File permission hardening in Wordpress - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - File permission hardening

Identify WordPress files and folders

↓

Check current permissions

↓

Apply recommended permissions

↓

Verify permissions applied

↓

Test site functionality

↓

Adjust if needed or finish

This flow shows checking and setting secure file permissions on WordPress files and folders step-by-step.

Execution Sample

Wordpress

find /var/www/html -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
find /var/www/html -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;
chmod 600 /var/www/html/wp-config.php

This code sets directories to 755, files to 644, and wp-config.php to 600 for security.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Target	Permission Before	Permission After	Result
1	Check directory permissions	/var/www/html/wp-content	777	755	Directories set to 755
2	Check file permissions	/var/www/html/index.php	666	644	Files set to 644
3	Secure wp-config.php	/var/www/html/wp-config.php	644	600	Config file restricted
4	Verify permissions	/var/www/html/wp-content	755	755	Permissions confirmed
5	Verify permissions	/var/www/html/wp-config.php	600	600	Permissions confirmed
6	Test site	WordPress site	N/A	N/A	Site loads correctly
7	End	N/A	N/A	N/A	File permission hardening complete

💡 All files and folders have secure permissions and site functionality verified.

Variable Tracker

Target	Initial Permission	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	Final
/var/www/html/wp-content (directories)	777	755	755	755	755
/var/www/html/index.php (files)	666	666	644	644	644
/var/www/html/wp-config.php	644	644	644	600	600

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do directories get permission 755 but files get 644?

Directories need execute permission (x) to allow entering them, so 755 (rwxr-xr-x) is used. Files don't need execute permission unless they are scripts, so 644 (rw-r--r--) is safer. See execution_table steps 1 and 2.

Why is wp-config.php set to 600 instead of 644 like other files?

wp-config.php contains sensitive info like database passwords, so it needs stricter permissions (read/write only by owner). This is shown in execution_table step 3.

What if the site breaks after changing permissions?

Check if permissions are too restrictive, especially on wp-content or wp-config.php. The last step in execution_table shows testing site functionality to catch this.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what permission does /var/www/html/index.php have after step 2?

A 644

B 666

C 755

D 600

💡 Hint

Check the 'Permission After' column for step 2 in execution_table.

At which step is wp-config.php permission changed to 600?

A Step 2

B Step 3

C Step 1

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look for the action 'Secure wp-config.php' in execution_table.

If directories were set to 700 instead of 755, what might happen?

A Files become executable

B No change, 700 is same as 755

C Site might break because web server can't access directories

D Files get deleted automatically

💡 Hint

Consider the need for execute permission on directories from key_moments and execution_table step 1.

Concept Snapshot

File permission hardening in WordPress:
- Directories: 755 (rwxr-xr-x) to allow access
- Files: 644 (rw-r--r--) for safety
- wp-config.php: 600 (rw-------) for sensitive data
- Verify permissions and test site after changes
- Prevents unauthorized file access and changes

Full Transcript

File permission hardening in WordPress means setting the right permissions on files and folders to keep the site safe. Directories get permission 755 so the server can enter them. Files get 644 so they can be read but not changed by others. The wp-config.php file is extra protected with 600 because it holds passwords. The process is: check current permissions, apply recommended ones, verify them, and test the site to make sure it still works. This stops hackers from changing or reading files they shouldn't. If permissions are too strict, the site might break, so testing is important.