WordPress Defacement Removal – How To Fix Defaced WordPress site

A defacement is a type of hack where the attacker alters the appearance of a website by injecting malicious code or content. Here are some steps you can take to fix a defaced WordPress site:

1. Backup your website: Before making any changes to your website, it’s important to take a full backup of your site. This will allow you to restore your site to a clean state if something goes wrong during the removal process.
2. Check your website’s source code: Look for any suspicious code, such as iframes, scripts or base64 encoded code. Be sure to check not only the web pages but also the files such as .php, .js and .htaccess.
3. Clean the defacement: Use a malware scanner to remove any malicious code that has been injected into your website. After cleaning the defacement, change all the credentials of your website, like FTP, cPanel, DB, and WordPress.
4. Check your server access logs: Identify the IP address of the attacker and block that IP address from accessing your server using .htaccess or firewall rules.
5. Harden your website: Take steps to harden your website and make it more secure. You can use a security plugin such as Wordfence, iThemes Security or Sucuri Security to help protect your website from future attacks.
6. Keep your software up to date: Keep your WordPress version, plugins and themes up to date. This will help to ensure that any security vulnerabilities are patched and that your website is less likely to be hacked.
7. Review the content of your website: Review the content of your website to ensure that no malicious code or content is remaining on the site.

It’s important to note that even if you’ve taken all these steps, the defacement may still persist, so it’s important to keep monitoring your website and make sure that no malicious code is being injected again. If you find it difficult to clean the defacement, it’s best to seek professional help.