Title: Passwords Evolved Author: Carl Alexander Published: Maris 2, 2018 Last modified: Maris 23, 2025 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/passwords-evolved/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=2707531) ![](https://ps.w.org/passwords-evolved/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=2707531) # Passwords Evolved By [Carl Alexander](https://profiles.wordpress.org/carlalexander/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/passwords-evolved.1.4.0.zip) * [Details](https://hau.wordpress.org/plugins/passwords-evolved/#description) * [Reviews](https://hau.wordpress.org/plugins/passwords-evolved/#reviews) * [Development](https://hau.wordpress.org/plugins/passwords-evolved/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/passwords-evolved/) ## Description **Important Notice:** This plugin is no longer supported on wordpress.org. Please open issues on [GitHub](https://github.com/carlalexander/passwords-evolved/issues). The goal of this plugin is to shore up the WordPress authentication using standard security practice recommendations. At this time, the plugin improves WordPress authentication by doing the following: #### Enforcing uncompromised passwords This plugin prevents someone from using passwords that have appeared in data breaches. Whenever someone logs into a WordPress site, it’ll verify their password using the [Have I been pwned? API](https://haveibeenpwned.com/API/v2). If their password appeared in a data breach, the plugin will prevent them from logging in until they reset their password. By default, this level of enforcement is only done on an account that has the “[administrator](https://codex.wordpress.org/Roles_and_Capabilities#Administrator)” role. You can change which roles have their passwords enforced from the settings page. For people that have a role where there’s no password enforcement, the plugin will show a warning when they log in with a compromised password. The enforcement of uncompromised password also extends to when someone resets or changes their password. That said, in those situations, using an uncompromised password is mandatory. Someone will never be able to reset or change their password to one that’s appeared in a security breach. (As long as the plugin is able to contact the API.) #### Using stronger password hashing The plugin also encrypts passwords using either the [bcrypt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bcrypt) and [Argon2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argon2) hashing functions. These are the strongest hashing functions available in PHP. Argon2 is available natively starting with PHP 7.2, but the plugin can also encrypt passwords on older PHP versions using the [libsodium](https://libsodium.org) compatibility layer introduced in WordPress 5.2. You don’t have to do anything to convert your password hash to a stronger encryption standard. The plugin will take care of converting it the next time that you log in after installing the plugin. If you decide to remove the plugin, your password will continue working and remain encrypted until you reset it. It’s also worth noting that using a stronger hashing function is only important in the advent of a data breach. A stronger password hashing function makes decrypting the passwords from the data breach a lot harder to do. This combined with the enforcement of uncompromised passwords will help ensure that those passwords are never decrypted.( Or at least without significant effort.) ## FAQ ### Wait so are you sending my password to a 3rd party!? No, the plugin never sends your full password to a 3rd party for verification. The plugin only sends the first five characters of the [SHA-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sha1) hashed password to a 3rd party. The 3rd party then sends back all passwords with a hash that starts with those five characters. The plugin then handles the rest of the password validation itself. It compares the SHA-1 hashed version of your password to the passwords returned by the 3rd party. We call this process [k-anonymity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-anonymity). ( You can read more about validating leaked passwords with it [here](https://blog.cloudflare.com/validating-leaked-passwords-with-k-anonymity/).) ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/85d59ea9b3556f3c6a6ddc47aeeb9279900039782f835eabb09a1261e38669df? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Such a simple, yet brilliant, idea](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/such-a-simple-yet-brilliant-idea/)󠁿 [Austin Ginder](https://profiles.wordpress.org/austinginder/) Yune 22, 2022 This simple protection check is an absolute must. Every WordPress website can benefit. Highly recommend that WordPress core adopt this functionality. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/cd257f389c91f137dab25f343b527123e887135b01921ebb6206e40cfa2eb636? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Great enhancement and well made](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/great-enhancement-and-well-made/)󠁿 [Knut Sparhell](https://profiles.wordpress.org/knutsp/) Otoba 11, 2021 This seems to work very well, at least no issues – immediate or long term. A client user was very surprised that “WordPress” could know their password was “pwned”, but thankful for the reminder. Beware that if you deactivate this plugin, users have to reset their passwords. So just keep it – for the enhanced security through a modern and relatively simple plugin. Should be added to core, IMO. [ Read all 2 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/passwords-evolved/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Passwords Evolved” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Carl Alexander ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/carlalexander/) * [ Celso Bessa ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/celsobessa/) * [ Carsten Bach ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/carstenbach/) * [ riper81 ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/riper81/) * [ Cornel Raiu ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cornelraiu-1/) “Passwords Evolved” has been translated into 4 locales. Thank you to [the translators](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/passwords-evolved/contributors) for their contributions. [Translate “Passwords Evolved” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/passwords-evolved) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/passwords-evolved/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/passwords-evolved/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/passwords-evolved/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/passwords-evolved/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.4.0 _Released: 2025-03-22_ * Only define `wp_generate_password` for wordpress 6.8 or higher [carlalexander] * Add support for `wp_hash_password_algorithm` hook in wordpress 6.8 [carlalexander] #### 1.3.4 _Released: 2024-11-27_ * Update `wp_set_password` function to match current wordpress version [carlalexander] #### 1.3.3 _Released: 2022-09-25_ * Use different capabilities for admin pages so that they work when plugins directory isn’t writeable [carlalexander] #### 1.3.2 _Released: 2022-04-19_ * Add missing echo on `settings_saved` [cornelraiu-1] #### 1.3.1 _Released: 2022-04-09_ * Add `es_MX` and `es_CR` translations [riper81] #### 1.3.0 _Released: 2021-03-21_ * Remove call to api on every request [carlalexander] * Add informal (default) and formal german translations [carstenbach] #### 1.2.0 _Released: 2020-01-03_ * Fixed fatal error when installed as a mu-plugin [carlalexander] * Added support for libsodium [carlalexander] #### 1.1.4 _Released: 2019-05-07_ * Bump minimum PHP version to 5.6 [carlalexander] #### 1.1.3 _Released: 2018-04-29_ * Fixed missing `settings_saved` string in English translation [carlalexander] * Added missing echo when translating `settings_saved` string [carlalexander] #### 1.1.2 _Released: 2018-03-21_ * Added Brazilian Portuguese translation [celsobessa] * Reworked how the plugin handles its default translation [carlalexander] #### 1.1.1 _Released: 2018-03-06_ Improved how the API client and password generator handled if the API was online or not. #### 1.1.0 _Released: 2018-03-01_ Reworked plugin to use the new version of the HIBP API (Have I been pwned? API) which supports k-anonymity. This allows the plugin to be used in production now. #### 1.0.0 _Released: 2017-08-24_ Initial release ## Meta * Version **1.4.0** * Last updated **1 year ago** * Active installations **2,000+** * WordPress version ** 5.2 or higher ** * Tested up to **6.8.0** * PHP version ** 5.6 or higher ** * Languages * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/passwords-evolved/), [German](https://de.wordpress.org/plugins/passwords-evolved/), [Norwegian (Bokmål)](https://nb.wordpress.org/plugins/passwords-evolved/), [Polish](https://pl.wordpress.org/plugins/passwords-evolved/), and [Spanish (Mexico)](https://es-mx.wordpress.org/plugins/passwords-evolved/). * [Translate into your language](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/passwords-evolved) * Tags * [authentication](https://hau.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/authentication/)[have-i-been-pwned](https://hau.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/have-i-been-pwned/) [password](https://hau.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/password/)[security](https://hau.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/security/) * [Advanced View](https://hau.wordpress.org/plugins/passwords-evolved/advanced/) ## Ratings 5 out of 5 stars. * [ 2 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/passwords-evolved/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 0 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/passwords-evolved/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/passwords-evolved/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 0 2-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/passwords-evolved/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 0 1-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/passwords-evolved/reviews/?filter=1) [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/passwords-evolved/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/passwords-evolved/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ Carl Alexander ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/carlalexander/) * [ Celso Bessa ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/celsobessa/) * [ Carsten Bach ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/carstenbach/) * [ riper81 ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/riper81/) * [ Cornel Raiu ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cornelraiu-1/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/passwords-evolved/) ## Donate Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin? [ Donate to this plugin ](https://github.com/sponsors/carlalexander)