How can you prevent a WordPress Backdoor Exploit Hack

Prevent a WordPress Backdoor Exploit Hack

Posted by Andrei on May 25, 2016 in How To's, WordPress

Everybody wants to prevent and stop their WordPress site from being hacked. And even though we all know how superior and beloved this platform is, WordPress security still has a long way to go.

One kind of hacking is when your account is accessed by another admin but you don’t see that person listed. Backdoor exploit is the term used to describe a site that has been hacked, in which the hacker gains access to the admin dashboard. Without accessing your site through the front-end login page, the hacker gets into the site in a backdoor sense.

How is this possible? By making a script that is then injected into your website allowing access to the hacker whenever desired. Essentially, the hacker is making their own key to get into your backdoor. This type of hacking wouldn’t be made in the same as a user who gets into your site from a login page.

What happens after your site is hacked? Most of the time a hacker will do certain things when hacking in this way. They will probably collect personal information for spamming purposes or send a number of spam emails from your site to make users believe it was from you. Or they may simply add themselves as a hidden admin and change things about your site to help with spamming purposes. They can also upload a file in the site with the backdoor script enclosed.

How can you prevent it? Look for vulnerabilities announcements mentioned by WordPress, from themes and plugins so you can be aware of a bug that is out there. You should always keep your work station free of malware and viruses, regularly updating your operating system, software and browsers on your computer. Make sure you have a reliable and secure host, choose VPS and managed hosting because these options minimizes chances of breaches and are excellent for e-commerce sites. Also, backup your WordPress site at least as frequently as you run maintenance or update it. This is your safety net if you do get hacked.

Hackers tend to breach your site through vulnerabilities like bugs that could be avoided by making regular updates. So, never forget to update your version of WordPress, mainly because the security holes in the old versions are known to the public and can put your website at risk. Update not only your site but also your plugins and your themes to avoid vulnerabilities. Never postpone this action, because the longer you wait, the more likely you’ll get hacked.

Now, if you get hacked what can you do? If you discover a hidden admin or that your site’s clearly been hacked, then it’s time for damage control. Search your database for a list of user accounts and if you find someone that shouldn’t be there, delete and remove them. Do a clean sweep of your website and download a plugin to help you search for traces that someone hacked your website. There are many great plugins you can installed that can help you scan and search for malware and hacks, cleaning up your site and detecting threats, as are VaultPress and Wordfence Security.

With the right plugins, you should be free from hackers in the future. But always update your site and plugins to avoid such vulnerabilities for a WordPress Backdoor Exploit.