BYE-BYE PINGBACK!!!

Based off this question: http://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/158700/how-to-remove-pingback-from-head

Banish WordPress pingback/XML-RPC once and for all....

<link rel="pingback" href="<?php bloginfo( 'pingback_url' ); ?>" />

The Wordpress XML-RCP is extremely vulnerable to attacks. Here's an example demonstrating how easily it can attack a wordpress based website: https://github.com/zendoctor/wpbrute-rpc

This plugin aims to block every possible exploit involving pingbacks/trackbacks by disabling it all together and blocking access to the file.

However, be aware by disabling XML-RPC, you may risk breaking some popular plugins. If you have any of the plugins listed below, you may want to do a bit more research:

The following plugins will no longer work when using this one.

• WordPress Mobile App
• JetPack LibSyn (for podcasts)
• BuddyPress
• Windows Live Writer
• IFTTT

https://blog.sucuri.net/2015/10/brute-force-amplification-attacks-against-wordpress-xmlrpc.html

Rewrite Examples

<Files xmlrpc.php>
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
</Files>

<Files xmlrpc.php>
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
Allow from 192.0.64.0/18
Satisfy All
ErrorDocument 403 http://127.0.0.1/
</Files>


<IfModule mod_alias.c>
RedirectMatch 403 (?i)/xmlrpc.php
</IfModule>


301 - RewriteRule ^xmlrpc.php$ "http://0.0.0.0/" [R=301,L]
301 - RewriteRule ^xmlrpc\.php$ index.php [R=301]
403 - RewriteRule xmlrpc\.php$ - [F,L]
404 - RewriteRule xmlrpc\.php$ - [R=404,L] 
      ErrorDocument 404 /index.php?error=404





UPDATE wp_posts SET ping_status="closed";

function published_to_pending($post_id) {
  global $post;
  if (!is_object($post)) {
    return;
  }
    $posts = array(
        'ID'             => $post_id,
        'ping_status'    => 'closed'
    );
  }
}