WP Simple SpamCheck Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/wp-simple-spamcheck

This plugin allows WordPress to block over 95% of spam comments using a time-based hash.

200 active installs v1.2 PHP + WP 2.0+ Updated Jul 11, 2012
botscheckcommentspreventspam
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is WP Simple SpamCheck Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

WP Simple SpamCheck 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 "wp-simple-spamcheck" v1.2 plugin exhibits a generally positive security posture based on the static analysis provided. There are no identified AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, or cron events, which significantly limits the plugin's attack surface. Furthermore, the code analysis reveals no dangerous functions, file operations, external HTTP requests, or bundled libraries, all of which are strong indicators of secure coding practices. The complete absence of recorded CVEs and historical vulnerabilities further supports a perception of low risk.

However, a critical concern arises from the output escaping analysis, where 100% of the detected outputs are not properly escaped. This indicates a high potential for cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities, where malicious scripts could be injected into the website through user-controlled input that is subsequently displayed without proper sanitization. While the plugin appears robust in other areas, this lack of output escaping represents a significant weakness that could be exploited by attackers.

In conclusion, while the plugin demonstrates strengths in minimizing its attack surface and avoiding common vulnerability vectors, the unescaped output is a serious flaw. The absence of historical vulnerabilities is encouraging but does not mitigate the immediate risk posed by the identified output escaping issue. A thorough review and correction of output escaping mechanisms are highly recommended to improve the plugin's overall security.

Key Concerns

  • All outputs are unescaped
Vulnerabilities
None known

WP Simple SpamCheck Security Vulnerabilities

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

WP Simple SpamCheck Code Analysis

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

Output Escaping

0% escaped2 total outputs
Attack Surface

WP Simple SpamCheck Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
WordPress Hooks 2
actioncomment_formwp-simple-spamcheck.php:92
actionpre_comment_on_postwp-simple-spamcheck.php:95
Maintenance & Trust

WP Simple SpamCheck Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested3.4.2
Last updatedJul 11, 2012
PHP min version
Downloads9K

Community Trust

Rating0/100
Number of ratings0
Active installs200
Developer Profile

WP Simple SpamCheck Developer Profile

sdesalas

2 plugins · 700 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 Simple SpamCheck

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

Asset Fingerprints

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
wp_ssc
Data Attributes
id="wp_ssc"id="wp_scck[5]"
JS Globals
wp_scckwp_ssc
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about WP Simple SpamCheck