Twivatar Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/twivatar

Adds a shortcode that echos the current Twitter avatar for a username. Image URL is cached.

10 active installs v1.0.2 PHP + WP 2.8.0+ Updated Jan 28, 2013
avatartwittertwivatar
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is Twivatar Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 13yr ago
Risk Assessment

The Twivatar plugin version 1.0.2 exhibits a generally strong security posture based on the provided static analysis. The absence of AJAX handlers, REST API routes without permission callbacks, cron events, and file operations significantly limits the potential attack surface. Furthermore, the plugin demonstrates good practices with 100% of SQL queries using prepared statements and 90% of outputs being properly escaped. The lack of any recorded vulnerabilities, including critical or high severity issues, and no previous CVEs further reinforces this positive assessment. The plugin's vulnerability history is clean, suggesting consistent security attention over time. A minor concern is the presence of one shortcode, which, while not inherently insecure, represents a potential entry point that requires careful implementation to ensure no vulnerabilities are introduced. The external HTTP request also warrants attention for potential security implications, although its specific nature and security are not detailed.

Key Concerns

  • Missing Nonce Checks
  • Missing Capability Checks
  • Unescaped Output
  • External HTTP Request without Details
Vulnerabilities
None known

Twivatar Security Vulnerabilities

No known vulnerabilities — this is a good sign.
Version History

Twivatar Release Timeline

v1.0.2Current
v1.0.1
v1.0
Code Analysis
Analyzed Mar 16, 2026

Twivatar Code Analysis

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

Output Escaping

90% escaped10 total outputs
Attack Surface

Twivatar Attack Surface

Entry Points1
Unprotected0

Shortcodes 1

[twivatar] class-twivatar.php:67
WordPress Hooks 1
actioninitclass-twivatar.php:52
Maintenance & Trust

Twivatar Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested3.5.0
Last updatedJan 28, 2013
PHP min version
Downloads2K

Community Trust

Rating0/100
Number of ratings0
Active installs10
Developer Profile

Twivatar Developer Profile

Gary Jones

8 plugins · 920 total installs

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

How We Detect Twivatar

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

Asset Fingerprints

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

Data Attributes
data-twivatar
Shortcode Output
<img src="http://api.twitter.com/1/users/show.json?screen_name=alt="
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Twivatar