by Marc Armengou 0 (0 reviews)

Security Hardener

Name: Security Hardener
Author: Marc Armengou

Hardens WordPress with secure headers, login protection, user enumeration blocking, rate limiting, and a built-in security checklist.

Security Hardener ranks #11,728 among WordPress.org plugins with 200+ active installations, is #704 of 5,058 in the Security category, and was last updated Oct 28, 2026. Data from WordPress.org, refreshed twice daily — see methodology.

Compatible with WP 7.1.4

v2.4.7 Current Version v2.4.7

Updated 1 week ago Last Update on 28 Oct, 2026

Refreshed 6 days ago Last Refreshed on

#704 of 5,058 in Security Top 25% by installs Downloads -59.1% this week Actively maintained

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Rank

#11,728

— No change

Active Installs

200+

-23.7%

KW Avg Position

110

0.5 worse

Downloads

2.8K

+10 today

Support Resolved

— No change

Rating

Review 0 out of 5

0 (0 reviews)

Next Milestone 300

Total Progress 66%

200+ 300+

742

Ranks to Climb

Growth Needed

8,000,000

Active Installs

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Rank Changes

Current #11,728

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Active Installs Growth

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Active Installs 0,000,000+

Growth +0.0%

Peak 0,000,000

Downloads Growth

Downloads

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Reviews & Ratings

0.0

0 reviews

Overall 0%

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Security History

Source: WPVulnerability

No known vulnerabilities on record for Security Hardener. Checked 3 months ago.

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Plugin Details

Version: 2.4.7
Last Updated: Oct 28, 2026
Requires WP: 6.9+
Tested Up To: 7.1.4
PHP Version: 8.2 or higher
Author: Marc Armengou

Support & Rating

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 0
Reviews: 0
Support Threads: 0
Resolved: 0%

Keywords

Brute Force hardening headers login protection security

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TL;DR

AI summary of the plugin's readme

This plugin is for WordPress site owners and administrators who want to reduce their site's attack surface without editing core files. It addresses common attack vectors like login brute-forcing, user enumeration, XML-RPC abuse, and missing security headers.

Login honeypot
IP-based rate limiting
Blocks author enumeration queries
Disables XML-RPC
Secures REST API user endpoints
Security headers (X-Frame-Options, HSTS)
Hides WordPress version
Security event logging

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Security Hardener

Everything is enabled by default except: disabling all file modifications, blocking author feeds, anonymizing the oEmbed author, HSTS (with its subdomains and preload options), and deleting data on uninstall. Rate limiting blocks an IP address for 15 minutes after 5 failed attempts. You can review and change every option under Settings > Security Hardener.

Two defaults can affect integrations: XML-RPC is disabled, and Application Passwords are disabled. If you use Jetpack, the WordPress mobile app, or other tools that rely on them, turn off Disable XML-RPC and/or Disable Application Passwords under Settings > Security Hardener.

No. The plugin uses lightweight WordPress hooks and native functions. Security headers add negligible overhead, and rate limiting only checks transients during login attempts.

Blocks are per IP address and expire automatically after your configured block duration (default: 15 minutes). Wait for the block to expire, try from a different IP address, or: Access your database (phpMyAdmin, etc.) Search the options table for names containing wpsh_login_ Delete those transient options Try logging in again If your site uses a persistent object cache (Redis, Memcached), flush the cache instead.

By default, rate limiting uses REMOTE_ADDR. If your site is behind a trusted proxy, add the proxy's exact IP addresses to wp-config.php (IP ranges in CIDR notation are not supported): define( 'WPSH_TRUSTED_PROXIES', array( '203.0.113.10', '203.0.113.11' ) ); For requests coming from those addresses, the plugin will then read the HTTP_CF_CONNECTING_IP (Cloudflare) or HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR header.

It depends on the cache. Security headers are added by PHP when WordPress builds a response, so a full-page cache that serves pages without running PHP (some server-level caches do) may skip them. Check your response headers with your browser's developer tools and, if they are missing, add them at the server level.

Yes, but watch for overlaps. If another plugin also sends security headers you may get duplicates (usually harmless). If it also blocks user enumeration or limits login attempts, enable only one of them to avoid confusion.

No. The plugin only requires login to read user-related endpoints, and WordPress's own permission checks still apply. All other REST API functionality, including public endpoints like oEmbed, works normally.

When you uninstall (not just deactivate) the plugin, data is preserved by default. If you enable Delete all data on uninstall under Settings > Security Hardener > Other settings, uninstalling deletes all plugin settings, security logs, and checklist progress. Temporary login-attempt data is not deleted right away: it expires on its own within 24 hours at most, and WordPress removes it automatically. Deactivating the plugin always preserves all settings.

Not required, but strongly recommended. HSTS requires HTTPS, and for maximum security your entire site should use HTTPS with a valid certificate.