MediaWiki User Rights Management

1. MediaWiki User Rights Management

This article provides a comprehensive guide to managing user rights in MediaWiki, aimed at beginners. Understanding user rights is crucial for maintaining a secure and well-organized wiki. We will cover the default rights, how to assign them, common issues, and best practices. This guide assumes you have administrative access to your MediaWiki installation. For more information on installing and configuring MediaWiki, refer to the Manual:Configuration page.

== What are User Rights?

User rights define what actions a user can perform on a wiki. These actions range from simple tasks like editing pages to more complex operations like deleting pages, blocking users, or modifying the wiki's configuration. Properly managing user rights is vital for:

• **Security:** Preventing unauthorized access and modifications.
• **Organization:** Ensuring only trusted users can perform administrative tasks.
• **Collaboration:** Allowing appropriate levels of access for different contributors.
• **Vandalism Prevention:** Restricting editing abilities to deter and manage malicious activity.

== Default User Groups and Rights

MediaWiki comes with several pre-defined user groups, each possessing a specific set of rights. Understanding these groups is the foundation of user rights management.

• **Users:** This is the default group for all registered users. They typically have the right to edit pages, create accounts (depending on configuration), and use the wiki's basic features.
• **autoconfirmed:** Users are automatically added to this group after a certain number of edits and a specified account age (configured in `LocalSettings.php`). Autoconfirmed users are granted additional permissions, such as editing semi-protected pages and bypassing certain spam filters. This is a key line of defense against new account vandalism. [1]
• **sysop (Administrator):** Administrators have the highest level of access. They can perform almost any action on the wiki, including deleting pages, blocking users, modifying site configuration, and managing user rights. Admin access should be limited to a small, trusted group. [2]
• **bureaucrat:** Bureaucrats have the power to manage user groups, including granting and revoking sysop rights. They also have access to advanced configuration options. This is typically reserved for the most trusted individuals.
• **moderator:** Moderators can review and approve edits, particularly useful for wikis with open editing policies. They can also often delete revisions and participate in dispute resolution.
• **rollback:** Users in this group can quickly revert edits to the last known good version, a crucial tool for combating vandalism. [3]
• **editor:** This group provides increased editing capabilities, such as the ability to edit protected pages (depending on configuration).

Each right is a specific permission, such as `edit`, `delete`, `block`, `unblock`, `protect`, `unprotect`, `createaccount`, `makeuser`, `userrights`, `viewuserlog`, and many others. A complete list of rights can be found on the Manual:User rights management page. Understanding the implications of each right is essential for effective management.

== Assigning User Rights

There are two primary methods for assigning user rights in MediaWiki:

1. **Special:UserRights:** This is the most common and recommended method. Navigate to `Special:UserRights` (usually accessible through a link in the administrator tools). You will be presented with a list of users. Select the user you want to modify, and then check the boxes corresponding to the rights you wish to grant or revoke. This interface provides a clear and user-friendly way to manage rights. [4] 2. **Manual Configuration (LocalSettings.php):** While possible, directly editing the `LocalSettings.php` file is generally discouraged for assigning individual user rights. It’s more suited for defining default group rights. This method requires a strong understanding of PHP and MediaWiki's configuration system. Improper modification can break your wiki.

• • Steps Using Special:UserRights:**

• Log in as an administrator or bureaucrat.
• Navigate to `Special:UserRights`.
• Enter the username of the user you wish to modify.
• Select the desired rights by checking the corresponding boxes.
• Click the "Apply" button.
• **Always double-check the changes before applying them.**

== Understanding Rights in Detail

Let’s delve into some crucial rights and their implications:

• **`edit`:** Allows the user to edit existing pages. This is the fundamental right for contributors.
• **`createpage`:** Allows the user to create new pages. This right is often granted to autoconfirmed users.
• **`delete`:** Allows the user to delete pages. This is a powerful right reserved for administrators. Consider implementing a deletion log for auditing purposes. [5]
• **`block`:** Allows the user to block other users, preventing them from editing the wiki. This is essential for combating vandalism and disruptive behavior. [6]
• **`unblock`:** Allows the user to unblock previously blocked users.
• **`protect`:** Allows the user to protect pages, preventing unauthorized editing. This includes various levels of protection (full, edit, move).
• **`unprotect`:** Allows the user to remove protection from pages.
• **`createaccount`:** Allows the user to create new user accounts. This is often disabled or restricted to prevent spam account creation. [7]
• **`makeuser`:** Allows the user to create accounts with specific rights and settings.
• **`userrights`:** Allows the user to manage user rights (grant/revoke). This right is typically reserved for bureaucrats and some administrators.
• **`viewuserlog`:** Allows the user to view the user rights log, which records all changes made to user rights. This is crucial for auditing. [8]
• **`patrol`:** Allows the user to mark edits as patrolled, indicating they have been reviewed. This is useful for wikis with a large number of edits.

== Common Issues and Troubleshooting

• **User Cannot Edit:** Verify the user is logged in and has the `edit` right. Check if the page is protected. If the user is new, they may not be autoconfirmed yet.
• **User Cannot Create Pages:** Verify the user has the `createpage` right.
• **User Rights Not Updating:** Clear the MediaWiki cache (using `php maintenance/refreshSquid.php`). Ensure the user is not in multiple groups with conflicting rights.
• **Accidental Rights Grant:** Always double-check before applying changes in `Special:UserRights`. The user rights log (`Special:UserRightsLog`) can help identify and revert accidental changes.
• **Spam Account Creation:** Disable the `createaccount` right for non-autoconfirmed users. Implement CAPTCHAs or other anti-spam measures. [9]
• **Vandalism:** Utilize the `rollback` right to quickly revert vandalistic edits. Consider using extensions like `AbuseFilter` to automatically detect and prevent malicious activity. [10]

== Best Practices for User Rights Management

• **Principle of Least Privilege:** Grant users only the rights they absolutely need to perform their tasks.
• **Regular Audits:** Periodically review user rights to ensure they are still appropriate.
• **Documentation:** Maintain clear documentation of user groups and their associated rights.
• **User Rights Log Monitoring:** Regularly review the user rights log to identify any suspicious activity.
• **Limit Administrative Access:** Restrict administrator and bureaucrat access to a small, trusted group.
• **Strong Password Policies:** Enforce strong password policies for all users, especially administrators. [11]
• **Two-Factor Authentication (2FA):** Implement 2FA for administrators to add an extra layer of security. [12]
• **Keep MediaWiki Updated:** Regularly update MediaWiki to the latest version to benefit from security patches and bug fixes. [13]
• **Use Extensions:** Leverage extensions like `AbuseFilter`, `TitleBlacklist`, and `SpamBlacklist` to enhance security and prevent malicious activity. [14]
• **Implement a clear escalation process:** Define a clear process for handling user rights requests and security incidents.
• **Monitor system logs:** Regularly analyze server logs and MediaWiki logs for any unusual activity. [15]
• **Consider using a Web Application Firewall (WAF):** A WAF can help protect your wiki from common web attacks. [16]
• **Regularly backup your wiki:** Ensure you have a robust backup and recovery plan in place. [17]
• **Stay informed about security threats:** Keep abreast of the latest security threats and vulnerabilities affecting MediaWiki. [18]
• **Implement rate limiting:** Limit the number of requests from a single IP address to prevent denial-of-service attacks. [19]
• **Enable HTTPS:** Ensure your wiki is served over HTTPS to encrypt communication between users and the server. [20]
• **Monitor for SQL injection attempts:** Be vigilant for SQL injection attempts and implement appropriate security measures. [21]
• **Analyze traffic patterns:** Use tools to analyze traffic patterns and identify any anomalies. [22]
• **Implement intrusion detection systems (IDS):** An IDS can help detect and respond to malicious activity. [23]
• **Conduct regular vulnerability scans:** Use vulnerability scanners to identify potential security weaknesses. [24]
• **Utilize threat intelligence feeds:** Leverage threat intelligence feeds to stay informed about emerging threats. [25]
• **Employ a least-privilege database user:** Ensure the database user used by MediaWiki has only the necessary permissions. [26]

== Further Resources

• Manual:User rights management
• Manual:Configuration
• Help:User rights
• [27]
• [28]

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