Remove Malicious Code From WordPress: How to Clean Your Site Without Losing Data

Having a WordPress website provides immense flexibility and control over your content, but it also makes you a potential target for hackers and malicious actors. One of the most common security threats for WordPress websites is malicious code, which can be inserted into your site through vulnerabilities in plugins, themes, or even weak security measures. The presence of this malicious code can lead to serious consequences, such as data breaches, loss of website traffic, or even blacklisting by search engines like Google.

If you suspect that your WordPress site has been compromised, it’s important to take immediate action. In this article, we will guide you through how to remove malicious code from WordPress while ensuring that you don’t lose any important data, including posts, pages, and media.

“IN TODAY’S WORLD, ENDPOINT PROTECTION IS NO LONGER A LUXURY; IT’S A NECESSITY. FAILING TO SECURE ENDPOINTS IS LIKE LEAVING THE FRONT DOOR OPEN FOR CYBERCRIMINALS, EXPOSING BUSINESSES TO THEFT, DISRUPTION, AND FINANCIAL LOSS.”

Raj Samani, Chief Scientist at McAfee

Why Malicious Code Is a Threat to Your WordPress Site

Malicious code can come in various forms, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and even backdoors that allow hackers to access your site without your knowledge. This code is often injected into your site through vulnerable plugins, outdated themes, or through brute force attacks on weak login credentials.

Here are some common signs that your WordPress site may have been infected with malicious code:

• Website redirects: Visitors may be redirected to harmful or phishing websites.
• Unexplained pop-ups or ads: Malicious code often injects pop-ups, banners, or ads into your site.
• Changes to website content: You may notice strange or unauthorized changes to your posts, pages, or theme files.
• Decreased performance: If your site has slowed down significantly, it may be due to malicious code using your server resources.
• Google warnings: Google may flag your site for containing malware or harmful content, which could lead to your site being blacklisted in search results.

How to Detect Malicious Code in WordPress

Before you can remove malicious code from your WordPress site, you need to confirm its presence. There are several methods for detecting malware and malicious code within your site files.

1. Manually Check Your Site’s Files

If you have access to your website’s file system, you can check the core WordPress files for malicious code. Here’s how to do it:

1. Log into your hosting account and access your file manager or connect to your site using an FTP client (like FileZilla).
2. Browse through your WordPress root directory and look for any files that shouldn’t be there. Common locations where malicious code hides include:
   • wp-content/themes: Check your active theme’s files, especially files like header.php, footer.php, and functions.php.
   • wp-content/plugins: Malicious code can be injected into plugin files. Review all active plugins for unfamiliar files or code.
   • wp-config.php: This is a critical file where hackers might insert malicious code to grant themselves access.
3. Look for suspicious code, like base64-encoded strings, unfamiliar URLs, or hidden iframe tags that may redirect users to malicious sites.

While this method can be effective, it requires a solid understanding of PHP and HTML. If you’re not comfortable with code, it’s best to move on to the next options.

2. Use WordPress Security Plugins

Security plugins are one of the most efficient ways to detect and clean up malicious code on your WordPress site. These plugins scan your site for vulnerabilities, including infected files and backdoors. Some of the most effective security plugins include:

• Wordfence Security: Wordfence scans your entire WordPress site for malware and provides real-time protection. It also allows you to remove infected files and restore the clean versions.
• Sucuri Security: Sucuri offers malware detection and cleanup tools along with a comprehensive website firewall to prevent further attacks.
• MalCare: This plugin scans your website for malicious code and offers one-click malware removal. It’s particularly useful if you want to clean your site without risking data loss.
• iThemes Security: iThemes Security provides malware scanning, file integrity checks, and various security features to prevent future infections.

To use a security plugin, simply:

1. Install and activate the plugin from your WordPress dashboard.
2. Run a full website scan to check for malicious code.
3. Follow the plugin’s instructions to clean and remove any malware found.

3. Use Online Malware Scanners

In addition to security plugins, there are online tools available that can scan your site for malicious code. Some popular tools include:

• Sucuri SiteCheck: This free tool scans your website for malware, blacklisting status, and other security issues.
• VirusTotal: VirusTotal allows you to upload files and scan them for malware. You can also scan URLs to check if your site is infected.
• Quttera Web Malware Scanner: This online scanner checks your website for malware and provides a report on any detected infections.

4. Check for Suspicious User Activity

Sometimes, malicious code doesn’t just exist in the site files; it can also be injected through compromised user accounts. Check the WordPress admin dashboard for:

• New or unknown user accounts, especially ones with admin privileges.
• Changes to user roles that could give unauthorized users access to the backend of your site.
• Unauthorized changes to posts or settings.

How to Safely Remove Malicious Code from WordPress Without Losing Data

Once you’ve detected the malicious code, the next step is to remove it. Here are several ways you can clean up your site without risking data loss.

1. Restore from a Clean Backup

If you regularly back up your WordPress site (which you should), restoring from a clean backup is one of the quickest and safest ways to remove malicious code. If you have a backup from a time before the infection occurred, simply restore it to return your site to its previous, clean state.

• Tip: Always store your backups offsite (not just on your hosting server) to ensure they are safe in case of an attack.

2. Replace Infected Files

If you don’t have a backup, you can manually replace the infected files with clean copies. Download the latest versions of WordPress, your theme, and your plugins from the official sources and replace any infected files.

• WordPress Core Files: Replace the entire WordPress core files, except for your wp-content folder, to ensure all core files are clean.
• Themes and Plugins: Download the latest versions of your theme and plugins, and re-upload them to overwrite the infected versions.

3. Remove Malicious Code Manually

If you’re comfortable with code, you can manually clean your site by deleting or modifying infected files. For example, if you find a malicious iframe or suspicious code, you can safely delete it. However, be cautious when doing this manually, as removing the wrong code can break your site.

4. Use a Malware Removal Service

If you’re not comfortable cleaning the site yourself or if the infection is severe, consider using a professional malware removal service. Many WordPress security companies, such as Sucuri or MalCare, offer malware removal services that can clean your site without losing any data.

How to Prevent Future Malicious Code Infections

Once your site is clean, it’s important to take steps to prevent future infections. Here are some best practices:

• Keep everything updated: Regularly update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins to patch known security vulnerabilities.
• Use strong passwords: Ensure that all user accounts have strong, unique passwords, and enable two-factor authentication for extra security.
• Install a security plugin: A good security plugin can provide real-time monitoring and protection against malicious code injections.
• Regular backups: Schedule regular backups to ensure that you always have a recent, clean copy of your site in case of future attacks.
• Limit login attempts: Prevent brute force attacks by limiting login attempts with a security plugin.

Conclusion

Removing malicious code from WordPress is crucial for maintaining the security and integrity of your website. While the process may seem intimidating, there are many effective ways to clean your site without losing important data. Whether you choose to manually clean the infected files, restore from a backup, or use a security plugin, the key is to act quickly and thoroughly. Regular security measures, such as keeping everything updated, using strong passwords, and backing up your site, will help prevent future attacks and ensure your WordPress site remains secure and functional.