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Troubleshooting Wordfence Scan Failures: A Comprehensive Guide

56 threads Sep 7, 2025 Plugin → Wordfence security

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One of the most common issues reported by users of the Wordfence Security plugin is the dreaded “Scan Failed” message. This frustrating problem can leave your site vulnerable, as regular malware scans are a critical part of your website's defense system. Based on extensive community reports and troubleshooting threads, this guide will walk you through the most effective solutions to get your scans running smoothly again.

What Does the “Scan Failed” Error Mean?

The error typically appears as: “Scan Failed: The current scan looks like it has failed. Its last status update was X minutes ago...”. This is a generic message indicating that the scan process was interrupted or could not communicate properly with the necessary servers. The root cause is rarely a single issue, but rather one of several common configuration or connectivity problems.

Why Do Wordfence Scans Fail?

Scan failures are almost never a flaw in the plugin itself, but rather a symptom of how the plugin interacts with your specific server environment. The most prevalent causes include:

  • Server Connectivity Issues: An inability for your server to reach the Wordfence scanning servers (noc1.wordfence.com), often due to firewall blocks, IPv6 misconfigurations, or heavy packet loss.
  • Resource Limitations: PHP memory limits or maximum execution times that are either too low or, surprisingly, set too high.
  • Server Software Conflicts: Specific configurations on LiteSpeed servers or other environments that prematurely terminate long-running processes.
  • Plugin/Theme Conflicts: While less common, other software can sometimes interfere with the scan process.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Solutions

Work through these solutions in order. After each step, try running a new scan to see if the issue is resolved.

Solution 1: Adjust Core Scan Settings (Most Common Fix)

This resolves a significant majority of scan failure issues by optimizing performance and connectivity.

  1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Wordfence > Scan.
  2. If a scan is running, click the STOP SCAN button.
  3. Click on Scan Options and Scheduling.
  4. In the Performance Options section, set the “Maximum execution time for each scan stage” to 20.
  5. In the Advanced Scan Options section, find and enable the option “Use only IPv4 to start scans”. This bypasses potential IPv6 connectivity problems.
  6. Click SAVE CHANGES.
  7. Start a new scan.

Solution 2: Configure Debugging and Remote Scanning

If the first solution doesn't work, this step helps gather more information and can resolve issues related to how scans are initiated.

  1. Go to Wordfence > Tools > Diagnostics.
  2. Scroll down to the Debugging Options section.
  3. Enable the option “Enable debugging mode”.
  4. If the option “Start all scans remotely” is enabled, disable it.
  5. Click SAVE CHANGES.
  6. Start a new scan. If it fails again, check the Scan Activity Log on the Scan page for more detailed error messages.

Solution 3: LiteSpeed Server Specific Configuration

If you are hosted on a LiteSpeed server, a specific configuration is often required to prevent the server from aborting the scan process.

You may need to add the following code to your .htaccess file to prevent scans from stopping prematurely:

<IfModule LiteSpeed>
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule .* - [E=noabort:1]
RewriteRule .* - [E=noconntimeout:1]
</IfModule>

Important: Always back up your .htaccess file before making any changes.

Solution 4: Whitelist Wordfence Servers

If you use a firewall (like Cloudflare) or your hosting provider has one, the Wordfence servers might be blocked. The Wordfence servers that need to be whitelisted are:

  • 69.46.36.0/27
  • 69.46.36.32/27
  • 69.46.36.64/27
  • 69.46.36.96/27
  • 69.46.36.128/27
  • 69.46.36.160/27
  • 69.46.36.192/27
  • 69.46.36.224/27

You will need to add these IP ranges to any allowlist in your firewall or hosting control panel. Contact your hosting provider for assistance with this, as the process varies greatly.

Solution 5: Check for Plugin Conflicts

As a last resort, if you suspect another plugin is causing the issue, you can perform a conflict test.

  1. Disable all other plugins except Wordfence.
  2. Run a scan. If it completes successfully, you know the issue is caused by a conflict.
  3. Re-enable your plugins one by one, running a scan after each activation, until you find the one that causes the failure.
  4. Once identified, you can check for an update to the conflicting plugin or seek an alternative.

When to Seek Further Help

If you have tried all of the solutions above and your scan continues to fail, the issue may be more complex. The next step is to gather diagnostic information. You can export a diagnostic report from Wordfence > Tools > Diagnostics and send it to a knowledgeable third party for analysis. Be sure to include the last 20 lines of your scan log, which often contains the crucial error message that points to the exact problem.

Persistent scan failures are almost always solvable with methodical troubleshooting. By following these steps, you can identify and resolve the underlying configuration issue and restore your site's vital security scanning functionality.

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