WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) out there. That’s why it is vital to prevent WordPress hacking. Statistically, over 33% of websites currently run on WordPress. This post is not a “one size fits all” overview, as there are many other ways to protect WordPress from hacking. Here at Sucuri, […]
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PHP Backdoor Evaluates XOR Encrypted Requests
In the past, we’ve mentioned how the PHP XOR bitwise operator (represented by the caret ^) can be used to encrypt a malware’s source code. This operator makes it more difficult to determine if encrypted code is malicious, or if it is trying to protect a legitimate developer’s code. However, that’s not the only way […]
Return to the City of Cron – Malware Infections on Joomla and WordPress
We recently had a client that had a persistent malware infection on their shared hosting environment that would re-infect the files quickly after we had cleaned them. The persistence was being created by a cron that was scheduled to download malware from a third party domain. Persistent Malware Infection on WordPress and Joomla Websites This […]
.htaccess Injector on Joomla and WordPress Websites
During the process of investigating one of our incident response cases, we found an .htaccess code injection. It had been widely spread on the website, injected into all .htaccess files and redirecting visitors to the http[:]//portal-f[.]pw/XcTyTp advertisement website. Taking a Look at the .htaccess Injector Code Below is the code within the ./modules/mod_widgetread_twitt/ index.php file […]
Slimstat: Stored XSS from Visitors
The WordPress Slimstat plugin, which currently has over 100k installs, allows your website to gather analytics data for your WordPress website. It will track certain information such as the browser and operating system details, plus page visits to optimize the website analytics. Versions below 4.8.1 are affected by an unauthenticated stored XSS on the administrator […]
W97M/Downloader Malware Dropper Served from Compromised Websites
W97M/Downloader is part of a large banking malware operation that peaked in March 2016. Bad actors have been distributing this campaign for well over a year, which serves as a doorway to Vawtrak and Dridex banking trojans. This malware campaign targets a wide array of users via their operating system and browser to deliver the […]
Who is Responsible for the Security of Your Website?
On a daily basis at Sucuri, we hear things like: “My host takes care of my website security.” “I have never been hacked, so why should I care?” Or here’s a personal favorite: “I’ll take care of it if (when) it happens.” Let’s be honest, no one wants to think about the possibility of their […]
Persistent Cross-site Scripting in WP Live Chat Support Plugin
During a routine research audits for our Sucuri Firewall, we discovered an Unauthenticated Persistent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) affecting 60,000+ users of the WP Live Chat Support WordPress plugin. Current State of the Vulnerability Though this security bug has been fixed in the 8.0.27 release, it can be exploited by an attacker without any account in […]
WordPress Plugin Give – Stored XSS for Donors
Give is a WordPress plugin which allows users to setup a donation page on a website. It currently has 60k installs. During a recent audit of the plugin, we found a severe vulnerability which allows donors to inject arbitrary code on an administrative page. If you are using a version lower than 2.4.7, you should […]
Multiple Vulnerabilities in the WordPress Ultimate Member Plugin
The Ultimate member plugin version 2.0.45 and lower is affected by multiple vulnerabilities, among them is a critical vulnerability allowing malicious users to read and delete your wp-config.php file, which can lead to a complete website takeover. All of our clients behind our website firewall are already protected, and are not at risk. The three […]
