Attackers are always finding new ways to inject malware into websites and new ways to obscure it to avoid detection, but they’re always up to their same old tricks. In this post, we’ll explore how attackers are using a very obscure PHP snippet WordPress plugin to install server-side malware to harvest credit card details from […]
Tag Archives: Malware
Mal.Metrica Redirects Users to Scam Sites
One of our analysts recently identified a new Mal.Metrica redirect scam on compromised websites, but one that requires a little bit of effort on the part of the victim. It’s another lesson for web users to be careful what they click on, and to be wary of anything suspicious that pops up in their browser […]
JavaScript Malware Switches to Server-Side Redirects & DNS TXT Records as TDS
Last August we documented a malware campaign that was injecting malicious JavaScript code into compromised WordPress sites to redirect site visitors to VexTrio domains. The most interesting thing about that malware was how it used dynamic DNS TXT records of the tracker-cloud[.]com domain to obtain redirect URLs. We’ve been tracking this campaign ever since — […]
Credit Card Skimmer Hidden in Fake Facebook Pixel Tracker
In recent months, we have encountered a number of cases where attackers inject malware into website software that allows for custom or miscellaneous code — for example, the miscellaneous scripts area of the Magento admin panel, or WordPress plugins such as Custom CSS & JS. Custom script editors are popular with bad actors because they […]
Web Shells: Types, Mitigation & Removal
Web shells are malicious scripts that give attackers persistent access to compromised web servers, enabling them to execute commands and control the server remotely. These scripts exploit vulnerabilities like SQL injection, remote file inclusion (RFI), and cross-site scripting (XSS) to gain entry. Once deployed, web shells allow attackers to manipulate the server, leading to data […]
Magento Shoplift: Ecommerce Malware Targets Both WordPress & Magento CMS
We often write about malware that steals payment information from sites built with Magento and other types of e-commerce CMS. However, WordPress has become a massive player in ecommerce as well, thanks to the adoption of Woocommerce and other plugins that can easily turn a WordPress site into a fully-featured online store. This popularity also […]
What is .htaccess Malware? (Detection, Symptoms & Prevention)
The .htaccess file is notorious for being targeted by attackers. Whether it’s using the file to hide malware, redirect search engines to other sites with black hat SEO tactics, or inject content — the range of possibilities for misuse is vast, making it a prime target for hackers. .htaccess malware can be hard to pinpoint […]
New Malware Campaign Found Exploiting Stored XSS in Popup Builder < 4.2.3
<img width="560" height="263" src="https://blog.sucuri.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/BlogPost_Feature-Image_1490x700_Is-WordPress-Secure–560×263.png" alt="New Malware Campaign Found Exploiting Stored XSS in Popup Builder In January, my colleague reported about a new Balada Injector campaign found exploiting a recent vulnerability in the widely-used Popup Builder WordPress plugin which was initially disclosed back in November, 2023 by Marc Montpas. In the past three weeks, we’ve started […]
From Web3 Drainer to Distributed WordPress Brute Force Attack
Two weeks ago we discussed a new development in website hacks: Web3 crypto wallet drainers. We’ve been closely following the most significant variant which injects drainers using the external cachingjs/turboturbo.js script. Our SiteCheck website scanner has already detected this version on over 1,200 sites since the beginning of February, 2024. Since our last post, this […]
New Wave of SocGholish Infections Impersonates WordPress Plugins
SocGholish malware, otherwise known as “fake browser updates”, is one of the most common types of malware infections that we see on hacked websites. This long-standing malware campaign leverages a JavaScript malware framework that has been in use since at least 2017. The malware attempts to trick unsuspecting users into downloading what is actually a […]
