WordFence changed my file permissions?

  • Resolved xiabolai

    (@xiabolai)


    10 years, 3 months ago

    Hi,

    Soon after I installed WordFence I received a notice from my Sucuri Plugin that many of my file permissions were changed. I checked my FTP and, yes, all permissions were changed from 644 to 604 and from 755 to 705.

    I checked with Sucuri and they said it was not them, and there was no malicious code, but they suspect it was the WordFence Plugin that changed my file permissions.

    Is this possible, can the WordFence Plugin change my file permissions? If so, is there a way to change them back to the original settings?

    Thanks.

    https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/wordfence/

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
  • Thread Starter xiabolai

    (@xiabolai)

    *BUMP*

    Anybody know the answer to this? Hundreds of files in my WordPress folder had their permissions changed from 644 to 604 and from 755 to 705 only after I installed the WordFence plugin.

    Is this WordFence trying to secure my site? Is this a bug? Will this affect the access or operation of my site? Can I correct these changed permissions without having to manually change them all back??

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Those permission changes are more secure. It’s revoked all Group privileges. Did anything stop working?

    I checked one of my sites and it still has 644 and 755. Maybe your host changed them. Do you have other sites you can check?

    Thread Starter xiabolai

    (@xiabolai)

    Hi,

    Thanks for the reply. No, it doesn’t seem to have affected my site, but it’s very disconcerting to have almost every file in your WP installation changed to something other than the original settings.

    I have two sites with WordFence installed, and only one of them has had the permissions changed. Not sure what to do…change them back or leave them?

    Still would like to hear from WordFence as to whether or not the plugin can change file permissions.

    Plugin Author Wordfence Security

    (@mmaunder)

    Hi,

    Wordfence does not change permissions on your WordPress files.

    We only change permissions on our own cache files. There is no function or option to change permissions on files outside Wordfence’s own cache directory, so I think something else did this.

    Please ask your hosting provider because they may have an automated job that did this.

    Regards,

    Mark.

    Thread Starter xiabolai

    (@xiabolai)

    Ok, thanks for the reply. I’ll check with my host.

    Same thing just happened to me. I don’t use Wordfence though.

    The only change I was able to observe is that the Contact Form7 plugin auto deactivated and i couldn’t re-activate,delete,re-install it or any of my other plugins until all the file permissions had been changed back again!!

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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