TL;DR: WordPress malware is common but preventable. With the regular scan and monitoring, everything can be fixed on your site. Discover the guide for reliable security methods, after fixes and precautions for complete WordPress security.
WordPress malware refers to malicious code, viruses, backdoors, trojans, scripts, inserted into a WordPress site to harm, exploit, or take control of it. These infections can lead to data theft, defaced websites, SEO penalties, or even a full-site takeover. Since WordPress powers over 40% of the web, it’s a high-value target for attackers.
In recent reports, thousands of WordPress ecosystem vulnerabilities are discovered each year, many of which are exploitable in real-world attacks.
Thus, ignoring the WordPress security checklist is risky, not just for your site’s integrity, but also for your users’ trust, search rankings, and business reputation.
Common Types of WordPress Malware Every Site Owner Should Know
WordPress sites can be infected in many different ways, and each malware type behaves differently. Understanding these common threats helps you identify issues faster and take the right steps to secure your site.
Backdoors
These are hidden scripts placed inside your WordPress files or database that allow attackers to regain access even after you remove visible malware. These often run silently and can recreate infections, making them one of the most dangerous types of WordPress malware.
Spam Injectors
This inserts hidden links, doorway pages, or spammy text into your site to boost search rankings for malicious or scam websites. Spam Injectors often target posts, footer files, or database tables, leading to SEO penalties and loss of credibility.
Cryptojackers
Cryptojacking malware uses your server resources or your visitors’ browsers to secretly mine cryptocurrency. This can slow down your website dramatically, overload your hosting server, and create a noticeably poor experience for users.
Phishing Malware
This malware redirects visitors to fake login screens, banking sites, or malicious landing pages to steal personal or financial information. Phishing malware can also inject harmful JavaScript, making your site a tool for cybercriminals without you realizing it.
Obfuscated Code
Obfuscated code is malware disguised through techniques like base64 encoding, compression, or comment-based obfuscation within .php, .ico, or renamed files. Wordfence reports that heavily obfuscated .ico and .php files were among the most frequently observed malware patterns last year.
Font/JS Loaders
Some advanced malware hides in seemingly harmless assets like WOFF2 font files or JavaScript loaders. One known example is GootLoader, which uses custom font files to conceal malicious scripts, making detection much harder for basic scanners.
How Hackers Infect WordPress Sites: The Most Common Entry Points
Not all malware works the same way. There are various loopholes and entry points that hackers may target:
Vulnerable Plugins and Themes
Outdated or poorly coded plugins and themes remain the biggest attack vector for WordPress malware. Vulnerabilities in their code, such as cross-site scripting (XSS), can give room for the malware to slip in. According to an AIOSEO report, 90% of WordPress vulnerabilities were generated from plugins, while 6% were linked to the theme’s vulnerability.
Poorly Configured WordPress Core
Failing to keep the WordPress core updated leaves your website exposed to known security flaws that attackers actively exploit. The official WordPress Developer Resources emphasize timely updates and proper configuration as key elements of hardening your site.
Weak Credentials
Weak passwords, predictable usernames (like “admin”), and a lack of two-factor authentication make it easy for attackers to perform brute-force login attempts. With automated bots constantly scanning for weak logins, these simple vulnerabilities remain a major threat.
File Permissions
Incorrect file permissions can allow unauthorized users or malware scripts to write, modify, or execute files on your server. When permissions are too loose, attackers can upload backdoors, modify core files, or plant hidden scripts that persist after cleanup.
Unprotected Admin Endpoints
Features like XML-RPC, if enabled without restriction, give attackers another channel for brute-force attacks or automated exploits. Leaving default endpoints unprotected increases the attack surface and makes your site easier to compromise.
Insecure Hosting
Hosting environments that lack proper isolation, outdated server software, or security monitoring make your site more vulnerable. On shared or budget hosting, cross-site infections can spread from one compromised account to another, even if your WordPress setup is secure.
How to Detect WordPress Malware: Early Warning Signs
Here are expanded, detailed explanations for each early warning sign that can help you address the situation early.
Unexpected Redirects or Pop-Ups on Your Site
If your visitors are being redirected to unrelated or suspicious websites or if pop-ups appear unexpectedly, it often indicates injected malicious scripts. These scripts may run only for certain users (like those not logged in), making them harder for site owners to notice.
Suspicious Admin Users or Roles Created Without Your Knowledge
Malware often creates hidden administrator accounts or elevates the privileges of existing users so attackers can regain access even after you remove malicious files. If you see admin accounts you didn’t create, it’s a strong sign that your site has been compromised.
Abnormal Spikes in Traffic (especially to odd URLs)
Sudden increases in traffic from unfamiliar countries or bots, especially targeting strange URLs or directories, may indicate spam injections or bot-driven attacks. These anomalies often show up in analytics or server logs before visible malware symptoms appear.
Modified or Unfamiliar .php files in WP-content
WordPress malware commonly hides inside modified theme or plugin files, or even inside upload directories disguised as images or system files. If you find new .php files you didn’t create or notice changes to core theme/plugin files, it’s usually a red flag.
Google Safe Browsing Warnings or Blacklisting
If Google detects phishing pages, malicious downloads, or suspicious scripts on your website, it may blacklist your domain. This results in warnings like “This site may harm your computer,” which not only signals malware but also affects SEO and user trust.
Slow Server Performance Due to Cryptojacking
Cryptojacking malware uses server resources to mine cryptocurrency, leading to high CPU usage, excessive memory consumption, and slower page loading. If your server is suddenly under heavy load without an identifiable cause, cryptomining scripts may be running in the background.
Tools and Methods to Scan for Malware on WordPress
Detecting malware early requires the right techniques and methods. Here are some of the most effective methods to identify suspicious activities, hidden infections, and malicious attacks in your WordPress site.
1. File Integrity Scanning
File integrity checks compare your WordPress core files against the official versions from WordPress.org. If any file has been modified, added, or deleted unexpectedly, it may indicate injected malicious code, backdoors, or tampered scripts that require immediate investigation.
2. Database Inspection
Attackers often hide malware inside database fields like wp_options, wp_posts, or plugin-specific tables by injecting malicious JavaScript, iframes, or encoded payloads. Regularly reviewing these tables helps identify hidden spam links, redirect scripts, or unauthorized admin entries.
3. External Vulnerability Scanners
External scanners like Sucuri SiteCheck analyze your website from the outside, detecting known malware signatures, blacklist status, suspicious scripts, and outdated software. These tools don’t require backend access, making them useful for initial detection or confirming a suspected infection.
4. Server-Level Logs
Your server’s access and error logs reveal unusual activity such as repeated POST requests to login endpoints, suspicious IP addresses, failed login attempts, or unauthorized file uploads. These anomalies often appear before visible malware symptoms, making logs valuable for early threat analysis.
5. WordPress Security Plugin Scanners
WordPress security plugins scan your files, folders, and database for malware signatures, modified code, or vulnerabilities. Many also compare your installation with known safe versions, alert you to changes, and offer automated cleanup tools to simplify WordPress malware detection and removal.
Best WordPress Malware Removal Plugins for Quick Detection
After detecting malware or a suspicion in your WordPress, you immediately have to secure your site. Here are some of the most well-known WordPress Malware Removal plugins that will ease your work:
1. MalCare
This plugin uses cloud-based scanning, meaning it analyzes your site without consuming server resources. MalCare detects deeply hidden malware, identifies file changes, and offers one-click malware removal. Its off-site scanning makes it fast and less likely to miss infections.
2. Wordfence
The plugin provides a robust file scanner, firewall, and vulnerability detection engine. Wordfence checks core files, themes, plugins, and external resources for malware signatures. Its firewall blocks malicious traffic, making it useful for both detection and real-time attack prevention.
3. Malcure (WP Malware Removal)
This WordPress plugin scans deeply within your installation, identifying fake images, renamed files, and disguised scripts commonly used in advanced WordPress malware. Malcure is particularly effective for uncovering threats hidden in uploads or custom directories that basic scanners often overlook.
4. All-In-One Security (AIOS)
AIOS provides a full suite of features like file scanning, login protection, firewall rules, and database checks. Its malware scanner looks for suspicious patterns inside files and directories, making it a helpful all-around tool for detection and basic cleanup workflows.
How to Remove Malware from WordPress: Manual Mode
Manually removing malware from WordPress involves critical steps to ensure that your site is completely secure and that the malware eradication has been completed. Here are the steps that you should follow:
1. Backup Your Site (files + database)
Always create a complete backup before beginning cleanup. This ensures you can restore your site if something goes wrong and gives you preserved copies for analysis. It also protects your content during manual WordPress malware removal.
2. Put your Site in Maintenance Mode
Enabling maintenance mode prevents users from interacting with infected content and stops attackers from exploiting the site further while you clean it. This minimizes damage and ensures visitors don’t see compromised pages or redirects.
3. Inspect Core Files
Replace your wp-admin and wp-includes directories with clean copies from the official WordPress download. These folders should never contain custom code, so replacing them removes injected scripts or modified core files commonly used by malware.
4. Scan the WP-Content Folder
Since themes, plugins, and uploads are attacker targets, reviewing every .php file and detecting unknown or obfuscated code is essential. Malware often hides in renamed files in uploads or inside outdated themes and plugins.
5. Database Cleaning
Attackers frequently insert malicious redirects, JavaScript, or encoded payloads into database fields. Inspecting wp_options, siteurl, and plugin-specific tables helps remove hidden injections that persist even after file-level cleanup.
6. Clean .htaccess and wp-config.php
These key configuration files are common targets for malware injections that trigger redirects, block admin access, or load external scripts. Reviewing and restoring them ensures no unauthorized rules or encoded backdoors remain.
7. Change All Credentials
Resetting passwords for WordPress accounts, FTP, hosting, and the database ensures attackers can’t regain access. Many infections come from compromised credentials, so this step is essential to prevent re-infection.
8. Check File Permissions
Correct permissions, typically 644 for files and 755 for folders, prevent unauthorized writing or execution. Improper permissions make it easier for attackers to upload backdoors or modify core files, so proper configuration boosts post-cleanup security.
Post-Cleanup Actions for Restored Security
Once the malware is removed, it’s crucial to strengthen your site to prevent reinfection. These post-cleanup steps help restore security, improve stability, and ensure your WordPress website stays protected going forward.
Update Everything
Outdated WordPress core, plugins, or themes often contain vulnerabilities that malware exploits. Updating everything ensures you’re protected by the latest security patches and reduces the likelihood of attackers re-infecting your website.
Harden your Site
After cleanup, applying recommended hardening steps, such as disabling file editing, restricting XML-RPC, and limiting login attempts, helps close common attack vectors. Hardening significantly reduces overall exposure to malware and brute-force attacks.
Enable a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A WAF blocks malicious traffic, prevents known exploits, and stops attackers before they reach your site. Whether plugin-based or cloud-based, it adds a strong layer of protection against reinfection and automated attacks.
Set up Automated Scans
Daily or weekly automated malware scans help catch threats early before they escalate. Most WordPress security plugins allow scheduled scanning, ensuring your site remains continuously monitored for signs of suspicious changes or injections.
Regular Backups
Maintain consistent off-site backups, including full site files and the database, to ensure you can quickly restore your site if malware returns. Reliable backups minimize downtime and make recovery significantly easier.
Monitor Logs and User Roles
Post-cleanup, keep a close watch on server logs, login attempts, and newly created admin accounts. These indicators help detect early reinfection attempts or suspicious behavior from unauthorized scripts or users.
Conclusion
WordPress malware is a constant and evolving threat, but with the right vigilance and tools, you can detect, remove, and prevent these attacks effectively. By combining early detection (via scans and logs), careful cleanup (manual or automated), and strong security hygiene (hardening + backups + firewall), you can protect your WordPress site from reinfection.
Treat WordPress security as an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. Malware cleanup is only the first step; building resilient defenses ensures your site stays safe in the long run.
FAQs
Q1. How do I know if my WordPress website has malware?
Q2. What is the fastest way to remove malware from WordPress?
Q3. Can I remove malware from WordPress manually?
Q4. What causes WordPress websites to get malware?
Q5. Does malware affect SEO and Google rankings?
Ishan Makkar
He is a web performance specialist with hands-on experience optimizing websites for speed, media efficiency, and user engagement. As the founder of Website Speedy and Image Optimizer Pro, he has helped businesses across multiple industries improve load times, strengthen SEO, and reduce bounce rates. His work focuses on creating reliable, data-driven optimization solutions that deliver measurable results and build long-term digital trust.
