WP-Gistpen Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/wp-gistpen

A self-hosted alternative to putting your code snippets on Gist.

10 active installs v1.2.1 PHP 5.4+ WP 4.7+ Updated Apr 26, 2020
code-snippetscodepengist
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is WP-Gistpen Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 5yr ago
Risk Assessment

The wp-gistpen v1.2.1 plugin exhibits a generally strong security posture based on the provided static analysis and vulnerability history. The absence of any known CVEs, critical taint flows, or SQL injection vulnerabilities is highly positive. The plugin also demonstrates good practices by using prepared statements for all its SQL queries and performing capability checks. The limited attack surface, with no identified AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, or cron events that are unprotected, further reduces the potential for external exploitation.

However, there are areas that warrant attention. The most significant concern is the low percentage of properly escaped output (17%). This indicates a risk of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities if user-supplied data is displayed without adequate sanitization. While no direct XSS flows were identified in the taint analysis, the lack of consistent output escaping creates a significant potential weakness. Additionally, the plugin performs an external HTTP request, which, while not inherently insecure, requires careful consideration for potential timing or content-based attacks if the external resource is compromised or malformed.

Overall, wp-gistpen v1.2.1 is a relatively secure plugin with a clean history. Its strengths lie in its minimal attack surface and secure database interactions. The primary weakness is the inconsistent output escaping, which, if exploited, could lead to XSS issues. Addressing this would significantly improve its security.

Key Concerns

  • Low output escaping percentage
  • External HTTP request
Vulnerabilities
None known

WP-Gistpen Security Vulnerabilities

No known vulnerabilities — this is a good sign.
Code Analysis
Analyzed Mar 17, 2026

WP-Gistpen Code Analysis

Dangerous Functions
0
Raw SQL Queries
0
6 prepared
Unescaped Output
5
1 escaped
Nonce Checks
0
Capability Checks
2
File Operations
0
External Requests
1
Bundled Libraries
1

Bundled Libraries

TinyMCE

SQL Query Safety

100% prepared6 total queries

Output Escaping

17% escaped6 total outputs
Attack Surface

WP-Gistpen Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
Maintenance & Trust

WP-Gistpen Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested5.2.24
Last updatedApr 26, 2020
PHP min version5.4
Downloads6K

Community Trust

Rating100/100
Number of ratings1
Active installs10
Developer Profile

WP-Gistpen Developer Profile

James DiGioia

1 plugin · 10 total installs

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

How We Detect WP-Gistpen

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/wp-gistpen/assets/dist/wp-gistpen.css/wp-content/plugins/wp-gistpen/assets/dist/wp-gistpen.js
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/wp-gistpen/assets/dist/wp-gistpen.js
Version Parameters
wp-gistpen/assets/dist/wp-gistpen.css?ver=wp-gistpen/assets/dist/wp-gistpen.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
gistpen-editorgistpen-preview
HTML Comments
<!-- wp-gistpen -->
Data Attributes
data-gistpen-editordata-gistpen-preview
JS Globals
wpGistpen
Shortcode Output
[gistpen [/gistpen]
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about WP-Gistpen