Enterprise-grade Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) with support for standard Email, SendGrid API, and BaseCloud CRM Webhooks.
BaseCloud Shield is a lightweight yet powerful security plugin that enforces Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on your WordPress login page. Unlike other bloat-heavy plugins, BaseCloud Shield focuses on reliability and flexibility in OTP delivery.
This plugin may connect to external third-party services depending on your configuration. Below is a detailed explanation of what services are used, what data is sent, and when:
If you select “SendGrid API” as your delivery method in the plugin settings, this plugin will send data to SendGrid’s email service to deliver one-time password (OTP) codes.
If you select “WhatsApp” or “SMS” as delivery methods, the plugin will send data to Twilio’s API to deliver one-time password codes.
If you select “Webhook” as a delivery method, the plugin will send login notification data to a webhook URL you configure.
1.4.3
Version bump — all version references unified to 1.4.3
• All version strings (plugin header, constant, readme, changelog, package.json) set to 1.4.3
• No functional changes from 1.4.2
1.4.2
Critical Security Hardening — Credential Stuffing & OTP Abuse
This release addresses real-world credential stuffing attacks where attackers hold valid passwords for multiple accounts and use them to flood users with unsolicited OTP emails.
SECURITY FIXES:
• Credential stuffing now blocked after 2 accounts from same IP (was 3) — prevents attacker triggering OTP emails across multiple compromised accounts
• Admin alert email sent when credential stuffing is blocked: lists attacking IP, compromised account names, and recommended actions
• Individual compromise warning email sent to each affected user
• Requesting IP address shown in every OTP email with password-change warning — users can instantly identify unsolicited logins
• Account targeting alert now triggers after 2 OTP requests (was 5 + multiple IPs) — legitimate users log in once
• Eliminated duplicate log spam: locked IPs no longer generate hundreds of redundant login_failed + auto_lockout entries per blocked attempt
• Pre-OTP Attack Detection: tracks login attempts before OTP generation, blocks credential stuffing
• Progressive Delay Mechanism: exponential backoff after 3 failed attempts (5s, 10s, 20s, 40s, max 2 minutes)
• Username Enumeration Protection: masks login error messages, auto-locks IPs trying 5+ different usernames
IMPORTANT: If users receive OTPs without logging in, their passwords are compromised. Force password reset immediately.
1.4.1
Stable release — reverted to proven v1.4.0 base
• Reverted to the v1.4.0 codebase which has a reliable and working OTP authentication flow
• Experimental v2.0.0 rebuild contained a critical error in the OTP success path that caused a PHP fatal on login — this release restores full stability
• All v1.4.0 features intact: Security Webhooks, Audit Logs, IP Whitelist/Blacklist, multi-channel OTP delivery (Email, SendGrid, Webhook, WhatsApp, SMS), split-digit OTP input, brute force protection, and rate limiting
1.4.0
Major Update — Security Webhooks, Audit Logs & UI Redesign
NEW FEATURES:
• Security Event Webhook: Dedicated webhook that fires on every security event, sending IP address, user agent, event type, severity level, username, site URL and timestamp to any external endpoint (SIEM, Slack, alerting systems)
• Security Logs Panel: Full audit log viewer inside the admin with 500-event retention, severity colour-coded badges (critical / high / medium / info), per-severity filtering, and one-click “Clear Logs” with confirmation
• Split-digit OTP input: Verification screen now uses 6 individual digit boxes with auto-advance, backspace navigation, and paste support for a faster, more polished login experience
• IP address and user agent now included in OTP Webhook payload
BUG FIXES:
• Fixed critical bug: ajax_unlock_ip handler was registered but never defined — Unlock IP button now works correctly
• Fixed wildcard IP matching regex that could produce incorrect results
• Fixed OTP remaining-validity calculation when incrementing failed attempts
IMPROVEMENTS:
• Redesigned admin UI using official BaseCloud brand logo and colour system (#52C25A green)
• Tabbed admin interface: Configuration tab and Security Logs tab
• Log retention increased from 100 to 500 events
• Security event webhook fires asynchronously (non-blocking) to avoid login delays
• OTP email template redesigned with per-digit display and BaseCloud branding
• CIDR matching now validates mask range (0–32) before calculation
• All wp_remote_post webhook calls now send JSON with Content-Type header
1.3.9
Release Update
• Bug fixes and improvements
• Updated version for deployment
1.3.8
Release Update
• Bug fixes and improvements
• Updated version for deployment
1.3.7
Release Update
• Bug fixes and improvements
• Updated version for deployment
1.3.6
Release Update
• Bug fixes and improvements
• Updated version for deployment
1.3.6
Release Update
• Bug fixes and improvements
• Updated version for deployment
1.3.5
Logo & Icon Fixes
• FIXED: Broken logo image in settings page header
• FIXED: Broken menu icon – replaced with clean SVG shield icon
• IMPROVED: Integrated official BaseCloud Shield logo from main assets
• IMPROVED: Visual consistency across WordPress admin interface
1.3.4
- FIXED: Logo display in admin panel
- IMPROVED: Updated logo assets to match UTM Tracker branding
1.3.3
- NEW: Premium Glassmorphism Design with stunning glass-morphic effects
- NEW: Advanced animations (shimmer, float, glow-pulse, logo-pulse)
- IMPROVED: Enhanced logo with glowing effects and floating animation
- IMPROVED: Futuristic color scheme with deep space blues and neon green accents
- IMPROVED: Interactive elements with smooth hover effects
- IMPROVED: Matches BaseCloud UTM Tracker’s premium design language
1.3.2
Branding Update
• Replaced Lottie animation with official BaseCloud SVG logo
• Removed Lottie player dependency for lighter plugin
• Cleaner, faster admin interface
1.3.1
UI/UX Polish
• Removed placeholder text from IP Whitelist and Blacklist fields
• Cleaner, empty textareas by default
• Current IP info box remains for reference
1.3.0
Release Update
• Bug fixes and improvements
• Updated version for deployment
1.3.3
Premium UI/UX Overhaul – Glassmorphism Design
UI/UX REVOLUTION:
• Premium Glassmorphism Design: Complete admin interface redesign with stunning glass-morphic effects and backdrop blur
• Advanced Animations: Added shimmer, float, glow-pulse, and logo-pulse animations throughout interface
• Enhanced Logo Display: Upgraded to animated BaseCloud logo with glowing effects and smooth floating animation
• Futuristic Color Scheme: Deep space blues (#0a1628) with vibrant neon green accents (#4bc46a)
• Interactive Elements: Smooth hover effects, transform animations, and enhanced visual feedback on all controls
• Professional Polish: Refined typography, improved spacing, and enhanced visual hierarchy
• Consistent Branding: Now matches BaseCloud UTM Tracker’s premium design language
• Modern Aesthetics: Rounded corners, gradient backgrounds, and sophisticated shadow effects
• Enhanced Accessibility: Better contrast ratios and clearer visual states
1.3.0
Advanced IP Management & Security Controls
NEW FEATURES:
• IP Whitelist: Add trusted IPs that bypass lockout and rate limiting
– Support for exact IPs (169.0.79.28)
– Support for wildcards (192.168..)
– Support for CIDR notation (10.0.0.0/24)
– Current IP displayed for easy whitelisting
• IP Blacklist: Permanently block malicious IPs from accessing site
• Manual IP Unlock: Real-time lockout management
– View all currently locked IPs in admin panel
– See countdown timers for auto-unlock
– One-click manual unlock button
– Audit trail for all unlock actions
SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS:
• Whitelisted IPs bypass all lockout checks and rate limiting
• Blacklist check occurs before authentication processing
• Enhanced logging for whitelist/blacklist activities
• Secure AJAX endpoint for IP unlock with nonce verification
UI/UX ENHANCEMENTS:
• New “Security Controls” section in admin settings
• Real-time locked IP display with status indicators
• Color-coded security interface
• Improved admin panel organization
1.2.8
Critical Hotfix – Login Issue Resolved
CRITICAL FIX:
• Fixed “Suspicious session detected” blocking legitimate logins
• Session token now uses consistent secret (not time-based)
• Users can now successfully complete login with OTP
Improvements:
• Enhanced OTP lock mechanism to prevent duplicate generation
• Existing valid OTP reused if login attempted multiple times
• Better handling of page refreshes during OTP verification
• Reduced false positive security alerts
1.2.7
Critical Security & Bug Fix Release
CRITICAL FIX – Duplicate OTP Prevention:
• Fixed issue causing multiple duplicate OTP emails to be sent
• Implemented email deduplication across all delivery methods
• Added phone number deduplication for WhatsApp/SMS
• Enhanced recipient list processing to prevent duplicate entries
• Added 60-second OTP generation lock to prevent rapid duplicates
Enterprise-Grade Security Enhancements:
• Brute Force Protection: Maximum 5 OTP attempts before 15-minute IP lockout
• Rate Limiting: 3 OTP requests per 10-minute window per user/IP
• Cryptographically Secure OTP: Replaced rand() with random_bytes()
• Session Binding: IP address validation, User-Agent fingerprinting
• HMAC-SHA256 session tokens to prevent session fixation attacks
• CSRF Protection: WordPress nonce validation on all OTP submissions
• Enhanced Cookie Security: httponly and secure flags on all cookies
• Security Event Logging: Comprehensive audit trail (last 100 events)
• Real-Time Security Alerts: Email/webhook alerts for suspicious activity
• Timing Attack Protection: Constant-time comparisons using hash_equals()
Attack Prevention:
• OTP Interception Prevention (IP binding)
• Session Hijacking Detection (multi-factor validation)
• CSRF Attack Protection (nonce tokens)
• Replay Attack Prevention (one-time codes with metadata)
• Rate Limit Abuse Prevention (throttling)
• Brute Force Attack Blocking (auto-lockout)
Security Monitoring:
• 12 new security event types tracked and logged
• IP mismatch detection and alerting
• Session token mismatch detection
• Failed attempt tracking with remaining attempt counter
• Expired OTP usage attempt logging
• Invalid trust cookie detection
Technical Improvements:
• Enhanced IP detection (proxy, CloudFlare, load balancer support)
• OTP metadata tracking (IP, User-Agent, timestamp, attempts)
• Improved error messages with security context
• Pattern validation for numeric OTP input
• Better cookie management with expiration handling
1.2.6
Release Update
• Bug fixes and improvements
• Updated version for deployment
1.2.5
SendGrid From Email Enhancement
• Added dedicated “From Email Address” field for SendGrid configuration
• Allows customization of sender email specifically for SendGrid API
• Improved email deliverability and branding control for SendGrid users
• Defaults to site admin email if not configured
1.2.4
Lottie Logo Fix
• Fixed Lottie player script loading order to display logo properly
• Changed script loading from footer to header for immediate availability
• Resolved warning icon display issue on page load
1.2.3
Visual Enhancement
• Added animated BaseCloud logo (Lottie) to settings page header
• Logo animation loops continuously for enhanced brand presence
• Improved visual appeal and professional appearance
1.2.2
WordPress.org Compliance
• Fixed tag limit compliance (reduced to 5 tags as per WordPress.org requirements)
• Optimized tags for better plugin discoverability
1.2.1
UI/UX Improvements
• Enhanced select dropdown readability with bright green highlight for selected options
• Improved multi-select list with visible selection states
• Added hover effects and visual feedback for better user experience
• Enhanced checkbox styling with BaseCloud green accent colors
• Improved input field focus states with green border highlights
• Added text selection styling with brand colors
• Enhanced save button with glow effect and hover animation
• Better contrast and readability across all form elements
• More polished “BaseCloud” branded interface
1.2.0
Major Feature Release – Multi-Recipient & Multi-Channel Delivery
• Added Multi-Recipient System with 3 modes:
– Send to Logging-in User (default)
– Send to Manager Email (centralized notifications)
– Send to Selected Users (choose specific users from your site)
• Added Multi-Channel Delivery – select multiple delivery methods simultaneously
• Added WhatsApp integration via Twilio API
• Added SMS integration via Twilio API
• Enhanced UI with organized sections and dynamic form fields
• User selection interface with multi-select dropdown
• Auto-detection of all WordPress users on the site
• Smart routing system sends OTP to all selected recipients via all selected methods
• Phone number retrieval from user meta (billing_phone field)
• Improved settings panel layout with collapsible configuration sections
• Each delivery method now has dedicated configuration area
• Backward compatible with existing configurations
1.1.0
Internal Development Version
• Pre-release testing version
1.0.1
UI Improvements
• Updated labels and placeholders to be more generic for broader use
• Changed “BaseCloud CRM Webhook” to “Webhook” in delivery method options
• Removed BaseCloud-specific email placeholders for wider audience compatibility
• Updated version for deployment
1.0.0
- Initial Release.
- Added Central Manager Email routing.
- Added SendGrid API V3 integration.
- Added BaseCloud CRM Webhook integration.