Description
Techbox Firewall is a fast, lightweight Web Application Firewall (WAF) for WordPress. It inspects every
request and blocks common attacks — SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), remote code execution,
directory traversal, malicious bots, and bad requests.
Techbox Firewall is part of the Techbox Shield family and is designed to pair with
Techbox Login Security for complete front-door
protection: the firewall stops malicious requests, while Login Security guards the login itself.
What you get
- WordPress-layer WAF — loads early and screens every request, on any host, no
.htaccessor server
changes required. - Core attack rules — SQL injection, XSS, RCE, LFI/RFI, path traversal, malicious user-agents and
bad bots, and anomalous requests. - Signed rule updates — optional (off by default); enable weekly or daily when you want fresher rules, verified before apply.
- Learning mode — on by default so you can watch and log before you enforce.
- IP allow / block lists — block known-bad addresses and allow-list your own office or VPN.
- Activity log — see exactly what was blocked and why, with a clean, plain-English record.
- Safe-mode recovery — a built-in way back if a rule or setting ever gets in your way.
Built for real people, not just developers
Security software is often written for experts. Techbox Firewall is different: smart defaults,
plain-English settings, and a clear view of what it is blocking — so first-time site owners and seasoned
agencies both feel at home.
Privacy
Firewall logs, IP lists, and settings stay on your WordPress site. Logs may include IP addresses,
request paths, and matched rule IDs so you can audit blocks — remove or restrict access if your
policies require it.
Our website Privacy Policy: https://techboxdesign.com/privacy-policy/
External services
This plugin can optionally download fresher attack-detection signatures from a feed service
operated by Techbox Design. It is off on a fresh install and stays off until you switch it on.
- Service:
https://feeds.techboxdesign.com/firewall/v1/— a JSON signature document plus a
detached signature file. - When: Only after an administrator turns on Allow this site to contact the Techbox
signature feed under Firewall Rule updates. With that off, the plugin makes no request to
the service at all, from any trigger. With it on, you choose between manual checks only, weekly,
or daily. - Data sent: An ordinary HTTPS GET via the WordPress HTTP API. No account, no licence key, and
no visitor personal data. - What comes back: Detection signature data — a match expression per entry, plus a category,
a score, and which parts of a request to inspect. Every field is validated against an allow-list
and the document’s signature is verified before anything is stored. Nothing downloaded is
executed, evaluated, included, or unserialised, and no plugin, theme, or add-on is installed or
updated by this service. Plugin updates come from WordPress.org only. - If it is unavailable: The signatures bundled with the plugin are always active, so protection
does not depend on this service being reachable or enabled. - Terms of Use: https://techboxdesign.com/terms-and-conditions/ (see “Optional signed rule
feed”) - Privacy Policy: https://techboxdesign.com/privacy-policy/
You can withdraw permission at any time; doing so also cancels any schedule.
Third-party notices
This plugin may receive translated derivatives of the OWASP Core Rule Set
(Apache License 2.0) through its signed rule feed. Upstream project:
https://github.com/coreruleset/coreruleset — copyright CRS project contributors; see the upstream
LICENSE for the full Apache License 2.0 text. We do not embed ModSecurity; only portable
signatures are translated into Techbox’s JSON rule format and delivered via the signed feed.
Installation
- Upload the plugin to
/wp-content/plugins/or install it from the Plugins screen in WordPress. - Activate Techbox Firewall through the Plugins menu.
- Open Techbox Firewall in the admin sidebar. Screening starts in Monitor mode on the Basic
protection level — requests are logged, not blocked, until you switch to Enforce. - Allow-list your IP under IP Access, review the Logs, then turn on Enforce when ready.
FAQ
-
Will this break my site or block real visitors?
-
Techbox Firewall ships with conservative defaults and a learning mode so you can review what it would
block before it enforces anything. If a rule ever gets in your way, a safe-mode recovery option and
per-rule controls let you fix it quickly. -
Does it work on any host?
-
Yes. Techbox Firewall runs inside WordPress (no
.htaccessor server configuration needed), so it works
on shared, managed, and VPS hosting alike. -
Do I still need a login security plugin?
-
A firewall and login protection solve different problems. Techbox Firewall blocks malicious requests;
Techbox Login Security protects the login itself
(limit login attempts, lockouts, activity logging). They are designed to work together.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“Techbox Firewall” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
ContributorsTranslate “Techbox Firewall” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.3
- Log retention now keeps events for the full 1–365 days offered in settings.
- Choose which header carries the visitor IP behind a proxy or CDN, or leave it on automatic detection.
- The optional rule feed now asks before its first check and names the service it contacts.
- The IP block list explains what it does in the firewall mode you are actually running.
- Security and reliability hardening.
- Compatibility fixes for recent WordPress releases.
1.0.2
- Harden admin output escaping.
1.0.1
- Document Privacy Policy and Terms links for the optional signed rule feed.
- Point Plugin URI at the WordPress.org listing and trim outbound marketing links.
1.0.0
- First public release: WordPress-layer WAF with Basic / Balanced / Strict levels.
- Ships in Monitor mode on Basic by default; switch to Enforce when ready.
- Optional signed rule feed (off by default; weekly or daily when enabled), seed fallback, IP lists, logs, and safe-mode recovery.