PLUGIN SECURITY
Is Betterlinks safe?
Shorten, cloak, redirect & track every link in WordPress. Branded short URLs, click analytics, affiliate links & MCP access for AI assistants.
What this plugin does
- Slug:
betterlinks - Author: WPDeveloper
- 20000+ active installs
- 96/100 rating (85 reviews on wordpress.org)
- 859294 all-time downloads
- On WordPress.org since 2021-01-14
affiliate linkslink cloakinglink shortenerredirectsurl shortener
Maintenance status
- Latest known version: 3.0.0
- Last updated: 2026-08-23 11:21am GMT
- Tested up to WordPress: 7.1
- Requires PHP: 7.4+
- Max supported PHP (analyzed): 8.4
Known vulnerabilities
4 known CVEs on file for Betterlinks. Reported between 2021 and 2026.
| CVE | Vulnerability | Type | Severity | Affected | Fixed in | Published | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-19801 | BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP [betterlinks] <= 3.1.0 (unfixed) | Missing Authorization | Medium 4.3 | < 3.1.0 | 3.1.0 | 2026-08-25 | ⚠ update needed |
| CVE-2024-51672 | BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP [betterlinks] < 2.1.8 | Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') | High 7.6 | < 2.1.8 | 2.1.8 | 2024-11-01 | ✓ fixed in latest |
| CVE-2023-45104 | BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP [betterlinks] < 1.6.1 | Missing Authorization | High 7.3 | < 1.6.1 | 1.6.1 | 2023-10-18 | ✓ fixed in latest |
| CVE-2021-24812 | BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP [betterlinks] < 1.2.6 | Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') | Medium 5.4 | < 1.2.6 | 1.2.6 | 2021-10-20 | ✓ fixed in latest |
How to fix it
Keep Betterlinks updated — 3.0.0 is the latest version on wordpress.org, and each CVE above lists the exact release that fixed it ("Fixed in").
This is the plugin's full known vulnerability history, not a scan of any specific installation — run a free scan of your own site to check your exact installed version.
Safer / more established alternatives
- PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links — 200000+ active installs — 96/100 (1317) — max PHP 8.4
- ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin — 30000+ active installs — 92/100 (251) — max PHP 8.4
- URL Shortify – Simple and Easy URL Shortener — 10000+ active installs — 94/100 (164) — max PHP 8.4
- Content Egg – Affiliate Product Importer & Price Comparison — 10000+ active installs — 78/100 (54)
- AffiliateX – Amazon Affiliate Plugin, Product Boxes, Comparison Tables & Affiliate Link Tracking — 10000+ active installs — 90/100 (34)
Check your own WordPress site
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