WP Updates Notifier Security & Risk Analysis

wordpress.org/plugins/wp-updates-notifier

Sends email to notify you if there are any updates for your WordPress site. Can notify about core, plugin and theme updates.

30K active installs v1.6.0 PHP + WP 3.1+ Updated Feb 14, 2020
adminmonitornotificationthemeupgrade
85
A · Safe
CVEs total0
Unpatched0
Last CVENever
Safety Verdict

Is WP Updates Notifier Safe to Use in 2026?

Generally Safe

Score 85/100

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

No known CVEs Updated 6yr ago
Risk Assessment

The "wp-updates-notifier" v1.6.0 plugin demonstrates a strong security posture based on the provided static analysis. The absence of any identified AJAX handlers, REST API routes, shortcodes, or cron events with unprotected entry points, coupled with 100% proper output escaping and the use of prepared statements for all SQL queries, indicates diligent security practices in its code. The presence of nonce and capability checks, alongside no identified dangerous functions or file operations, further reinforces its secure design. The plugin's vulnerability history is completely clear, with no known CVEs or past incidents, suggesting a mature and well-maintained codebase.

While the static analysis reveals no immediate critical or high-severity risks within the code itself, the single external HTTP request represents a potential, albeit minor, attack vector. This is because it could be exploited if the remote endpoint is compromised or malicious, though the impact would depend entirely on how the response is handled. The lack of any taint analysis flows analyzed is also a slight concern, as it means a deeper dive into potential data manipulation vulnerabilities hasn't been conducted. However, given the other strong indicators of good security, the overall risk is low.

In conclusion, "wp-updates-notifier" v1.6.0 appears to be a secure plugin with excellent coding practices and a clean vulnerability record. The primary area for consideration is the external HTTP request, and a more comprehensive taint analysis could offer further reassurance. Nevertheless, based on the provided data, it presents a very low security risk to WordPress sites.

Key Concerns

  • Single external HTTP request detected
Vulnerabilities
None known

WP Updates Notifier Security Vulnerabilities

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

WP Updates Notifier Code Analysis

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

Output Escaping

100% escaped59 total outputs
Attack Surface

WP Updates Notifier Attack Surface

Entry Points0
Unprotected0
WordPress Hooks 13
actionplugins_loadedclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:59
filterplugin_action_linksclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:78
filtersc_wpun_plugins_need_updateclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:79
filtersc_wpun_themes_need_updateclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:80
filterauto_core_update_emailclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:81
actionadmin_menuclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:83
actionadmin_initclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:84
actionadmin_initclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:85
actionsc_wpun_enable_cronclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:86
actionsc_wpun_disable_cronclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:87
filterwp_mail_fromclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:452
filterwp_mail_from_nameclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:453
filterwp_mail_content_typeclass-sc-wp-updates-notifier.php:454
Maintenance & Trust

WP Updates Notifier Maintenance & Trust

Maintenance Signals

WordPress version tested5.3.21
Last updatedFeb 14, 2020
PHP min version
Downloads236K

Community Trust

Rating84/100
Number of ratings35
Active installs30K
Developer Profile

WP Updates Notifier Developer Profile

Scott Cariss

1 plugin · 30K 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 Updates Notifier

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

Asset Fingerprints

Asset Paths
/wp-content/plugins/wp-updates-notifier/css//wp-content/plugins/wp-updates-notifier/js/
Script Paths
/wp-content/plugins/wp-updates-notifier/js/admin.js/wp-content/plugins/wp-updates-notifier/js/frontend.js
Version Parameters
wp-updates-notifier/css/admin.css?ver=wp-updates-notifier/js/admin.js?ver=wp-updates-notifier/css/frontend.css?ver=wp-updates-notifier/js/frontend.js?ver=

HTML / DOM Fingerprints

CSS Classes
sc-wpun-settings
HTML Comments
Copyright 2020 Scott Cariss (email:scott@cariss.dev)Entry point for the plugin.
Data Attributes
data-plugin-urldata-plugin-pathdata-nonce
JS Globals
sc_wpun_admin_ajax_object
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about WP Updates Notifier