• Resolved davehprohoods

    (@davehprohoods)


    I just read a BBC article about the WordPress botnet attacking sites using the “admin” username, only to discover that I can’t change that admin username:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22152296

    We have multi-site enabled, and any user that has the name “admin” we can’t change, including the network super-user (which I have to enable on each site to get to show in the My Sites list).

    What is going on? Am I supposed to disable those users (edit: can’t disable them!), create a new admin user with a different username, create a new super user, etc? What a complicated mess.

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    ?????? Advisor and Activist

    Yeah, editing the admin username on Multisite is a PITA, sorry about that.

    You should only have ONE username of admin, though, and in all likelihood, it’s your Super Admin. Users with the ROLE of admin are okay. We’re only talking about ID #1, the admin.

    As long as you’re using a secure password and your server has protection, you’re going to be okay. If you want to change the super admin name for Multisite:

    1) Create a new user ID to be the new super-admin (in this example, the id is superman)
    2) Make this user (superman) a super admin
    3) Log out as admin and log in as superman
    4) Remove SuperAdmin access from admin

    Now you can delete Admin, and you should be prompted to associate all posts made by Admin with another user ID for every blog where Admin has made a post.

    Thread Starter davehprohoods

    (@davehprohoods)

    Thank you!

    There is actually a much easier way to do this! You can use a plugin called “Better WP Security” which allows you to do it with one click of a button. I have done this on several of my sites with ease and no complications

    If you don’t need any of the other functionality of that great plugin you can simple deactivate it completely after you are done changing the admin username. Works like a charm!

    Mike

    Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    ?????? Advisor and Activist

    Mike – have you tested it on Multisite specifically?

    Hi Mika! ??

    Yes, I actually run about 4 multisite networks and I have tried this plugin on all 4 of them to change the super admin username with no issues or complications (thankfully)

    Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    ?????? Advisor and Activist

    Well now that’s cool. I’ll have to test this ?? I don’t generally like using a plugin for this (I did mine manually via the DB, but I’m a high level Half-Elf…)

    Haha yes I read your site from time to time ?? You are an amazing help! I have been creating networks for 3 years now but I haven’t ever poked my head in here on the forums but decided since I enjoy helping those I know I should try helping those I don’t!

    Btw, the Admin user name change plugin (cant remember the author) broke my site for a brief period but I was able to get it back so please don’t try that one. The one that works is “Better WP Security”

    I gather the main idea is to stop someone wanting to hack into your blog, since the first username they’ll try is “admin”.

    OK, what’s to prevent them from simply going to any page and seeing who’s posting? (Assuming admin posts under that name).

    Seems to me, to make this work, sole users like me would have to post under one name, and log in under a secret name.

    Thread Starter davehprohoods

    (@davehprohoods)

    Your author name shows on the site not your username if it’s different.

    How do I stop tracking this? I just got notified through email of the last post even though I didn’t for the other ones.

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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