kimipooh

WordPress redirects /?author=(number) to /author/(userID) if the author id exists. This is the security vulnerability because an internet user might be able to know all User ID and the user name in a website using WordPress.
If you can control the configuration of a web server, you had better use the rewrite rule (Search as “Block Author URLs”) for reducing the system load of WordPress.
The plugin prevents the security vulnerability regarding the author archive redirection.
Detailed Behavior 
1. It isn’t applied in the admin dashboard. 
2. If “author” query in URL (QUERY_STRING) exists, displays 404 error. 
3. If “/author/” in REQUEST_URI involves, redirects to the top page. 
4. Apply to the “redirect_canonical” hook, too.

Disable Author Archive Redirection

The plugin disables the author archive redirection.

Brandon Allen

This plugin allows full control of your user permalinks, allowing you to change both the author base (the ‘/author/’ portion of the author URLs), and the author slug (defaults to the username of the author). You can set the author base globally, or you can set it to be user-specific based on a user’s role. You now have the power to craft the perfect URL structure for you Author pages.
WordPress default structure http://example.com/author/username/.
Edit Author Slug allows for http://example.com/ninja/master-ninja/.
Using a role-based author base would allow for http://example.com/ida/master-splinter/ (for an Administrator Role), or http://example.com/koga/leonardo/ (for a Subscriber Role).
Development of this plugin takes place on <a href="https://github.com/thebrandonallen/edit-author-slug/" title="Edit Author Slug on Github" rel="nofollow ugc">GitHub</a>. Pull requests are always welcome!
Translations should be submitted to <a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/edit-author-slug" rel="nofollow ugc">Translate WordPress</a>.

Edit Author Slug

Allows an admin (or capable user) to edit the author slug of a user, and change the author base.

Disable Author Archive Redirection vs Edit Author Slug