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WP-Simple-Security

Simple Wordpress Security plugin for preventing comment spam and brute force attacks.

Installation

• Load the wp-simple-security folder into your WP plugins directory and activate the plugin in the WP panel

General WP Protections

• Exits bad requests early to prevent attacks from consuming a large amount of server resources
• Implements an HTTP tarpit against bad login requests to deter attackers and waste their time. https://github.com/msigley/PHP-HTTP-Tarpit
  • The default is to send "Access Denied" messages on bad requests.
  • If you wish to enable the HTTP tarpit, add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_USE_TARPIT', true); into your wp-config.php file.
• Sanitizes the version query arguement on .css and .js files to prevent version fingerprinting.
  • If you wish to customize the version number, add define('CSSJSVERSION', 'version_number'); into your wp-config.php file.
• Completely disables the XMLRPC API.
• Block external wp-cron.php requests if not using ALTERNATE_WP_CRON. This prevents potential DDOS vectors.
• Removes the WP version from the site header to prevent version fingerprinting.
• Disables the author query var to prevent user enumeration.
• Blocks common bad requests for the following attacks:
  • Directory traversal
  • Cross site scripting
  • SQL injection
  • Remote file inclusion

WP Admin Protections

• Access to WP Admin area is blocked unless current user has the 'edit_posts' capability.
• Option to limit access to whitelisted IPs.
  • If you wish to enable this feature, add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_ENFORCE_WHITELIST_ADMIN_ACCESS', true); into your wp-config.php file.

Anti Spam Features

• Completely disables trackbacks.
• Limits the length of all fields on a comment form to prevent SQL injection.
• Adds nonce protection to comment forms.
• Adds a hidden captcha field to all comment forms.
• Removes bad comment author urls from comment listings.
• Spam requests are forwarded to a honeypot script.
  • If you wish to enable this feature, add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_PROJECT_HONEY_POT_URL', '<honeypot_url>'); into your wp-config.php file.
  • You can obtain a honeypot script by joining Project Honey Pot here: https://www.projecthoneypot.org/index.php
• All non-GET requests are checked for the following:
  • Common headless browser user agent strings.
  • Unsafe referer urls.
  • Bad IP reputation with the http:BL service.
    • If you wish to enable this feature, add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_PROJECT_HONEY_POT_HTTP_BL_ACCESS_KEY', '<http:BL_access_key>'); into your wp-config.php file.
    • You can read more about the http:BL service here: https://www.projecthoneypot.org/httpbl_api.php
• Adds Cloudflare turnstile to all comment forms.
  • If you wish to enable this feature, add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_CLOUDFLARE_TURNSTILE_SITEKEY', '<cloudflare turnstile sitekey>'); and define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_CLOUDFLARE_TURNSTILE_SECRETKEY', '<cloudflare turnstile secretkey>'); into your wp-config.php file.

Login Form Protections

Login Form Nonce Verification

• Adds a nonce field to the the wp-login.php form.
• Protects the wp-login.php form from external POST requests. This makes brute force attacks more difficult.

Hidden Login Form

• Hides the wp-login.php form from public view.
• Protects the wp-login.php form from brute force attacks by adding a second layer of authentication.

How to use the hidden login form

1. Add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_LOGIN_TOKEN_NAME', 'token_name'); into your wp-config.php file.
2. Add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_LOGIN_TOKEN_VALUE', 'token_value'); into your wp-config.php file.
3. You login form can now only be accessed via the following url: https://example.com/wp-login.php?token_name=token_value

IP Blocker

• Blocks all requests to your site for one hour from IPs that have made 5 or more bad XMLRPC API or login form requests in the last 30 minutes.
• Supports IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
• Blocked visitors will receive a message stating their IP has been blocked with a link to unblock their IP address.
• Blocked visitors that attempt to manipulate the unblock system recieve a permanent hour block.

How to use the IP Blocker

1. Add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_USE_IP_BLOCKER', true); into your wp-config.php file.
2. Add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_BLOCK_INTERNAL_IPS', true); into your wp-config.php file if you wish to block internal and reserved IP ranges. The default is to not block these IP ranges.

Whitelisted IPs

• Prevents a list of IP addresses from being sent to the tarpit or from being blocked by the IP Blocker.
• IPs on this list will still recieve access denied messages on bad requests.

How to whitelist IPs

1. If you are using PHP 7 or above: a. Add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_WHITELISTED_IPS', array( '127.0.0.1', '192.168.10.0/20', '::1' ) ); into your wp-config.php file.
2. If you are using PHP 5.6: a. Add define('SIMPLE_SECURITY_WHITELISTED_IPS', serialize( array( '127.0.0.1', '192.168.10.0/20', '::1' ) ) ); into your wp-config.php file.

IPv4 addresses, IPv6 addresses, and IPv4 CIDR blocks are supported.