WP Search Suggest Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/wp-search-suggest

Provides title suggestions while typing a search query, using the built-in jQuery suggest script.

500 active installs v8 PHP + WP 3.3+ Updated Nov 12, 2023
ajaxjquerysearch
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is WP Search Suggest Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 2yr ago
Risk Assessment

The wp-search-suggest plugin v8 exhibits a generally good security posture based on the provided static analysis. It demonstrates strong adherence to secure coding practices by utilizing prepared statements for all SQL queries and ensuring all output is properly escaped. The absence of dangerous functions, file operations, and external HTTP requests further contributes to its security. The plugin also implements nonce checks on its AJAX handlers, which is a crucial security measure against CSRF attacks.

However, the taint analysis reveals a significant concern: two flows were identified with unsanitized paths, both classified as high severity. This indicates a potential pathway for malicious input to be processed without proper validation or sanitization, which could lead to unintended consequences, such as local file inclusion or other path traversal vulnerabilities if these paths are used in conjunction with user-supplied data. While the plugin has no recorded vulnerability history, the presence of high-severity taint flows suggests an area that requires immediate attention and remediation.

In conclusion, while the plugin has strengths in its handling of SQL and output, the high-severity taint flows represent a critical weakness that could be exploited. Addressing these unsanitized paths should be the top priority for ensuring the plugin's security. The lack of a vulnerability history is positive, but it does not negate the risks identified in the static analysis.

Key Concerns

  • High severity unsanitized path flows found
  • No capability checks on AJAX handlers
Vulnerabilities
None known

WP Search Suggest Security Vulnerabilities

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

WP Search Suggest Code Analysis

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

SQL Query Safety

100% prepared2 total queries

Output Escaping

100% escaped5 total outputs
Data Flows
2 unsanitized

Data Flow Analysis

2 flows2 with unsanitized paths
wpss_post_url (wp-search-suggest.php:91)
Source (user input) Sink (dangerous op) Sanitizer Transform Unsanitized Sanitized
Attack Surface

WP Search Suggest Attack Surface

Entry Points4
Unprotected0

AJAX Handlers 4

authwp_ajax_wp-search-suggestwp-search-suggest.php:85
noprivwp_ajax_wp-search-suggestwp-search-suggest.php:86
authwp_ajax_wpss-post-urlwp-search-suggest.php:103
noprivwp_ajax_wpss-post-urlwp-search-suggest.php:104
WordPress Hooks 2
actioninitwp-search-suggest.php:47
actionwp_enqueue_scriptswp-search-suggest.php:56
Maintenance & Trust

WP Search Suggest Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested6.4.8
Last updatedNov 12, 2023
PHP min version
Downloads33K

Community Trust

Rating92/100
Number of ratings11
Active installs500
Developer Profile

WP Search Suggest Developer Profile

Konstantin Obenland

13 plugins · 23K total installs

89
trust score
Avg Security Score
93/100
Avg Patch Time
30 days
View full developer profile
Detection Fingerprints

How We Detect WP Search Suggest

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/wp-search-suggest/js/wpss-search-suggest.js/wp-content/plugins/wp-search-suggest/css/wpss-search-suggest.css
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/wp-search-suggest/js/wpss-search-suggest.js
Version Parameters
wp-search-suggest/js/wpss-search-suggest.js?ver=wp-search-suggest/css/wpss-search-suggest.css?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

JS Globals
wpss_options
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about WP Search Suggest