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.

WPWhiteSecurity

Melapress

<p><strong> COMPREHENSIVE WORDPRESS LOGIN SECURITY PLUGIN </strong></p>
<p><a href="https://melapress.com/wordpress-login-security/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">Melapress Login Security</a> enables you to effortlessly set login security policies that put you firmly in the driver’s seat of your WordPress sites. Policies are highly customizable and granular and can be implemented by user role or site-wide for complete control over the security of your WordPress login processes.</p>
<p>Use the free edition of Melapress Login Security to implement WordPress password requirements such as minimum length and complexity rules. The plugin also allows you to set password expiration policies, prevent password reuse, limit failed login attempts, and automatically disable inactive user accounts, among other things. This helps you:</p>
<ul>
<li>Prevent unauthorized login attempts</li>
<li>Protect against brute force attacks</li>
<li>Comply with GDPR with a login consent notice</li>
</ul>
<h3>🔐 Features list</h3>
<p>A secure WordPress login starts right here. Explore all of the features included with the free edition of <a href="https://melapress.com/wordpress-login-security" rel="nofollow ugc">Melapress Login Security</a>:</p>
<h3>Set password policies</h3>
<p>Strong passwords are your first line of defense against bad actors looking to gain access to your site. Set password requirement policies to make sure users set strong passwords. Set policies by user role or site-wide and define policy priority for users with multiple roles.</p>
<ul>
<li>Set minimum password length</li>
<li>Require uppercase and lowercase characters, numbers, and special characters</li>
<li>Set an automatic password expiration policy and advise users when their password is about to expire</li>
<li>Disallow users from reusing passwords</li>
<li>Provide users with helpful instructions during the password configuration stage</li>
<li>Disable password reset links</li>
<li>Mandate WordPress password reset on the first login</li>
</ul>
<h3>Limit login attempts</h3>
<p><a href="https://melapress.com/support/kb/melapress-login-security-failed-logins-policy-wordpress/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">Limit failed login attempts</a> and put an end to brute force attacks. Protect your login form by automatically disabling user accounts after a number of failed login attempts. Choose between manual unlocking by an admin or automatic unlocking after a cooldown period.</p>
<h3>Temporary login without password</h3>
<p>Provide temporary and secure login access to third parties, like developers, editors, employees or others, without a password. It works by providing the user with a temporary login link that expires after a certain amount of time, or after a number of uses. This prevents you from having to create new user accounts manually, while simultaneously reducing the security risks associated with old, unused user accounts.</p>
<h3>Change WordPress login URL</h3>
<p>Easily deploy security-by-obscurity tactics and change your WordPress login page URL using a plugin! Hiding the default login page from hackers makes it more difficult to find, potentially reducing brute force attacks and other unauthorized access attempts. After you change the default wp-admin URL, you can set a 404 for the old login page or redirect it to any page of your choosing.</p>
<h3>Limit login page access by IP address(es)</h3>
<p>Limit access to the WordPress login page by IP address(es) for additional security.</p>
<h3>GDPR login page consent notice</h3>
<p>Easily meet GDPR requirements by adding a GDPR consent notice to the login page. This is required for GDPR and PCI DSS compliance, thus ensuring your WordPress site login page is in compliance.</p>
<h3>Emergency password reset</h3>
<p>Discovered suspicious behavior? Reset all users’ passwords with just one click and regain instant control.</p>
<h3>Upgrade to Melapress Login Security Premium and get even more benefits.</h3>
<p>The premium edition of Melapress Login Security comes bundled with even more features, which enable you to take your WordPress website login security to the next level. Disable inactive WordPress user accounts and force passwords to be reset once accounts have been unlocked. Inactive accounts can be managed within a single dashboard for increased efficiency and faster response times. Moreover, you can set accounts to be locked out after a number of failed login attempts and customize the duration and method of unlocking them.</p>
<h3>Premium features list</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Everything included in the free edition</strong></li>
<li><strong>Manually lock user accounts</strong> to immediately prevent login access for rarely used accounts or users on extended leave</li>
<li><strong>Add an extra security layer with security questions</strong> users must answer when performing sensitive actions such as password resets and account unlocks</li>
<li><strong>Receive email alerts for unrecognized device logins</strong>, with the option to remotely terminate the session</li>
<li><strong>Control user session duration</strong> by extending or shortening session timeouts to balance security and convenience</li>
<li><strong>One-click integration with third-party plugins</strong> such as WooCommerce, LearnDash, MemberPress, and many others</li>
<li><strong>Automatically <a href="https://melapress.com/inactive-users-wordpress/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">disable inactive WordPress users</a></strong> after a configurable period of inactivity</li>
<li><strong>Apply Geo-blocking rules</strong> to allow or block login access based on specific countries</li>
<li><strong><a href="https://melapress.com/support/kb/melapress-login-security-limit-login-ips/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">Restrict users’ login to specific IP addresses</a></strong>, including support for multiple allowed IPs</li>
<li><strong><a href="https://melapress.com/support/kb/restrict-users-log-in-time-wordpress-website/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">Restrict WordPress user login times</a></strong> by day and/or hours</li>
<li><strong>Limit login credentials</strong> to email address, username, or both</li>
<li><strong>Add a GDPR consent notice</strong> to the WordPress login page</li>
<li><strong>View detailed user security reports</strong>, including last activity, password age, and expired passwords</li>
<li><strong>Receive weekly email summary reports</strong> covering password resets, password changes, user account lockouts, and more</li>
</ul>
<p>|💎 <a href="https://melapress.com/wordpress-login-security/pricing/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">UPGRADE TO PREMIUM</a> |</p>
<h3>Why you should use Melapress Login Security</h3>
<p>Melapress Login Security is a WordPress plugin built from the ground up to help you improve the security of your user accounts and secure your WordPress login. Supercharge login credentials for maximum effectiveness and put a stop to unlimited login attempts, weak passwords, and inactive users. Set up policies to reduce your attack surface area such as login times restrictions, change the WordPress login URL, and much more.</p>
<h3>Free and premium support</h3>
<p>Support for the free edition of Melapress Login Security is free on the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/melapress-login-security/" rel="ugc">WordPress support forums</a>. Premium world-class support via one-to-one email is available to the Premium users – <a href="https://melapress.com/wordpress-login-security/pricing/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">upgrade to premium</a> to benefit from priority support.</p>
<p>For any other queries, feedback, or if you simply want to get in touch with us, please use our <a href="https://melapress.com/contact/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">contact form</a>.</p>
<h4>MAINTAINED & SUPPORTED BY MELAPRESS</h4>
<p>Melapress builds high-quality WordPress security & admin plugins such as <a href="https://melapress.com/wordpress-2fa/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">WP 2FA</a>, <a href="https://melapress.com/wordpress-user-roles-editor/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">Melapress Role Editor</a>,and <a href="https://melapress.com/wordpress-activity-log/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">WP Activity Log</a>, the #1 user-rated activity log plugin for WordPress.</p>
<p><a href="https://melapress.com/?utm_source=wp+repo&utm_medium=repo+link&utm_campaign=wordpress_org&utm_content=mls" rel="nofollow ugc">Visit our website</a> to see how our plugins can help you better manage and improve the security and administration of your WordPress websites and users.</p>
<h3>Install the plugin from within WordPress</h3>
<p>Keeping a secure WordPress login page is easy with <a href="https://melapress.com/wordpress-login-security" rel="nofollow ugc">Melapress Login Security</a>. Simply:</p>
<ol>
<li>From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Add New</li>
<li>Search for “<a href="https://melapress.com/wordpress-login-security" rel="nofollow ugc">Melapress Login Security</a>”</li>
<li>Install & activate <a href="https://melapress.com/wordpress-login-security" rel="nofollow ugc">Melapress Login Security</a> from your Plugins page</li>
</ol>
<h3>Install the plugin manually (via file upload)</h3>
<ol>
<li>Download the plugin from the WordPress plugins repository</li>
<li>Unzip the zip file and upload the folder to the <code>/wp-content/plugins/</code> directory</li>
<li>Activate the Melapress Login Security plugin through the Plugins page in WordPress</li>
</ol>


Melapress Login Security

Enforce WordPress login and password security policies to protect user accounts and prevent unauthorized logins.

Web-Art Login Shield with reCAPTCHA vs Melapress Login Security