WP Cron HTTP Auth Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/wp-cron-http-auth

Enables WP Cron on sites using HTTP Authentication.

1K active installs v3.4 PHP 5.6.20+ WP 4.7+ Updated Feb 3, 2026
authcronhttphttp-authwp-cron
100
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is WP Cron HTTP Auth Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 100/100

WP Cron HTTP Auth has no known CVEs and is actively maintained. It's a solid choice for most WordPress installations.

No known CVEs Updated 1mo ago
Risk Assessment

The "wp-cron-http-auth" v3.4 plugin exhibits a generally strong security posture based on the provided static analysis. The absence of any detected AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, or cron events with unprotected entry points is a significant positive indicator, suggesting a limited attack surface. Furthermore, the code adheres to secure practices by using prepared statements for all SQL queries and includes a capability check, demonstrating an awareness of WordPress security best practices.

However, a notable concern arises from the output escaping analysis, where only 55% of the outputs are properly escaped. This leaves a potential window for cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities if user-supplied data is rendered without adequate sanitization in the unescaped portions of the code. The lack of any recorded vulnerabilities in its history is commendable and suggests consistent secure development. Despite the strong foundation, the imperfect output escaping warrants attention.

In conclusion, this plugin presents a low-risk profile due to its minimal attack surface and adherence to secure coding practices for data handling and authentication. The primary area for improvement and potential risk lies in the incomplete output escaping, which could be exploited for XSS. Without any historical vulnerabilities or critical taint flows, the overall security impression is positive, but addressing the output escaping issue would further solidify its secure standing.

Key Concerns

  • Output escaping is only 55% proper
Vulnerabilities
None known

WP Cron HTTP Auth Security Vulnerabilities

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

WP Cron HTTP Auth Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
0
Raw SQL Queries
0
0 prepared
Unescaped Output
5
6 escaped
Nonce Checks
0
Capability Checks
1
File Operations
0
External Requests
0
Bundled Libraries
0

Output Escaping

55% escaped11 total outputs
Attack Surface

WP Cron HTTP Auth Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
WordPress Hooks 8
actionadmin_menuwp-cron-http-auth.php:48
actionadmin_initwp-cron-http-auth.php:49
actionadmin_initwp-cron-http-auth.php:50
filterplugin_action_linkswp-cron-http-auth.php:51
filterplugin_row_metawp-cron-http-auth.php:52
filteradmin_footer_textwp-cron-http-auth.php:53
actioninitwp-cron-http-auth.php:54
filtercron_requestwp-cron-http-auth.php:56
Maintenance & Trust

WP Cron HTTP Auth Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested6.9.4
Last updatedFeb 3, 2026
PHP min version5.6.20
Downloads32K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings15
Active installs1K
Developer Profile

WP Cron HTTP Auth Developer Profile

Jeff Starr

30 plugins · 1.2M total installs

78
trust score
Avg Security Score
98/100
Avg Patch Time
345 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect WP Cron HTTP Auth

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/wp-cron-http-auth/
Version Parameters
wp-cron-http-auth/style.css?ver=wp-cron-http-auth/script.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
wp-cron-http-auth-rate-plugin
Data Attributes
wp-cron-http-auth
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about WP Cron HTTP Auth