Description
VulnCue scans your WordPress from the inside, something an external
scanner can’t do with the same precision: an exact inventory of installed
plugins and themes, outdated core, an unsupported PHP version, uncustomized
wp-config.php security keys, an active file editor, an exposed “admin” user,
active XML-RPC, sensitive files left in the public folder (backups, .env,
.git), and more.
All of these checks are 100% free, with no need to create an account or
give your email. If you want an email alert when a new vulnerability (CVE)
affects one of your installed plugins, you can connect a free account from
VulnCue’s client area (https://vulncue.com/) — optional, never required to
use the plugin.
External services
By default, this plugin sends no data to external servers. All checks
use WordPress’s own data (update transients, wp-config.php constants, the
public folder’s file listing).
Six exceptions, all of which can be turned off or only trigger on your
explicit action (the first three from the plugin’s screen; the fourth and
fifth only activate if you connect an account yourself; the sixth only if
you choose to send it):
- Checks that make the site send a request to itself: XML-RPC
(xmlrpc.php), user enumeration via the REST API (/wp-json/wp/v2/users),
SSL/TLS certificate expiry and trust (two HTTPS connections to the site’s
own domain), directory listing onwp-content/uploads/, and whether the
homepage reveals the WordPress version in the<meta name="generator">
tag. None of these requests go out to VulnCue or any third party — it’s
your own WordPress talking to itself to check how it responds. The whole
group can be disabled with the “Include checks that make this site send a
request to itself” checkbox. - Known vulnerability check (enabled by default, no account or email
needed): the plugin sends vulncue.com the list of installed plugins and
themes (only the technical name and version, never personal data or
anything about your site) to check them against VulnCue’s public CVE
catalog. Can be disabled with the “Check installed plugins/themes against
VulnCue’s public vulnerability catalog” checkbox. - Core integrity verification (enabled by default, no account or email
needed): the plugin queriesapi.wordpress.org(WordPress’s own official
server, not VulnCue’s) to get the public checksums for your WordPress
version and check that the core files haven’t been modified. Only the
WordPress version and language are sent, never anything about your site.
Can be disabled with the “Check WordPress core integrity” checkbox. - Account connection (optional, the only one that sends your email): if
you choose to enter your email to connect a free account, the plugin sends
your site’s URL, your email, and your WordPress version to vulncue.com, to
create your account and be able to email you about new CVEs. Privacy
policy: https://vulncue.com/politica-privacidad.html - Scheduled auto-scan + inventory report (only if you connected an
account): every hour, WP-Cron checks (sending only your connection key)
whether a new automatic scan is due — every 7 days on the free plan, every
day on a paid plan; the hourly check only shortens the wait for the first
scan after connecting, it doesn’t increase the actual frequency. When it’s
due, besides scanning your site it sends the
list of installed plugins and themes (technical name and version, never
personal data) so it can email you if any of them has a new vulnerability
— each alert is sent only once per vulnerability. Also, once your account
is connected, you’ll get a weekly email with your current risk level and
findings (this summary is sent by your own WordPress, not by vulncue.com).
If you haven’t connected an account, none of this happens and scanning
stays fully manual (“Scan again”). - Deactivation survey (optional): when you deactivate the plugin you can
say why. Choosing “Skip” sends nothing. Writing something and confirming
sends vulncue.com the site’s URL, the reason, and the WordPress/PHP/plugin
versions — never your email or any other personal data.
Screenshots
Installation
- Upload the
vulncue-securityfolder to/wp-content/plugins/, or install it from Dashboard Plugins Add New, searching for “VulnCue”. - Activate it.
- Go to “VulnCue” in the side menu to see the result of the first scan (it runs automatically on activation).
FAQ
-
Does this replace a full security audit?
-
No. This plugin only sees what’s visible from inside your WordPress
installation. An external scan (like the one VulnCue runs from the outside,
or a pentest) checks additional things that can only be seen from the
outside: TLS certificate, HTTP headers, email SPF/DMARC records, mixed
content, etc. -
Do I have to create an account to use it?
-
No. Scanning and the known-vulnerability check work without creating any
account. The account is optional and only adds email alerts for new CVEs. -
Does the plugin fix issues automatically?
-
No. By design, it doesn’t modify anything on your site — it only detects
issues and explains how to fix each one. Applying the change (updating,
moving a file, editing wp-config.php) is up to you or whoever manages the
site. -
Does it slow down my site?
-
No. The whole scan only runs when you open the plugin’s screen in wp-admin —
never for your visitors or on the public side of your site. -
How is the 0-100 risk level calculated?
-
It starts at 0 and each finding adds points based on its severity: up to 30
for critical, 18 for high, 8 for medium, 3 for low, and 1 for informational —
each additional finding of the same severity adds less and less, so lots of
minor warnings don’t drive up the risk as much as a single serious one. 0
means no problem was detected in the last scan, and 100 is the maximum risk. -
How often should I scan my site again?
-
You can click “Scan again” whenever you want. If you connect an account, it
also scans itself automatically: every 7 days on the free account, every day
on a paid plan. -
Does it work on WordPress Multisite installs?
-
Yes. Each site on the network is scanned separately (its own findings and
risk level), and the Network Dashboard shows a combined summary of every
site. -
What happens if I uninstall the plugin?
-
Everything the plugin saved on your WordPress is deleted, and the client area
is notified that this site is no longer connected. Your VulnCue account
itself isn’t deleted (in case you use it on another site with the same
email).
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“VulnCue” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “VulnCue” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.0
- First public release. 100% local, free-forever check engine, no account or
email needed: outdated core/plugins/themes, PHP EOL, WP_DEBUG, default
security keys, DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT, exposed “admin” user, open registration
with administrator as the default role, exposed sensitive files, exposed
readme.html and generator tag, PHP execution and directory listing in the
uploads folder, table prefix and wp-config.php permissions, inactive
plugins/themes, automatic core updates, two-factor authentication,
brute-force protection, backup plugin, new or recently promoted
administrator accounts, XML-RPC, REST user enumeration, and SSL/TLS
certificate expiry/trust. - Known vulnerability (CVE) check against VulnCue’s public catalog and core
integrity check against wordpress.org’s official checksums — both enabled
by default, no account or email needed, and both can be disabled. - Optional connection of a free VulnCue account (email only, with
link-based confirmation) for new-CVE email alerts and a weekly risk-level
summary — never required for the rest of the plugin. Scheduled auto-scan
via WP-Cron for connected accounts. - 0-100 risk level with a visual ring (0 = no issues found, the higher it
is, the more important the findings; repeated findings of the same
severity weigh less each time so the scale doesn’t saturate), a severity
bar, and a history chart of the risk level with each scan’s number always
visible. - Hide individual findings you’re already aware of (with its own list so
you can unhide them whenever you want) — they don’t count toward the
risk level or the menu badge while hidden. - Menu-bar alert for new critical/high findings, a reminder if it’s been a
while since your last scan, a “what’s changed since your last scan”
summary, Tools Site Health integration, PDF export, and WordPress
Multisite support (a summary of every site on the network, from the
Network Dashboard). - Full English translation (en_US, en_GB, en_AU, en_CA, en_NZ, en_ZA): the
whole plugin also works on English-language WordPress installs. - Optional “why are you deactivating VulnCue?” survey when clicking
“Deactivate” on Dashboard Plugins, with the option to skip it and just
deactivate. - WP-Cron check every hour (previously once a day) so the first automatic
scan/report after connecting an account takes at most ~1 h instead of up
to 24 h — the real scan frequency (7 days free, 1 day paid) doesn’t
change, only the first-time worst case.