WPScan WordPress Security Vulnerability Scanner
WPScan is an open-source WordPress security scanner that detects vulnerabilities in plugins, themes, and core installations. It checks for known CVEs, weak passwords, exposed config files, and security misconfigurations using the WPScan Vulnerability Database API.
npx skills add agentskillexchange/skills --skill wpscan-wordpress-security-vulnerability-scanner
WPScan is a battle-tested, open-source security scanner purpose-built for WordPress. Written in Ruby and available as a command-line tool, Docker image, or Ruby gem, WPScan performs black-box vulnerability scanning against WordPress installations to identify security weaknesses before attackers do.
What this skill actually does
Core Capabilities
WPScan enumerates installed plugins, themes, and WordPress core versions, then cross-references them against the WPScan Vulnerability Database — the largest curated collection of WordPress-specific CVEs and security advisories. The scanner detects vulnerable plugin versions, exposed wp-config.php backup files, directory listing vulnerabilities, weak user passwords via dictionary attacks, and XML-RPC attack surfaces.
How It Works
The CLI accepts a target URL and performs passive and aggressive detection passes. Plugin enumeration supports three modes: passive (HTTP response analysis), aggressive (direct file probing), and mixed (combining both). The tool outputs findings in CLI, JSON, or YAML format, making it easy to integrate into CI/CD pipelines and automated security audits.
Key Features
User enumeration discovers WordPress admin accounts. Password brute-forcing tests accounts against wordlists. The scanner checks for TimThumb vulnerabilities, database exports, and full path disclosure. WPScan supports HTTP proxies, custom headers, random user agents, and Tor for anonymized scanning. The API token system provides real-time vulnerability data lookups.
Integration Points
WPScan integrates with CI/CD pipelines via its JSON output format. It runs in Docker containers for isolated scanning environments. The Ruby gem architecture allows programmatic use in custom security automation scripts. Results can feed into vulnerability management platforms for tracking and remediation workflows.