Hide backend causes 500 error

Me too. Happened on changing to 4.8 and in Chrome when using the logged-in cookie (deleting it lets me back in).

@consultant1027 I’m also getting database backup emails when I have backups set to “local only”. That’s on top of the aforementioned hide-backend 500 error.

@mattkslx

Was that backup email the result of a manual backup (= clicking on the ‘Create a Database Backup’ button) ?

According to the execute_backup() method in the wp-content/plugins/better-wp-security/core/modules/backup/class-itsec-backup.php file:

...
if ( 2 !== $this->settings['method'] || true === $one_time ) {
	$mail_success = $this->send_mail( $file );
}
...

So looks like manual database backups send emails irregardless the Backup Method chosen …

For the bug:

– Rename the plugin directory (better-wp-security) with FTP
– Login the website and go to plugin section (the plugin is disabled in that page beucase the folder was not found)
– Rename the plugin directory to original name
– Refresh plugin section
– Enable again the plugin (probably run a cleaning or something that fix the problem)

AN improved version to the solution that explain what happen

@pronl Correct, the email is the result of a manual backup. It’s a tad annoying. If I wanted an email, I’d set it to either “email” or “email and local”.

@mte90 Thank you for that. I tried it earlier when it was first posted, but I’ll try it again when I get a chance, maybe I did it incorrectly the first time.

Renaming the plugin’s directory and re-activating brings the same results as simply deleting the site’s cookies: it works for a new session login but the problem starts over at next session’s expiry and re-login.
Better wait for an update…

Astonishing that since is a fatal error in the free plugin, they’ve not fixed it. As a ‘advert’ for their paid version, I’ve no faith whatsoever that something else equally disastrous would be fixed in the paid version either

Being a developer for 30 years and user of hundreds of software applications, after 5 months of use of iThemes Security, I would not describe it as a “well maintained” product. Several quirky/buggy things I’ve observed in a just the first few months. However it’s more configurable than other security plugins allowing me to turn off a lot of unnecessary stuff, some of which duplicates what my firewall (CSF/LFD) already does. Gotta take the good with the bad.

Now with version 6.3 there is an even bigger problem impacting all visitors, random “err_empty_response” “server did not send any data”.

This is getting ridiculous.

@bonovski said
> This is getting ridiculous.

My thoughts exactly.

Well iThemes? What do you have to say for yourselves?

Super iThemes novice here but I too am getting 500 server errors and resource overages. I’m trying to figure this out. It’s a tiny little website, tigermountainfoundation.org.

My hosting company says my error log is full of iThemes.

Prolly need to start a new thread. My logs on iThemes show a bunch of 404s. I dont know what its doing.

Plus, is this plugin hard to remove?

Just renaming the plugin’s folder will remove it temporarily (in case you want it back again quickly). It does remove itself properly if you deactivate it in wordpress. Deleting your site’s cookies will let you in to your site though.