Title: strpos(): Empty needle in
Last modified: February 4, 2021

---

# strpos(): Empty needle in

 *  [EMar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sounds/)
 * (@sounds)
 * [5 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strpos-empty-needle-in/)
 * Hi,
 * Upgraded wordpress and can’t access admin area, can’t edit pages.
 * Forbidden
    You don’t have permission to access /main/wp-admin/post.php on this
   server.
 * Found this in the site error.log
    strpos(): Empty needle in /home/user/public_html/
   main/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 687

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

 *  Thread Starter [EMar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sounds/)
 * (@sounds)
 * [5 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strpos-empty-needle-in/#post-14005173)
 * I renamed the plugins folder but no luck,
 * I went into Centos Web Panel and went to CWP Mod Security Configuration
    Ticked
   Off for mod security and now I am able to access the site. But I can’t leave 
   mod security disabled can I? I want o fix it.
 * While I’m able to access the wp admin area, I downloaded my .htaccess
    then deleted
   it from the wp installation, and recreated it in Permalink Settings,
 * I then enabled mod security again in CWP, site inaccessible again.
 * Also tried disabling all plugins from wp admin, no luck.
 * Also if I click Check IP in CWP Mod Security Configuration, I get:
    IP not found
   in /usr/local/apache/domlogs/domain.ie.error.log
 * I looked in that error log and see this:
 * Pattern match “([\\\\~\\\\!\\\\@\\\\#\\\\$\\\\%\\\\^\\\\&\\\\*\\\\(\\\\)\\\\-\\\\
   +\\\\=\\\\{\\\\}\\\\[\\\\]\\\\|\\\\:\\\\;\\”\\\\’\\\\\\xc2\\xb4\\\\\\xe2\\x80\\
   x99\\\\\\xe2\\x80\\x98\\\\`\\\\<\\\\>].*?){8,}” at REQUEST_COOKIES:wp-settings-
   1. [file “/usr/local/apache/modsecurity-owasp-old/base_rules/modsecurity_crs_41_sql_injection_attacks.
   conf”] [line “157”] [id “981172”] [rev “2”] [msg “Restricted SQL Character Anomaly
   Detection Alert – Total # of special characters exceeded”] [data “Matched Data:&
   found within REQUEST_COOKIES:wp-settings-1: libraryContent=browse&editor=tinymce&
   hidetb=1&advImgDetails=show&mfold=o”] [ver “OWASP_CRS/2.2.9”] [maturity “9”] [
   accuracy “8”] [tag “OWASP_CRS/WEB_ATTACK/SQL_INJECTION”] [hostname “www.domain.
   ie”] [uri “/main/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php”] [unique_id “YBx2vFQAhI@7FrxHy28emwAAAFU”],
   referer: [https://www.domain.ie/main/wp-admin/post.php?post=2&action=edit](https://www.domain.ie/main/wp-admin/post.php?post=2&action=edit)
 * Would that be the issue ?
 * Should I add anything to Edit mod security rules for this website?
 * Any pointers appreciated.
    -  This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by [EMar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sounds/).
    -  This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by [EMar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sounds/).
 *  Thread Starter [EMar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sounds/)
 * (@sounds)
 * [5 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strpos-empty-needle-in/#post-14005393)
 * I found another solution,
 * In Centos web panel, go to Security > Mode Security,
 * In ModSec Rules Profile,
    Changed from: OWASP Latest (Old Rules come as default
   with CWP) To: OWASP Latest (Latest with automatic updates).
 * Enabled mod security again in CWP, now I can access site.

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

The topic ‘strpos(): Empty needle in’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 2 replies
 * 1 participant
 * Last reply from: [EMar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sounds/)
 * Last activity: [5 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strpos-empty-needle-in/#post-14005393)
 * Status: not resolved

## Topics

### Topics with no replies

### Non-support topics

### Resolved topics

### Unresolved topics

### All topics