If you are running under CloudFlare that could be it. I found out by accident after their plugin caused a security debacle. Turns out their plugin was causing my denied update problem. Installed modCloudFlare in easy Apache to solve the proxy IP problems.
BTW: I used to run AIO SEO – Yoast blows it away.
Thanks Ed. That is what prompted me to check my plugins. Unfortunately, No CloudFlare in my case.
Thank you Ike. I’ll remove WP-Mail-SMTP from my list. One down 28 to go. 🙂
I’m first trying to figure the plugin culprit through the process of elimination. Later I can move them temporarily and try the updates.
we also run here at SP:
Akismet
All In One SEO Pack
Google XML Sitemaps
Relevanssi
Simple:Pres
and i run:
Sucuri Security
on a separate site that also runs SP.
i wish you luck with this task. it would be nice if it did come don to something like this. I still favour a server setting somewhere dealing with remote XML downloading but that should be a pretty standard and possibly regular task for your server…
Sorry to revisit this issue, but the game is still afoot, the error continues. Rather core or Simple:Press Plugins, “”An error occurred while updating xxxx.xxx download failed. Service unavailable.”
Event Espresso Premium had this same problem, and it was due a license key issue, where once the license key was reset, downloads commenced. The was true for another plugin I read about as well.
In the case of the Testimonials Premium plugin, it was discovered that WPEngine wasn’t using the domain download SSL, that caused the same error.
When GeneratePress Add-ons had this same error, the developers discovered it happening because the customer’s license keys are not properly activated on the URL that they have the plugin’s installed on it. Which can sometimes happen when a customer starts using the plugin on a temporary URL and then updates the URL to the final, live URL but does not change the license key to use the new URL. In some cases, the users had their email address deactivated, then subsequently activate the email address and all add-on’s and all updates worked thereafter.
Almost in every case, it was a licensing issue, which would explain why only a small contingency of users suffer this error. Thanks.
It would be nice of it were that easy but Simple:Press does not and never has utilised license keys. It does lead to another thought however. Does your host utilise mod_security on your server and, if so, could it be turned off while you try an update process?
Updates still do not work for me. I must do them manually. I turned each one of my plugins off one by one and tried to do the latest updates but it did not reveal the culprit. It could be several plugins that are conflicting. Next time, I might disable all my plugins, try to do the update and reactivate afterwards. The only trouble is that I have over 2000 unique visits a day and do not like to disable the blog for any amount of time. I suppose I could upload the site to a test site and try it there as well.
It must be a mod_security false positive. Does your hosting account have a ms toggle? If so toggle it off. If not your host may be running it, inquire about turning it off temporarily. That’s my best suggestion.
And mine as well. If you can ask your host if they have imposed mod_security – and of they have – I can give you some details that you can enquire about so that we can see the url is being blacklisted.
FidoSysop said
It must be a mod_security false positive. Does your hosting account have a ms toggle? If so toggle it off. If not your host may be running it, inquire about turning it off temporarily. That’s my best suggestion.
Shouldn’t I be able to do that myself? Running a dedicated server and the site off a cPanel.
Yellow Swordfish said
And mine as well. If you can ask your host if they have imposed mod_security – and of they have – I can give you some details that you can enquire about so that we can see the url is being blacklisted.
I’m happy for any details you can give me to check this YS.
I can turn it off but should I?
Can I configure it to allow SimplePress? And why do all the other auto updates work?
I’d turn it off temporarily – reboot your server, and try running sp update again. In WHM > Security > Mod_security tools. Look at your hits list. I have disabled several rules that were unnecessary and threw up false positives. Can’t remember off the top of my head which ones, but the hits list should provide an insite to what’s happening.
FidoSysop said
I’d turn it off temporarily – reboot your server, and try running sp update again. In WHM > Security > Mod_security tools. Look at your hits list. I have disabled several rules that were unnecessary and threw up false positives. Can’t remember off the top of my head which ones, but the hits list should provide an insite to what’s happening.
The Hits List is empty. No rules.
Is that because I didn’t try to do an update first?
Strange, check your ms config. Be sure the rules are enabled and to process the rules. Never seen one with no hits.
I’m getting litteraly hit with a club running ebaymotorssucks.com. So far the assault is being thwarted.. ?