SimplePie appears to have killed my dashboard

  • Today one of my users told me that they couldn’t access their WP dashboard. I tried too and was faced with a 500 error.

    I logged errors to a file and saw that I was generating the same error each time I tried logging in:

    [17-Jan-2018 14:29:06 UTC] PHP Warning: array_splice() expects parameter 1 to be array, string given in /home/sites/xxxxx.com/public_html/wp-includes/SimplePie/Cache/favicon_28b6d6.ico(107) : eval()’d code(165) : eval()’d code(203) : eval()’d code on line 206
    [17-Jan-2018 14:29:06 UTC] PHP Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/sites/xxxxx.com/public_html/wp-includes/SimplePie/Cache/favicon_28b6d6.ico(107) : eval()’d code(165) : eval()’d code(203) : eval()’d code on line 207

    I had never heard of SimplePie and upon researching it found that it is bundled as part of the vanilla WP install. A plugin that isn’t a plugin! I certainly don’t use any of its functionality. There is nothing I do which is remotely RSS-y.

    I have Googled and Googled, followed tips for increasing memory limit, for changing directory names of offending plugins, for deactivating all my plugins by removing the appropriate string from my DB – all sorts. Nothing helps.

    The actual website is fine and unaffected. It’s just the /wp-admin/ that returns the 500 error.

    Can anyone help at all please?

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

  • A plugin that isn’t a plugin!

    SimplePie isn’t a plugin. It’s an open source RSS feed parser (bundle of code).

    There is nothing I do which is remotely RSS-y.

    You run WordPress -which by default creates an RSS feed from your content and allows you to publish RSS feeds from other sites. This is part of WordPress core.

    Looking at the above message, it looks like you either have a corrupted file or you’re trying to pull (publish) a very badly created RSS feed. Try re-uploading all files & folders – except the root wp-config.php & .htaccess files and the wp-content folder – from a fresh download of WordPress. Make sure that you delete the old copies of files & folders before uploading the new ones.

    Thread Starter brothergilligan

    (@brothergilligan)

    Thanks for your reply esmi.

    Yes, for sure I take your points re plugins and rss. Isn’t it still strange though that outwardly the site works fine, and that it is only the /wp-admin that is returning the 500 error. I would have expected the rss issue to be on published content and to bring down the published site.

    I’m looking at having to do exactly as you suggest and re-chassis everything onto a fresh install, and would rather avoid it if possible.

    Any other thoughts greatly welcomed.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • The topic ‘SimplePie appears to have killed my dashboard’ is closed to new replies.