Biggest WordPress Plugin Vulnerabilities for Your Website

WordPress powers over 40 percent of the web . The user-friendly content management system allows non-web developers to create and run websites, through the use of plugins. WordPress plugins let you add functionalities and features to a website without having to know how to code. They can be immensely useful but they can also slow down your website if you have too many. Plugins can also pose a security threat to your WordPress site , exposing it to potential attacks from cyber criminals. What do you need to know about WordPress plugin security vulnerabilities, and which plugins, in particular, should you watch out for? How much damage can a vulnerable plugin do to your WordPress site? Outdated plugins are more more likely to be exploited by malicious actors, and may lead to one of the following security issues: On the Internet, the more popular something is, the more likely it is to be exploited by cyber attackers. WordPress plugins are no different. Although a high number of installations is usually a good sign for adding a WordPress plugin to your site, you should also be wary of popular plugins and vet them properly for security issues. The good thing about installing highly popular plugins is that they usually get patched for security issues as soon as a vulnerability is discovered. You just have to be sure you’re installing the right version of these popular plugins. Double-check before installing the following popular plugins, as they’ve reported vulnerabilities in the last year: If you use any of these popular plugins, always keep them up-to-date. As of January 2022, vulnerabilities have been discovered with the following plugins, according to WordPress security company Patchstack : If you are using any of the above plugins, confirm that the version you are using is later than the one provided in the list. So if you use WebP Converter for Media, for example, ensure you have updated to version 4.0.3 or later, as version 4.0.2 and all other previous versions could be compromised. To see if a plugin you’re using has any known vulnerabilities, you can also check a security database such as WP Scan . Type the name of the plugin into the search bar and check the results for any reported vulnerabilities and the date they were reported. You can also check the Exploit Database run by the company Offensive Security. Their database tracks known exploits across the web, not just WordPress plugins.You can type in the name of the plugin you’re concerned about to see if there’s any exploit information about it in the database. In addition to a weekly digest of WordPress security news, Patchstack also has a vulnerability database specifically for WordPress and WordPress plugins. You can search by plugin or see what the latest vulnerabilities are if you sort the list by date. Searching for information about a plugin’s vulnerability on a database can let you know there’s a risk, but it isn’t too helpful beyond that. When deciding to install a plugin on your WordPress site or not, you should also run these quick checks to be sure it’s secure: Many popular and successful sites run with WordPress, using plugins. It’s possible to keep your site secure if you pay attention to your plugins and take proactive safety measures when setting up your site.