This guide will show you how to fix a Joomla website that has been hacked.
Your Joomla website may have been attacked if it displays a dark background, with ads or unknown links, or redirects you to spam. These are all signs that your website has been hacked. If you’re lucky, you may get a message from host support about infected files. This article will show you how to secure your Joomla website from hackers.
You don’t need to be worried as Joomla is the most used CMS. This CMS is often targeted by hackers. Follow these steps or get help from your support staff.
Identify the Hack
- Now that you are aware of the warning signs that a website is being hacked, it is time to find the malicious payloads or infected files. SiteCheck allows you to scan the site. After inspecting the site, you can check the Joomla security scanner warning message and note the locations and payloads.
- Check the modified files now, including core Joomla files. A diff command within the terminal is the easiest and fastest way to verify the original Joomla core files. SFTP can also be used to verify your data.
- After that, examine your Joomla user account, and the administrators. To prevent any further attacks, delete all suspicious users created by the attacker.
Fix the Hacked Website
- It is now time to fix Joomla. Once the oomla security scanner detects malicious files on your Joomla website server it will locate them and then remove them. Malicious files can be replaced with clean backups or official sources.
- To ensure a clean website, you must first clean the files. Log in to your database admin panel. Search for malicious content such as keywords or weird links.
- You can manually remove any suspicious content from the database table. You can also remove any database access tools that you have uploaded and then test the website to confirm if it works after the changes.
- Multiple back doors are created by hackers to allow them to re-enter your site. These doors appear to be legitimate files from the Joomla Framework, but they are in wrong directories such as /components or templates. These files should be deleted by comparing them to the core files.
- Webspam authorities such as Yandex and McAfee are generally blocked. To ensure that the surfer is safe, you can block the hacked website. After you have fixed the hack, you can request a review. Google only allows one review per 30 days. Make sure your site is clean and free of any risk before you submit the review.
Post-Hack
- Do not let the hacker take your breath away. You must now fix the problems that caused your Joomla site to be hacked. Your software should always be up-to-date. This is the main reason for hacking your website. Update all Joomla files including modules, components, and core files.
- To ensure strong security against an attack that could cause reinfection, reset all passwords. Log into your site, click on the Users menu item, and change your password. The same steps can be used to change each user’s passwords.
- Your website system should have fewer administrators and super-administrators accounts. Only allow access to those who need it. Joomla allows two-factor authentication for user accounts. Follow the steps below to enable it.
- Go to your Joomla website and select the User’s menu item.
- Click on Open User Account and then click on Two Factor authentication to enable 2FA for each account.
- You will need to create backups as a safety net. After you have cleaned and removed all malicious content from your site, create a backup that will allow you to quickly recover your site from any kind of problem.
Joomla hack Fix – The Last Words
Website security can be difficult as you need to be vigilant to keep it safe from hackers. This task can be outsourced to reputable companies such as cWatch. They will take care of it and provide you with the best service.