Support » Plugin: Wordfence Security - Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security » Lost two-factor authentication and recovery code

  • Resolved robertwalker

    (@robertwalker)


    Hey!
    I am very sorry that I put Two Factor On to login to my web site via Wordfence, which I lost.
    I really feel very unlucky because I kept downloading the recovery code but forgot where I kept it.
    Now I can’t login to my site in any way. Please let me know if any person or Wordfence knows how I can access my site once.
    I only have access to the C panel.
    Thanks!

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Plugin Support wfpeter

    (@wfpeter)

    Hi @robertwalker, thanks for seeking our help with this.

    I’m happy to provide you instructions on how to get back into your site. If you have lost or replaced your old phone and can no longer access your site(s), and you have misplaced the 2FA backup codes, there are two ways to get back into the site.

    The first way is if you have added the site in Wordfence Central (a free site management tool in your account on wordfence.com):

    • Login to Wordfence.com and look for the Configuration tab.
    • Click the gear icon at the end of the row that the site you need to access is on.
    • Scroll down to the Login Security Options section and expand it by clicking the small black arrow to the right.
    • In the section that says “Whitelisted IP addresses that bypass 2FA” add your public facing IP address.
      NOTE : You can get your public facing IP by clicking this link.
    • Scroll back to the top of the screen and save the changes.
    • You should now be able to login to your site with just a username and password.

    If you haven’t added your site to Wordfence Central follow these steps:

    • Please use FTP/SFTP — or any file manager your web host provides via their administration panel.
    • Look inside the /wp-content/plugins/ directory and rename the wordfence directory to wordfence.bak. This will deactivate Wordfence and allow you to login without the 2FA code.
    • Once you have logged in to your WordPress admin you can name the folder back to wordfence again.
    • Go to your user profile and add 2FA back to your account, making sure to download the backup codes in case of problems in the future.

    If you have any other trouble logging in feel free to reach out here.

    Thanks,

    Peter.

    Thread Starter robertwalker

    (@robertwalker)

    Thank you Peter! it’s working.

    Plugin Support wfpeter

    (@wfpeter)

    That’s great news @robertwalker, thanks for confirming!

    If you have any Wordfence questions in future, start a new topic and we’ll be glad to help any time.

    Peter.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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