The plugin check would analyse the plugins of the web browser and compare their version to the latest version offered by the plugin’s developer to inform the user if the plugin is up to date or needs updating.

This plugin check has now been extended by the developers to work with other web browsers as well making it a web tool for everyone who wants to verify that the installed plugins are up to date.

All that needs to be done to check the installed plugins is to visit the plugincheck website to do so.

The online service can identify many popular plugins. The plugin database is maintained by Mozilla and constantly expanded. It can however happen that some plugins are not recognized automatically by the service.

Three different statuses are available: Up To Date confirming that the latest version of the plugin is installed, Update suggesting that the plugin is outdated and Research if a plugin cannot be identified yet by the service.

Links lead either to the developer’s homepage or a Google search depending on the individual plugin’s status.

The idea came up to extend this check to include other popular plugins as well. A first version of that plugin checker is now online and available at a test server which can be publicly accessed by anyone.

The scripts on the page will check for installed plugins and compare the version of the installed plugin with the latest version that is offered officially by the developer of the plugin. Supported are at the moment (among others) Apple Quicktime, Shockwave Flash, Adobe Acrobat, Java, RealPlayer and Windows Media Player plugins.

Plugins are either rated as safe or potentially vulnerable (there might be a third rating for vulnerable plugins). An update button is displayed next to potentially vulnerable plugins which should lead to a download page to update the latest version of the plugin. Some plugins do not reveal their full version which means that they will be shown as potentially vulnerable even if the latest version is installed.

Users who want to check out the Mozilla Plugin Check server right now can do so by visiting this link. They should know that the web browser will detect an invalid certificate and ignore it if they wish to continue. The plugin check website is working partially if other web browsers are used to connect to it.