Common WordPress Vulnerabilities and How to Fix them

Why WordPress Vulnerabilities are common?

There are several reasons why WordPress websites may have vulnerabilities. One reason is that the WordPress software itself, as well as many of the themes and plugins that are used with it, are open-source, which means that the source code is freely available for anyone to view and modify. This can make it easier for attackers to find and exploit vulnerabilities in the code.

Additionally, because WordPress is so widely used, it is a common target for attackers, who may try to find and exploit vulnerabilities to gain access to sensitive information or to take control of the website.

Furthermore, WordPress websites may have vulnerabilities if they are not properly configured, or if they are not regularly updated with the latest security patches. This can leave the website open to attack.

Overall, the combination of open-source code, widespread use, and the potential for improper configuration or lack of regular updates can make WordPress websites vulnerable to attack.

So in this blog post, we will discuss some common WordPress vulnerabilities and how to fix them.

1. Unauthorized access to the WordPress admin area.

• Solution: Use strong and unique passwords for all administrator accounts, regularly change those passwords, and change default login links. You can use a plugin like WPS hide login.

2. Injection of malicious code through vulnerabilities in themes and plugins.

• Solution: Regularly update all themes and plugins, and only use themes and plugins from trusted sources, never use nulled themes and plugins.

3. SQL injection attacks.

• Solution: Use a properly configured web application firewall, use a security plugin to disable direct PHP executing, filter URLs, SQL requests, etc.

4. Lack of security on the hosting server.

• Solution: Choose a reputable and secure hosting provider, and regularly update the server’s operating system and security software. Make your hosting provider use the latest control panel and operating system, security patch.

5. Unencrypted transmission of sensitive data.

• Solution: Use an SSL certificate to encrypt data transmitted between the website and users’ browsers. Most of the hosting providers include free SSL from Let’s encrypt. You can generate one from your hosting control panel or ask the hosting provider to generate one for you.

6. Lack of regular backups.

• Solution: Regularly create backups of the website’s files and database, and store them in a secure location. You can set up an automatic backup with WordPress backup plugins like Updrfatplus or VaultPress plugin.

7. Weak password policies for user accounts.

• Solution: Implement password strength requirements and regular password expiration for all user accounts, you can do that with a security plugin like the iTheme security plugin.

8. Failure to use two-factor authentication.

• Solution: Enable two-factor authentication for all administrator accounts to add an extra layer of security. There are multiple plugins that you can use to set up 2-factor authentication. Such as Google Authenticator, and WordPress 2-step verification.

9. Not using an auto malware scanner.

• Solution: If you don’t use an auto malware scanner tool or plugin, maybe your website got malware but you will never know, and when you will get to know it will be too late. As most Search engines will already blacklist your website and will show a warning to every visitor. So having an auto malware scanner for your website, you will get notified by email whenever there is a malware detected on your website. There are many free and Premium plugins for that. One of them is the iTheme security plugin.

Also read: WordPress SQL Injection: What is it? and how to prevent it.

We hope now you can fix the common WordPress Vulnerabilities in your websites.