Securing Wordpress Sites Against Common Vulnerabilities And Threats

Hardening WordPress Security

Securing a WordPress site against vulnerabilities and threats is crucial for any website owner. WordPress powers over 30% of all websites, which makes it a prime target for attackers. Implementing proper hardening techniques will help protect your WordPress site against compromise.

Evaluating Your WordPress Site’s Vulnerabilities

The first step is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of potential vulnerabilities in your WordPress installation. This involves:

Installing a security scanner such as Wordfence to check for known vulnerabilities in core files, plugins, themes and server configuration
Checking user accounts for weak passwords that could allow brute force attacks
Reviewing server logs to identify signs of attacks such as brute force login attempts or SQL injection attacks
Examining file permissions to identify files which are set to allow modifications
Inspecting plugins and themes for vulnerabilities in their code

Through evaluation, you can identify the specific security gaps in your website to better focus remediation efforts.

Common WordPress Vulnerabilities to Address

Some of the most common vulnerabilities found in WordPress installations include:

Weak Passwords

Weak passwords for admin accounts and other user accounts represent a major WordPress vulnerability. Brute force attacks can allow attackers to guess weak passwords and gain admin access. Solutions include:

Require strong admin passwords over 12 characters with letters, numbers and symbols
Limit login attempts to block brute force attacks
Use two-factor authentication for admin accounts
Check for weak user account passwords and require changes

Outdated Plugins and Themes

Vulnerabilities in outdated third party plugins and themes can compromise security. It’s important to:

Inventory all active plugins and themes
Check plugins and themes against WordPress directory to identify outdated versions
Either update plugins/themes or remove inactive/outdated ones
Review changelog with each update to identify fixed vulnerabilities

File Permission Issues

Incorrect file permissions enable attackers to modify WordPress files. Steps to harden file permissions include:

Ensure correct permissions on wp-config.php (400 or 600)
Set uploads folder to 755 permissions
Make wp-content writable only to administrator

SQL Injection

SQL injection can allow attackers to steal, corrupt or destroy database content. Prevent this by:

Input validating and escaping all user supplied data
Using prepared SQL statements for queries
Restricting database access only from application itself

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

XSS attacks can allow JavaScript or other malicious code injection into site. Protect against this by:

Input validation and escaping untrusted data in output
Setting X-XSS-Protection HTTP header
Enable Content-Security-Policy to whitelist allowed sources

Remote Code Execution

Code execution bugs in plugins/themes can enable attackers to run commands on server. You can reduce exposure by:

Only using reputable plugins from official WordPress directory
Reviewing plugin/theme code changes for potential vulnerabilities
Disabling unused plugins and themes

XMLRPC Attacks

The XMLRPC interface can expose WP site to DDoS and brute force. Mitigate this vector with:

Firewall rules blocking traffic to XMLRPC except from trusted sources
Disable XMLRPC interface entirely if not required
Limit number of XMLRPC requests allowed per source

Hardening WordPress Configuration

Properly configuring WordPress can significantly improve security posture. Important hardening steps include:

Enforce Strong Passwords

Configure password policies requiring:

Minimum 12 character admin passwords
Mix of uppercase, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols
Changes every 90 days
Can’t reuse previous 24 passwords

Limit Login Attempts

Lockout accounts after a limited number of incorrect login attempts to prevent brute forcing. Recommendations include:

Lockout administrators after 5 incorrect attempts
Lockout subscribers after 10 incorrect attempts
Exponentially increase lockout time after each failure

Use Security Keys

Require two-factor authentication via security keys to login, providing increased account protection through mechanisms like:

Time-based One-time Passwords (TOTPs)
Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) devices
WebAuthn hardware authenticators

Disable File Editing

Disable the file editor in WordPress admin area to prevent edits over the web interface. Forces changes via SFTP/CLI improving security.

Disable XMLRPC

If not required, disable XMLRPC interface which can be abused in DDoS, brute force and other attacks by adding code like this in functions.php:

add_filter('xmlrpc_enabled', '__return_false');

Use Trusted Plugins and Themes

Carefully research and only use reputable plugins and themes from official WordPress directory. Review changelogs to identify vulnerability fixes before updating to newer versions.

Set File Permissions

WordPress requires following file permission settings for hardening:

wp-config.php: 400 or 600
wp-content: 755
Uploads folder: 755

Ongoing Maintenance for WordPress Security

Securing WordPress is an ongoing process requiring vigilant maintenance in these areas:

Plugin and Theme Updates

Keep plugins/themes updated to latest versions to receive vulnerability fixes. Enforce policies like:

Monthly plugin/theme audit and update
Subscribe to developer notifications of new releases
Remove inactive plugins/themes

Backups

Regular WordPress backups enable recovery from malicious changes and data loss. Strategies include:

Daily database + file system backups
Stored both locally + cloud storage
Cryptographically signed to prevent tampering

Monitoring

Actively monitor WordPress site for signs of attack such as:

Spikes in 404 errors
Increased login attempt failures
Elevated bandwidth usage
Changes in database tables/files

Detecting attacks early allows quicker response to prevent major compromises.

Securing WordPress Sites Against Common Vulnerabilities And Threats