Hey folks!

In the Linux Kali distro, there's a nifty tool called WPScan - a WordPress Security Scanner crafted by the WPScan Team. This utility crawls a WordPress-based site to gather intel, including plugin and theme versions, system info, and more. However, it doesn't seem to reveal the WordPress admin login credentials.

By default, the admin login is set to 'admin', but it's usually changed to something more secure. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a black hat trying to exploit vulnerabilities; I'm just curious about the security landscape.

Recently, there's been buzz about a new botnet, GoTrim, that's been wreaking havoc on WordPress sites. This bot allegedly uses a dictionary attack to brute-force its way into admin panels, leveraging a list of stolen login credentials to gain unauthorized access.

My question is: Is it feasible to discover the WordPress admin login if it's not publicly exposed, and SQL injection attacks are blocked by a Web Application Firewall (WAF)? Looking forward to your insights!

WPScan is an excellent tool for reconnaissance, but it's not designed to crаck admin login credentials. Its primary focus is on identifying vulnerabilities, plugin and theme versions, and system information to help you harden your WordPress site.

Now, regarding the GoTrim botnet, it's a classic example of a brute-force attack, which relies on a dictionary attack to guess login credentials. This approach can be effective, especially when combined with stolen login credentials. However, if the admin login is not publicly exposed, and SQL injection attacks are blocked by a WAF, the attack surface is significantly reduced.

In this scenario, discovering the WordPress admin login credentials becomes much more challenging. Here's why:

Brute-force attacks are rate-limited: Most WAFs, including those offered by popular hosting providers, implement rate limiting to prevent excessive login attempts. This makes it difficult for an attacker to launch a successful brute-force attack.
Dictionary attacks are limited by password complexity: If the admin login password is strong and unique, a dictionary attack is unlikely to succeed. Modern password hashing algorithms, such as bcrypt, make it computationally expensive to crаck passwords using brute force.
WAFs block SQL injection attacks: By blocking SQL injection attacks, the WAF prevents an attacker from exploiting vulnerabilities in the WordPress database to gain access to the admin login credentials.
That being said, it's not impossible to discover the WordPress admin login credentials, but it would require a more sophisticated approach. Here are a few potential vectors:

Phishing or social engineering: An attacker could try to trick the site administrator into revealing their login credentials through a phishing email or social engineering tactics.
Exploiting a zero-day vulnerability: If an attacker discovers a previously unknown vulnerability in WordPress or a plugin/theme, they might be able to exploit it to gain access to the admin login credentials.
Insufficient password storage: If the password is stored in plaintext or using a weak hashing algorithm, an attacker might be able to obtain the password through other means, such as a data breach or insider threat.

While it's not impossible to discover the WordPress admin login credentials, the likelihood of success is significantly reduced when they're not publicly exposed and SQL injection attacks are blocked by a WAF. As a security-conscious individual, it's essential to maintain strong, unique passwords, keep your WordPress site and plugins/themes up-to-date, and implement robust security measures to protect against brute-force attacks.

Hackers can be a quirky bunch, always pushing for a login overhaul. But let's get real, folks - if you're still rocking an 'admin' login with the same password across hundreds of sites, you're basically begging to get pwned. I mean, I could give you the password and a list of domains, but that wouldn't exactly be a game-changer.

The real low-hanging fruit here is to lock down access to the /wp-admin/ folder and /wp-login.php file. By doing so, you'll be effectively shutting the door on potential threats. So, instead of changing the login, focus on hardening your WordPress installation by restricting access to these critical files.

Beyond mere login credentials, crаcking the password remains a pivotal hurdle. Implementing a CAPTCHA mechanism for admin authentication significantly elevates the security posture, effectively rendering brute-force attacks futile.
Moreover, it's crucial to scrutinize default and popular login combinations, as these are often the primary targets for malicious actors. In the realm of web security, a robust defense strategy entails a multi-layered approach, incorporating measures such as rate limiting, IP blocking, and two-factor authentication (2FA) to thwart unauthorized access.