Plugins update fine but WP 4.4 does not

What version of PHP is your server running, and is it running as an Apache module or fastCGI?

Hi James,

PHP 5.6.16
Apache 2.2.15

Apache module.

The following PHP snippet shows that PHP runs as apache (in case this helps):

<?php

if(function_exists('posix_geteuid')){
    // use posix to get current uid and gid
    $uid   = posix_geteuid();
    $usr   = posix_getpwuid($uid);
    $user  = $usr['name'];
    $gid   = posix_getegid();
    $grp   = posix_getgrgid($gid);
    $group = $grp['name'];
}else{
    // try to create a file and read it's ids
    $tmp = tempnam ('/tmp', 'check');
    $uid = fileowner($tmp);
    $gid = filegroup($tmp);

    // try to run ls on it
    $out = <code>ls -l $tmp</code>;
    $lst = explode(' ',$out);
    $user  = $lst[2];
    $group = $lst[3];
    unlink($tmp);
}

echo "Your PHP process seems to run with the UID $uid ($user) and the GID $gid ($group)\n"; ?>

Is there anything in your server error logs when you try to do an update?

No, nothing in the Apache logs. Is there a way to make WP more verbose in terms of logging?

There is, yes: https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Debugging_in_WordPress

Hi James, so I installed the Debug Bar and then saw this error when trying to get the update:

WARNING: wp-admin/includes/file.php:939 – fopen(/var/www/html/temp-write-test-1449710183): failed to open stream: Permission denied
do_core_upgrade, request_filesystem_credentials, get_filesystem_method, fopen

Ideas? Thanks for your help so far, much appreciated!

Permission denied, fun! (ok, not really)

Are you running any server-side or by-proxy security that you have control of, mod_security, Cloudflare, Sucuri, firewalls, etc?

I do have SUHOSIN installed as well as mod_security and another Apache security module. I’ll see about disabling those at least temporarily. Still odd that plugins are okay but not a WP update, no?

Oh, it is very odd. We have another issue we’re tracking where WP can update, but not plugins/themes.

I think it’s safe to say they’re both breaking our brains a bit. ??

No joy, I uninstalled Suhosin, mod_security and mod_evasive, restarted Apache, and had the same problem. A bonafide mystery. I guess I’ll have to brave the manual install…

With those disabled, was it still failed to open stream: Permission denied ?

Yup, the same error after all of these were uninstalled.

Did you have any security plugins installed in WordPress?

Actually it was a tad more verbose:

WARNING: wp-admin/includes/file.php:939 – fopen(/var/www/html/temp-write-test-1449711934): failed to open stream: Permission denied
require_once(‘wp-admin/admin.php’), do_action(‘dashboard_page_background-updates-debugger’), call_user_func_array, Background_Update_Tester_Plugin->content_wrapper, Background_Update_Tester_Plugin->content, Background_Update_Tester_Plugin->tests, call_user_func, Background_Update_Tester_Plugin->test_all_files_writable, Automatic_Upgrader_Skin->request_filesystem_credentials, WP_Upgrader_Skin->request_filesystem_credentials, request_filesystem_credentials, get_filesystem_method, fopen

I do, I have Word Fence. I’ll try disabling that temporarily and see.