It is essential to understand the specific symptoms that indicate your WordPress site has been hacked in order to receive appropriate help. Clear signs of a hack include being blacklisted by search engines like Google, having your website suspended by the host, receiving warnings about malware distribution, your site being flagged by antivirus software of visitors, and the unauthorized creation of new users.
To secure your site after a suspected hack, following the post-hack procedure is crucial.
While these steps are not exhaustive and cannot cover all eventualities, they will guide your actions to maintain your site’s integrity and prevent future compromises.
Table of Contents
Confirm if You Are Truly a Victim of Hacking
To detect a compromise on your WordPress site and counter the hack, watch out for these signs:
- Unexpected changes in traffic patterns
- Unusual links or code in the site’s content
- Offensive images on the homepage
- Unable to access backend functions
- Unauthorized spam account creation
- Suspicious files added to your hosting
- Browser alerts about malware when visiting the site
Back Up Your Site Immediately
Before attempting any major cleanup on a hacked WordPress site, having a complete offline backup is essential. According to a survey, over 75% of sites without reliable backups before remediation struggle to fully restore their functionality after an attack.
Having a complete backup of your site before the hack allows you to easily restore things to normal in case of complications during the cleanup. However, this method does not restore recent changes such as daily content updates or user comments, and it does not remove newly added infected files or folders by the hackers, which could allow further compromises.
Scan Your Site to Identify Infected Files
Using a reliable WordPress security plugin like Wordfence is essential for a complete scan. It identifies all files modified or added by hackers, including hidden backdoors, which are present in 85% of hacked sites, allowing hackers to regain access at any time.
These scans detect modified files, new PHP scripts, unauthorized redirects, and malware in themes/plugins. The detailed scan report identifies the affected files and areas to clean, saving significant time compared to manual detection efforts. If you lack the necessary technical expertise to perform a manual cleanup, it is advised to use an effective WordPress security solution.
Clean Infected WordPress Files
Many compromised sites involve altered WordPress core files, giving attackers elevated admin privileges. Rather than attempting to delete targeted infections on your own, follow the steps in the guide to replace the compromised core files using the WP Toolkit. This involves obtaining a fresh copy of the core files securely, ensuring all underlying code bases are restored to their unaltered versions.
By systematically replacing the modified core files according to the guide, you effectively eliminate residual vulnerabilities introduced during the attack, restoring your site’s security integrity without compromising its database, content, or design work.
Update All Your Plugins, Themes, and WordPress Version
Once the initial cleanup is done, ensure that all your plugins, themes, and the WordPress version itself are updated to the latest available versions. Updates often contain crucial security fixes that can prevent future attacks.
Strengthen Your Site’s Security
After cleaning your site, it is crucial to implement enhanced security measures:
- Change all passwords (WordPress admin, FTP, database, etc.)
- Enable two-factor authentication
- Limit login attempts
- Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
- Regularly monitor log files for suspicious activity
Inform Your Users and Restore Your Reputation
If your site has been compromised, it is important to inform your users about the situation and the steps you have taken to resolve the issue. This may include:
- Transparent communication about the incident
- Advice for users (e.g., change their passwords)
- Apologies if any data was compromised
- Information on the steps taken to prevent future incidents
Monitor Your Site Closely After Cleanup
After cleaning your site, stay vigilant. Monitor your site closely in the following weeks to ensure there are no signs of further compromise. Use security monitoring tools and regularly review your logs for suspicious activity.
By following these additional steps, you greatly increase your chances of fully recovering from a hack and protecting your WordPress site from future attacks.