dnsServer•system_updateUpdatelinkconnectiondnsDNSsecurityfirewallinfoWordfence•star_halfUncommon•warningModerate

Wordfence firewall update failed: DNS resolution failed

Wordfence tries to download the latest firewall rule set from its CDN. The request uses the WordPress HTTP API, which first resolves the host name. If the server cannot translate the host name to an IP address, the request aborts and the plugin shows the error.

The failure usually stems from a broken DNS resolver, blocked outbound traffic, missing IPv6 support, or corrupted networking libraries. The plugin reports the problem as a DNS resolution error even when the underlying issue is a firewall rule or proxy misconfiguration.

Symptoms

[dashicons-warning]

Admin notice appears

Wordfence displays a red banner stating the firewall update failed due to DNS resolution.

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Update button disabled

The Update Firewall button remains inactive and shows an error badge.

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Diagnostics report failure

Wordfence → Tools → Diagnostics shows DNS resolution failed for noc1.wordfence.com.

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Blocking rules outdated

Live traffic may show 403 responses because the rule set did not refresh.

Common Causes

Missing DNS resolver

The server’s resolver file points to non‑responsive nameservers or is empty.

Outbound firewall blocks

Security group or host firewall denies TCP 443 or UDP/TCP 53 traffic to external addresses.

IPv6 connectivity issue

Server lacks IPv6 routing and Wordfence attempts an IPv6 lookup that fails.

Corrupt networking libraries

Outdated cURL or OpenSSL versions prevent successful HTTPS connections.

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