In this article, 10 Steps to Apply for WordPress Malware Removal we will talk about the Best WordPress Malware Removal Plugins, WordPress Malware Removal Services, and 10 steps you should take to prevent it.
In May, it was estimated that 700 million websites were utilizing WordPress. Because of its ubiquity, if a hacker can gain access to one WordPress website, they will have access to possibly millions of others. They don’t need to hack websites that use the most recent version of WordPress; instead, they can scan for and hack websites that use older, insecure versions.
The following are the most often exploited website vulnerabilities:
- Out of date software.
- Poor credential management.
- Poor system administration.
- Soup-kitchen servers.
- Lack of Web knowledge.
- Corner-cutting.
It only takes a little effort and knowledge to fix these problems and keep your WordPress website safe. This includes not just ensuring that you, as a WordPress professional, are well-informed, but also that the clients to whom you hand over websites are.
Malware is a catch-all word for malicious software that exploits a website’s flaws to carry out a variety of destructive actions. Malware in WordPress may influence a website’s performance on every level, from the webserver to the user experience, and even the site’s SEO performance, in the context of WordPress sites. So, if you don’t pay attention to what’s going on with your website right now, it could be too late to rescue it by the time you notice.
Best WordPress Malware Removal Plugins
There are both commercial and free WordPress malware cleanup plugins listed below. Each plugin takes a different method to removing malware and restoring regular functionality to your website.
- Sucuri
- Wordfence
- MalCare
- SecuPress
- BulletProof Security
- CleanTalk Security and Malware Scan
- Astra Security Suite
- Cerber Security, Antispam & Malware Scan
- Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall
- Quttera Web Malware Scanner
WordPress Malware Removal Services
If you can’t access your WordPress admin because of the hack, I strongly advise you to hire an expert to clean up the site. If you’re going to attempt to clean the site manually, follow these steps:
Steps to Remove Malware from WordPress Site
Step 1: Backup the Site Files and Database
If you’re utilizing the web host’s site snapshot feature, make a comprehensive backup of your site. This will be your server’s most comprehensive backup. However, because it may be rather huge, expect the download to take some time.
If you’re able to log in, use a WordPress backup plugin. If you are unable to get onto the site, the database may have been hacked, in which case you should contact one of the specialists listed above.
Using these procedures, create a second, supplementary database backup.
If you can log in, you can also export an XML file of all your material using Tools > Export.
Some of the locations may be extremely huge. Upload file might be over 1GB in size. Because it includes all of your uploads. The wp-content folder is the most essential folder on your server. If you can’t run a backup plugin and your web host doesn’t offer a “snapshots” function, you can use the File Manager on your webserver to create a zip archive of your wp-content folder, which you can then download.
You should back up each WordPress installation on the server if you have more than one.
Step 2: Download and Examine the Backup Files
Once the site has been backed up, save the backup to your PC and open it with a double-click. You should check out: The whole WordPress core. You may get WordPress for free from WordPress.org and compare the files in the download to your own. You won’t need these files right now, but you could need them later as part of your investigation into the breach. The file wp-config.php This is crucial since it contains the name, username, and password for your WordPress database, which we’ll need throughout the restoration.
.htaccess file. This will be undetectable. Only an FTP software (like FileZilla) or a code editing application (like Brackets) that allows you to examine invisible files (select the Show Hidden Files option) inside the application’s interface can tell you if you backed this up. The wp-content directory. There should be at least three directories in the wp-content folder: themes, uploads, and plugins. Look through the following folders. Do you see your theme, plugins, and pictures that you’ve uploaded? If that’s the case, it’s a positive indicator that your site is well-backed up. This is usually the only mission-critical folder you’ll need to get your site back up and running (in addition to the database). You should have a SQL file that is a database export. We won’t be deleting the database during this procedure, but it’s a good idea to keep a backup.
Step 3: Delete All the Files in the public_html folder
Using your web host’s File Manager, remove all of the files in your public html folder after you’ve confirmed you have a solid and full backup of your site. I recommend using the File Manager since it is much faster than using FTP to delete files. If you’re familiar with SSH, this will be quick as well. Make careful to inspect hidden files and delete any.htaccess files that have been hacked.
If you have additional websites hosted on the same account, you may presume that they have all been hacked as well. Cross infection is a regular occurrence. You must clean ALL of the sites, so make a backup of them all, download the backups, then follow the procedures below for each one. I realize this seems harsh, but scanning for and locating all compromised files on a server is quite difficult. Simply double-check that each of your backups is complete. And don’t just clean one website and then clean the other at your leisure, because in the time it takes to clean one, additional infected websites might re-infect the one you just cleaned. It should be treated as if it were the bubonic plague.
Step 4: Reinstall WordPress
Reinstall WordPress in the public html directory if this was the initial location of the WordPress install, or in the subdirectory if WordPress was installed in an add-on domain, using the one-click installer in your web hosting control panel.
Using the database credentials from your previous site’s backup, update the wp-config.php file on the new WordPress setup to utilize them. This will link the old database to the new WordPress installation. Re-uploading your old wp-config.php file is not recommended because the new one will contain fresh login encryption salts and will be devoid of any compromised code.
Step 5: Reset Passwords and Permalinks
Reset all user names and passwords by logging onto your site. If you see any users you don’t recognize, your database has been hacked, and you should call a specialist to ensure no malicious code has been left behind. If you wish to delete your old database and start again, I have a blog post called Nuke it From Orbit that you may read. It takes a little more effort, but it ensures a clean site.
Save your changes by going to Settings > Permalinks. Your.htaccess file will be restored, and your site URLs will function again. Make sure you displayed invisible files while deleting files on your server so you don’t leave any hacked.htaccess files behind. .htaccess is an unseen file that controls many aspects of the server and may be hacked to maliciously redirect visitors to other sites.
Passwords for FTP and hosting accounts should also be changed.
Step 6: Reinstall Plugins
Install all of your plugins again, either from the WordPress repository or from the premium plugin developer’s website. Installing outdated plugins is not a good idea. Installing plugins that are no longer supported is not a good idea.
Step 7: Reinstall Themes
Install your theme again from scratch. Refer to your backup files if you customised your theme files, and then recreate the modifications on a fresh copy of the theme. You should not upload an outdated theme since you may not be able to tell which files have been compromised.
Step 8: Upload Your Images from the Backup
Now comes the difficult part. You’ll need to copy your old picture files back to the server’s new wp-content > uploads folder. You do not, however, wish to transfer any compromised data during this procedure. You’ll need to go through your backup and inspect inside each year/month folder to make sure there are only picture files and no PHP files, JavaScript files, or anything else you didn’t submit to your Media Library. This is exhausting. After you’ve blessed each year/month folder, you may use FTP to upload them to the server.
Step 9: Scan Your Computer
Scanning your computer for viruses, trojans, and malware is a good idea.
Step 10: Install and Run Security Plugins
Install and activate the iControlWP Shield WordPress Security plugin. Examine all of its options. To keep track of every activity on the site, I recommend using the Audit function for a few months.
Scrutinize the site using the Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall. To make sure you didn’t miss anything, use Sucuri’s Site check to scan the site. You don’t need two firewall plugins active, so turn down the Anti-Malware one once you’ve confirmed the site is clear. A shield will alert you if any core files have changed in the future.