How to Remove Malware from Your WordPress Site

WordPress Security

How to Clean a Hacked WordPress Website?

How to remove malware from a WordPress site is a skill every webmaster should have. Malware stands for malicious software, which is a general term for harmful programs and files that can compromise a system. It can damage computers, servers, networks, and websites. Removing malware from a hacked WordPress site is no easy task. And now that Google is enforcing a 30-day ban on site reviews to prevent repeat offenders from distributing malware, cleaning up a hacked site thoroughly is more important than ever.

Symptoms of Malware on a WordPress Website

1. Your WordPress website is redirected.
2. Browser throws a malware or site attack warning when you try to visit that URL.
3. You receive a Google Search Console message saying your website is hacked or has malware.
4. Your web-host blocks your account.
5. Strange URLs loading in the browser status bar when loading your website.
6. Symptoms of hacked WordPress Site
7. Even before getting to bottom of the issue, it is important to confirm if your WordPress Site is really under attack. Few common telltale signs will help you to understand if your WordPress site is really hacked or compromised.
8. Browsers block your website, and display a warning about malware infection - such as "The Website Ahead Contains Malware!"
9. Your website gets suspended by your website host due to malicious activity
10. Abnormal behavior of browsers when displaying your website
11. You observe/detect foreign code in your website - code that you had not put in. Files have been modified affecting core integrity
12. Search engines display blacklist warnings
13. Sudden Drop in Website Traffic
14. Irrelevant Links Added to Your Website
15. The Homepage is Defaced
16. You are Unable to Login to WordPress
17. Shady User Accounts in WordPress
18. Foreign Files and Scripts on Your Server
19. The website is Often Slow or Unresponsive
20. Unknown Scheduled Tasks
21. You see unusual activity in Server Logs
22. Popup Ads on Your Website
23. Hijacked Search Results

If your site displays any of the above symptoms, you can be sure that it has been hacked.
I will show you how cleanup 90% of the malware cleanup requests we get. Keep in mind that if you go through all steps from my guide, and the malware still exists on your website, you must hire a professional to help you remove the malware. In case you decide to hire a professional, I offer full malware removal service and you can HIRE ME ON FIVERR.

Best Ways to Remove Malware from WordPress Website

Best 10 steps to remove virus from WordPress website 

Best Steps to Remove Malware from WordPress Site

1. Select A Hosting Company With Security Features
2. Backup the Site Files and Database
3. Download and Examine the Backup Files
4. Delete All the Files in the public_html folder
5. Reset Passwords and Permalinks
6. Use Strong Passwords
7. Upload Your Images from the Backup
8. Scan Your Computer
9. Install and Run Security Plugins
10. Replace WP core files
11. Check if all plugins are still supported
12. Update current theme and remove themes that are not in use
13. Review server manually for unknown files
14. Scan WordPress again to verify cleanness
15. Change all wp admin user and hosting/database passwords
16. Submit to Google for review if site is blacklisted.
17. Remove the Malware Infection
18. Download a Fresh WordPress Copy to Install
19. Re-Install Plugins and Themes
20. Create a Website Maintenance Page (503.php)
21. Perform htaccess Redirection
22. Examine The Infected Files
23. Delete all files from the server
24. Use Strong Admin Username
25. Use a Contributor or Editor Account to Post On Your Site
26. Use a Backup Plugin
27. Change Your Database Prefix
28. Harden Your .htaccess and wp-config.php Files
29. Check and Change the File Permissions
30. Use Two-Factor Authentication
31. Disable XML-RPC
32. Use HTTPS and SSL
33. Disable Theme and Plugin Editing Through Your WordPress Dashboard
34. Move The wp-config.php File To A Non-WWW Directory
35. Change Your WordPress Security Keys
36. Disable Error Reporting
37. Remove the WordPress Version Number
38. Use Security Headers
39. Prevent Hotlinking
40. Log Out Idle Users

If your site displays any of the above symptoms, you can be sure that it has been hacked.

I will show you how cleanup 90% of the malware cleanup requests we get. Keep in mind that if you go through all steps from my guide, and the malware still exists on your website, you must hire a professional to help you remove the malware. In case you decide to hire a professional, I offer full malware removal service and you can HIRE ME ON FIVERR.