Encountered Verification Issue

  • Rajat Singh

    (@couponzania)


    3 weeks, 5 days ago

    Overall Experience

    I want to start by saying that BotBlocker Security is an excellent plugin. The core security logic and the level of protection it provides are impressive. I truly appreciate the work put into this product as it offers a very solid defense layer for WordPress sites.Technical Feedback

    I recently used the plugin and found the security features to be top-tier. However, I encountered a few persistent technical hurdles during the browser verification phase that eventually forced me to deactivate it:

    • Asset Loading: The “Eagle” icons in the challenge UI frequently fail to render, showing a broken icon instead of the graphic.
    • Verification Loop: The “Checking your browser” screen often hangs indefinitely. It does not progress to the site automatically, and I found that a manual page reload is almost always required to move forward.
    • User Friction: Because of the loading screen getting stuck, the barrier for entry became too high for regular visitors.

    Closing Thoughts

    I genuinely loved the product and the peace of mind it offered, but I had to remove it for now due to these specific stability issues with the CAPTCHA and verification flow.

    I am sharing this in hopes that these items can be investigated and refined in a future update. I would be very eager to reinstall and use this plugin again once the browser checking process is more seamless.

    Keep up the great work on the core security engine!

    The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
  • Plugin Author Yevhen Leonidov

    (@globusstudio)

    3 weeks, 5 days ago

    Thank you very much for your detailed review and for using BotBlocker Security.
    We are very pleased to hear that you appreciate the core protection and the concept of the plugin itself.

    Regarding the issues you described.

    The behavior with non-displaying images (“Eagle” icons) is very similar to server configuration features. In particular, this may be due to settings such as fail2ban or other mechanisms that limit the number of requests from a single IP address. Our images in the challenge interface are loaded as separate streams (separate HTTP requests), and with aggressive limits, the server may partially block their loading, which is why a “broken” icon appears.

    As for the “Checking your browser” screen freezing, a similar effect can also occur with:

    – strict limits on the number of simultaneous connections,
    – blocking of AJAX requests,
    – an aggressive firewall or anti-DDoS module at the hosting level.

    Please note that several types of captchas are available in the plugin settings, all of which are secure and do not require external connections:

    – color selection
    – mathematical conditions
    – geometric shapes
    – new “hold” captcha
    – as well as the ability to use reCAPTCHA v2

    The captcha type can be selected in the settings. All internal modes (except reCAPTCHA) work completely locally and do not generate additional external requests.

    We also recommend checking the maximum time limit for solving captchas. If the user does not meet the set limit, they will have to repeat the captcha. Try increasing this value – this often reduces the feeling of “stuck” or repeated checks.

    Additionally, we would like to inform you that yesterday we released an update that significantly redesigned the logic of various captcha types. We have enhanced their security and optimized the verification process, including improving the stability of resource loading.

    We would be very grateful if you could try the updated version. If the problem persists, please write to us, if possible with information about your server environment (type of hosting, presence of fail2ban, firewall, etc.), and we will analyze the situation in detail.

    Thank you for your constructive feedback and support for the project

    Plugin Author Yevhen Leonidov

    (@globusstudio)

    3 weeks, 5 days ago

    Since different users may have significantly different server configurations, and it is often impossible to change them due to hosting restrictions, we have decided to change the default behavior.

    In the next update, a different type of captcha will become the default. It is less sensitive to connection limits and server filtering features, which should significantly reduce the likelihood of problems with image loading and browser verification freezing.

    All other captcha types will still be available in the settings, and users will be able to choose the most suitable option for their environment.

    Thank you for your feedback – messages like this help us improve the stability of the product for the widest possible range of hosting providers and configurations.

    Thread Starter Rajat Singh

    (@couponzania)

    3 weeks, 5 days ago

    Hi, Yes I updated to the latest version but its not just stuck – even after solving the captch it still stucks at Checking your browser before accessing the website https://prnt.sc/axxAv3OzMA70

    As for the hosting I am using scala vps. it has SShield for protection but its common and not aggresive. Can you check and get it fixed asap? I love the plugin but I am forced to remove it if the users get stuck on this page.

    Plugin Author Yevhen Leonidov

    (@globusstudio)

    3 weeks, 5 days ago

    https://prnt.sc/eKTfhViRqvB6

    I wanted to clarify: do other types of captchas on your server cause the same lag?

    Perhaps the problem only occurs in a specific mode – Image captcha. Please note that alternative types of captchas are no less secure than the current version, and you can safely test them in the settings. Please see the screenshot. Image captcha is not the only one, but it is the only one that creates additional requests to the server, which can be blocked by SShield.

    We would also like to inform you that we plan to expand compatibility with SShield, a malware and attack protection system built into ScalaHosting hosting. However, we are aware of cases of false positives on its part. Over the next week, we will try to further adapt the verification mechanisms to the specifics of its filtering in order to minimize possible conflicts.

    I would also like to clarify whether you have any specific plugins in your browser? We would like to investigate the issue.

    Thread Starter Rajat Singh

    (@couponzania)

    3 weeks, 4 days ago

    Hi, I have detailed extention and similarweb nothing else. Also, its not that the captcha solving is working – it is working but even after solving nothing happens – its stuck on that page, I have to manually reload page to go ahead after solving.

    Plugin Author Yevhen Leonidov

    (@globusstudio)

    3 weeks, 4 days ago

    I would like to repeat my question: have you tried other types of captchas besides images?

    If this happens with all types of captchas, then here’s another question: are you willing to provide debugging information about your site so that we can find the problem?

    This is the first time we’ve encountered this problem, and we are more than sure that the problem lies in the server configuration. We are ready to deal with this and prevent it from happening to you and other customers in similar situations in the future.

    Plugin Author Yevhen Leonidov

    (@globusstudio)

    3 weeks, 4 days ago

    Although we did not receive any additional technical information from you, we have released a quick fix that should help in such situations.

    Please update to the latest version 1.6.12 of the plugin and check the settings:

    Settings → Advanced Settings → BotBlocker Captcha → Image Delivery Mode: Inline Base64

    We recommend setting Inline Base64 mode and clicking Save. In this option, images are not loaded with separate requests but are embedded directly into the page, which usually solves problems related to hosting restrictions.

    This is very likely to solve your problem!

    We would appreciate it if you could let us know the result after checking!

    Thread Starter Rajat Singh

    (@couponzania)

    1 week, 5 days ago

    Yes, I tried all types of captcha and its not the problem with solving but even when its solved nothing happens; its still stuck on the same page https://prnt.sc/axxAv3OzMA70 – one needs to refresh the page manually to go on the page even after solving.

    Plugin Author Yevhen Leonidov

    (@globusstudio)

    1 week, 5 days ago

    Hi!

    It looks like there’s a clear conflict with some server-side protection. Unfortunately, issues like this are quite difficult to resolve blindly, but we’ll definitely do our best to investigate it.

    If you’re open to it, providing access to the server and the website (for technical support purposes) would make it much easier for us to identify the root cause and fix it быстрее.

    We’ll also notify you as soon as an update is available that might resolve this on your side.

    Thread Starter Rajat Singh

    (@couponzania)

    1 week, 4 days ago

    This is a live site and my primary source of income, so I have reservations regarding sharing direct access credentials. However, I am happy to provide access during a live call or chat session where I can monitor the process in real time.

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

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