403 Forbidden when trying to do anything

[ninjonxb]

I am working on a project for someone where from a rails application I will make posts to a wordpress blog.
She has given me an account on the website that can make posts but does not have full admin access.

I can do the following command without issue:

wp = Rubypress::Client.new(:host => "dulfy.net", :username => "blah", :password => "blah") This works returning a rubypress client. I am not doing @dulfy.net for the username

If I try to do wp,getOptions I get "RuntimeError: HTTP-Error: 403 Forbidden"

Apparently she uses XMLRPC for something else and it is enabled and working.
I am not sure if there are other things she needs to do to allow me to post remotely or if I am doing something wrong.

Edit: I just heard back. She uses a tool called "livewriter" which communicates through XMLRPC. She said that she remembers using all of the default settings. I tried adding ":use_ssl => true" to the Client.new. After doing that when I do anything I get "OpenSSL:SSL:SSLError: SSL_connect returned=1 errno=0 state=SSLv3 read server certificate B: certificate verify failed"

[zachfeldman]

It's almost definitely because you're not an admin user - can you try it once as an admin user to be sure?

[ninjonxb]

Thanks for the reply. I will see if she would allow that.
Do I need to be full admin where I can make changes to the website? I just want to be able to tell her exactly what I need.

Edit: All I need to do is be able to make posts. I was just doing getOptions since that is the simpler command but posting was failing with the same error.

[zachfeldman]

Yes, I'm pretty sure you have to be an admin user to use the xmlrpc api. I can't find any reference to it in the docs but I've never run the tests with any other permission level...

[ninjonxb]

I was just given admin access on the website.
I am still getting the same error though.

I can't figure out if there is a way I can test this easily from the command line to see if the issue lies with my permissions or something else. (not in rails c)

[zachfeldman]

Open up IRB or the Rails console and start a client, see the README https://github.com/zachfeldman/rubypress

[ninjonxb]

Doing that in the console (Mac) getting the same error: (tried with SSL and without)

2.1.2 :001 > wp = Rubypress::Client.new(:host => "dulfy.net", :username => "myusername", :password => "mypassword", :use_ssl => true)
 => #<Rubypress::Client:0x007fd226e40a48 @port=80, @ssl_port=443, @use_ssl=true, @host="dulfy.net", @path="/xmlrpc.php", @username="myusername", @password="mypassword", @default_post_fields=["post", "terms", "custom_fields"], @debug=false, @http_user=nil, @http_password=nil, @retry_timeouts=false, @cookie=nil>
2.1.2 :002 > wp.getOptions
OpenSSL::SSL::SSLError: SSL_connect returned=1 errno=0 state=SSLv3 read server certificate B: certificate verify failed
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/net/http.rb:920:in `connect'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/net/http.rb:920:in `block in connect'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/timeout.rb:91:in `block in timeout'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/timeout.rb:101:in `call'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/timeout.rb:101:in `timeout'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/net/http.rb:920:in `connect'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/net/http.rb:863:in `do_start'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/net/http.rb:858:in `start'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/xmlrpc/client.rb:479:in `do_rpc'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/xmlrpc/client.rb:286:in `call2'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/xmlrpc/client.rb:267:in `call'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/rubypress-1.1.0/lib/rubypress/client.rb:69:in `execute'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/rubypress-1.1.0/lib/rubypress/options.rb:9:in `getOptions'
    from (irb):2
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/console.rb:90:in `start'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/console.rb:9:in `start'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/commands_tasks.rb:69:in `console'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/commands_tasks.rb:40:in `run_command!'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands.rb:17:in `<top (required)>'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:247:in `require'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:247:in `block in require'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:232:in `load_dependency'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:247:in `require'
    from /Users/jheckman/gitcheckouts/swtor_conquest/swtor_cartel/bin/rails:8:in `<top (required)>'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:241:in `load'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:241:in `block in load'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:232:in `load_dependency'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:241:in `load'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:55:in `require'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:55:in `require'
    from -e:1:in `<main>'2.1.2 :003 > wp = Rubypress::Client.new(:host => "dulfy.net", :username => "myusername", :password => "mypassword")
 => #<Rubypress::Client:0x007fd226dfa3b8 @port=80, @ssl_port=443, @use_ssl=false, @host="dulfy.net", @path="/xmlrpc.php", @username="myusername", @password="mypassword", @default_post_fields=["post", "terms", "custom_fields"], @debug=false, @http_user=nil, @http_password=nil, @retry_timeouts=false, @cookie=nil>
2.1.2 :004 > wp.getOptions
RuntimeError: HTTP-Error: 403 Forbidden
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/xmlrpc/client.rb:493:in `do_rpc'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/xmlrpc/client.rb:286:in `call2'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/xmlrpc/client.rb:267:in `call'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/rubypress-1.1.0/lib/rubypress/client.rb:69:in `execute'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/rubypress-1.1.0/lib/rubypress/options.rb:9:in `getOptions'
    from (irb):4
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/console.rb:90:in `start'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/console.rb:9:in `start'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/commands_tasks.rb:69:in `console'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/commands_tasks.rb:40:in `run_command!'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands.rb:17:in `<top (required)>'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:247:in `require'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:247:in `block in require'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:232:in `load_dependency'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:247:in `require'
    from /Users/jheckman/gitcheckouts/swtor_conquest/swtor_cartel/bin/rails:8:in `<top (required)>'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:241:in `load'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:241:in `block in load'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:232:in `load_dependency'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:241:in `load'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:55:in `require'

[zachfeldman]

What happens when you don't use SSL?

[ninjonxb]

the 403 error

2.1.2 :003 > wp = Rubypress::Client.new(:host => "dulfy.net", :username => "myusername", :password => "mypassword")
 => #<Rubypress::Client:0x007fd226dfa3b8 @port=80, @ssl_port=443, @use_ssl=false, @host="dulfy.net", @path="/xmlrpc.php", @username="myusername", @password="mypassword", @default_post_fields=["post", "terms", "custom_fields"], @debug=false, @http_user=nil, @http_password=nil, @retry_timeouts=false, @cookie=nil>
2.1.2 :004 > wp.getOptions
RuntimeError: HTTP-Error: 403 Forbidden
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/xmlrpc/client.rb:493:in `do_rpc'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/xmlrpc/client.rb:286:in `call2'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/xmlrpc/client.rb:267:in `call'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/rubypress-1.1.0/lib/rubypress/client.rb:69:in `execute'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/rubypress-1.1.0/lib/rubypress/options.rb:9:in `getOptions'
    from (irb):4
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/console.rb:90:in `start'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/console.rb:9:in `start'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/commands_tasks.rb:69:in `console'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands/commands_tasks.rb:40:in `run_command!'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/railties-4.1.5/lib/rails/commands.rb:17:in `<top (required)>'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:247:in `require'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:247:in `block in require'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:232:in `load_dependency'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:247:in `require'
    from /Users/jheckman/gitcheckouts/swtor_conquest/swtor_cartel/bin/rails:8:in `<top (required)>'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:241:in `load'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:241:in `block in load'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:232:in `load_dependency'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.2/gems/activesupport-4.1.5/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:241:in `load'
    from /Users/jheckman/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.2/lib/ruby/2.1.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:55:in `require'

Looking online I saw something about disabling "mod_security's XMLRPC rule" for my user. I am not sure if that is something I need to ask her to do or not (or where it would be).

[zachfeldman]

Yup, it might be a webhost problem. Can you contact the host? http://www.thiswebhost.com/clients/knowledgebase.php?action=displayarticle&id=573

Either way, this doesn't seem to be an issue with the client itself, rather with your host

[zachfeldman]

Am closing this issue for now as it doesn't seem to be a problem with the library itself.