Extension:EditAccount
Warning: This is a powerful extension that is potentially dangerous in the wrong hands or if misconfigured. Before using this extension be sure to understand the risks involved.
Users with access to this extension can change a user's email address and password, which basically gives them the ability to take over another user's account. Additionally, users can indefinitely disable a user account which is not reversible via an extension or other special page. Therefore, do NOT grant a user access to this extension unless you 100% trust them not to abuse it. It is recommended to only grant access to bureaucrat or higher access levels. |
EditAccount Release status: stable |
|
---|---|
Implementation | Special page |
Description | Allows editing account details, or disabling an account |
Author(s) | Łukasz Garczewski, Jack Phoenix |
Maintainer(s) | WikiTeq team |
Latest version | 1.3.4 (2022-12-13) |
Compatibility policy | For every MediaWiki release that is a Long Term Support release there is a corresponding branch in the extension. |
MediaWiki | 1.35-1.39 |
License | GNU General Public License 2.0 or later |
Download | |
editaccount |
|
Quarterly downloads | 33 (Ranked 101st) |
Translate the EditAccount extension if it is available at translatewiki.net | |
Issues | Open tasks · Report a bug |
The EditAccount extension has two main purposes. One is to change another user's password, real name, or email address. The second is to disable another user's account.
The special page may be limited to a certain user group, such as staff or bureaucrats.
Effects
Changing the password
Changing the password will automatically log out the user. Since the password is changed, access to their account can be prevented. This can be an alternative to disabling the user's account.
Disabling an account
Similar to the above, the user will be logged out immediately. Alongside that, the following will take effect:
- The user's password will be scrambled, preventing them from logging in.
- The user's email address will be removed, and the email authentication status will be also set to "not authenticated".
- The user's real name will be "Account Disabled".
Note that the registration date and other preferences info will not be affected.
When viewing the contributions of a disabled user account, a note appears stating, "This account has been disabled." (View example).
All account edits are automatically logged.
Installation
- Download and move the extracted
EditAccount
folder to yourextensions/
directory.
Developers and code contributors should install the extension from Git instead, using:cd extensions/
git clone https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/mediawiki/extensions/EditAccount - Add the following code at the bottom of your LocalSettings.php file:
wfLoadExtension( 'EditAccount' );
- Configure user group and user right at your convenience.
- Done – Navigate to Special:Version on your wiki to verify that the extension is successfully installed.
Configuration
By default, all user groups will only have permission to close their accounts. The user right "editaccount" will have to be set for an existing user group, e.g., "bureaucrat" or for a new user group to allow editing or closing all accounts:
$wgGroupPermissions['bureaucrat']['editaccount'] = true;
$wgGroupPermissions['editaccount']['editaccount'] = true;
Logging
Use of the special pages "CloseAccount" and "EditAccount" is logged at Special:Log/editaccnt. If needed, this log can be set to private.
- Example log entries
* 04:41, March 18, 2011 WikiAdmin (Talk | contribs | block) disabled account User:Example user
* 02:11, February 17, 2011 StaffMember (Talk | contribs | block) changed password for user User:Jimbo Wales
Related extensions
- DisableAccount - Allows administrators to disable individual accounts.
- UserMerge - Allows merging and deleting user accounts.
- UserManager - Allows to administrate users.
- Sudo - Allows logging into other user's accounts.
- PassEdit - Another extension doing basically the same thing.
This extension is included in the following wiki farms/hosts and/or packages: This is not an authoritative list. Some wiki farms/hosts and/or packages may contain this extension even if they are not listed here. Always check with your wiki farms/hosts or bundle to confirm. |