Exposing the Tactics Cybercriminals Use Against WordPress

WordPress is the most widely used content management system (CMS) in the world, powering over 40% of sites today. As a flexible and simple option, WordPress is the best choice for many, including individuals and businesses for blogs and e-commerce stores. But unfortunately, its popularity tends to make it just as popular with cybercriminals. Thousands of hacked WordPress sites are reported yearly, with owners scrambling to recover content, functionality, and their digital space. 

But how do attackers hack WordPress, and what tactics do they use to gain unauthorized access? In this article, we will examine the different ways cybercriminals typically target WordPress, signs to spot if your site has been hacked, and some simple safeguards you can take to help protect your WordPress from being hacked.

 

Why Hackers Target WordPress

Before we discuss the specific types of attacks that are used against websites to accomplish those breaches, let’s first consider why the attackers often focus on WordPress.

1. Large target pool – Since WordPress powers millions of websites when a hacker can breach even a small percentage of them, they can compromise thousands of websites.

2. Plugin and theme vulnerabilities – Integrating with so many additional plugins and themes is advantageous as it makes customization using WordPress easier. But bad actors leverage that large ecosystem of plugins and themes as poorly supported, outdated or poorly coded plugins lend themselves to breaches.

3. Financial gain – Hackers are not just breaking in just for fun. Their motivation is typically financial, either from data theft or running spam campaigns, or ad-based malicious behavior.

4. Bot nets and malware – Some compromised sites are part of networks of compromised sites and their purpose is to use compromised sites for malware distribution or potential further attacks.

 

Common Tactics Cybercriminals Use Against WordPress

Let’s review the most common ways hackers attack WordPress sites.

Brute Force Attacks

A brute force attack is one of the easiest, but also one of the most common techniques hackers use on WordPress websites. Automated bots which try every combination of username and password until they can brute-force the right one.

• Target: Login pages (wp-login.php or xmlrpc.php).
• Impact: If successful the hacker is now logged in as an admin and has full control of the site.
• Prevention: Use strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and limit login attempts.

 

Exploiting Vulnerable Plugins and Themes

Plugins and themes increase functionality, but they also introduce risks that are the result of a lack of maintenance. Outdated plugins are basically an “open door” for attackers if the add-ons get abandoned.

• Target: Common known security vulnerabilities in outdated add-ons.
• Impact: Hackers will inject malicious code, establish hidden back doors, redirect your visitors to a malicious website.
• Prevention: Update your themes and plugins regularly, delete any unused plugins and themes, and only use plugins and themes from trusted sources.

 

SQL Injection

SQL injection happens when hackers are able to control a site’s database queries by inserting malicious code via an input field (for example, a contact form or search bar).

• Target: Database-driven functionality.
• Impact: Hackers may steal sensitive data, create admin accounts, or corrupt content.
• Prevention: Use a security plugin that sanitizes inputs, and implement the database security best practices.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

XSS attacks insert malicious scripts into webpages hosted by WordPress. The visitor is completely ignorant that the script is running in their browser giving the hacker the chance to steal cookies, login information, or redirect their traffic.

• Targets: comment sections or form submissions and plugins with vulnerabilities.
• Impact: theft of user data, phishing and defacement of the website.
• Prevention: Always have the WordPress core and plugins updated, use a Web Application Firewall (WAF), and sanitize any user inputs.

 

Backdoors

Backdoors are covert access points hackers create once they have accessed your system. A backdoor makes sure they will be able to come back anytime, even though you are able to remove the obvious infection. 

• Target: Files such as wp-config.php, .htaccess, or hidden folders.
• Impact: Unauthorized access over and over again can lead to continual reinfection.
• Prevention: Scan files routinely, employ integrity monitoring tools, and prevent file editing within WordPress.

 

Phishing Attacks

While some hackers may attack your site directly, many will not attack your site but use it to host fake pages or scams with forms that are designed to steal user information. Users may unknowingly submit sensitive data through these fake forms. 

• Target: People who visit your WordPress site.
• Impact: Loss of reputation, getting blacklisted by Google, legal problems.
• Prevention: Use SSL Certificates, keep an eye on any illegal file uploads and use security monitoring with real-time monitoring.

 

Malicious Redirects

Hackers add code to a legit site to redirect users to spammy or malware-infested sites. Most of the time, the site owner doesn’t know there is a problem until users start to complain.

• Targets: Core files, plug-ins, or JavaScript injections.
• Impact: Traffic loss, black listing from search engines, and damage to site’s reputation.
• Prevention: Run a malware scanner on your site regularly, and use a trusted security plug-in.

Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks

Through massive traffic, hackers can overload a WordPress website until it crashes or slows down, significantly. 

• Target: Server resources.
• Impact: Downtime, lost revenue, frustrated customers.
• Prevention: Host with DDoS protection; deploy a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

 

Signs Your WordPress Site May Be Hacked

Despite prevention measures, some attacks still get through. Knowing how to recognize red flags helps you to react quickly. 

• Sudden drop in website speed or availability.

• Unapproved admin accounts appearing.

• Unfamiliar content or links on your website.

• Blocked on Google or antivirus.

• Visitors reporting spammy popups or redirects.
  

If you are experiencing these issues, you may have hacked WordPress sites.

 

How to Recover From a Hacked WordPress Site

If you believe your website has been hacked, don’t worry.  Here’s what to do:

1. First Take Your Site Down – To prevent further damage, you want to disable it from being publicly accessed.
   
2. Scan Your Files – Use a malware scanner to find infected files.

3. Delete the Malicious Code – Manually delete the infected files, or swap them out with clean files from a backup.

4. Reset All Passwords – The passwords for WordPress, hosting or database accounts must all be changed.

5. Update Everything – You need to update WordPress, all plugins and themes to the most recent version.

6. Reinstall Core Files – Then reinstall a fresh copy of the core WordPress files.

7. Review User Accounts – Delete any accounts you don’t recognize.
   
8. Harden Your Security – Install security plugins, enable two-factor authentication, set up monitoring.

 

Best Practices to Prevent Hacks

To decrease the chances of being the next hacked WordPress site, you can implement these security practices:

• Keep WordPress core, plugins, and themes updated.

• Use reputable hosting providers with strong firewalls.

• Install SSL certificates to encrypt any data coming in or out of your site.

• Limit login attempts and block suspicious IPs as needed.

• Back up your site regularly to a secure location.

• Disable file editing in the WordPress dashboard.

• Use strong, unique passwords for every account.

 

Conclusion

WordPress might be a hackers favorite attraction, but that doesn’t mean your site has to be the victim. By understanding the tactics and tools hackers use against WordPress, you can protect your site, your visitors and your business. The biggest factor of protection is vigilance – you can regularly update your site, monitor proactively, and maintain a conflict of great security. 

Remember, every step you take to harden your site takes you further away from joining the unfortunate list of hacked WordPress sites. Stay vigilant, stay secure, and keep your WordPress site safe against evolving cyber threats as we face them today.