WEB-ART Creative Design

<p>Web-Art Login Shield with reCAPTCHA is a focused security plugin that protects WordPress authentication, Elementor Login widgets and Elementor Forms against automated attacks.</p>
<p>It strengthens wp-login.php, Elementor Login and Elementor Forms by integrating Google reCAPTCHA v2 verification and optional IP-based rate limiting, without replacing or modifying WordPress core authentication logic.</p>
<p>The plugin is intentionally lightweight and transparent:<br />
– no ads<br />
– no telemetry or analytics sent to the author<br />
– no third-party dashboards provided by the plugin<br />
– no all-in-one security suite overhead</p>
<p>All login protection modules (reCAPTCHA, Login Protect, Advanced login URL) are opt-in and disabled by default.</p>
<p>Additionally, the plugin can apply a small XML-RPC hardening rule-set (disables a few high-risk XML-RPC methods) to reduce common abuse vectors. This does not disable XML-RPC completely. XML-RPC hardening is applied only when Login Protect is enabled and “Protect XML-RPC logins” is enabled.</p>
<p>Each module (reCAPTCHA, Login Protect, Advanced login URL) can be enabled independently. Elementor reCAPTCHA options require reCAPTCHA to be configured and verified.</p>
<h3>Key Features</h3>
<h4>reCAPTCHA v2 integration</h4>
<ul>
<li>reCAPTCHA v2 checkbox for wp-login.php (when enabled and IP is not allowlisted)</li>
<li>server-side token verification for WordPress login and Elementor Forms validation</li>
<li>reCAPTCHA must be verified before enabling protection</li>
</ul>
<h4>Elementor reCAPTCHA options</h4>
<ul>
<li>automatic frontend injection for Elementor Login widgets (when enabled)</li>
<li>optional frontend injection for Elementor Forms (Elementor Pro) (when enabled)</li>
<li>Custom Alignment: Ability to set Left, Center, or Right alignment for reCAPTCHA in both Elementor Login and Elementor Forms directly from plugin settings.</li>
<li>Elementor frontend scripts inject reCAPTCHA only when they detect relevant widgets/forms in the DOM (supports dynamically loaded content, popups, AJAX, etc.)</li>
<li>Google reCAPTCHA scripts are not loaded for allowlisted IPs</li>
</ul>
<h4>Whitelist IPs (reCAPTCHA)</h4>
<ul>
<li>reCAPTCHA IP allowlist (allowlisted IPs bypass reCAPTCHA checks on wp-login.php, Elementor Login and Elementor Forms; Login Protect may still apply)</li>
<li>reCAPTCHA allowlist accepts one entry per line (exact IP match only)</li>
<li>optional note format supported: IP | reason (reason is ignored for matching)</li>
</ul>
<h4>Login Protect (IP-based lockouts)</h4>
<ul>
<li>failed login attempt counting per IP address</li>
<li>timed lockouts after a configurable threshold</li>
<li>blocked IP list (lockouts expire automatically after the configured lockout time)</li>
<li>recent security event log (stored locally)</li>
<li>wp-login.php lockout UX: countdown notice and temporary submit blocking during an active lockout</li>
<li>Login Protect is independent of reCAPTCHA (can be enabled and used without reCAPTCHA enabled)</li>
<li>three practical protection modes:
<ul>
<li>MODE 1 – reCAPTCHA only</li>
<li>MODE 2 – reCAPTCHA + Login Protect</li>
<li>MODE 3 – Login Protect only</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Trusted IPs (Login Protect)</h4>
<ul>
<li>separate allowlists for reCAPTCHA and Login Protect (exact IP match only)</li>
<li>Login Protect allowlist accepts one entry per line (exact IP match only)</li>
<li>optional note format supported: IP | reason (reason is ignored for matching)</li>
</ul>
<h4>REST API and XML-RPC protection (optional)</h4>
<ul>
<li>optional protection for authentication attempts via XML-RPC and REST API (applies only when the corresponding checkbox is enabled; Login Protect must be enabled)</li>
</ul>
<h4>XML-RPC hardening (optional)</h4>
<ul>
<li>optionally disables a small set of high-risk XML-RPC methods commonly abused by attackers:
<ul>
<li>pingback.ping</li>
<li>pingback.extensions.getPingbacks</li>
<li>system.multicall</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>XML-RPC hardening is applied only when Login Protect is enabled and “Protect XML-RPC logins” is enabled<br />
This reduces abuse without disabling XML-RPC entirely.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Advanced login URL (optional)</h4>
<ul>
<li>single toggle enables Advanced login behavior</li>
<li>custom login endpoint (rewrites requests to the standard WordPress login handler without altering core authentication logic)</li>
<li>when Advanced is enabled, wp-login.php and wp-admin are protected for non-authenticated visitors</li>
<li>protection behavior is configured via two required fields:
<ul>
<li>Custom login URL slug (example: “secure-login-1234”)</li>
<li>Default redirect slug (recommended: “404” to display the active theme’s 404 page)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>both fields are required when Advanced is enabled (saving is blocked if any field is empty)</li>
<li>if fields are empty when enabling Advanced, the plugin auto-generates a secure random login slug and sets the redirect slug to the recommended default</li>
<li>protection applies only to non-authenticated users (logged-in users can still access wp-admin and wp-login.php)</li>
<li>safe fallback handling to avoid logout loops (wp-login.php?action=logout remains accessible)</li>
</ul>
<h4>IP Blocking (Site-wide)</h4>
<ul>
<li>single toggle enables site-wide IP blocking</li>
<li>permanently blocks selected IP addresses from accessing the entire site (returns HTTP 403)</li>
<li>blocklist accepts one entry per line (exact IP match only)</li>
<li>optional note format supported: IP | reason (reason is ignored for matching)</li>
<li>recommended use cases: persistent abuse, scraping, hostile bots, repeated attacks not covered by login-only protection</li>
<li>warning: do not add your own IP address unless you have alternative access (hosting panel / WP-CLI / database access) to remove the entry</li>
</ul>
<h3>Technical Design Principles</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Fail-closed security model (scoped)<br />
If reCAPTCHA verification cannot be completed and reCAPTCHA protection is enabled for the given login or form, the request is rejected to reduce the risk of automated bypass.<br />
Administrators can always regain access by disabling the feature in plugin settings or by deactivating the plugin via hosting or FTP.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Non-intrusive defaults<br />
Login protection modules remain disabled until explicitly enabled by an administrator.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Conflict awareness<br />
If another plugin injects reCAPTCHA into login or form flows, it should be disabled to avoid duplicate widgets or verification conflicts.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Emergency config kill-switches (wp-config.php)<br />
For recovery scenarios (e.g. accidental lockouts), selected modules can be force-disabled via wp-config.php constants. This does not bypass security rules; it disables the module logic before it runs. Remove the constant to restore normal behavior.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>External Services</h3>
<p>This plugin integrates with Google reCAPTCHA v2, an external service provided by Google LLC.</p>
<p>reCAPTCHA features are disabled by default. The plugin does not load reCAPTCHA scripts or send verification requests unless an administrator enables reCAPTCHA protection and/or uses the “Verify reCAPTCHA” test in the plugin settings.</p>
<p>Google’s reCAPTCHA JavaScript (https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js) may be loaded on:<br />
– wp-login.php (when reCAPTCHA is enabled and the visitor IP is not allowlisted)<br />
– the frontend (when Elementor Login protection is enabled and a non-allowlisted visitor loads the page; injection occurs only if Elementor Login widgets are detected in the DOM)<br />
– the frontend (when Elementor Forms protection is enabled and a non-allowlisted visitor loads the page; injection occurs only for Elementor Forms)<br />
– the plugin settings page only when an administrator runs the “Verify reCAPTCHA” test (if provided in the UI)</p>
<p>When a visitor (or admin during verification) completes the reCAPTCHA challenge:<br />
– a verification token (g-recaptcha-response) is generated in the browser<br />
– during server-side verification on your website, the token and the configured Secret Key are sent to:<br />
  https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/siteverify<br />
– the visitor’s IP address is sent to Google as the remoteip parameter when it is available on the server</p>
<p>The plugin sends the g-recaptcha-response token to Google only when the protected form is submitted (login attempt / form submission) or when an administrator runs the “Verify reCAPTCHA” test.<br />
The plugin does not send usernames, passwords, email addresses, or any form field contents to Google – only the reCAPTCHA token, the configured Secret Key, and the visitor IP address (remoteip) when available.</p>
<p>The plugin does not store or process any data returned by Google beyond the verification result, and it does not send any telemetry, analytics, or usage data to the plugin author.</p>
<p>Note: Google reCAPTCHA may set cookies and collect additional device and usage data in the visitor’s browser, as described in Google’s privacy policy and terms. Site owners are responsible for disclosing this in their site privacy policy and obtaining consent where required by applicable law.</p>
<p>Google privacy policies apply:<br />
– https://policies.google.com/privacy<br />
– https://policies.google.com/terms</p>
<h3>Privacy</h3>
<p>This plugin does not send telemetry, analytics or usage data to the plugin author or any third party.</p>
<p>Local data stored by the plugin (for security purposes only):<br />
– IP addresses related to login attempts / lockouts (Login Protect)<br />
– timestamps of failed attempts and lockouts<br />
– last username associated with a locked IP (Login Protect)<br />
– recent security event log entries (the plugin stores up to the last 30 events; entries rotate automatically)<br />
– last reCAPTCHA configuration or HTTP error (for admin diagnostics)<br />
– permanent site-wide IP blocklist entries (optional notes stored; notes are not used for matching)</p>
<p>Data retention:<br />
– security event log keeps only the most recent entries (up to 30; automatic rotation)<br />
– Login Protect state is stored locally and is automatically pruned (e.g. stale non-locked entries are removed over time and the list is capped)<br />
– permanent site-wide IP blocklist entries are retained until removed by an administrator<br />
– plugin data can be removed during uninstall if the uninstall cleanup option is enabled</p>
<p>All data is stored locally in the WordPress database and is used solely to enforce security rules and display administrative information.</p>
<h3>Legal</h3>
<p>reCAPTCHA is a trademark of Google LLC.<br />
Elementor is a trademark of Elementor Ltd.<br />
This plugin is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google LLC or Elementor Ltd.</p>


Web-Art Login Shield with reCAPTCHA

Protect WordPress logins and Elementor Login/Forms using Google reCAPTCHA v2 and optional IP-based lockouts.

GuardGiant brute force protection

<p>The only plugin with 100% brute force protection that doesn’t lock out genuine users.</p>
<h4>Brute Force Protection</h4>
<p>This security plugin implements an approach used by large websites such as Facebook, Google etc.</p>
<p>When a genuine user makes a successful login to their account using their mobile phone, tablet, or computer GuardGiant starts treating their device as Trusted.</p>
<ul>
<li>Failed login attempts from trusted devices are directed towards ‘Lost Password’ forms rather than being subject to account lockouts or additional counter measures.</li>
<li>Users receive an alert when anyone logs into their account from an unrecognized device or browser.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Stop Hackers</h4>
<p>GuardGiant uses a range of strong counter-measures to limit login attempts from unrecognized devices. The default behaviour is:</p>
<ul>
<li>After 3 failed login attempts from the same unrecognized device, a Google ReCaptcha field is added to the login page. ReCaptcha is a strong counter-measure that is very hard for an automated process to solve.</li>
<li>After 10 failed login attempts a temporary block of 2 minutes is applied to the device/IP address. No login attempts can be made during this time.</li>
<li>Each further failed login attempt increases the block time by another minute. This slows down attacks to the point where they quickly become unviable.</li>
</ul>
<p>All behavior is fully customizable to achieve the level of brute force protection that you require.</p>
<h4>Login History</h4>
<p>A fully featured security log gives you visibility to login attempts on your site.</p>
<ul>
<li>Provides geographic location, device type, IP address and more for each login attempt.</li>
<li>Filter login attempts by Trusted or Unrecognized devices.</li>
<li>Search by IP address or username.</li>
<li>Filter by successful or failed attempts.</li>
<li>Easy to display successful logins from unrecognized devices that could indicate a hacked account.</li>
</ul>
<p>This login history  log should form an essential part of your brute force login protection plan. GDPR compliant.</p>
<h4>Other Login Security Improvements</h4>
<p>This security plugin implements various improvements recommended by the Open Web Application Security Project® (OWASP) to keep your site safe:</p>
<ul>
<li>Obfuscates login errors to stop hackers detecting valid account names.</li>
<li>Option to disable XMLRPC.</li>
<li>And much, much more.</li>
</ul>
<p>This security plugin is exceptionally easy to use no matter what your level of technical expertise.</p>
<p>The default settings are highly optimized, designed to prevent brute force attacks whilst not disturbing genuine users from logging in. Advanced users can fully customize the behavior of this plugin to suit their own environment.</p>
<h4>Login Security Plugin – Background Information</h4>
<p>The most common threat that WordPress site owners face is a password guessing attack known as a brute force attack.<br />
A brute force attack is where an attacker uses a brute force tool (or script) to discover your password by systematically trying every possible combination of letters, numbers, and symbols until the correct password is found. A brute force attack will always work eventually, but the problem for the brute force attacker is that it may take many years to do it.</p>
<p>Brute force prevention techniques focus on slowing down these attacks to the point where they become unviable.</p>
<p>Using long and complex passwords (that are not dictionary words) is a good brute force attack prevention method to start with. This greatly increases the time an attacker will need.</p>
<p>A common way to stop brute force attacks is to lock out the WordPress account after a defined number of failed authorization attempts (there are various brute force plugins that do this).<br />
The problem with this approach is that the site administrator ends up with unhappy users who have been locked out, often needing manual intervention to regain access. This is not sustainable or desirable for sites of any size.</p>
<p>The modern approach to brute force prevention is to track the devices that genuine users use to log in, ensuring they are always treated kindly if they forget their password. Unrecognized devices face a progressive but temporary timed lockout.</p>
<h4>Stop Brute Force Attacks</h4>
<p>Periodic monitoring of your security audit log can help you stop brute force attacks.</p>
<p>Here are patterns that indicate a brute force attack or some other account abuse:</p>
<ul>
<li>Failed login attempts using alphabetically sequential usernames or passwords</li>
<li>Multiple different usernames being used by the same IP address</li>
<li>Logins for a single account coming from many different IP addresses</li>
<li>Failed logins at a specific period e.g. every 5 minutes</li>
</ul>


WordPress Brute Force Protection – Stop Brute Force Attacks

The only plugin with 100% brute force protection that doesn't lock out genuine users.

Web-Art Login Shield with reCAPTCHA vs WordPress Brute Force Protection – Stop Brute Force Attacks