Old Core Files
by Maor Chasen · Security
Increase your WordPress security by deleting old core files that exist in the filesystem before hackers exploit them for attacks.
46 health vs 67 average across 405 Security plugins
High removal-risk signals
63/100Maintenance and integrity signals that tend to precede a WordPress.org removal. Not an official status, a heads-up to act.
- Long abandoned. No update in 7+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 5.2.24, well behind 6.8.
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.
Under-optimized
Biggest win: Update recency
To rank higher: Last updated 2568 days ago — ship an update; wp.org decays a listing's search weight after ~180 days.
Get the full rank-higher report →Daily downloads
Since 2022-10-05 · 1,381 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peaks are release surges
156
now · peak 212
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
Downloads per 1k installs · 30d
Engagement proxy · release spikes are signal, a long slide is an aging base
Estimated active installs
wp.org reports only “200+”. The real number sits in this band.
Refined from the date this plugin crossed into its current band.
Install history · since 2022-10-04 · 1,382 observations
Details
Growth timeline
Install-band crossings we have observed, and how long each band took to outgrow
- 2025-05-12 300+ → 200+ down after 423 days in band
- 2024-03-15 400+ → 300+ down after 367 days in band
- 2023-03-14 500+ → 400+ down after 1 days in band
- 2023-03-13 400+ → 500+ up after 1 days in band
- 2023-03-12 500+ → 400+ down
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach — closest match first
-
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag A -
Hostinger Tools 3M+ installs · 3.6★ · 1 shared tag B -
Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ installs · 4.9★ · 1 shared tag A -
Jetpack – WP Security, Backup, Speed, & Growth 3M+ installs · 3.8★ · 1 shared tag A -
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A -
Loginizer 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A
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<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/old-core-files" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Old Core Files — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Old Core Files: 200+ active installs, 5.0★ (3 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-07-17. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/old-core-files