diff --git a/includes/steps/30-core.php b/includes/steps/30-core.php
index 6c5755c..2eedd84 100644
--- a/includes/steps/30-core.php
+++ b/includes/steps/30-core.php
@@ -23,26 +23,70 @@ return new class extends WPH_Step {
         global $wp_version;
         $f = [];
 
+        // What WordPress itself reports (this can be filtered by WP Downgrade etc.)
         if (!function_exists('get_core_updates')) require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/update.php';
         $updates = function_exists('get_core_updates') ? get_core_updates(['dismissed' => true]) : [];
-        $latest = (!empty($updates) && !empty($updates[0]->current)) ? $updates[0]->current : $wp_version;
-        $behind = version_compare($wp_version, $latest, '<');
+        $wp_reported_latest = (!empty($updates) && !empty($updates[0]->current)) ? $updates[0]->current : $wp_version;
 
+        // Direct query to wp.org — can't be cloaked by site-side filters.
+        $wp_org_latest = $this->wp_org_core_version();
+
+        // Detect known plugins that hide/manipulate version reporting.
+        $cloakers = $this->detect_cloakers();
+
+        $f[] = $this->finding('wp_current', 'info', 'Currently installed', $wp_version, '');
+
+        // What WP reports as the latest
+        $wp_behind = version_compare($wp_version, $wp_reported_latest, '<');
         $f[] = $this->finding(
-            'wp_current',
-            'info',
-            'Currently installed',
-            $wp_version,
-            ''
-        );
-        $f[] = $this->finding(
-            'wp_latest',
-            $behind ? 'warn' : 'ok',
-            'Latest available',
-            $latest,
-            $behind ? 'Update available → ' . admin_url('update-core.php') : 'Up to date.'
+            'wp_reported_latest',
+            $wp_behind ? 'warn' : 'ok',
+            'Latest per WordPress',
+            $wp_reported_latest,
+            'This is what core/get_core_updates() returns — may be filtered by plugins like WP Downgrade.'
         );
 
+        // What wp.org actually thinks
+        if ($wp_org_latest === null) {
+            $f[] = $this->finding('wp_org_latest', 'info', 'Latest per wp.org', 'could not fetch', 'Direct API call failed — re-run when online.');
+        } else {
+            $actual_behind = version_compare($wp_version, $wp_org_latest, '<');
+            $hidden_gap   = version_compare($wp_reported_latest, $wp_org_latest, '<');
+            $level = $hidden_gap ? 'bad' : ($actual_behind ? 'warn' : 'ok');
+            $detail = '';
+            if ($hidden_gap) {
+                $detail = 'CLOAKED — WordPress says latest is ' . $wp_reported_latest . ' but wp.org reports ' . $wp_org_latest . '. Updates likely blocked by a plugin or constant.';
+            } elseif ($actual_behind) {
+                $detail = 'Real update available → ' . admin_url('update-core.php');
+            } else {
+                $detail = 'Up to date against the public WP.org API.';
+            }
+            $f[] = $this->finding('wp_org_latest', $level, 'Latest per wp.org (direct)', $wp_org_latest, $detail);
+        }
+
+        // Flag cloaker plugins explicitly
+        if ($cloakers) {
+            $f[] = $this->finding(
+                'cloakers',
+                'warn',
+                'Update-cloaker plugins active',
+                implode(', ', $cloakers),
+                'These plugins can hide or block core/plugin updates. Confirm with the client whether they\'re needed before disabling them.'
+            );
+        }
+
+        // WP Downgrade specifically pins a target via an option — surface its value
+        $wpd_target = get_option('wp_downgrade_core_version', '');
+        if ($wpd_target) {
+            $f[] = $this->finding(
+                'wp_downgrade_target',
+                'warn',
+                'WP Downgrade target',
+                (string) $wpd_target,
+                'WordPress core is pinned to this version by WP Downgrade. Set wp_downgrade_core_version to empty to release the pin.'
+            );
+        }
+
         // Database upgrade required?
         if (function_exists('wp_get_db_schema')) {
             $required = (int) get_option('db_version');
@@ -66,7 +110,8 @@ return new class extends WPH_Step {
         );
 
         // Safe-mode update guidance — not an action, just a reminder.
-        if ($behind) {
+        $real_behind = $wp_org_latest !== null && version_compare($wp_version, $wp_org_latest, '<');
+        if ($real_behind || $wp_behind) {
             $f[] = $this->finding(
                 'safe_mode_hint',
                 'info',
@@ -78,4 +123,37 @@ return new class extends WPH_Step {
 
         return $f;
     }
+
+    /** Direct call to wp.org's version-check endpoint. Cached 1h via transient. */
+    private function wp_org_core_version(): ?string {
+        $cached = get_transient('wph_wp_org_core_latest');
+        if ($cached !== false) return $cached === '' ? null : (string) $cached;
+        $resp = wp_remote_get('https://api.wordpress.org/core/version-check/1.7/', ['timeout' => 5]);
+        if (is_wp_error($resp) || (int) wp_remote_retrieve_response_code($resp) !== 200) {
+            set_transient('wph_wp_org_core_latest', '', 5 * MINUTE_IN_SECONDS);
+            return null;
+        }
+        $data = json_decode((string) wp_remote_retrieve_body($resp), true);
+        $latest = isset($data['offers'][0]['version']) ? (string) $data['offers'][0]['version'] : null;
+        set_transient('wph_wp_org_core_latest', $latest ?: '', HOUR_IN_SECONDS);
+        return $latest;
+    }
+
+    /** Detect plugins that are known to hide or manipulate version reporting. */
+    private function detect_cloakers(): array {
+        if (!function_exists('is_plugin_active')) require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/plugin.php';
+        $known = [
+            'wp-downgrade/wp-downgrade.php'                  => 'WP Downgrade',
+            'wp-rollback/wp-rollback.php'                    => 'WP Rollback',
+            'easy-updates-manager/wpmudev_install.php'       => 'Easy Updates Manager',
+            'stops-core-theme-and-plugin-updates/stops-core-theme-and-plugin-updates.php' => 'Stops Core/Theme/Plugin Updates',
+            'disable-updates-manager/disable-updates-manager.php' => 'Disable Updates Manager',
+            'companion-auto-update/companion-auto-update.php' => 'Companion Auto Update',
+        ];
+        $found = [];
+        foreach ($known as $file => $label) {
+            if (is_plugin_active($file)) $found[] = $label;
+        }
+        return $found;
+    }
 };
diff --git a/includes/steps/40-plugins.php b/includes/steps/40-plugins.php
index 831161b..bc9b7a3 100644
--- a/includes/steps/40-plugins.php
+++ b/includes/steps/40-plugins.php
@@ -29,16 +29,30 @@ return new class extends WPH_Step {
         $f = [];
         $abandoned = 0;
         $removed = 0;
-        $update_avail = 0;
+        $update_avail = 0;   // WP itself sees an update
+        $cloaked = 0;        // wp.org says there's a newer version, WP doesn't
 
-        // Refresh update transient (no-op if recent)
+        // Refresh update transient (no-op if recent) — this is what WP sees,
+        // which may be filtered by WP Downgrade / WP Rollback / etc.
         if (function_exists('wp_update_plugins')) wp_update_plugins();
         $updates = get_site_transient('update_plugins');
         $update_map = isset($updates->response) && is_array($updates->response) ? $updates->response : [];
 
+        // Detect known cloakers
+        $cloakers = $this->detect_cloakers();
+        if ($cloakers) {
+            $f[] = $this->finding(
+                'cloakers', 'warn',
+                'Update-cloaker plugins active',
+                implode(', ', $cloakers),
+                'Plugin update reporting may be filtered. The wp.org column below is fetched directly and cannot be cloaked.'
+            );
+        }
+
         foreach ($plugins as $file => $meta) {
             $slug = dirname($file);
             if ($slug === '.' || $slug === '') $slug = basename($file, '.php');
+            $installed = (string) ($meta['Version'] ?? '');
             $info = $this->wp_org_info($slug);
             $detail_parts = [];
             $level = 'ok';
@@ -54,50 +68,87 @@ return new class extends WPH_Step {
             } elseif (is_array($info)) {
                 if (!empty($info['last_updated'])) {
                     $age_days = floor((time() - strtotime($info['last_updated'])) / DAY_IN_SECONDS);
-                    $detail_parts[] = 'Last release ' . $age_days . ' day(s) ago (' . $info['last_updated'] . ')';
+                    $detail_parts[] = 'Last release ' . $age_days . 'd ago';
                     if ($age_days > 365) {
                         $level = 'warn';
                         $abandoned++;
-                        $detail_parts[] = 'no release in >12 months';
+                        $detail_parts[] = '>12 mo';
                     }
                 }
                 if (!empty($info['active_installs'])) {
                     $detail_parts[] = number_format($info['active_installs']) . ' active installs';
                 }
-            }
 
-            if (isset($update_map[$file])) {
-                $level = 'warn';
-                $detail_parts[] = 'Update available → ' . ($update_map[$file]->new_version ?? '?');
-                $update_avail++;
+                // Compare installed vs wp.org reported version — un-cloakable truth.
+                if (!empty($info['version']) && $installed) {
+                    $real_behind = version_compare($installed, (string) $info['version'], '<');
+                    $wp_sees_update = isset($update_map[$file]);
+                    if ($real_behind) {
+                        $detail_parts[] = 'wp.org has ' . $info['version'];
+                        $update_avail++;
+                        if (!$wp_sees_update) {
+                            $level = 'bad';
+                            $detail_parts[] = 'CLOAKED — WP says up-to-date';
+                            $cloaked++;
+                        } else {
+                            $level = 'warn';
+                        }
+                    } elseif ($wp_sees_update) {
+                        // Edge case: WP transient says there's an update but we have it or newer.
+                        $detail_parts[] = 'WP transient still flags an update';
+                        $level = 'warn';
+                    }
+                }
             }
 
             $f[] = $this->finding(
                 'plugin_' . sanitize_key($file),
                 $level,
                 $meta['Name'] ?? $file,
-                (string) ($meta['Version'] ?? ''),
+                $installed,
                 implode(' · ', $detail_parts)
             );
         }
 
         // Summary at the top
         array_unshift($f, $this->finding(
-            'summary', 'info',
+            'summary',
+            $cloaked ? 'bad' : 'info',
             'Summary',
             count($plugins) . ' plugins',
-            $update_avail . ' with updates · ' . $abandoned . ' not updated in 12 mo · ' . $removed . ' not in WP.org'
+            sprintf('%d with updates · %d cloaked · %d not updated in 12 mo · %d not in WP.org',
+                $update_avail, $cloaked, $abandoned, $removed)
         ));
 
         return $f;
     }
 
+    /** Detect plugins that can hide or manipulate version reporting. */
+    private function detect_cloakers(): array {
+        if (!function_exists('is_plugin_active')) require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/plugin.php';
+        $known = [
+            'wp-downgrade/wp-downgrade.php'                  => 'WP Downgrade',
+            'wp-rollback/wp-rollback.php'                    => 'WP Rollback',
+            'easy-updates-manager/wpmudev_install.php'       => 'Easy Updates Manager',
+            'stops-core-theme-and-plugin-updates/stops-core-theme-and-plugin-updates.php' => 'Stops Core/Theme/Plugin Updates',
+            'disable-updates-manager/disable-updates-manager.php' => 'Disable Updates Manager',
+            'companion-auto-update/companion-auto-update.php' => 'Companion Auto Update',
+        ];
+        $found = [];
+        foreach ($known as $file => $label) {
+            if (is_plugin_active($file)) $found[] = $label;
+        }
+        return $found;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns ['name' => ..., 'last_updated' => ..., 'active_installs' => ...]
      * or 'not_in_repo' / 'removed' on failure. Cached 24h per slug via transient.
      */
     private function wp_org_info(string $slug) {
-        $cache_key = 'wph_pi_' . md5($slug);
+        // v2: cache now includes 'version' field for cloak detection — fresh prefix
+        // so existing cached entries get re-fetched on the next refresh.
+        $cache_key = 'wph_pi2_' . md5($slug);
         $cached = get_transient($cache_key);
         if ($cached !== false) return $cached;
 
@@ -124,6 +175,7 @@ return new class extends WPH_Step {
         }
         $out = [
             'name'            => $data['name'] ?? $slug,
+            'version'         => $data['version'] ?? null,
             'last_updated'    => $data['last_updated'] ?? null,
             'active_installs' => $data['active_installs'] ?? null,
         ];