Skeleton Key Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/skeleton-key

Gives administrators a skeleton key (their own password) to login as any user they'd like.

40 active installs v1.1.1 PHP + WP 2.8+ Updated Dec 20, 2009
adminloginpasswordskeletonusers
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is Skeleton Key Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 16yr ago
Risk Assessment

The static analysis of skeleton-key version 1.1.1 reveals a strong security posture with no identified vulnerabilities or exploitable attack surface. The plugin demonstrates excellent adherence to secure coding practices, as evidenced by the absence of dangerous functions, raw SQL queries, unescaped output, file operations, external HTTP requests, and importantly, a lack of unprotected entry points. The complete absence of taint analysis findings further reinforces this positive assessment, indicating that data flows are handled securely and no unsanitized paths were detected.

The vulnerability history is equally impressive, with zero recorded CVEs. This indicates a history of stable and secure development. The lack of any past vulnerabilities, regardless of severity, suggests a mature and well-maintained codebase.

In conclusion, skeleton-key v1.1.1 presents an exceptionally low-risk profile. Its design exhibits a commitment to security best practices. While the absence of nonces and capability checks on entry points might be a technicality given the zero entry points, the overall lack of attack surface and no recorded vulnerabilities makes this plugin a highly secure option.

Vulnerabilities
None known

Skeleton Key Security Vulnerabilities

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

Skeleton Key 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

Skeleton Key Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
WordPress Hooks 1
filterauthenticatewp-skeleton-key.php:12
Maintenance & Trust

Skeleton Key Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested2.9.2
Last updatedDec 20, 2009
PHP min version
Downloads4K

Community Trust

Rating0/100
Number of ratings0
Active installs40
Developer Profile

Skeleton Key Developer Profile

sant0sk1

2 plugins · 240 total installs

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

How We Detect Skeleton Key

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

Asset Fingerprints

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Skeleton Key