Hello WordPress Community,
I am experiencing issues with reCAPTCHA v3 in Wordfence Login Security, where multiple users are unable to log in due to the error “CAPTCHA EXPIRED” or getting locked out. This issue occurs across multiple browsers, but is particularly problematic in Safari (both macOS and iOS, especially in Private Mode). Below, I outline the problem, the steps taken so far, and my system details.
Issue Description:
? reCAPTCHA v3 is enabled in Wordfence Login Security to prevent bot logins.
? Users across different browsers (Safari, Firefox, and sometimes Edge) experience “CAPTCHA EXPIRED” when trying to log in.
? Safari users in Private Mode are the most affected, but even in normal browsing mode, the issue is inconsistent.
? The problem does not always occur in Chrome, though some users have reported intermittent failures.
? Disabling reCAPTCHA v3 in Wordfence allows users to log in without issues, confirming that reCAPTCHA is the source of the problem.
Steps Taken to Troubleshoot:
1. Checked Plugin and WordPress Versions:
? WordPress, Wordfence, and all plugins are updated to the latest versions.
? PHP version: 8.0
? MySQL version: 5.7
? No errors in the WordPress debug log.
2. Confirmed Caching is Not Causing Conflicts:
? W3 Total Cache settings checked – login page and wp-login.php are excluded from caching.
? Object Cache and Database Cache are disabled.
? Minify settings adjusted to exclude recaptcha/api.js to ensure it loads properly.
3. Investigated Browser-Specific Issues:
? The issue occurs most frequently in Safari (especially in Private Mode) but has also been reported in Firefox and Edge.
? In Safari, toggling “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking” temporarily fixes the issue, but requiring users to change their browser settings is not ideal.
? Clearing cache and cookies in all affected browsers did not resolve the issue.
? Confirmed that the reCAPTCHA v3 badge appears in the bottom corner, meaning the script is loading properly.
4. Tried Adjusting reCAPTCHA Settings in Wordfence:
? Lowered the reCAPTCHA v3 threshold to make it less sensitive to low scores.
? Tested in Test Mode to log reCAPTCHA scores—affected users often receive very low scores (0.0 - 0.1), which may trigger login restrictions.
? No issues with reCAPTCHA key or secret—no invalid key errors in Wordfence logs.
Questions:
1. Why is reCAPTCHA v3 failing or expiring across multiple browsers, particularly in Safari, Firefox, and Edge?
2. Is there a way to configure Wordfence reCAPTCHA v3 to work properly in Safari Private Mode and prevent other browsers from being affected?
3. Are there known conflicts between Wordfence reCAPTCHA and privacy-focused browser settings (e.g., cross-site tracking prevention, cookie handling)?
4. Would switching to reCAPTCHA v2 (checkbox) or an alternative like Cloudflare Turnstile improve compatibility?
5. Are there specific server or security headers that could be adjusted to prevent browsers from blocking reCAPTCHA verification?
I would appreciate any guidance on resolving this issue. Let me know if you need additional details.
Thanks in advance for your help!
]]>(My situation is that a customer has two websites, one with the free version and one with the pro version. The hoster complains about the free version even if the fixed update was already installed. They offer a “Scan + Repair” function and I fear they might delete the free plugin and thus break the site.)
So my strong suggestion is, that you use different plugins names for the two different versions. Basically all vulnerability databases depend on a unique plugin name. This could be download-manager
and download-manager-pro
which makes it obvious, that they are different plugins. Other plugins do this as well (i.e. Solid Security, Yoast SEO, etc.).
i stumbled over this weird problem. We use this Plugin for different reasons and wanted to enable 2FA to make the website more secure.
This way a user has to login with username and password and use an authenticator app in addition.
Here is the problem: whatever i type into the password field i get redirected to the 2FA page and succesfully log in without ever having to put in the normal account password.
This is a major security risk since people no longer need the password.
I tested this on another website too just to check if custom code is in conflict but got the same effect.
Am i missing something here or does this just skip the password validation?
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