WordPress started as a platform for bloggers and later became the complete web solution for eCommerce sites, blogs, news, and enterprise-level software. This growth or development of WordPress brought many changes and became more stable and secure than its previous versions. WordPress is an open-source platform. Anybody can work on it and contribute to its basic functionalities. WordPress is beneficial for developers who develop themes and plugins and the end-user who use them to add functionalities to their WordPress websites. In this article, we will discuss some common WordPress vulnerabilities and how to fix their issues.
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Does WordPress Have Security Issues?
WordPress has many security issues, but it’s now easier to overcome these issues and threats. Here are some easy tips to help get you started preventing malware and avoiding the common hackers that target WordPress websites.
What To Do To Make Your WordPress Site Secure
Because WordPress is open-source, the ability for bad actors to exploit common WordPress vulnerabilities is a possibility. Two strategies can be used to keep your WordPress website secure: using best practices for avoiding unauthorized access, such as using SSL and changing the name of the login page.
Common WordPress Vulnerabilities & Their Fixes
There are many ways that hackers could access your WordPress site, and many of these issues can be fixed with a few simple changes. All you need to do is know the security vulnerabilities and take the proper steps to prevent them from affecting your website. There are many common WordPress vulnerabilities. We will see each issue and its solution one by one.
- Brute Force Attack
- SQL Injection
- Weak Passwords
- Malware
- Cheap WordPress Hosting
- Cross-Site Scripting
- DDoS Attack
Brute Force Attack
In Layman’s terms, Brute Force Attack uses more than one try-and-error approach to credentials by using powerful algorithms and dictionaries to guess the password with context.
This is an example of how easy it is for anyone to conduct a brute force attack against WordPress. With the default settings, WordPress does not block a user from trying many failed attempts that are attempted, which makes it possible for hackers to try thousands of combinations per second.
How To Prevent & Fix It
Avoiding the Brute Force is very simple. You have to create a strong password that includes Upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and special characters as each character has a different value, and it would be not easy to guess a long and complex password. Avoid using a password like Emma123.
SQL Injection
It is one of the oldest hacks in the book to use SQL injection with a web form or input field to affect anything or destroy a database.
When an attacker successfully breaks into a WordPress website, they can manipulate the MySQL database and possibly gain access to the admin panel. It is usually accomplished by novice hackers (who rely on programs and files to hack) or those who want to test their skills by attacking weak websites.
How To Prevent & Fix It
If you suspect a SQL injection attack has targeted your website, you can use tools to verify it. If your website is clean, you can move forward by activating a plugin that checks if your site has been attacked or not.
Your WordPress site needs to be updated for the best performance and any theme or plugin being used. Check their documentation and forums to report performance issues that they can fix it.
Weak Passwords
Your WordPress login will be disclosed because the address is so common. Some scripts exist that brute-force common passwords and try guesses for leaked passwords.
If you are using weak passwords like admin123, admin/passwords, or other weak passwords, you can face serious WordPress vulnerability to your website.
How To Prevent & Fix It
Due to the high risk of hackers, WordPress login passwords must use strong passwords, are stored securely, and never shared with other installations or platforms. Do not use the username ‘admin’ since hackers easily target it. Older versions of WordPress used to create a default user with the username ‘admin,’ many hackers suppose that people are still using the same usernames.
Malware
Malicious code could also be found through a theme, outdated plugin or script. This can extract data from your site and might even insert malicious content that would go unnoticed due to its stealthy nature.
Malware can cause significant damage if it’s not properly handled on time. Sometimes, the WordPress site needs to be re-installed as it has affected the core. This also adds cost to your hosting expense, as a large amount of data is transferred or hosted using your website. Here is also a step-by-step guide on how to remove WordPress Malware.
How To Prevent & Fix It
Usually, the malware comes through infected plugins and unreal themes. It is recommended to download themes only from trusted resources free from malicious content.
Security plugins are run and used to scan malware and fix the issues. In the worst-case scenario, consult with a WordPress expert.
Cheap WordPress Hosting
If you choose your WordPress hosting solely based on hosting, you’re likely to face some common WordPress vulnerabilities. This is because cheap hosting is more than likely to be incorrectly set up and not separated from each other correctly.
Security issues arise when outdated vulnerabilities are evenly distributed on multiple websites. This could take place if you host a client’s website on your hosting server or if they have an issue.
How To Prevent & Fix It
To ensure your visitors’ security, you should choose hosting services that prioritize safety. For websites hosted for clients, it’s best to create a separate account for each customer to prevent visitor information from being exposed.
Cross-Site Scripting
One of the most common WordPress vulnerabilities is cross-site scripting. It is also known as an XSS attack. In cross-site scripting, the attacker loads a malicious JavaScript code which, when loaded on the client-side, starts gathering data and possibly redirecting to other malicious sites affecting the user experience.
How To Prevent & Fix It
If you want to avoid this type of attack, use proper data validation across the WordPress website. Use output sanitization to ensure the right kind of data is being inserted. Plugins such as Prevent XSS Vulnerability can also be used.
DDoS Attack
Anybody who has browsed the net or controls a website may have come across a well-known DDoS attack. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) is the enhanced version of Denial of Service (DoS) in which a large number of requests are made to a web server which makes it slow and ultimately crashes.
DDoS is typically a distributed denial-of-service attack that involves one source, while DDoS attacks are performed across different machines across the globe. This kind of hack causes millions in damages each year that many underestimated.
How To Prevent & Fix It
DDoS attacks are difficult to prevent using standard or normal techniques. Web hosts play an important role in protecting your WordPress site from such attacks. For example, Temok managed Cloud Hosting provider manages server security and indicates anything suspicious before it can cause any damage to the customer’s website.
Tips On How To Secure Your WordPress Website
Following are the tips to secure your WordPress website.
Update Your Passwords Regularly
WordPress site passwords are the first line of defence against unauthorized access to your site. Using complicated passwords makes it harder for someone to crack or guess your password.
Most people don’t change their passwords, and they use easily guessed words or phrases as passwords. This makes it easy for attackers to gain access to your website. Change your passwords regularly and use a strong password generator.
Use Two-Factor Authentication
Use two-factor authentication to enhance security level. It requires users to provide another piece of information beyond their username and password while logging in. This can be something as simple as a code sent to your phone through text message, email, or a more sophisticated token-based system.
Install Security Plugins
Security plugins are important for securing your website from malware and hackers. They work by scanning your website for common WordPress vulnerabilities and fixing them, and providing other security features such as malware scanning and firewall protection. There are multiple security plugins available, so it is important to pick one right for your needs.
Use An SSL Certificate
Use an SSL certificate to encrypt the traffic between the website and the user. It is important because it makes sure your data is safe and secure from prying eyes and hackers.
Keep The Backup Of The Website
Backing up your site means copying all the files that make up the site—including pictures, text, and other media like PDFs. This way, you’re prepared if anything happens to alter your work permanently.
Use Updated Versions Of WordPress & Plugins
Keep your WordPress website and plugins up-to-date. New versions are released often include security patches and bug fixes, protecting your site from malware and hackers. It also makes better the user experience on your website.
Eliminating Common WordPress Vulnerabilities & Risks
A well-managed web host such as Temok understands common WordPress vulnerabilities and risks and works hard to keep your site up and running. It also manages other threats to your site’s security like malware and phishing attempts and keeps your website up-to-date.
We familiarized ourselves with different WordPress vulnerabilities and the solutions. We know that regular updates to the software are vital to keeping it secure, so avoid themes and plugins that are no longer supported by the WordPress community.