It’s so frustrating when you try out new plugins or make slight changes to your website and it breaks down, derailing you from what you were working towards. So many factors could go wrong before your website goes down the drain. WordPress vulnerabilities often raise public awareness of the malefactors of hackers who exploit website owners through malicious or stupefying means.
Because of: some security patches might not be added to certain themes, and hosting networks are often slow to add new security measures. It is hard to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
If you’re not careful, WordPress can expose your website to vulnerabilities that could put your site at risk of being hacked. In this quick guide, we’ll cover six of the most common vulnerabilities associated with WordPress and show you what you need to do to fix them.
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WordPress Vulnerabilities: A Quick Guide for Website Owners
With literally millions of web servers on the internet hosting applications on WordPress, it’s not hard to imagine how vulnerable they can be.
This article breaks down some of the most common vulnerabilities with respect to WordPress using its own data and social media feedback.
Most Common WordPress Vulnerabilities & Security Issues
We did research on this topic and found these issues:
- Brute Force Attack
- SQL Injection
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Spam
- Malware
- Nulled plugins and themes
- Cross-Site Scripting
- Malicious redirects
- DDoS Attack
- Website is on HTTP not HTTPS
- wp-vcd.php malware
- Outdated WordPress Version
Let us go over them one by one and see how we can solve them.
Brute Force Attack
A Brute Force Attack is a type of attack where the attacker tries to access a protected resource by using a lot of brute force. This can be done by trying to guess the password, cracking the code, or attacking the system with lots of attempts. The goal of a Brute Force Attack is to get access to the resource as quickly as possible, without taking into account security measures.
To Solve This Problem:
To prevent a Brute Force Attack, you need to put in place security measures that limit the number of attempts an attacker can make.
You can protect yourself from brute force attacks by creating strong passwords and using two-factor authentication. You can also install anti-virus software and firewalls on your computer to protect yourself from malware.
If you are a victim of a Brute Force Attack, there are some steps that you can take to protect yourself.
First, you should change your password and security question answers immediately.
Second, ensure that your computer is up-to-date and has the latest security software installed.
Third, keep all of your important files and passwords securely stored away in a safe location.
Fourth, if you get any email or message for personal information such as your bank account number or Social Security number, never give out.
Lastly, contact your hosting provider to solve these issues.
SQL Injection
SQL injection is a form of hacking that uses SQL commands to attack a website. This type of attack allows an attacker to insert malicious code into a web page, which can then be executed by the website’s users.
SQL injection attacks are simple to perform and can be done using any web browser. Once injected, the attacker can control the data stored on the site, manipulate the displayed content, and access sensitive information.
To Solve This Problem:
To protect yourself from this type of attack, be sure to use strong passwords and avoid using easily guessable phrases when creating your login credentials.
Use a host that provides automatic security updates and keep your browser up-to-date with the latest security patches.
We suggest you use WPScan or Sucuri SiteCheck to check if your site is ok or not.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Spam
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) spam is a popular technique that criminals use to increase their visibility on search engines.
The practice involves stuffing your website with inflammatory or irrelevant content in order to improve your ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).
This can lead to a loss of traffic and potential customers, and is a serious violation of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.
To Solve This Problem:
All varieties of SEO spam virus are extremely tough to manually delete since they can generate hundreds of thousands of new spam pages that are impossible to eliminate.
We suggest you use MalCare, that helps you to remove all SEO Spam.
Malware
Malware is code that is designed to do harm. It can be inserted into websites through infected themes, outdated plugins or scripts.
This malicious code can do a lot of damage to your website, including stealing data, redirecting visitors to undesirable websites, and causing your website to crash.
To Solve This Problem:
If you find that your website is being attacked by malware, it is important to take action right away.
You can use a malware scanner to scan your website for viruses and malware, or you can remove the infected files manually.
You can run a full scan and fix malware with security plugins like:
All in One WordPress Security and Firewall
Nulled plugins and themes
Many nulled themes and plugins come with malware pre-installed. This means that when you install the theme or plugin, it’s already loaded with harmful VIRUSES that can steal your personal information, hijack your website, and damage your content. In some cases, the malware can even spread to other devices on your network, leading to serious security threats.
To Solve This Problem:
Avoid using nulled themes and plugins. These products often come pre-loaded with malware, which can infect your computer if you don’t nip it in the bud.
Malicious redirects
Malicious redirects can be used to scam or spam visitors by taking them to sites that are not necessarily related to what they were looking for on your website.
To Solve This Problem:
If you experience a redirect that you think is malicious, don’t take any actions on the redirected website. Instead, contact your hosting provider or webmaster to ask for their help.
DDoS Attack
The most common type of DDoS attack is the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.
The goal of a DDoS attack is to disrupt or shut down a website or server.
In a DDoS attack, a group of users flooded the web server with requests so that it couldn’t handle the load and eventually crashed.
DDoS attacks are carried out by hackers who use botnets to send a lot of requests to the target website. This makes the site inaccessible for regular users and damages its reputation.
In recent years, these attacks have become more common as hackers use them to extortionate businesses or extract money from them.
To Solve This Problem:
Use Cloudways Services. They keep track of all the traffic that flows through their servers and use this information to identify potential attacks.
Important Article-
Cross-Site Scripting
Cross-Site Scripting is a type of attack that exploits a vulnerability in a website’s design.
Attackers can inject malicious scripts into web pages that are executed by unsuspecting visitors who access the page.
This can allow attackers to steal cookies, access private data, and even hijack account credentials.
To Solve This Problem:
To prevent Cross-Site Scripting attacks, make sure that your website is properly configured and all user input is validated.
Use modern security features such as browser password protection and automatic login/password reset mechanisms.
You can use firewalls and antivirus programs, but the best way to prevent them is to be vigilant and to check for suspicious activity on your behalf.
Website is on HTTP not HTTPS
If your website is not using SSL to protect your data, then anyone who intercepts the data as it travels between your website and the user’s browser can see your passwords, credit card numbers, and other confidential information. This is called “data theft by interception”.
SSL is the only way to ensure that your website is safe from this type of attack.
To Solve This Problem:
Use Install an SSL certificate on your website.
Install active free version of Really Simple SSL – WordPress plugin.
wp-vcd.php Malware
The wp-vcd.php malware causes spam popups that direct users to other websites.
This is different from the SEO spam hack, which simply changes the URL of a website so that it appears as if it is coming from the target site.
The wp-vcd.php malware also uses a different method to redirect users to other websites.
To Solve This Problem:
Websites are typically infected with the wp-vcd.php virus through the use of NULL plugins and themes.So, do not use it and use MalCare, that will help you to remove the wp-vcd.php malware from your website instantly
Outdated WordPress Version:
Hackers always look at outdated versions of WordPress, which is a great target because they can exploit core vulnerabilities to execute attacks on the site.
These vulnerabilities have been known for years, but site owners continue to use outdated versions of WordPress without updating them. They leave their sites open to attack.
Once hackers have access to the site, they can do whatever they want, including stealing data, installing malware, and more.
To Solve This Problem:
Keep your WordPress installation updated to the latest version. Updating ensures that you are protected against potential vulnerabilities.
Related Article
Warm Up
As website owners, it is important that we are aware of any vulnerabilities that our sites may have. In this article, I will outline some of the WordPress vulnerabilities and provide a quick guide for website owners on how to protect themselves.
By taking these simple steps, you can keep your site running smoothly and avoid any potential damage or loss of data, and you can ensure that your visitors remain safe and secure while interacting with your site.