The types of malware that can infect WordPress will be explained, including viruses, worms, spyware, adware, Trojan horses, ransomware, phishing, SEO spam, etc.


Malware that rarely infects WordPress in the strictest sense.

Viruses, worms, spyware, ransomware

A virus is malicious computer software that does not have the ability to spread itself. WordPress, a web application, is rarely infected, but rather WordPress is often infected by a type of malware called “adware,” which is a preliminary step that forces the user to download and install it on his/her computer.

Worms are viruses plus a self-spreading mechanism. They reside in computer processes and spread themselves by attaching copies of themselves to e-mail or USB memory sticks. They exist as software on the computer itself, so they rarely infect WordPress, which is a web application.

Spyware is a type of malware that infects a computer and collects and transmits information about its users. Spyware that sends administrator login information to a hacker’s email address is found in WordPress, but is unlikely to infect WordPress, which is a web application that is visited by a large number of people and does not contain credit card information, login information, or personal information. The only way to get infected is to use a WordPress site.

Ransomware is a type of malware that infects a computer and “threatens” to destroy files and data on that user’s computer, demanding payment in virtual currency or other money. It is unlikely to infect WordPress, a web application.

Malware that commonly infects WordPress

Adware

Adware is a type of malware that, as the name implies, embeds advertisements on a website in a way that the website operator does not intend, or displays them to visitors to the website.
Malware that sends users to other sites without their permission is also a type of adware if the destination is an advertisement.

Trojan Horse

A Trojan horse is a type of malware that misleads users into believing it is on their side. A Trojan horse may be embedded in a program on a site that illegally distributes paid WordPress plug-ins or themes.
These programs add seemingly useful enhancements to the site, but they may also contain backdoors that allow hackers to enter and deface the site.

Phishing

Phishing is a type of malware that lies to users. Fake login screens or credit card entry screens are displayed to trick users, and behind the scenes, personal information is sent to hackers.
Recently, a large amount of malware has been detected in which a WordPress site is defaced and a fake Google login screen is embedded, and if a user mistakenly logs in from that screen, his or her Google login information is leaked.

WordPress malware, heck.php displaying a fake Google login screen

SEO spam

We believe that this type of malware is the most common type of malware that infects WordPress. In order to improve search engine ratings, it may embed links to other sites on the site without permission, create pages on the site without permission in order to get caught in search results, or falsify the sitemap.

Various types of new malware that are secondary to WordPress malware

Malware such as the above often includes new types of malware that do not have a fixed name yet, such as those specific to web applications, but are not part of the traditional types of malware that infect computers.

Here are some typical examples.

Malware that tampers with HTACCESS and blocks access to many of its administrative functions

Malware that switches the destination of misdirects (redirects) from one user to the next or acquires the malware itself via the network, which changes the malware’s malicious activities.

Malware that writes values into the user’s cookie to randomly enable malware activity or change behavior depending on the environment of the person accessing the site.

Malware that repeatedly re-modifies the server process by creating a resident infinite loop.

Malware that retains user login information, access logs, etc. and transmits them over a network

You can use the free WordPress:Malware Scan & Security Plug-in to scan and remove WordPress malware. We hope you will give it a try.

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