Password Reset with Code for WordPress REST API

A simple plugin that adds a password reset facility to the WordPress REST API using a code. The process is a two step process:

1. User requests a password reset. A code is emailed to their registered email address
2. The user enters the code when setting a new password, which is only set if the code is valid and has not expired

It is also possible to check the validity of a code without resetting the password which enables the possibility of setting the password by other means, or having a two stage process for checking the code and resetting the password if desired.

Default settings are to use an 8 digit code consisting of numbers, upper and lower case letters and special characters, which has a life span of 15 minutes, afterwhich a new code would need to be requested. By default a user can attempt to use or validate a code up to 3 times before automatically invalidating it.

Endpoints

The plugin adds two new endpoints to the REST API:

• Endpoint: /wp-json/bdpwr/v1/reset-password
  — HTTP Verb: POST
  — Parameters (all required):
  — email

• /wp-json/bdpwr/v1/set-password
  — HTTP Verb: POST
  — Parameters (all required):
  — email
  — password
  — code

• /wp-json/bdpwr/v1/validate-code
  — HTTP Verb: POST
  — Parameters (all required):
  — email
  — code

Example Requests (jQuery)

Reset Password

$.ajax({
  url: '/wp-json/bdpwr/v1/reset-password',
  method: 'POST',
  data: {
    email: 'example@example.com',
  },
  success: function( response ) {
    console.log( response );
  },
  error: function( response ) {
    console.log( response );
  },
});

Set New Password

$.ajax({
  url: '/wp-json/bdpwr/v1/set-password',
  method: 'POST',
  data: {
    email: 'example@example.com',
    code: '1234',
    password: 'Pa$$word1',
  },
  success: function( response ) {
    console.log( response );
  },
  error: function( response ) {
    console.log( response );
  },
});

Validate Code

$.ajax({
  url: '/wp-json/bdpwr/v1/validate-code',
  method: 'POST',
  data: {
    email: 'example@example.com',
    code: '1234',
  },
  success: function( response ) {
    console.log( response );
  },
  error: function( response ) {
    console.log( response );
  },
});

Example Success Responses (JSON)

Reset Password

{
    "data": {
        "status": 200
    },
    "message": "A password reset email has been sent to your email address."
}

Set New Password

{
    "data": {
        "status": 200
    },
    "message": "Password reset successfully."
}

Validate Code

{
    "data": {
        "status": 200
    },
    "message": "The code supplied is valid."
}

Example Error Responses (JSON)

Reset Password

{
    "code": "bad_email",
    "message": "No user found with this email address.",
    "data": {
        "status": 500
    }
}

Set New Password

{
    "code": "bad_request",
    "message": "You must request a password reset code before you try to set a new password.",
    "data": {
        "status": 500
    }
}

Validate Code

{
    "code": "bad_request",
    "message": "The reset code provided is not valid.",
    "data": {
        "status": 500
    }
}

Filters

A number of WordPress filters have been added to help customise the process, please feel free to request additional filters or submit a pull request with any that you required.

Filter the length of the code

add_filter( 'bdpwr_code_length' , function( $length ) {
  return 4;
}, 10 , 1 );

Filter Expiration Time

add_filter( 'bdpwr_code_expiration_seconds' , function( $seconds ) {
  return 900;
}, 10 , 1 );

Filter the date format used by the plugin to display expiration times

add_filter( 'bdpwd_date_format' , function( $format ) {
  return 'H:i';
}, 10 , 1 );

Filter the reset email subject

add_filter( 'bdpwr_code_email_subject' , function( $subject ) {
  return 'Password Reset';
}, 10 , 1 );

Filter the email content

add_filter( 'bdpwr_code_email_text' , function( $text , $email , $code , $expiry ) {
  return $text;
}, 10 , 4 );

Filter maximum attempts allowed to use a reset code, default is 3, -1 for unlimmited

add_filter( 'bdpwr_max_attempts' , function( $attempts ) {
  return 3;
}, 10 , 4 );

Filter whether to include upper and lowercase letters in the code as well as numbers, default is false

add_filter( 'bdpwr_include_letters' , function( $include ) {
  return false;
}, 10 , 4 );

Filter the characters to be used when generating a code, you can use any string you want, default is 0123456789

add_filter( 'bdpwr_selection_string' , function( $string ) {
  return '0123456789';
}, 10 , 4 );

Filter the WP roles allowed to reset their password with this plugin, default is any, example below shows removing administrators

add_filter( 'bdpwr_allowed_roles' , function( $roles ) {

  $key = array_search( 'administrator' , $roles );

  if( $key !== false ) {
    unset( $roles[ $key ] );
  }

  return $roles;

}, 10 , 1 );

Filter to add custom namespace for REST API

add_filter( 'bdpwr_route_namespace' , function( $route_namespace ) {
  return 'xyz/v1';
}, 10 , 1 );

Credits

• Plugin icon / banner image by Sincerely Media

0.0.17

• switched to a cryptographically secure function to generate reset codes
• updated compatibility to 6.5

0.0.16

• updated compatibility to 6.3
• By default users with the administrator role are no longer able to reset their password using this plugin
• The default length of the code that is generated has been increased from 4 to 8 characters
• The default characters that are used to generate the code have been increased to include upper and lower case letters as well as special characters

0.0.15

• updated compatibility to 6.1.1

0.0.14

• updated compatibility to 5.9.3

0.0.13

• updated to min version 4.6 to allow translations

0.0.12

• resolved file include errors

0.0.11

• resolved php warnings

0.0.10

• relocated email send function
• added translation functions, should be translation ready! get in contact to get involved!

0.0.9

• fixed invalid plugin header issue

0.0.8

• fixed minor typos in docs
• added filter to use custom namespace
• fixed bug with time format filter

0.0.7

• PLEASE READ: SOME DEFAULT BEHAVIOUR HAS CHANGED:
• Added maximum allowed failed attempts to validate a code before automatically expiring it, default has been set to 3
• Added filters to include letters and well as numbers in the reset code as well as allowing you to specify your own string
• Added filters to allow the exclusion of certain roles from being able to reset their password, e.g. if you want to exclude Administrators

0.0.6

• Added support for WP versions earlier than 5.2.0 due to timezone function availability

0.0.5

• Replaced missing api file

0.0.4

• Added /validate-code to allow checking a code’s validity without actually resetting the password

0.0.3

• Fixed bug causing 500 error where WordPress TimeZone was set to a manual UTC offsite