WordPress Security Incident Response and Website Recovery

This repository documents a sanitized WordPress security incident response and recovery project completed for a client whose website had been compromised.

The project involved investigating the security issue, identifying suspicious files and unauthorized changes, restoring website functionality, removing malicious components, strengthening the WordPress installation, and implementing preventive security measures.

Confidentiality Notice: All client-identifying information, credentials, private URLs, database records, sensitive logs, and malicious files have been excluded. This repository documents the recovery methodology and lessons learned only.

WordPress Developer and Security Consultant

• Investigate signs of website compromise
• Identify suspicious files and unauthorized modifications
• Restore the website from a verified clean source or backup
• Remove malicious or unauthorized components
• Secure WordPress core, themes, plugins, and user accounts
• Reduce the risk of reinfection
• Verify website functionality after recovery
• Establish ongoing security and backup practices

• Reviewed the reported symptoms
• Checked website availability and visible changes
• Identified potentially affected WordPress components
• Documented the initial condition
• Preserved available backups and evidence before making changes

• Restricted unnecessary administrative access
• Reset relevant credentials
• Reviewed WordPress user accounts
• Removed unauthorized access where confirmed
• Prevented further changes during the recovery process

• Reviewed WordPress core files
• Checked themes and plugins for unauthorized modifications
• Investigated suspicious files and unexpected code
• Reviewed file permissions and server configuration
• Checked for unknown administrator accounts
• Reviewed available security and server logs

• Restored verified clean website files and data where appropriate
• Reinstalled WordPress core from a trusted source
• Replaced compromised or modified components
• Removed unnecessary themes and plugins
• Updated supported software components
• Verified website functionality

• Enabled strong authentication practices
• Applied least-privilege access controls
• Reviewed administrator accounts
• Strengthened login protection
• Configured firewall and security monitoring
• Improved file and directory permissions
• Disabled unnecessary functionality
• Configured automated backups
• Applied regular update and maintenance procedures

• Tested website pages and key functionality
• Checked forms, login, media, and administrative workflows
• Performed a follow-up security scan
• Reviewed website performance and error logs
• Confirmed that no known indicators of compromise remained

• Penetration (Cross Server Penetration/Migration/Phishing)
• Vulnerability scanning
• Vulnerability exploitation
• WordPress Security Scanner
• Server/File Manager or SFTP
• phpMyAdmin
• Malware and integrity scanning tools
• Web Application Firewall
• Backup and restoration tools

The website was restored to normal operation (only 50% of data could be recovered), compromised or unauthorized components were addressed, and additional security controls were implemented to reduce the risk of future incidents.

Verified results:

• Website functionality restored
• Unauthorized or suspicious components addressed
• WordPress core, themes, and plugins reviewed and updated
• User access reviewed and secured
• Backup and security monitoring processes established

• Maintain tested, off-site backups
• Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated
• Remove unused plugins and themes
• Use strong authentication and least-privilege access
• Monitor file changes and security alerts
• Treat website recovery as both a restoration and hardening process