15 WordPress Security Tips: Prevent WordPress XMLRPC Attacks

There are many instances of XMLRPC Attacks these days. This WordPress Security issue arises when a server has not been protected or optimized. This could lead to experiencing issues or errors after receiving a small amount of malicious traffic.

Usually, these type of attacks results in the exhaustion of system resources. While monitoring my system, I noticed a huge amount of increase in xmlrpc.php use.

Each of those requests took approximately 200 MB of ram and resulted in the website being down and eventually my websites were down for some 3 hours or so.

I came to know that it was a Denial of Service (DDoS) attack while checking NGINX logs by using the following command:

sudo tail –f /var/log/nginx/error.log

I researched and found that many hackers now using xmlrpc.php instead of wp-login.php to execute XMLRPC attacks (brute force attacks). But the most unfortunate thing is that you can’t prevent the use of xmlrpc.php – since WordPress 3.5.

Hour research helped me to get rid of this Denial of Service (DDoS) attack and my website was up and running within 2 minutes of execution. So I decided to post the solution to this brute force attack to help people who are facing the same problem.

15 WordPress Security Tips: Prevent WordPress XMLRPC Attacks

1. Deleting xmlrpc.php file

This is really not recommended as XMLRPC on WordPress is actually an API or “application program interface”. It gives developers (who make mobile apps, desktop apps and other services) the ability to:

• Publish a post
• Edit a post
• Delete a post.
• Upload a new file (e.g. an image for a post)
• Get a list of comments
• Edit comments

After the WordPress (auto) update, the deleted file will be replaced so it’s not the smart way to get rid of the issue.

2. Plugins

It is one of the easiest methods. There are several plugins available that will make your task easier.

Just installing and activating the plugin will do for you.

I found these two to be the most used: Disable XMLRPC, XMLRPC Pinkback and Manage XML-RPC.

Both plugins are really basic and include only a couple of lines of code but it helps you to protect your blog against those attacks.

3. Adding a Filter to the functions.php File

This is just an alternate way of a plugin. Those who do not like too many plugins in their WordPress admin panel can add a filter to the activated theme. All you need to do is to edit your theme’s functions.php and add these couple of lines:

function remove_x_pingback($headers) {
    unset($headers['X-Pingback']);
    return $headers;
}
add_filter('wp_headers', 'remove_x_pingback');
add_filter('xmlrpc_enabled', '__return_false');

4. Block Access at .htaccess

You just need to edit the .htaccess file and add the following block of codes. This will block access to the xmlrpc.php file entirely. When a hacker attacks your website, the xmlrpc.php will get the 403 Forbidden error.

Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all

5. Blocking Access in NGINX

If you are using LEMP (Linux, NGINX, MySQL, PHP) or simply an NGINX web server instead of an Apache web server you should add this code to your NGINX Server Block:

server {
    location = /xmlrpc.php {
        deny all;
    }
}

6. Block the Entire Server

If you have a single server or VPS with a large number of WordPress installations, the best way to get rid of this issue is to block access to the xmlrpc.php file on Apache level, simply by adding these few lines of code to the httpd.conf file:

Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all

You can make your code even better by adding these lines of code as it also blocks wp-trackback.php and also prevents trackback hacking attempts.

Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all

7. Use a Security Plugin

There are a number of security plugins available that can help protect your site from XML-RPC attacks. Some popular options include Wordfence, All-in-one Security and Sucuri.

• Wordfence: Wordfence is one of the most popular and comprehensive WordPress security plugins. It offers a wide range of features, including a firewall, malware scanner, and login protection.
• All-In-One Security: All-in-one Security is another popular security plugin that offers a wide range of features. It includes a firewall, malware scanner, and brute force protection.
• Sucuri Security: Sucuri Security is a premium security plugin that offers a comprehensive set of features. It includes a firewall, malware scanner, and website monitoring.

8. Keep Your WordPress Installation Up to Date

WordPress regularly releases security updates that fix vulnerabilities. It’s important to keep your WordPress installation up to date to protect yourself from the latest security threats.

Keeping your WordPress installation up to date is important for security and performance. WordPress core, themes, and plugins are regularly updated to fix security vulnerabilities and add new features.

By keeping your installation up to date, you can help to protect your website from hackers and improve its performance.

There are a few different ways to keep your WordPress installation up to date.

• Automatic updates: Many hosting providers offer automatic updates for WordPress. This means that whenever a new version of WordPress is released, your hosting provider will automatically update your website for you.
• Manual updates: If your hosting provider does not offer automatic updates, or if you prefer to update your website manually, you can do so by following these steps:
  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Go to Dashboard > Updates.
  3. If there are any updates available, click the Update Now button.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.

It is important to note that updating WordPress can sometimes cause problems with your website.

So it’s important to test your website after each update. This will make sure that everything is working properly.

You can do this by visiting your website and trying to perform some basic tasks, such as logging in, viewing pages, and adding content.

If you experience any problems after updating WordPress, please consult with your hosting provider or a WordPress developer for help.

9. Use Strong Passwords

Use strong passwords for your WordPress login and for any other accounts that have access to your site. A strong password is at least 12 characters long and includes a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Here are some tips on how to use strong passwords for WordPress:

• Make your passwords long. The longer your password, the harder it will be for a hacker to crack. A good rule of thumb is to use at least 12 characters.
• Use a variety of characters. Your password should include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. This will make it even more difficult for a hacker to guess.
• Avoid using common words or phrases. Hackers often use dictionaries to try to crack passwords, so it’s best to avoid using words that can be easily found in a dictionary.
• Don’t use the same password for multiple websites. If one website is hacked, and your password is compromised, then hackers will have access to all of the websites that use the same password.
• Consider using a password manager. A password manager is a software application that can help you create and store strong passwords for all of your websites. This can make it easier to remember your passwords, and it can also help to keep your passwords safe.

10. Be careful what plugins you install

Only install plugins from trusted sources. Some plugins can contain security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers.

WordPress plugins are a great way to add new features and functionality to your website, but they can also pose a security risk if they are not properly managed.

It is important that you install plugins only from trusted sources. The WordPress plugin repository is a good place to start, but you should also check the developer’s website and social media pages for updates and security announcements.

11. Back Up Your Site Regularly

It’s always a good idea to back up your site regularly. This way, if your site is hacked, you can restore it from a backup.

Backing up your WordPress website regularly is essential for protecting your data and keeping your site up and running. Here are a few tips for backing up your WordPress website:

• Use a backup plugin. There are many great backup plugins available that can make the process of backing up your website easy and convenient. Some popular options include UpdraftPlus, BackWPup, and VaultPress.
• Choose the right backup frequency. The frequency of your backups will depend on how often you update your website and how much data you have. If you update your website frequently, you may want to back it up daily. If you update your website less frequently, you may be able to get away with backing it up weekly or monthly.
• Store your backups in a safe place. Once you have created a backup of your website, it is important to store it in a safe place. You can store your backups on your computer, on a cloud storage service, or on an external hard drive.
• Test your backups regularly. It is important to test your backups regularly to make sure that they are working properly. This will ensure that you can restore your website if something goes wrong.

12. Scan Your Website for Malware Regularly

Unfortunately, WordPress sites are also a common target for hackers. One of the most common ways that hackers gain access to a WordPress site is by exploiting a security vulnerability. Once they have access, hackers can install malware on the site, which can steal data, redirect visitors to malicious websites, or even take control of the site.

To protect your WordPress site from malware, it is important to scan it regularly for malicious code.

There are a number of free and paid tools available that can scan your site for malware.

Wordfence, All-In-One Security and Sucuri are some of the most trusted tools.

13. Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A firewall can help block unauthorized access to your site.

A web application firewall (WAF) is a security measure that helps to protect websites from common web-based attacks.

WAFs work by filtering traffic to a website and blocking requests that match known attack patterns. This can help to prevent hackers from exploiting security vulnerabilities on a website.

14. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A CDN can help protect your site from DDoS attacks.

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of servers that delivers web content to users based on their geographic location. This can improve the performance of your WordPress website by serving static content, such as images, CSS, and JavaScript, from servers that are closer to your users.

In addition to improving performance, a CDN can also improve the security of your WordPress website. By serving static content from a CDN, you can reduce the load on your web server. This can make it more difficult for attackers to exploit security vulnerabilities on your web server.

Here are some of the benefits of using a CDN for WordPress security:

• Reduces the risk of DDoS attacks. A DDoS attack is a type of cyberattack that floods a website with traffic in an attempt to bring it down. By serving static content from a CDN, you can reduce the amount of traffic that is sent to your web server. This can make it more difficult for attackers to launch a successful DDoS attack.
• Protects against malware and other attacks. A CDN can help to protect your website from malware and other attacks by filtering out malicious traffic before it reaches your web server. This can help to prevent your website from being infected with malware or from being used to launch attacks on other websites.
• Improves website performance. A CDN can improve the performance of your WordPress website by serving static content from servers that are closer to your users. This can reduce the loading time of your website, which can improve the user experience and can also help to improve your website’s search engine ranking.

If you are looking for a way to improve the security and performance of your WordPress website, then a CDN is a great option. There are many different CDN providers available, so you can choose one that best meets your needs.

Here are some of the most popular CDN providers for WordPress:

• Cloudflare
• MaxCDN
• KeyCDN
• Amazon CloudFront

When choosing a CDN provider, it is important to consider your specific needs, such as the size of your website, the amount of traffic it receives, and your budget.

Here are some tips for using a CDN for WordPress security:

• Choose a reputable CDN provider. Not all CDN providers are created equal. Do some research to choose a provider that has a good reputation for security and performance.
• Configure your CDN correctly. When you set up your CDN, make sure that you configure it correctly. This includes setting the correct caching rules and ensuring that your website is properly secured.
• Monitor your CDN usage. It is important to monitor your CDN usage to ensure that it is not being abused. If you see any unusual activity, such as a sudden increase in traffic, then you should investigate it immediately.

15. Educate Yourself About Security

The more you know about security, the better equipped you will be to protect your site.

There are a number of things that you can do to educate yourself about WordPress security. Here are a few tips:

• Read security blogs and articles. There are a number of blogs and articles that are dedicated to WordPress security. Reading these resources can help you to stay up-to-date on the latest security threats and best practices.
• Follow security experts on social media. There are a number of security experts who are active on social media. Following these experts can help you to stay up-to-date on the latest security threats and best practices.
• Take a security course. There are a number of security courses that are available online and in person. Taking a security course can help you to learn about the different types of security threats and how to protect your website.

You may also like:

15 Effective Ways to Speed Up WordPress Website {2023}

Additional Resources

• The Complete Cyber Security Course: Hackers Exposed!
• WordPress Security – How To Stop Hackers
• Protect and Clean your WordPress website: WordPress Security
• WordPress Security Masterclass – Defeat Hackers & Malware

Conclusion

The WordPress security tips above can help to protect your WordPress website from a DDoS attack.

If your website is under a DDoS attack, it is important to stay calm and take action quickly. By following these tips, you can help to protect your website and keep your users safe.

Here are some additional tips for mitigating a DDoS attack:

• Identify the source of the attack: If possible, try to identify the source of the attack. This information can be helpful to your hosting provider or DDoS mitigation service.
• Monitor your website’s traffic: It is important to monitor your website’s traffic during a DDoS attack. This will help you to track the attack and to see how it is affecting your website.
• Keep your users updated: If your website is under a DDoS attack, it is important to keep your users updated on the situation. This will help to prevent them from becoming frustrated and will also help to protect your website’s reputation.

I hope you will find all these WordPress Security tips useful in preventing WordPress XMLRPC attacks.

If you have some other ways to improve WordPress Security and prevent WordPress XMLRPC attacks, share with us or put them in the comment section below.

If you like this post share it with your friends on social media and help people stay secure against such attacks.

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