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Vulnerability scanner: reading reports

Updated May 11, 2026 6 views 0 found this helpful

Your vulnerability report shows known security issues in the plugins, themes, and WordPress core installed on your sites.

Where to find it

Dashboard → Vulnerabilities tab. Or per-site: open a site → Vulnerabilities sub-tab.

What each row means

Each vulnerability shows:

  • CVE ID — official identifier (e.g., CVE-2024-1234) — links to NVD
  • Affected component — plugin name + version range
  • Severity — Critical / High / Medium / Low (based on CVSS score)
  • Patch available — yes/no, with the version that fixes it
  • Exploit in the wild — is this being actively exploited right now?
  • Your status — affected, patched, not installed

Severity guide

Severity CVSS What to do
Critical 9.0+ Patch within 24h. Often exploitable without auth.
High 7.0-8.9 Patch within 7 days. May require auth.
Medium 4.0-6.9 Patch in next maintenance window.
Low <4.0 Patch when convenient (next major update cycle).

Patching options

For each vulnerability you can:

  1. Auto-patch (Pro) — PowerSEC updates the affected plugin automatically. Backup taken before.
  2. Manual update — update the plugin yourself from WP admin
  3. Mitigate — disable the plugin if you don't actively use it
  4. Accept risk — mark as accepted with a note (audited later)
  5. Replace — remove the vulnerable plugin, find an alternative

When patches don't exist

Some vulnerabilities are reported in abandoned plugins. PowerSEC will:

  1. Show "No patch available" status
  2. Recommend disabling the plugin
  3. Add a virtual patch to the WAF when possible (blocks the exploit at the firewall)

How often we scan

Plan Scan frequency
Free Daily
Pro Hourly
Agency Hourly + immediate when CVE published

Data sources: WPScan, NVD, MITRE, vendor advisories. Most CVEs appear in our database within 1-2 hours of public disclosure.

False positives

Sometimes a plugin's patched version doesn't update its readme.txt — leading to false positives. If you've patched but PowerSEC still shows you as vulnerable, click "Re-check" on the vulnerability to force a fresh comparison.

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