wordpress
WooCommerce admins targeted by fake security patches that hijack sites
A large-scale phishing campaign targets WooCommerce users with a fake security alert urging them to download a “critical patch” that adds a WordPress backdoor to the site. Recipients that take the bait and download the update are actually installing a malicious plugin that creates a hidden admin account on their website, downloads web shell payloads, and maintains […]
WordPress ad-fraud plugins generated 1.4 billion ad requests per day
A large-scale ad fraud operation called ‘Scallywag’ is monetizing pirating and URL shortening sites through specially crafted WordPress plugins that generate billions of daily fraudulent requests. Scallywag was uncovered by bot and fraud detection firm HUMAN, which mapped a network of 407 domains supporting the operation that peaked at 1.4 billion fraudulent ad requests per […]
Hackers exploit WordPress plugin auth bypass hours after disclosure
Hackers started exploiting a high-severity flaw that allows bypassing authentication in the OttoKit (formerly SureTriggers) plugin for WordPress just hours after public disclosure. Users are strongly recommended to upgrade to the latest version of OttoKit/SureTriggers, currently 1.0.79, released at the beginning of the month. The OttoKit WordPress plugin allows users to connect plugins and external tools like WooCommerce, Mailchimp, […]
Hackers abuse WordPress MU-Plugins to hide malicious code
Hackers are utilizing the WordPress mu-plugins (“Must-Use Plugins”) directory to stealthily run malicious code on every page while evading detection. The technique was first observed by security researchers at Sucuri in February 2025, but adoption rates are on the rise, with threat actors now utilizing the folder to run three distinct types of malicious code. “The fact […]
The 4 WordPress flaws hackers targeted the most in Q1 2025
A new report sheds light on the most targeted WordPress plugin vulnerabilities hackers used in the first quarter of 2025 to compromise sites. All four flaws are vulnerabilities discovered and fixed in 2024 but remain unpatched in many cases, giving hackers the opportunity to execute arbitrary code or exfiltrate sensitive data. Among the four flaws, […]
Popular WordPress security plugin WP Ghost vulnerable to RCE bug
Popular WordPress security plugin WP Ghost is vulnerable to a critical severity flaw that could allow unauthenticated attackers to remotely execute code and hijack servers. WP Ghost is a popular security add-on used in over 200,000 WordPress sites that claims to stop 140,000 hacker attacks and over 9 million brute-forcing attempts every month. It also […]
Malware campaign ‘DollyWay’ breached 20,000 WordPress sites
A malware operation dubbed ‘DollyWay’ has been underway since 2016, compromising over 20,000 WordPress sites globally to redirect users to malicious sites. The campaign has evolved significantly in the past eight years, leveraging advanced evasion, re-infection, and monetization strategies. According to GoDaddy researcher Denis Sinegubko, DollyWay has been functioning as a large-scale scam redirection system in its […]
Critical zero-days impact premium WordPress real estate plugins
The RealHome theme and the Easy Real Estate plugins for WordPress are vulnerable to two critical severity flaws that allow unauthenticated users to gain administrative privileges. Although the two flaws were discovered in September 2024 by Patchstack, and multiple attempts were made to contact the vendor (InspiryThemes), the researchers say they have not received a response. […]
W3 Total Cache plugin flaw exposes 1 million WordPress sites to attacks
A severe flaw in the W3 Total Cache plugin installed on more than one million WordPress sites could give attackers access to various information, including metadata on cloud-based apps. The W3 Total Cache plugin uses multiple caching techniques to optimize a website’s speed, reduce load times, and generally improve its SEO ranking. The flaw is tracked […]
WP3.XYZ malware attacks add rogue admins to 5,000+ WordPress sites
A new malware campaign has compromised more than 5,000 WordPress sites to create admin accounts, install a malicious plugin, and steal data. Researchers at webscript security company c/side discovered during an incident response engagement for one of their clients that the malicious activity uses the wp3[.]xyz domain to exfiltrate data but have yet to determine the initial […]