Online criminals primarily target WordPress websites today since it is the most popular website management software. So how to Remove Malware from WordPress ? Keep reading the article Currently, the WordPress website management software is powering more than 70 million websites worldwide. Thereby, in its very nature, it is something that needs to be maintained, as new updates and patches become available. WordPress has been freely available since 2004!
Hackers target websites for making illegal money. The websites that fall a prey promote commercial websites and this predominantly includes gambling, pharmaceuticals, and porn. Hacked websites work for the hackers, it is used to send out thousands of spam e-mails which may contain links to trick Google to rank the commercial websites on top in the search results.
Symptoms of WordPress Malware
Here are some of the symptoms that you should be aware of to stay safe:
- New and unidentified links appear on your website
- Links are hidden in the color of the background of the website only to be found by search engines.
- A Google search for your own website turns up with details that the website isn’t yours.
- Visitors getting redirected to a different website
- Your website is being used to send spam
- A sudden decrease in organic search traffic
Also check the simple guide to Remove Malware from WordPress ?
How To Remove Malware From WordPress Website?
If one of these symptoms shows up then it is obvious that your WordPress website has been hacked or injected with malware. The first and foremost thing to do is to get a backup copy of your website. Without any second thoughts, get a copy of all files in your web hosting account downloaded to your local computer, as well as a copy of your database.
Next, install free malware scanner plugins in the WordPress official free plugin repository. Run it, and you may easily find the source of the infection. Check thoroughly all the theme files and try reinstalling WordPress once.
When WordPress core files are contaminated one of the easiest ways to remove the source of the infection is to delete the entire wp-admin and wp-includes folders. This the contents includes files reside in the root of your website. In case it is too technical get some help from the WordPress security expert.
Steps to Remove Malware from WordPress
- Here is the list of things that you got to do to steer clear,
- Diagnose Hacked WordPress Site
- Be Prepared for future
- Shut down your site temporarily
- Regenerate WordPress salts and security keys
- Change all WordPress passwords
- Take Full backup of WordPress theme and other important files
- Take WordPress Database Backup
- Use GWT and Google Chrome to identify malware issues
- Search WP files for malicious code
- Scan WP folders for malicious files
- Find Hidden IFRAMES
- Check User-generated Content (UGC)
- Check the location of open redirects
- Scan internal and external links of your website
- Check Final destination Of Website traffic
- Scan Downloadable WP files
- Check your wp-config.php file
- Scan your .htaccess file
- Scan Vulnerable WP plug-ins
- Find and delete backdoors
- Look for hidden administrators
- Scan your computer for Trojans & Viruses
- Change your web hosting service provider
- Use Comodo WebInspector
Comodo WordPress Malware Removal Tool
Hackers make use of a website’s code and impregnate viruses and malware and to handle such challenges, Comodo’s Web Inspector service is an ideal solution to identify and block malware infecting the websites. Besides, it offers greater protection for online shoppers against scam-websites and internet fraud.
Try Comodo Free WordPress Malware Removal Tool and get a free scan your website now.
Related Resources:
Website Malware Scanner
Website Status
WordPress Malware Removal
