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Use WPScan in two passes: first discover the WordPress core version, plugins and themes, then match those components against WPScan’s vulnerability database. A basic scan is wpscan --url https://example.com. Add an API token to receive associated vulnerability records, and use -e vp for vulnerable-plugin enumeration or -e vt for vulnerable-theme enumeration.

Only scan a site you own or have explicit permission to test. A WPScan finding is a lead for verification and remediation, not proof that an attacker successfully exploited the site.

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What WPScan does

WPScan is a black-box WordPress security scanner intended for security professionals, site administrators and blog maintainers testing authorized sites. It can identify WordPress versions, installed plugins, installed themes, usernames, exposed backups, database exports and other WordPress-specific exposure points.

Its vulnerability information comes from the WPScan WordPress Vulnerability Database API. The API provides lookups for WordPress core, plugin and theme vulnerabilities, including lookups by component slug and version. WPScan says many records are manually verified and that it is a CVE Numbering Authority able to assign CVE numbers for WordPress core, plugin and theme vulnerabilities.

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Discovery and vulnerability lookup are separate functions:

  • Discovery: determine which WordPress version, plugin slugs, theme slugs and other visible components are present.
  • Lookup: use the detected component and version to retrieve known vulnerability records from the API.

The scanner can still identify components without an API token, but it does not display the associated known-vulnerability records.

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Prepare a safe, useful scan

Confirm authorization and scope

Scanning a third-party site without permission can violate contracts, computer-misuse laws or the site owner’s terms. Obtain written authorization that names the host, permitted dates, scan intensity and any exclusions. Keep production scans within the agreed request rate, and use a staging copy when a higher-volume test is not necessary.

Have the required values ready

  • The complete site URL, including the correct https:// scheme when the site uses HTTPS.
  • A WPScan API token, obtained by registering with WPScan, if you need vulnerability records.
  • For WPScan 4.0’s authenticated workflow, a WordPress Application Password for an authorized account.
  • A place to record the exact component slug, detected version, affected-version range, fixed release and remediation date.

Protect tokens and Application Passwords like credentials. Do not paste them into public issue trackers, shell history shared with other users or scripts committed to source control. Use environment variables or a secrets store when automating.

Run the basic WPScan command

Unauthenticated discovery

wpscan --url https://example.com

This command asks WPScan to inspect the target without credentials. Depending on what the site exposes, the report can include the WordPress version, visible plugins and themes, usernames, exposed backups, database exports and other WordPress-specific findings.

Without a token, component detection still works, but WPScan omits the associated vulnerability records. That makes an unauthenticated, tokenless run useful for inventory, not for a complete vulnerability review.

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Discovery plus vulnerability data

wpscan --url https://example.com --api-token YOUR_TOKEN

Replace YOUR_TOKEN with the token issued to your WPScan account. The token authorizes requests to the vulnerability database; it does not grant WordPress administrator access to the target.

Find vulnerable plugins

Use the vp enumeration code

wpscan --url https://example.com -e vp --api-token YOUR_TOKEN

-e vp tells WPScan to enumerate vulnerable plugins. The scanner first tries to identify plugin slugs and versions, then asks the vulnerability API whether a detected version falls within an affected range.

Record the slug and version exactly as WPScan reports them. A plugin’s display name can be ambiguous, while the slug is the identifier used by vulnerability records. If the version is unknown or inferred rather than confirmed, treat the result as requiring verification before deciding that the site is vulnerable.

Choose a plugin-detection mode

WPScan’s documentation says plugin enumeration defaults to passive detection. You can change the mode when the default does not provide enough coverage.

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Mode What it means When to use it Trade-off
Passive The default discovery approach. Routine inventory, lower-impact checks and sites where request volume must stay small. Fewer requests and a gentler footprint, but it can miss components that are not revealed passively.
Mixed Combines passive clues with additional checks. When you need more plugin results and have authorization for the extra traffic. Broader coverage with more requests than passive mode; WPScan recommends this when more results are needed.
Aggressive The highest-request approach among the documented detection choices. Authorized assessments where maximum discovery coverage matters more than request minimization. More traffic and a greater chance of triggering rate limits, monitoring alerts or web-application-firewall rules.

Use the detection-mode option documented by the version installed on your machine. Examples that use older --plugins-detection CLI syntax should be treated as CLI documentation, not as a guarantee that every current release exposes the same flags.

Find vulnerable themes

Use the vt enumeration code

wpscan --url https://example.com -e vt --api-token YOUR_TOKEN

-e vt asks WPScan to enumerate vulnerable themes and check the detected theme versions against the vulnerability database. Run it separately when you want a clearly attributable theme report, or include it in a broader authorized assessment alongside plugin enumeration.

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Theme detection is subject to the same visibility limits as plugin detection. A theme that is not exposed to an unauthenticated request may not appear in a passive scan, and a version that cannot be confirmed should not be treated as a certain match. Keep the exact slug and version from the report before consulting the vulnerability record.

Use WPScan 4.0’s authenticated component workflow

WPScan 4.0 documents a current workflow that uses a WordPress Application Password and queries the WordPress REST API directly. The purpose is to obtain an authoritative list of every active or inactive plugin and theme, rather than relying only on what an unauthenticated black-box scan can infer.

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  1. Create a dedicated Application Password. Generate one for an authorized WordPress account, give it a recognizable name and store the value securely. Do not reuse a personal password.
  2. Use the authenticated workflow documented for your installed WPScan 4.0 build. Supply the target URL and Application Password using the current command or prompts shown by that build. Do not assume an older --plugins-detection example is the syntax for this workflow.
  3. Review the returned inventory. Pay particular attention to inactive plugins and themes, which may be absent from an unauthenticated view but still remain on disk and become risky if reactivated or reached through another weakness.
  4. Match the inventory to vulnerability records. Keep the API token available if the authenticated workflow requires vulnerability lookups; the Application Password and API token serve different purposes.
  5. Revoke credentials when the authorized test ends. Remove the temporary Application Password or rotate it according to your organization’s access policy.

This authenticated approach improves inventory completeness; it does not make every listed component exploitable. Vulnerability impact still depends on the affected version, configuration, exposure and the conditions described in the individual record.

Understand API tokens and request limits

What the token changes

The token enables WPScan to associate discovered WordPress, plugin and theme versions with records in its vulnerability database. If a tokenless scan lists a plugin but shows no vulnerability details, that is expected behavior rather than evidence that the plugin is safe.

How the documented free quota is calculated

The WordPress.org listing for WPScan documents 25 API requests per day on the free plan. It describes the request model as one request for the WordPress version, one request for each installed plugin and one request for each installed theme.

Inventory item Requests described by the listing
WordPress version One request
Each installed plugin One request per plugin
Each installed theme One request per theme

For perspective, the same listing reports an average of 22 installed plugins per WordPress website. A site with 22 plugins, one core-version request and more than two themes would require more than 25 requests for that scan under the stated model. Your actual count depends on the inventory and on requests made by other scans that day.

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Plan the scan schedule around the quota. Do not describe the 25-request figure as permanent: it is the documented free-plan allowance accessed in 2026 and may change. If your authorized environment needs more capacity, review the current WPScan plan terms rather than guessing at a paid limit.

Scheduled scans and notifications

The WordPress.org listing also describes scheduled daily scans and email notifications. It lists checks for exposed debug logs, backup wp-config.php files, XML-RPC exposure, repository files, default secret keys, exported databases, weak passwords and HTTPS status. These checks complement plugin and theme version matching; they do not replace a manual review of the underlying exposure.

Read a vulnerability result correctly

A result normally identifies a component/version match or another known exposure for investigation. It does not, by itself, prove that exploitation succeeded, that the vulnerable code path is reachable on your site or that every deployment is affected.

Use this sequence for every material finding:

  1. Record the evidence. Copy the component slug, detected version, URL, scan date and any confidence or detection notes.
  2. Read the vulnerability record. Check the affected-version range, vulnerability type, severity information, prerequisites and any listed CVE identifier.
  3. Confirm the fixed release. Compare the record with the component vendor’s release information. Do not jump directly from a finding to an arbitrary newer version if compatibility constraints matter.
  4. Choose remediation. Update to the confirmed fixed release, remove the component if it is unnecessary or isolate the site while a compatible fix is prepared. Inactive software is still part of the attack surface until removed.
  5. Investigate when severity warrants it. Review web-server, WordPress and security-monitoring logs for indicators of attempted or successful abuse. A scanner finding alone is not an incident declaration.
  6. Rescan and verify. Run WPScan again after the change. Confirm that the detected version changed and that the vulnerability record is no longer associated with the installed component.

What to do when a scan finds nothing

“No vulnerabilities displayed” can have several explanations:

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  • The scan ran without an API token, so vulnerability records were intentionally omitted.
  • The plugin or theme was not discovered because passive detection could not see it.
  • The component version was not exposed or could not be matched confidently.
  • The database has no record for that exact slug and version, which is not the same as a guarantee of safety.
  • The API request budget was exhausted or a request failed before lookups completed.

Check the scan’s status and inventory first. If the site owner authorized more traffic, repeat plugin discovery in mixed mode. For a complete active/inactive inventory, use the authenticated REST API workflow documented for WPScan 4.0.

Compare practical WPScan approaches

Approach Visibility Control Request and setup considerations
Unauthenticated CLI scan Components exposed to external requests. Highest command-line control and easy automation. No WordPress credential is needed, but hidden or inactive components may be missed; add an API token for vulnerability records.
Authenticated WPScan 4.0 workflow Authoritative active and inactive plugin and theme lists through the WordPress REST API. More complete inventory and clearer component state. Requires a WordPress Application Password and the current 4.0 workflow; protect and revoke the credential.
Passive plugin detection Lower-impact, externally visible evidence. Quiet routine checks. Fewer requests, but potentially less coverage.
Mixed or aggressive detection More opportunities to identify plugins. Better coverage when passive evidence is insufficient. More requests; obtain explicit authorization and watch for rate limits or defensive controls.
CLI automation Whatever the selected scan mode can discover. Scheduling, repeatable output and integration with operations. You must manage API quotas, secrets, error handling and result storage.
WordPress plugin-based scanning Site-local checks and the features described in the WordPress.org listing. Convenient scheduled daily scans and email notifications. Less command-line control; keep the plugin itself updated and account for its API request usage.
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Troubleshoot common WPScan problems

“The scan lists plugins but no vulnerabilities”

Check whether --api-token was supplied and whether the token is valid. A tokenless run intentionally omits associated vulnerability data. If the token is valid, inspect the API response or scan status for quota exhaustion and failed requests.

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“The plugin list is incomplete”

Passive detection is the default and makes fewer requests. With authorization, repeat discovery in mixed mode. If you need an authoritative list of active and inactive components, use the WPScan 4.0 Application Password workflow instead of assuming that an external scan can reveal everything.

“The API quota was exceeded”

Count the core, plugin and theme requests described by the API listing, then include any other scans made that day. Avoid repeatedly rescanning the same site while troubleshooting. Schedule inventories so that the documented 25-request free allowance is not consumed by overlapping jobs, or review current account options for a larger capacity.

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“The site blocks or throttles the scan”

Stop and confirm the authorized request rate. Move from aggressive or mixed discovery to passive mode when the assessment allows it, coordinate with the site owner and review web-application-firewall logs. Do not attempt to bypass a defensive control without written authorization.

“A finding appears to be a false positive”

Verify the exact slug and version, then read the affected-version range in the vulnerability record. Check whether a vendor backported a fix without changing the displayed version, whether the scanner inferred the version and whether the vulnerable feature is enabled in this deployment. Ask the component vendor or WPScan for clarification when the record and installed code disagree; do not silently mark the issue fixed without evidence.

“The rescan still reports the old version”

Confirm that the update completed on the scanned environment, clear any deployment or caching layer that serves old assets, and check that the site URL points to the intended instance. Record the new installed version and rerun the scan after propagation.

Build a repeatable remediation record

For each scan, retain the date, target URL, WPScan version, detection mode, API-account context, detected core version, plugin and theme slugs, versions, vulnerability identifiers, affected ranges, fixed releases, owner, remediation date and rescan result. This turns a one-time scan into an auditable process.

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Separate inventory changes from security decisions. A newly discovered inactive plugin is an inventory event; deciding to remove it is a remediation decision that should have an owner and a change record. Likewise, an API record is evidence to investigate, while confirmation of exploitation requires log or incident-response evidence.

Bottom line

Start with wpscan --url for authorized discovery, add an API token for vulnerability records, and use -e vp and -e vt to focus on plugins and themes. Choose passive detection for a quieter inventory and mixed detection when broader coverage is authorized. For WPScan 4.0, use the authenticated Application Password and REST API workflow when you need the authoritative active/inactive component list. Verify every finding against its affected and fixed versions, remediate or remove the component, investigate logs when appropriate and rescan to prove the result changed.

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