WISINWIG…or 'what I see is not what I get'

hey there

i hate when that crap happens. good job having backups tho!

i’ve sorta been abusing wordfence for stuff like this lately

after install please go to Dashboard->Wordfence->Options and toggle on the extra options for:

-Scan theme files against repository versions for changes
-Scan plugin files against repository versions for changes
-Scan image files as if they were executable
-Scan files outside your WordPress installation ***unless you have lots of extra folder inside your wordpress folder do this one too

save your settings, go Dashboard->Wordfence->Scan and initiate a scan

it might take a while, but hang out and see what the scan says, it’ll likely have some suggestions. i’m guessing you are right that something is corrupted or even still compromised

Sees version 2.9.2

First things first: Are there any active plugins when this happens? If so, deactivate them and see if that resolves the issue.

The next thing is updating your installation. Really it should be the first since you are using an outdated version. Currently it is 4.1.1 and a lot of things have changed since then. So I strongly urge you to update as quickly as possible if you haven’t already.

Once you have updated test to see if this happens with no active plugins and a core bundled theme like Twenty Fourteen/Fifteen.

bernbe and Jose, thanks for your answers.

I’ve heard about Wordfence but can’t install it because it requires WordPress 3+….. ??

Which brings me to jose’s suggestion of upgrading. That’s a fair point, and there is a button in my admin which says UPDATE to 4.1.1 or whatever. I’m tempted to hit that button….but am also afraid that what might happen might be worse than what I’m living with at the moment!

The point is my installation was working fine and I’d never have seen any need to upgrade – I drive an old car, I’m not a believer in upgrading! OK, I hear you say, but you might have avoided that phishing attack if you’d upgraded earlier. Yes I might. But the painless working of the site for 5 years, without tinkering, essentially makes me perfectly happy to run on old software – if it ain’t broke….

OK, it’s broken now, or something is very slightly broken (I think). But I’m not convinced, nor much interested in, loads of upgrading and updating. If I can get my old clock running again I’ll be quite happy ??

but am also afraid that what might happen might be worse than what I’m living with at the moment!

The number of publicly known security vulnerabilities affecting 2.9.2 is too high for me to bother counting, so I’d say what might happen if you stay on it is way worse than finding replacements for a plugin or two that might break after upgrading.

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Upgrading_WordPress_Extended#Upgrading_Across_Multiple_Versions

Since it’s already broken, now is the perfect time to upgrade. ??

We really can’t support versions of WordPress over 5 years old, and to be totally honest, upgrading will probably fix your problem.

Come to think of it, I guess I was wondering if anyone knew which files control the posting interface / WYSIWYG bits of the admin. Might start with replacing those files.

You won’t be able to just replace a few files with current files, especially across a 5-year gap, the won’t work together.

You’ll need to upgrade the whole thing.

Hi James,

No, I meant replace them from the original ‘pristine’ download, which I still have as an archived zip. Just not sure which might be the pertinent files..?

So there’s a big button winking at me on my dashboard saying ‘upgrade’…straight to 4.1.1. Should I hit it?…!

Replacing them wouldn’t make a difference, you’d still have the same problem.

Upgrading will most likely fix the issue and plug those hundreds of publicly known security exploits.

The auto-updater was added in WordPress 3.7, so I’m not sure why you’d have an auto-update button in 2.9.2.

If you aren’t on 3.7, you should really follow this guide: https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Upgrading_WordPress_Extended#Upgrading_Across_Multiple_Versions

Well I could send you a screen shot that proves it’s there!!… It says “You are using WordPress 2.9.2” and to the right is a button engraved with “update to 4.1.1”

Thanks for the link. But looks like way too much trouble! I haven’t even any idea how many versions there have been twixt then and now, but I sure ain’t going through all that mularkey. I’ll be copy-pasting into Blogger, I think! lol

cheers

Thanks for the link. But looks like way too much trouble!

I assure you, it’s much less trouble than having one of those publicly known security holes exploited. ??

It’s not as daunting as it seems, the step-by-step guide is just incredibly detailed. Mostly, you’re just replacing files: https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Upgrading_WordPress_Extended#Detailed_Instructions

You can try jumping straight to 4.1.1. Generally, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if it’s already broken at 2.9.2, there’s not much worse that could happen. Just make a backup first: https://codex.www.ads-software.com/WordPress_Backups

I haven’t even any idea how many versions there have been twixt then and now

Quite a few over the past five years: https://www.ads-software.com/download/release-archive/

but if it’s already broken at 2.9.2

It’s not much broken, just a bit of formatting trouble in the WYSIWYG…and even that isn’t the end of the world, just a bit untidy!

I downloaded 4.1.1 to have a look at it on my MAMP server. Wow!….it’s horrible, isn’t it! What on earth have they done to the editing window? The text inside it is huge (is this a childrens’ playbook?), you can’t drag out the edit window to make it bigger, the ‘Word friendly’ coloured toolset has gone mono and dull (for instance, you can’t see what text colour you have for instant colouring), excerpts and custom fields have disappeared…..I daren’t look further!

I guess this is all in the name of the holy grail, ‘responsiveness’ ?

What’s the most recent WP version

without

a responsive admin design? My site template isn’t responsive, I certainly don’t need responsiveness for admin, and I’d rather have the better, older edit interface.

The text inside it is huge (is this a childrens’ playbook?)

The text size was increased to improve readability for the wide variety of our users, including those with visual disabilities.

you can’t drag out the edit window to make it bigger

The editor now grows as you type. Once you reach the bottom, it starts to grow with the text.

excerpts . . . have disappeared

Check the Screen Options tab near the top-right when writing or editing content.

custom fields have disappeared

Custom Fields have been a part of WordPress, you must have been using a plugin for those.

What’s the most recent WP version without a responsive admin design?

3.5, I think. Also with its fair share of publicly known security holes, and also no longer supported here.

The text size was increased to improve readability for the wide variety of our users, including those with visual disabilities.

Come on, James, stop being so p.c.!! It’s all in the name of responsiveness, isn’t it! Don’t dress it up in health considerations, coz I’m getting sore finger-itis from having to scroll so much… lol

I can’t see any plugins with anything about Custom Fields. These are my plugins:

Blog in Blog
Category Posts Widget
Category Show
Easy Contact
Exclude Pages from Navigation
Executable PHP widget
FV All in One SO Pack
Highslide for WordPress
Image Widget
INclude It
Microkid’s Related Posts
Page Blocks
Page Menu Editor
Picasna
RB Internal Links
Recent Photos
Show Post Shortcode
Vibe SEO Pack
vSlider
Wordpress Download Monitor
WordPress Menu Sorting
wp-cache
WP-CMS Post Control
WP-PageNavi
WP Post Columns
wp-search
WP Super Cache
XWidgets

Thanks for the tip on 3.5, I might try upgrading that far.

cheers

Incidentally, I downloaded a fresh zip of 2.9.2 from that archive list you gave me (thanks). I’ve uploaded wp-admin and wp-include folders over the existing ones and lo behold some functionality has returned – well, at least hard carriage returns are recognised! Standard carriage returns still not reacting, though. On a typewrite you do 6 carriage returns you get six lines of space. Do that in my wordpress and you get none.

Come on, James, stop being so p.c.!! It’s all in the name of responsiveness, isn’t it! Don’t dress it up in health considerations,

I’m sorry you don’t feel people with visual disabilities are worth accommodating.

I can’t see any plugins with anything about Custom Fields. These are my plugins:
WP-CMS Post Control

WP-CMS Post Control provides custom fields.

I’ve uploaded wp-admin and wp-include folders over the existing ones and lo behold some functionality has returned

That’s great to hear.

Do that in my wordpress and you get none.

You’re using a version of WordPress that’s 5 years old. That’s 5 years of bug fixes, and 5 years of security fixes, you’re missing. Of course some things don’t work as expected.

We do not support old versions of WordPress here.