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My website has been hacked!

If your website has been compromised, it’s crucial to act quickly to minimize damage and restore your site’s security. This guide provides step-by-step instructions to recover from common compromises, particularly for sites using well-known CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal.

1. Immediate Actions: Lock Down Your Site

  • Suspend Your Site: In cPanel, go to "File Manager" and modify .htaccess to redirect visitors to a maintenance page while you investigate. This prevents further spread of malware and protects your visitors. (Guide to turning off your website here)
  • Change Passwords Immediately: Update cPanel, FTP, database, and CMS admin passwords to prevent further unauthorized access. Use strong, unique passwords.

2. Run Malware Scan and Check Logs

  • Imunify’s Auto Clean: While you won’t have direct access to ImunifyAV, it will automatically scan and clean infected files. You should still verify the state of your site manually.
    • Check cPanel File Manager: Look for unusual files, especially in /wp-content/plugins/, /wp-content/uploads/, or similar directories.
    • Review Logs: In cPanel, navigate to "Raw Access Logs" or "Errors Logs" to find traces of unauthorized access, failed login attempts, or malicious scripts executed.

3. Backup and Isolate

  • Create a Backup: Before making any changes, take a full backup of the compromised site (files and databases) via cPanel’s "Backup Wizard". This allows you to analyze or restore data later if necessary.
  • Quarantine Malicious Files: After identifying potentially malicious files (often renamed or injected PHP files), move them to a quarantine directory or delete them entirely if you're certain they are compromised.

4. Update CMS, Themes, and Plugins

  • Replace Core WP files - Use the WP-CLI tool to replace all Core WP Files 
  • Core Updates: Ensure that the CMS (WordPress, Joomla, etc.) is updated to the latest version. Most CMS have an update option in the admin dashboard (e.g., WordPress Admin → Dashboard → Updates).
  • Plugin and Theme Updates: Update all installed plugins and themes to their latest versions. Outdated plugins are a common source of vulnerabilities.
  • Disable or Remove Vulnerable Plugins: In cPanel’s File Manager or via FTP, navigate to the plugin directory (e.g., /wp-content/plugins/ in WordPress) and rename or delete plugins that are no longer supported or known to be vulnerable.

5. Restore Clean Versions

  • Restore from Backup: If you have a recent clean backup, restore it using cPanel’s "Backup Wizard" or manually upload the files via FTP. Ensure the restored files are not compromised. (Guide to restoring using our backups here)
  • Use CMS Restore Features: Some CMS platforms offer a restore function that can revert to a clean version of the site, replacing compromised files while preserving data.

6. Review and Harden File Permissions

  • Correct File Permissions: Set proper file and directory permissions to reduce vulnerability to future attacks. For WordPress, standard permissions are:
    • Files: 644
    • Directories: 755
    • wp-config.php: 440 or 400
  • Lock Down Sensitive Files: Ensure that sensitive files such as .htaccess, wp-config.php, and any other config files are locked down with stricter permissions.

7. Scan and Secure the Database

  • Check for SQL Injections: Use a tool or manually inspect your database (via cPanel's phpMyAdmin) for injected malicious content like <script> tags or unauthorized admin users.
  • Remove Malicious Entries: Remove suspicious entries in content tables (e.g., posts, comments) or any unknown admin accounts created in the users table.

8. Check for Backdoors

  • Look for Backdoor Files: Backdoor scripts often appear as innocuous PHP files with strange names or hidden in directories like /wp-content/uploads/. Delete these files to close any easy re-entry points for attackers.
  • Use Security Plugins: For WordPress, install security plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri to scan for backdoors and harden your site against future attacks.

9. Re-enable the Site and Monitor

  • Re-activate the Site: Once you are confident the site is clean, remove the suspension and allow traffic again. Test the site functionality thoroughly to ensure everything is working as expected.
  • Enable Monitoring: Set up automated monitoring for unusual activity. Use tools like Jetpack for uptime monitoring or CMS security plugins that provide continuous scanning.

10. Secure Your Site for the Future

  • Regular Updates: Implement an update schedule for CMS, plugins, and themes to ensure your site always runs the latest, most secure versions.
  • Limit Login Attempts: Install plugins like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded for WordPress to prevent brute force attacks. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for all admin accounts.
  • Harden .htaccess: Add rules to your .htaccess file to block suspicious user agents, limit access to critical directories, and restrict access to admin panels by IP where possible.
  • Backup Regularly: Use cPanel’s automated backup solutions or plugins like UpdraftPlus to maintain regular off-site backups, ensuring quick recovery from any future compromises.