WP Emphasis Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/wp-emphasis

One-click implementation of the New York Times open-source emphasis script for highlighting and permalinking text.

10 active installs v0.7 PHP + WP 3.0+ Updated Jan 18, 2012
emphasishighlightnew-york-timesnytpermalinks
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is WP Emphasis Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 14yr ago
Risk Assessment

Based on the static analysis and vulnerability history, the wp-emphasis v0.7 plugin appears to have a strong security posture. The code analysis reveals no dangerous functions, no unescaped output, and all SQL queries utilize prepared statements. Furthermore, there are no file operations or external HTTP requests detected. The absence of AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, and cron events significantly limits the attack surface. The plugin also demonstrates adherence to good practices by not bundling any libraries, which mitigates the risk of using outdated or vulnerable third-party code. The vulnerability history is completely clean, with no recorded CVEs of any severity, indicating a consistent lack of security flaws over time. While the absence of capability checks and nonce checks on potential entry points (even though there are none currently) could be a future concern if functionality is added, the current lack of any attack surface means these are not immediate risks. In conclusion, the plugin exhibits excellent security practices and a clean history, making it a low-risk option.

Vulnerabilities
None known

WP Emphasis Security Vulnerabilities

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

WP Emphasis 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

WP Emphasis Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
WordPress Hooks 1
actionwp_enqueue_scriptswp-emphasis.php:23
Maintenance & Trust

WP Emphasis Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested3.3.2
Last updatedJan 18, 2012
PHP min version
Downloads4K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings2
Active installs10
Developer Profile

WP Emphasis Developer Profile

Ben Balter

7 plugins · 3K total installs

86
trust score
Avg Security Score
89/100
Avg Patch Time
13 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect WP Emphasis

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/wp-emphasis/js/emphasis.js/wp-content/plugins/wp-emphasis/js/emphasis-src.js
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/wp-emphasis/js/emphasis.js/wp-content/plugins/wp-emphasis/js/emphasis-src.js
Version Parameters
wp-emphasis/js/emphasis.js?ver=wp-emphasis/js/emphasis-src.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about WP Emphasis