shortcode-ui' plugin v0.7.4 exhibits a generally good security posture, with no known vulnerabilities or critical taint flows. The code analysis reveals a strong adherence to secure coding practices, such as the exclusive use of prepared statements for SQL queries and a high percentage of properly escaped output. Furthermore, the absence of file operations and external HTTP requests minimizes potential attack vectors. The plugin also incorporates nonces and capability checks for most of its entry points, which is a positive indicator of security awareness.

However, a primary concern is the presence of one AJAX handler that lacks authentication checks. This unprotected entry point could be a potential avenue for attackers to exploit if it performs sensitive actions or reveals information. While the taint analysis shows no immediate risks, the single unprotected AJAX handler represents a tangible security gap. The plugin's history of no recorded vulnerabilities is a positive sign, suggesting the developers are proactive or have historically maintained a secure codebase. Overall, 'shortcode-ui' v0.7.4 is relatively secure, but the unprotected AJAX handler warrants attention for improvement.

Key Concerns

  • AJAX handler without auth check
Vulnerabilities
None known

Shortcake (Shortcode UI) Security Vulnerabilities

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

Shortcake (Shortcode UI) Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
0
Raw SQL Queries
0
1 prepared
Unescaped Output
6
21 escaped
Nonce Checks
4
Capability Checks
1
File Operations
0
External Requests
0
Bundled Libraries
1

Bundled Libraries

Select2

SQL Query Safety

100% prepared1 total queries

Output Escaping

78% escaped27 total outputs
Attack Surface
1 unprotected

Shortcake (Shortcode UI) Attack Surface

Entry Points5
Unprotected1

AJAX Handlers 5

authwp_ajax_bulk_do_shortcodeinc\class-shortcode-ui.php:80
authwp_ajax_shortcode_ui_post_fieldinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-post-select.php:34
authwp_ajax_shortcode_ui_term_fieldinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-term-select.php:36
authwp_ajax_shortcode_ui_user_fieldinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-user-select.php:39
authwp_ajax_shortcode_ui_user_field_preselectinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-user-select.php:40
WordPress Hooks 29
actionadmin_noticesinc\class-shortcode-ui.php:76
actionadmin_enqueue_scriptsinc\class-shortcode-ui.php:77
actionwp_enqueue_editorinc\class-shortcode-ui.php:78
actionmedia_buttonsinc\class-shortcode-ui.php:79
filterwp_editor_settingsinc\class-shortcode-ui.php:81
actionadmin_print_footer_scriptsinc\class-shortcode-ui.php:333
filtershortcode_ui_fieldsinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-attachment.php:56
actionenqueue_shortcode_uiinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-attachment.php:57
actionshortcode_ui_loaded_editorinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-attachment.php:58
actionadmin_print_footer_scriptsinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-attachment.php:91
filtershortcode_ui_fieldsinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-color.php:56
actionshortcode_ui_loaded_editorinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-color.php:57
actionadmin_print_footer_scriptsinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-color.php:109
filtershortcode_ui_fieldsinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-post-select.php:32
actionenqueue_shortcode_uiinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-post-select.php:33
actionshortcode_ui_loaded_editorinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-post-select.php:35
actionadmin_print_footer_scriptsinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-post-select.php:60
filtershortcode_ui_fieldsinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-term-select.php:34
actionenqueue_shortcode_uiinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-term-select.php:35
actionshortcode_ui_loaded_editorinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-term-select.php:37
actionadmin_print_footer_scriptsinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-term-select.php:69
filtershortcode_ui_fieldsinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-user-select.php:37
actionenqueue_shortcode_uiinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-user-select.php:38
actionshortcode_ui_loaded_editorinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-user-select.php:41
actionadmin_print_footer_scriptsinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-field-user-select.php:75
actioninitinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-fields.php:84
actionenqueue_shortcode_uiinc\fields\class-shortcode-ui-fields.php:85
actioninitshortcode-ui.php:32
actioninitshortcode-ui.php:34
Maintenance & Trust

Shortcake (Shortcode UI) Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested5.0.25
Last updatedJan 16, 2019
PHP min version
Downloads414K

Community Trust

Rating82/100
Number of ratings24
Active installs10K
Developer Profile

Shortcake (Shortcode UI) Developer Profile

Daniel Bachhuber

9 plugins · 51K total installs

86
trust score
Avg Security Score
88/100
Avg Patch Time
30 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect Shortcake (Shortcode UI)

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/shortcode-ui.css/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/shortcode-ui.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-fields.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-field-attachment.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-field-color.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-field-post-select.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-field-term-select.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-field-user-select.js
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/shortcode-ui.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-fields.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-field-attachment.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-field-color.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-field-post-select.js/wp-content/plugins/shortcode-ui/inc/fields/shortcode-ui-field-term-select.js+1 more
Version Parameters
shortcode-ui.css?ver=shortcode-ui.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
shortcode-ui-modalshortcode-ui-modal-contentshortcode-ui-modal-headershortcode-ui-modal-titleshortcode-ui-modal-closeshortcode-ui-modal-bodyshortcode-ui-modal-footershortcode-ui-fields-group+16 more
HTML Comments
<!DOCTYPE html><!-- Initializing Shortcake --><!-- Shortcake Fields --><!-- Shortcake Field: Attachment -->+7 more
Data Attributes
data-shortcode-ui-modaldata-shortcode-ui-field-typedata-shortcode-ui-field-namedata-shortcode-ui-field-labeldata-shortcode-ui-field-valuedata-shortcode-ui-field-required+9 more
JS Globals
Shortcode_UIShortcodeUIFieldsshortcode_ui_args
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Shortcake (Shortcode UI)