As a result, it is not uncommon to hear that WordPress is full of security issues. However, all this attention has a positive side to it. Most of the threats and the methods to combat them are well-known, making it easier to keep your WordPress site<\/a> safe. That is what we will be discussing in this article.<\/p>\n In all the lists of WordPress security issues available on the internet, things such as XSS (cross-site scripting), SQLi (SQL injection), and CSRF (cross-site request forgery) keep popping up. These attacks, along with various others, are made possible due to vulnerabilities in either the WordPress core software or its plugins and themes<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that, statistically, only a small fraction of the vulnerabilities are found in the WordPress core itself. For example, for the whole of 2024, a mere vulnerabilities were discovered<\/a> in the WordPress core software \u2014 That\u2019s 24% more than in 2022.\u00a0 Another 97 bugs (5.45%) were discovered in themes. Meanwhile, the lion\u2019s share of vulnerabilities were found in plugins: 1659 \u2014 making up 93.25% of the total.<\/span><\/p>\n It’s worth mentioning that the number of vulnerabilities discovered in WordPress should not be a reason to avoid using this CMS. Vulnerabilities exist everywhere; they’re just found most frequently where they are actively sought, which is usually in the most popular software.<\/p>\n Here’s a breakdown of the key points for securing your WordPress site<\/a>:<\/p>\n Prioritize WordPress Core Updates:<\/strong><\/p>\n Themes and Plugins Need<\/a> Attention Too:<\/strong><\/p>\n Keep Plugins to a Minimum:<\/strong><\/p>\n Clean Up Unused Plugins:<\/strong><\/p>\n By following these steps, you can significantly improve your WordPress website’s<\/a> security posture and make it less susceptible to cyberattacks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n WordPress faces a second significant security concern, which involves the hacking of websites through either brute-forcing simple passwords or using compromised usernames and passwords from pre-existing databases<\/a>. These databases are often obtained through leaks from third-party services.<\/p>\n In the event of a high-privilege account being compromised, your WordPress site can be taken over by attackers who may utilize it for their own agenda. This could include stealing data, surreptitiously inserting links to their promoted resources (SEO spam), installing malware (such as web skimmers<\/a>), utilizing your site to host phishing pages<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n How to improve security:<\/strong><\/p>\n Even if you have strong password policies and multi-factor authentication in place, it won’t matter much if you give users more access than they actually need. Too many site owners haphazardly assign excessive roles and capabilities, expanding the potential attack surface.<\/p>\n If a user account with high-level “admin” or “editor” privileges gets compromised through a brute force attack, stolen credentials, or social engineering, the hacker essentially has the keys to the kingdom. They can:<\/p>\n The solution is to practice the principle of least privilege. Only assign the most limited set of capabilities required for each user’s specific role or duties. Regularly review and audit permissions to avoid privilege creep.<\/p>\n Don’t just hand out “admin” access like candy unless absolutely necessary. Leverage WordPress’ robust<\/a> role and capability system to create highly restrictive custom roles when needed.<\/p>\n By locking down user permissions tightly, you contain the potential blast radius if an account is ever compromised. It’s a simple security practice that can prevent total catastrophe. Don’t slack on this critical area!<\/p>\n How to improve security:<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition to vulnerable plugins, there are also plugins that are outright malicious. Recently, a WordPress plugin was found to be posing<\/a> as a page-caching plugin, but in reality, it was a fully functional backdoor. Its primary purpose was to generate unauthorized administrator accounts and take over compromised websites.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, a malicious WordPress plugin was discovered by researchers<\/a>. The plugin was originally legitimate but had been abandoned by its developers over a decade ago. However, some individuals with good intentions picked it up and transformed it into a backdoor, which enabled them to take control of thousands of WordPress sites.<\/p>\n How to improve security:<\/strong><\/p>\n Although there are plugins available to scan WordPress sites for malware<\/a>, it is important to note that they cannot be relied upon entirely. This is because several recent cases of WordPress malware have been able to evade detection by these plugins.<\/a><\/p>\n If you suspect that your WordPress site is infected and is behaving abnormally, it is advisable to seek the assistance of security experts for a thorough security audit.<\/p>\n WordPress has a particular susceptibility related to the XML-RPC<\/a> protocol, which facilitates communication between WordPress and external programs. Although WordPress integrated support for the REST API in 2015, which is now the preferred method for application interaction, XML-RPC remains activated by default.<\/p>\n XML-RPC poses a problem as it can be exploited by malicious individuals for two distinct types<\/a> of attacks on your website. The first type involves brute-force attacks that target your WordPress user accounts by attempting to guess passwords. XML-RPC enables attackers to merge multiple login attempts into a single request, streamlining and accelerating the hacking process. The second type of attack involves the use of XML-RPC protocol to coordinate DDoS attacks on your WordPress site via pingbacks.<\/a><\/p>\n1. Vulnerabilities in plugins, themes, and the WordPress core (in that order of descending importance)<\/h2>\n
How to improve security:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nKeep Your WordPress Site Secure: Update Smartly and Reduce Plugins<\/h3>\n
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2. Weak passwords and lack of two-factor authentication<\/h2>\n
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3. Poor control over users and permissions<\/h2>\n
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4. Malicious plugins<\/h2>\n
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5. Unrestricted XML-RPC Protocol<\/h2>\n
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