Over the weekend, our team at MXroute discovered a significant increase in the number of WordPress websites being abused to send spam emails. The attackers are using a tactic known as "registration and password reset bombardment" to target unsuspecting email recipients.

How the Attack Works

The attackers are submitting a high volume of registration and password reset requests across numerous WordPress websites, using the email addresses of their intended victims. This results in the targeted individuals receiving a flood of unwanted emails from these WordPress sites, even though the sites themselves are not compromised.

The Importance of Rate Limiting

To protect your WordPress site from being used in these attacks, it is crucial that you implement rate limiting measures. Rate limiting helps to restrict the number of requests that can be made within a specific timeframe, making it more difficult for attackers to abuse your site's registration and password reset functionality.

By setting up proper rate limiting, you can significantly reduce the chances of your WordPress site being used to harass others via email.

Our Stance on Sender Responsibility

At MXroute, we take email abuse seriously. While we understand that website owners may not have intentionally allowed their sites to be used for these attacks, we will not hesitate to block senders that are being abused in this manner.

It is the responsibility of website owners to ensure that their sites are not being used to harass third parties. Failure to take appropriate measures to prevent such abuse may result in your sending capabilities being restricted or suspended.

Steps to Secure Your WordPress Site

To help protect your WordPress site from being abused in email spam attacks, consider implementing the following measures:

1. Enable rate limiting on registration and password reset requests
2. Use CAPTCHA or other verification methods to prevent automated form submissions
3. Regularly update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins to patch known vulnerabilities
4. Monitor your site's activity logs for suspicious behavior or high-volume requests

By taking proactive steps to secure your WordPress site, you can help maintain a safer email ecosystem for everyone.

If you suspect that your WordPress site is being abused to send spam emails, please contact our support team immediately. We are here to assist you in resolving the issue and ensuring that your site is not contributing to email abuse.