Disable XML-RPC

Disable XML-RPC icon
This Disable XML-RPC WordPress plugin helps to improve website security by preventing access to the XML-RPC API. It helps to disable trackbacks and pingbacks and provides an extra layer of security to your website.
What We Think:
88%
Highly recommended!

Disable XML-RPC: A Comprehensive Review

XML-RPC is an integral part of the WordPress Core. It provides a facility allowing XML-RPC requests from third-party applications and enables users to manage their WordPress site from a variety of different services, like the WordPress mobile app. While XML-RPC provides a lot of convenience for users, it can also open up a window of potential vulnerability. Disable XML-RPC plugin is the ideal choice for anyone looking to secure their WordPress site against XML-RPC attacks.

Disable XML-RPC: Breakdown

An example of the error that the WordPress mobile app will return when this plugin is enabled. This is expected and indicates that the plugin is working as intended.

Disable XML-RPC is a simple yet powerful, open-source WordPress plugin. It allows the users to disable XML-RPC on the site, while leaving the associated functions enabled. RSS, Atom, and other API-driven functions are simply disabled if XML-RPC is disabled. This makes the plugin extremely useful for sites looking for additional security. The plugin also adds support for blocking the Pingback.ping method and write API endpoint, making it harder for attackers to penetrate the WordPress site.

The plugin is completely free and there are no setup options needed. All that is required is to install the plugin, activate it, and let it go to work. The plugin will instantly disable the XML-RPC protocol, making the site more secure against malicious attackers. Other settings will also be disabled, such as remote publishing, the WordPress mobile app, and more.

The plugin also comes with other features that allow users to further customize their site security. Users can choose to disable specified XML-RPC methods for added control. They can also select which user roles are allowed to use the XML-RPC protocol. As a result, only users who absolutely need the protocol can access it, making it much more difficult for malicious activities to take place.

Pros of Using Disable XML-RPC

Enhanced Security Protection: The Disable XML-RPC plugin adds an extra layer of security to WordPress sites by disabling the use of the XML-RPC protocol, which has been known get targeted by hackers. This helps to protect sites from malicious attacks, as although XML-RPC can be used for useful functions, it can also be used for malicious purposes.

Improved Performance: Using the Disable XML-RPC plugin can greatly improve the performance of a WordPress site as it reduces the number of requests hitting the server, thus increasing the loading speed. This is particularly beneficial to sites with a large customer base, as it prevents server resources from being stretched.

Decreased Server Load: The Disable XML-RPC plugin can also help to reduce the load on a server, as it eliminates the extra resources used by the system when it’s enabled. This is particularly useful for sites with a large customer base or those with high traffic, as it prevents the system from becoming overburdened with requests.

Increased Reliability: Using the Disable XML-RPC plugin ensures that WordPress websites are more reliable when it comes to performance, as it prevents the system from becoming overloaded with unnecessary requests, thus increasing stability. This is especially important for sites that handle sensitive data or those that generate large amounts of traffic.

Improved Security Settings: By disabling the use of XML-RPC, the Disable XML-RPC plugin makes it easier to protect a WordPress website from potential security threats, as it eliminates the potential for malicious code to be executed within the system. This greatly enhances the security of the website, thus keeping it safe from malicious attacks.

Cons of Using Disable XML-RPC

Security Risks: XML-RPC can expose WordPress websites to serious security risks. XML-RPC does not have any built in security features besides an authentication mechanism, which means that it may be possible to gain access to the admin panel of a website by exploiting a vulnerability in the remote procedure call. This can potentially lead to malicious code injection, compromised accounts, and the full takeover of the website.

Posting Difficulties: By disabling the XML-RPC feature, you may not be able to successfully post or publish pages to your website. XML-RPC uses the POST feature of the HTTP protocol to allow data to be sent from the user to the web server. By disabling XML-RPC, the POST feature of the HTTP protocol will not be available, which will limit your ability to post content to your website.

Backup Difficulties: Backing up your website can become much more difficult, if you decide to disable the XML-RPC feature. This is due to the fact that XML-RPC allows data to be sent from the server to the user, which is the mechanism needed to backup your website content. Without XML-RPC, you may need to find another method for backing up your website data, which could be difficult and time consuming.

Poor Performance: Enabling the Disable XML-RPC plugin can drastically reduce the performance of your website. This is because, the plugin is disabling the remote procedure calls which are responsible for data transfer from your server to the user. By disabling XML-RPC, the data transfer speed will be significantly reduced, and your website page loads may become slow and unreliable.

Plugin Conflicts: Although disabling XML-RPC can improve the security of your website, it can also cause conflicts with some of the WordPress plugins that you may have installed. This is because, some of the plugins that you may be using may rely on the XML-RPC feature of WordPress to function correctly. If you disable XML-RPC, you may have to find alternate plugins or complete tasks manually, in order to achieve the same results.

88% Highly recommended!

In conclusion

Disable XML-RPC plugin is a must-have for anyone looking to secure their WordPress site from malicious attackers. It is easy to install and can be used to instantly disable the XML-RPC protocol and other associated settings that are more vulnerable to attacks. The plugin also provides additional customization options to further fortify the security of the site. The open-source nature of the plugin also means that users can access the source code and make modifications to the plugin as needed to make sure their WordPress site is secure.

Plugin Specifications
  • Version: 1.0.1
  • Last Updated: 11 months ago
  • Installs: 200,000+
  • WP Version: 3.5+
  • Tested Until: 6.3.2
  • PHP Version: N/A
Use Case Examples
  • Secure Brute-Force Login Attempts
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    Using the Disable XML-RPC WordPress plugin is an effective way to secure your website against brute-force login attempts. The plugin works by disabling the XML-RPC protocol which would otherwise be enabled by default. This protocol allows anyone to access your website remotely using a multitude of programs and services. With the plugin enabled, access to remote services will be blocked, thus preventing any unauthorized parties from accessing your site.
  • Better Website Response Times
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  • Reduce Unnecessary Server Requests
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  • Competitive Performance Boost
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  • Prevent Unauthorized Access
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Tags
  • xmlrpc