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errorWordfence•error403system_updateUpdatesecurityfirewallinfoWordfencesettingsserver_configuration•labelCommon•warningModerate

Wordfence firewall update failed: HTTP 403 Forbidden

Wordfence attempts to download the latest firewall rules from the update server. The request receives a 403 response, which stops the update process.

A 403 response usually means a server‑side block. The block might come from ModSecurity, a hosting firewall, Cloudflare rules, file permission errors, or an invalid API key. When the block occurs, Wordfence keeps the firewall in learning or disabled mode.

Symptoms

[dashicons-warning]
Dashboard notice
A red banner shows Wordfence firewall update failed: HTTP 403 Forbidden
[dashicons-admin-generic]
Update button disabled
The Update Firewall button stays disabled
[dashicons-no]
No new rules
No new firewall rules appear under Wordfence → Firewall → Rules
[dashicons-admin-tools]
Live Traffic entries
Live Traffic view might list Blocked – 403 entries for the update URL

Common Causes

Outbound request blocked
ModSecurity or host firewall returns 403 for the request to updates.wpfen.com
File permission error
Wordfence lacks write access to wp-content/wflogs or plugin folder, server returns 403 before request leaves
Invalid API key
Update server rejects request without a valid key, returns 403
Conflicting security plugin
Another plugin blocks admin‑ajax calls used by Wordfence, resulting in 403
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