NinjaScanner – Virus & Malware scan
by nintechnet · Security
Also makes 2 other plugins · 140K+ installs across the portfolio →
A lightweight, fast and powerful virus scanner for WordPress.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 86/100
no flags
Active installs
40K+
≈40K estimated
Momentum
+14%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “protection”, “security” and “scanner” for “malware scan”, “scan” and “file integrity”. “protection” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “malware scan” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “security” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “scan” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “scanner” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #24. “file integrity” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
86 health vs 66 average across 1,776 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.9%
of downloads still active
At least 40K of 1M lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Security plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,059 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Security plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 3 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 76 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.0★ over 36 reviews, smoothed to 4.06★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 3 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
44
Momentum
Holding steady
+0.2
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
31%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+0.2
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| virus your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| virus scanner | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| virus scan | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| scan | #6 | #12 | up 1 |
| malware scan | #6 | #11 | 0 |
| malware your tag | #11 | #15 | 0 |
| file integrity | #9 | #14 | up 1 |
| antivirus | #8 | #6 | 0 |
| malware detection | #12 | #16 | 0 |
| integrity | #14 | #19 | down 2 |
| scanner your tag | #24 | #17 | 0 |
| malware scanner | #17 | #15 | 0 |
| security scan | #24 | #20 | — |
| malware protection | #14 | #19 | 0 |
| wordpress malware scanner | #14 | #16 | up 1 |
| protection your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
78 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 15 listed. 63 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “protection”, “security” and “scanner” for “malware scan”, “scan” and “file integrity”. “protection” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “malware scan” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “security” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “scan” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “scanner” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #24. “file integrity” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “malware”. #11 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 47.8K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
3
releases in the last 12 months
5mo ago
latest release · v3.3.1 · 9 Jun 2026
25
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 65% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “40K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 7 days ago and the previous band took 3.4 years to cross, so the real count is still just over 40K.
At the current install trend, crossing 50K+ in roughly 714 days.
Install history since 7 Jul 2020
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ BlogCampExperience6mo ago
Sadly it never completes. I have it on various blogs and none of them perform. It just times outs or craps out, whichever is te technical term…
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Gennady Kurushin7mo ago
I’ve tested it on multiple sites and hosting accounts it gets’ stuck on different stages of scan process making it unreliable. Even when it works, scan is quite slow.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ malthead1.0y ago
Scan stucks at 7/14 Building Theme list For my WP Installation totaly useless
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ atmadja1.1y ago
Helped me a lot with malware scan
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jupiter81.2y ago
Sorry, but this plugin does not work 🙁 it just gets stuck at step 13, as others reported as well.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ planetoid1.2y ago
NinjaScanner scan stuck: The scanning process has been running for over 24 hours and is hanging at Step 12/14 (binary files scan phase) without completing.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ sysstem1.7y ago
The best wordpress firewall and security plugin
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Krzysztof1.7y ago
The plugin works and seems to be ok.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 3.3.1 Improved the code on all AJAX actions that checks if a file is readable/writable. Small fixes and adjustments. 3.3.1
- — Version 3.3 The folder and file exclusion list will apply to premium plugins and themes as well (i.e., not hosted on wordpress.org). The default settings were adjusted to prevent a potential memory error or script execution timeout 3.3
- — Version 3.2.8 Fixed a bug where it was not possible to compare two files. 3.2.8
- — Version 3.2.7 Fixed a potential “stat failed” PHP warning when viewing a report. 3.2.7
- — Version 3.2.6 Administrators can only move to the quarantine folder a file that was flagged as suspicious by the scanner (props Jonas Benjamin Friedli). 3.2.6
- — Version 3.2.5 The scanner will display an error if it can’t decode the list of malware signatures. Updated Prism.js libraries. Small fixes and adjustments. 3.2.5
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (3.3.1). Sites still on an older version should update.
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 6 languages, 1 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
5 of 8 pass · checked 26 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("use this", "use it").
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WP-CLI.
- ✓ Headings and lists 13 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 3,976 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "security" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-24 30K+ → 40K+ up after 1229 days in tier
- 2023-06-13 20K+ → 30K+ up after 724 days in tier
- 2021-06-19 10K+ → 20K+ up after 666 days in tier
- 2019-08-23 9K+ → 10K+ up after 51 days in tier
- 2019-07-03 8K+ → 9K+ up after 30 days in tier
- 2019-06-03 6K+ → 8K+ up after 102 days in tier
- 2019-02-21 4K+ → 6K+ up after 81 days in tier
- 2018-12-02 3K+ → 4K+ up after 60 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall 100K+ installs · 4.8★ · 4 shared tags A -
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
SecuPress with Simple SSL – Simple and Performant Security 40K+ installs · 4.1★ · 3 shared tags A -
Jetpack VaultPress 10K+ installs · 3.8★ · 3 shared tags B -
Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags A -
Atomic Edge Security – Firewall, Malware Scan and Login Security 700+ installs · 4.2★ · 3 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for NinjaScanner – Virus & Malware scan into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/ninjascanner" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="NinjaScanner – Virus & Malware scan — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> NinjaScanner – Virus & Malware scan: 40K+ active installs, 4.0★ (36 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/ninjascanner
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