Updating WordPress themes and plugins is crucial for maintaining the security of your website. Outdated software components are one of the primary vulnerabilities that hackers exploit to gain unauthorized access to WordPress sites.
Security is the foremost reason to keep your themes and plugins updated. Developers regularly release patches to fix known bugs and weaknesses in their software. By not updating, you leave your site exposed to potential security breaches. In fact, over 80% of hacked WordPress sites had outdated plugins or themes, according to WPBeginner.
Outdated themes and plugins can lead to various security risks, including:
- Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities
- SQL injection attacks
- Malware infections
- Unauthorized access to sensitive data
Updates often include critical security fixes that address these vulnerabilities. By staying current, you essentially “lock all your doors and windows,” making it much harder for malicious actors to breach your site.
Moreover, outdated components can cause compatibility issues with the latest version of WordPress core, leading to errors, crashes, and unexpected behavior. This not only affects your site’s functionality but can also create security loopholes.
According to a survey by WP WhiteSecurity, over 50% of hacked WordPress sites were out of date. This statistic underscores the importance of regular updates in maintaining a secure website.
To mitigate these risks, it’s essential to establish a routine for checking and updating your themes and plugins. Prioritize security-related updates and consider enabling automatic updates for critical components. By keeping your WordPress site up-to-date, you significantly reduce the risk of security breaches and ensure a smoother, more secure experience for your users.
Vulnerability Details
| Software Name | Software Slug |
|---|---|
| 140+ Widgets | Xpro Addons For Elementor – FREE | xpro-elementor-addons |
| ABCBiz Addons for Elementor | abcbiz-addons |
| Accessibility by AllAccessible | allaccessible |
| Accordion Slider | accordion-slider |
| Accounting for WooCommerce | accounting-for-woocommerce |
| Additional Custom Order Status for WooCommerce | order-status-for-woocommerce |
| Advanced Element Bucket Addons for Elementor | cs-element-bucket |
| Advanced File Manager | file-manager-advanced |
| AI Quiz | Quiz Maker | ai-quiz |
| All Bootstrap Blocks | all-bootstrap-blocks |
| Analytify – Google Analytics Dashboard For WordPress (GA4 analytics made easy) | wp-analytify |
| AnyWhere Elementor | anywhere-elementor |
| ARforms | arforms |
| Arkhe Blocks | arkhe-blocks |
| ARMember – Membership Plugin, Content Restriction, Member Levels, User Profile & User signup | armember-membership |
| Authors List | authors-list |
| AWeber Forms by Optin Cat | aweber-wp |
| Awesome Shortcodes | awesome-shortcodes |
| B Testimonial – Testimonial plugin for WP | b-testimonial |
| Beautiful taxonomy filters | beautiful-taxonomy-filters |
| Beaver Builder – WordPress Page Builder | beaver-builder-lite-version |
| Block Controller | block-controller |
| BMLT Tabbed Map | bmlt-tabbed-map |
| Bold Page Builder | bold-page-builder |
| Borderless – Widgets, Elements, Templates and Toolkit for Elementor & Gutenberg | borderless |
| BP Profile Shortcodes Extra | bp-profile-shortcodes-extra |
| Broadcast | threewp-broadcast |
| Campaign Monitor Forms by Optin Cat | campaign-monitor-wp |
| Captivate Sync | captivatesync-trade |
| CardGate Payments for WooCommerce | cardgate |
| Carousel, Slider, Gallery by WP Carousel – Image Carousel with Lightbox & Photo Gallery, Video Slider, Post Carousel & Post Grid, Product Carousel & Product Grid | wp-carousel-free |
| Charity Addon for Elementor | charity-addon-for-elementor |
| Church Admin | church-admin |
| Classic Addons – WPBakery Page Builder | classic-addons-wpbakery-page-builder-addons |
| Clickbank WordPress Plugin (Storefront) | clickbank-storefront |
| Client Invoicing by Sprout Invoices – Easy Estimates and Invoices for WordPress | sprout-invoices |
| CLUEVO LMS, E-Learning Platform | cluevo-lms |
| CMSMasters Elementor Addon | cmsmasters-elementor-addon |
| Colibri Page Builder | colibri-page-builder |
| Comfino Payment Gateway | comfino-payment-gateway |
| Connexion Logs | logs-de-connexion |
| Contact Form Builder by vcita | contact-form-with-a-meeting-scheduler-by-vcita |
| Contact Form, Survey & Form Builder – MightyForms | mightyforms |
| Contact Form, Survey, Quiz & Popup Form Builder – ARForms | arforms-form-builder |
| Cookielay | cookielay |
| Country Blocker | country-blocker |
| Designer – Addons for Elementor | designer |
| DN Shipping by Weight for WooCommerce | dn-shipping-by-weight |
| Dollie Hub – Build Your Own WordPress Cloud Platform | dollie |
| Drag & Drop Builder, Human Face Detector, Pre-built Templates, Spam Protection, User Email Notifications & more! | pie-forms-for-wp |
| Easy Code Snippets | easy-code-snippets |
| Easy Social Feed Premium | easy-facebook-likebox-premium |
| Eleblog – Elementor Blog And Magazine Addons | ele-blog |
| Element Pack Elementor Addons (Header Footer, Template Library, Dynamic Grid, Carousel and Remote Arrows) | bdthemes-element-pack-lite |
| ElementsReady Addons for Elementor | element-ready-lite |
| Email Address Obfuscation | email-address-obfuscation |
| Event Tickets with Ticket Scanner | event-tickets-with-ticket-scanner |
| FancyBox for WordPress | fancybox-for-wordpress |
| Feedpress Generator – External RSS Frontend Customizer | feedpress-generator |
| FileBird – WordPress Media Library Folders & File Manager | filebird |
| FileOrganizer – Manage WordPress and Website Files | fileorganizer |
| Firelight Lightbox | easy-fancybox |
| float block | float-block |
| FloristPress – Customize your Woo store for your Florist | bakkbone-florist-companion |
| Flower Delivery by Florist One | flower-delivery-by-florist-one |
| Folder Gallery | folder-gallery |
| Form Data Collector | form-data-collector |
| Form Maker by 10Web – Mobile-Friendly Drag & Drop Contact Form Builder | form-maker |
| ForumWP – Forum & Discussion Board | forumwp |
| Free Responsive Testimonials, Social Proof Reviews, and Customer Reviews – Stars Testimonials | stars-testimonials-with-slider-and-masonry-grid |
| Friends | friends |
| Futurio Extra | futurio-extra |
| FV Flowplayer Video Player | fv-wordpress-flowplayer |
| Gallery | multi-gallery |
| Gallery Plugin for WordPress – Envira Photo Gallery | envira-gallery-lite |
| Getwid – Gutenberg Blocks | getwid |
| Gold Addons for Elementor | gold-addons-for-elementor |
| Goodlayers Core | goodlayers-core |
| Gutentor – Gutenberg Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Editor | gutentor |
| IdeaPush | ideapush |
| If Menu – Visibility control for Menus | if-menu |
| Interactive Contact Form and Multi Step Form Builder with Drag & Drop Editor – Funnelforms Free | funnelforms-free |
| Intro Tour Tutorial DeepPresentation | dp-intro-tours |
| jAlbum Bridge | jalbum-bridge |
| KiviCare – Clinic & Patient Management System (EHR) | kivicare-clinic-management-system |
| Knowledge Base documentation & wiki plugin – BasePress Docs | basepress |
| LA-Studio Element Kit for Elementor | lastudio-element-kit |
| Library Management System – Manage e-Digital Books Library | library-management-system |
| Listdom – Business Directory and Classified Ads Listings WordPress Plugin | listdom |
| Login Widget With Shortcode | login-sidebar-widget |
| Login With OTP | otp-login |
| Magical Addons For Elementor ( Header Footer Builder, Free Elementor Widgets, Elementor Templates Library ) | magical-addons-for-elementor |
| Maspik – Advanced Spam Protection | contact-forms-anti-spam |
| Message Filter for Contact Form 7 | cf7-message-filter |
| Mini Program API | wp-mini-program |
| Minimum and Maximum Quantity for WooCommerce | min-and-max-quantity-for-woocommerce |
| Mollie for Contact Form 7 | cf7-mollie |
| My auctions allegro | my-auctions-allegro-free-edition |
| myCred – Points Management System For Gamification, Ranks, Badges, and Loyalty Rewards Program. | mycred |
| Namaste! LMS | namaste-lms |
| News Kit Elementor Addons | news-kit-elementor-addons |
| NEX-Forms – Ultimate Form Builder – Contact forms and much more | nex-forms-express-wp-form-builder |
| Next-Cart Store to WooCommerce Migration | nextcart-woocommerce-migration |
| Ni WooCommerce Order Export | ni-woocommerce-order-export |
| NPS computy | nps-computy |
| Online Booking & Scheduling Calendar for WordPress by vcita | meeting-scheduler-by-vcita |
| ONLYOFFICE Docs | onlyoffice |
| Paloma Widget | postman-widget |
| PDF Builder for WooCommerce. Create invoices,packing slips and more | woo-pdf-invoice-builder |
| Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery | nextgen-gallery |
| Pie Register – Social Sites Login (Add on) | pie-register-social-site |
| Pie Register Premium | pie-register-premium |
| Pinpoint Booking System – #1 WordPress Booking Plugin | booking-system |
| Pojo Forms | pojo-forms |
| Poll Maker – Versus Polls, Anonymous Polls, Image Polls | poll-maker |
| Post Grid Gutenberg Blocks and WordPress Blog Plugin – PostX | ultimate-post |
| Posti Shipping | posti-shipping |
| PowerPack Elementor Addons (Free Widgets, Extensions and Templates) | powerpack-lite-for-elementor |
| Prodigy Commerce | prodigy-commerce |
| Product Labels For Woocommerce (Sale Badges) | aco-product-labels-for-woocommerce |
| Pulsating Chat Button | amin-chat-button |
| Quick License Manager – WooCommerce Plugin | quick-license-manager |
| Related Posts, Inline Related Posts, Contextual Related Posts, Related Content By PickPlugins | related-post |
| Responsive Lightbox & Gallery | responsive-lightbox |
| Responsive Videos | responsive-youtube-videos |
| Revy | revy |
| RRAddons for Elementor | rrdevs-for-elementor |
| Scratch & Win – Giveaways and Contests. Boost subscribers, traffic, repeat visits, referrals, sales and more | scratch-win-giveaways-for-website-facebook |
| SearchIQ – The Search Solution | searchiq |
| SG Helper | sg-helper |
| Shortcodes Blocks Creator Ultimate | ultimate-shortcodes-creator |
| Simple Ecommerce Shopping Cart Plugin- Sell products through Paypal | simple-e-commerce-shopping-cart |
| Simple Redirection | eelv-redirection |
| Simple User Registration | wp-registration |
| Slider & Popup Builder by Depicter – Add Image Slider, Carousel Slider, Exit Intent Popup, Popup Modal, Coupon Popup, Post Slider Carousel | depicter |
| Smart PopUp Blaster | smart-popup-blaster |
| Smoove connector for Elementor forms | smoove-elementor |
| SMS for Lead Capture Forms | clicksend-lead-capture-form |
| Spectra – WordPress Gutenberg Blocks | ultimate-addons-for-gutenberg |
| Splash Sync | splash-connector |
| SV100 Companion | sv100-companion |
| Swift Performance Lite | swift-performance-lite |
| The Plus Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Page Templates, Widgets, Mega Menu, WooCommerce | the-plus-addons-for-elementor-page-builder |
| Themesflat Addons For Elementor | themesflat-addons-for-elementor |
| TI WooCommerce Wishlist | ti-woocommerce-wishlist |
| Tutor LMS Elementor Addons | tutor-lms-elementor-addons |
| TWChat – Send or receive messages from users | twchat |
| TwentyTwenty | twentytwenty |
| Ultimate Coming Soon & Maintenance | ultimate-coming-soon |
| Unlock Addons for Elementor | unlock-addons-for-elementor |
| Verowa Connect | verowa-connect |
| Video Gallery – YouTube Gallery and Vimeo Gallery | gallery-videos |
| Visual Portfolio, Photo Gallery & Post Grid | visual-portfolio |
| WDesignKit – Elementor & Gutenberg Starter Templates, Patterns, Cloud Workspace & Widget Builder | wdesignkit |
| WIP WooCarousel Lite | wip-woocarousel-lite |
| WordPress Auction Plugin | wp-auctions |
| WordPress Page Builder – Zion Builder | zionbuilder |
| WordPress Pinterest Plugin – Make a Popup, User Profile, Masonry and Gallery Layout | gs-pinterest-portfolio |
| Wot Elementor Widgets | wot-elementor-widgets |
| WP eCards | wp-ecards-invites |
| WP GeoNames | wp-geonames |
| WP Hide & Security Enhancer | wp-hide-security-enhancer |
| WP Job Manager – Company Profiles | wp-job-manager-companies |
| WP Mailster | wp-mailster |
| WP Media Optimizer (.webp) | wp-media-optimizer-webp |
| WP Private Content Plus | wp-private-content-plus |
| WP System | wp-system |
| WP Travel – Ultimate Travel Booking System, Tour Management Engine | wp-travel |
| WP Umbrella: Update Backup Restore & Monitoring | wp-health |
| WP-SVG | wp-svg |
| WPBITS Addons For Elementor Page Builder | wpbits-addons-for-elementor |
| WPC Smart Quick View for WooCommerce | woo-smart-quick-view |
| WPCasa | wpcasa |
| XLTab – Accordions and Tabs for Elementor Page Builder | xl-tab |
| Z-Downloads | z-downloads |
| Zooom | zooom |
| افزونه پیامک ووکامرس Persian WooCommerce SMS | persian-woocommerce-sms |
| 워드프레스 결제 심플페이 – 우커머스 결제 플러그인 | pgall-for-woocommerce |
| 코드엠샵 소셜톡 | mshop-naver-talktalk |
WordPress Themes with Reported Vulnerabilities Last Week
| Software Name | Software Slug |
|---|---|
| Blocksy | blocksy |
| Flixita | flixita |
| NewsMash | newsmash |
| NewsMunch | newsmunch |
| Pubnews | pubnews |
| Soledad | soledad |
Updating WordPress themes and plugins is crucial for maintaining the security of your website. Outdated software components are one of the primary vulnerabilities that hackers exploit to gain unauthorized access to WordPress sites.
Security is the foremost reason to keep your themes and plugins updated. Developers regularly release patches to fix known bugs and weaknesses in their software. By not updating, you leave your site exposed to potential security breaches. In fact, over 80% of hacked WordPress sites had outdated plugins or themes, according to WPBeginner.
Outdated themes and plugins can lead to various security risks, including:
- Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities
- SQL injection attacks
- Malware infections
- Unauthorized access to sensitive data
Updates often include critical security fixes that address these vulnerabilities. By staying current, you essentially “lock all your doors and windows,” making it much harder for malicious actors to breach your site.
Moreover, outdated components can cause compatibility issues with the latest version of WordPress core, leading to errors, crashes, and unexpected behavior. This not only affects your site’s functionality but can also create security loopholes.
According to a survey by WP WhiteSecurity, over 50% of hacked WordPress sites were out of date. This statistic underscores the importance of regular updates in maintaining a secure website.
To mitigate these risks, it’s essential to establish a routine for checking and updating your themes and plugins. Prioritize security-related updates and consider enabling automatic updates for critical components. By keeping your WordPress site up-to-date, you significantly reduce the risk of security breaches and ensure a smoother, more secure experience for your users.
Please note that if you run the Wordfence plugin on your WordPress site, with the scanner enabled, you should’ve already been notified if your site was affected by any of these vulnerabilities
