Lock Status
The Lock Status sub-section is part of the Configuration card on the Dashboard. It shows whether the database table locking feature is currently active and provides controls to apply or remove it.
What Lock Tables does
Table locking restricts write operations on selected Joomla database tables. When a table is locked, no database client - including the Joomla backend, automated processes, or potential attackers who have gained database access through SQL injection - can INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE rows in that table.
Locking tables protects the data at the database level, but an attacker who already has MySQL credentials with LOCK TABLES privileges can still unlock them. This feature provides defence-in-depth, not absolute protection.
Status chip
The sub-section header shows a status chip:
- Applied (green) - table locking is currently active.
- Not Applied (dark) - table locking is not active.
Buttons
| Button | Condition | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Lock Tables | Not Applied | Activates table locking for the configured tables |
| Unlock Tables | Applied | Removes table locking |
The tables that are locked are configured in Global Configuration > Lock Tables. By default the users and content tables are protected.
A More Info link opens the Lock Tables documentation page for additional context.
