What Is XML-RPC? Its Security Limitations

XMLRPC is one of the protocols that was widely used in past years to edit websites. Many people used it back then. Today, with the development of internet technology and website design, XML-RPC is no longer as popular as it was. Mona Media will help you understand What is XML-RPC and gives a view on whether you should still use XML-RPC, in the content below.

What is XML-RPC?

The XML-RPC protocol uses XML to standardize and exchange data between WordPress and other systems. To do this, XML-RPC standardizes communication, using XML as the encoding mechanism and HTTP as the transport mechanism. RPC stands for Remote Procedure Call. XMLRPC.PHP is known for its ability to edit and publish content remotely.

XML-RPC was once a common way for an offline site to connect to the main site. Administrators would edit content through XML-RPC.PHP, then trigger XMLRPC.PHP to publish the edited content.

XML-RPC was very popular in the past because content could be edited without an internet connection. Today, however, the internet and digital technology have developed strongly, so XML-RPC is no longer as common as before. With modern internet infrastructure, XML-RPC.PHP has lost its dominant position.

Learn what XML-RPC is used for

XML-RPC is divided into two main parts: the XML-RPC server and the XML-RPC client.

• XMLRPC server: is a web server, which receives encoded information from the XML-RPC client.
• XMLRPC client: is a system that uses XML to encode parameters and sends that encoded XML content to the XML-RPC server.

Depending on your purpose, you can enable or disable XML-RPC. We cover both how to enable and how to disable it so you can learn and refer to it easily.

Enabling XML-RPC in WordPress

Enabling XML-RPC is simple and quick. Just follow these steps:

1. Search for 'Control XML RPC publishing' and install it.
2. Go to Settings, then find the Write section. Next, select Remote publishing with XMLRPC Enabled.
3. Click Save changes and XML-RPC is enabled.

From here you can easily create handler functions for both the XML-RPC Server and XML-RPC Client

Why XML-RPC is rarely used

Today, XML-RPC is not recommended for WordPress. It has several limitations that get in the way of using WordPress. Its security is weak, with vulnerabilities such as:

• Pingback attacks: XML-RPC supports pingbacks and trackbacks, which show a notice in a site's comments when other sites link to its content. Hackers can exploit your XML-RPC to send a large volume of pingbacks to your site and carry out a hitting DDoS on your site.
• Brute force attacks: Each time XML-RPC makes a request, it sends the username and password to authenticate. So if a hacker sends many requests in a row with different username and password pairs, they can eventually get the correct login details. From there the hacker can access your system, delete code, insert content or even corrupt the database.

So using the XML-RPC protocol carries a higher risk of being broken into by hackers.

When using WordPress, administrators have used the WordPress REST API to remove the security weaknesses of XML-RPC. With the WordPress API, users can code directly into WordPress core. Security is much better.

How to disable WordPress xmlrpc.php

The biggest concern with XML-RPC is security. Hackers can take your system down or gain unauthorized access to it. You can disable XML-RPC with the following methods:

Disable xmlrpc.php with plugins

In the Plugins section of your website, search for Add New in the WordPress dashboard. Then look for the 'Disable XML-RPC' plugin. Once installed, it automatically runs the code needed to turn XML-RPC off.

If you don't want to turn it off completely and want to keep some features, choose 'Stop XML-RPC Attack'. It blocks XML-RPC from operating, but still allows some plugins such as Jetpack to work. You can also use Control XML-RPC Publishing to control remote XMLRPC.PHP calls.

Disable WordPress xmlrpc.php manually

Some administrators prefer not to use plugins and turn off XMLRPC.PHP themselves. This is not difficult. Just open the .htaccess file and edit it following the steps below:

# Block WordPress xmlrpc.php requests

<Files xmlrpc.php>

order deny,allow

deny from all

allow from 123.123.123.123

</Files>

XMLRPC is a protocol that is rarely used now that the internet has developed. If you want to learn more about web code and website management, website design contact Mona Media. We will design a professional website with modern features so you have a complete website.