Understanding Website Malware: A Guide to Protection & Removal

This guide will help you digest the importance of understanding website malware, from its definition to how you can protect your site. Basically, website malware refers to software designed to infiltrate or cause damage to a computer or website, usually without the victim's knowledge. When malware attacks a website, its performance is affected on every level and may cause much damage if not addressed immediately.

In this article, we will discuss:

What are the Different Types of Malware?
How Does Malware Get on a Website?
Symptoms and Common Malware Error Messages
How Can I Prevent Malware?
How to Identify Malware in Website Files
What to Do if Malware is Detected on My Site
What NOT to Do When Cleaning Malware
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What are the Different Types of Malware?

Several types of malware can infect websites. The table below maps common types to their typical symptoms and a recommended first step for a fix.

Malware Type	Common Symptoms	Recommended Action
Viruses	Malicious code that embeds itself into legitimate files, causing them to grow in size or behave unexpectedly.	Run a malware scanner to identify and quarantine infected files.
Worms	Self-replicating malware that spreads across a network, often causing slowdowns or high resource usage.	Isolate the affected site, run a full scan, and patch any network vulnerabilities.
Trojans	Legitimate-looking plugins or themes cause strange behavior, new admin users appear, or the site redirects to spam pages.	Remove the suspicious plugin/theme immediately and change all admin passwords.
Ransomware	You are locked out of your site, files are encrypted with extensions like .locked, and a ransom note appears.	Restore your site from a clean backup. Do not pay the ransom.
Spyware	Admin login attempts from unknown locations, customer data breaches reported, and site performance degrades.	Force a password reset for all users and scan for compromised files.
Fileless Malware	Operates directly in system memory (RAM), causing instability or strange behavior without leaving obvious file traces.	Use an advanced malware scanner with memory and runtime protection features.

How Does Malware Get on a Website?

Cybercriminals typically exploit vulnerabilities within a website's infrastructure, such as:

Outdated Software: Websites that were running outdated versions of WordPress, other Content Management Systems (CMS), Joomla, along with their plugins and themes, are primary targets.
Insecure Plugins or Themes: Poorly coded or abandoned third-party components often contain security flaws.
Weak Passwords & Poor Access Control: Easily guessable passwords or failing to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) allow attackers to gain unauthorized access.

Symptoms and Common Malware Error Messages

A malware infection can manifest in many ways. Besides slower load times or downtime, you might see specific error messages or flags:

Browser Warnings: Visitors see "This site may be hacked" or "Deceptive site ahead" from Google Safe Browsing.
File-Specific Errors: Your error logs may contain messages like: PHP Warning: include(/path/to/evil.php): failed to open stream or you might get alerts about suspicious modifications to core files like `index.php` or `.htaccess`.
Search Engine Blacklisting: Your site is de-indexed or flagged in search results for hosting malware.

How Can I Prevent Malware?

To safeguard your website, you need a proactive security strategy. The best way to prevent malware on a Network Solutions website involves these key steps:

Use a Site Scanner: Regularly use a malware scanner to detect harmful code and vulnerabilities. A website malware scanner helps you monitor for threats in real-time.
Implement and install a Web Application Firewall (WAF): A Web Application Firewall (WAF) blocks malicious traffic and harmful requests before they reach your site. Services like SiteLock TrueShield offer robust protection.
Keep Everything Updated: Regularly update your CMS, plugins, and themes to the latest versions. This is one of the most critical steps in malware prevention.
Enforce Strong Passwords: Implement strong, unique passwords for all admin and user accounts. Add multi-factor authentication (MFA) for an extra layer of security.

How to Identify Malware in Website Files

Finding malware within your website's files requires diligent scrutiny and a careful eye. Here are the things that you need to look for:

Obscure Code: Malware often hides at the beginning or end of legitimate files.
Suspicious Files: Look for recently modified files with strange names or modifications to core files like `index.php`, `.htaccess`, or configuration files.
Malicious Code Patterns: Watch for unusual strings of characters or PHP functions designed to hide malicious code. Below is an example of what obfuscated (hidden) malicious code might look like:
```
eval(base64_decode('aWYoZnVuY3Rpb25...'));
```
Functions like `eval()`, `base64_decode()`, `gzuncompress()`, and `str_rot13()` are often used to hide malware.

If you are unsure of the best way to identify malware in your website files, using an automated security tool is the most effective way to scan for malware.

What to Do if Malware is Detected on My Site

If you identify malware on your Network Solutions website, follow these steps:

Backup your website: Ensure you have a recent, clean backup of your site before making any changes to your website files.
Remove the malware: Manual cleaning is complex and best left to experts. We highly recommend using a professional malware removal service like SiteLock, which can detect and remove malware automatically.
Fix Vulnerabilities: Identify and address the weakness that allowed the malware to get in, such as updating an old plugin or changing a weak password.
Monitor for Reinfection: After cleaning your site, continue monitoring for any signs of reinfection. A good scanner will do this for you.

What NOT to Do When Cleaning Malware

When you discover that there is already an infection, certain actions on your end may make the situation even worse than it should be if you do them. Here are the things that you need to avoid:

Do NOT Delete Your Site: Simply deleting your website files does not solve the root cause. If you restore from a backup that still contains the infected file or files without fixing the vulnerability, the site will still be infected again.
Do NOT Just Change Passwords: While important, changing passwords alone will not remove existing malware or backdoors left by the attacker.
Do NOT Restore an Old, Infected Backup: Be absolutely sure your backup is clean before using it to restore your site.
Do NOT Ignore Browser or Search Engine Warnings: These are clear indicators of a serious problem that requires immediate attention.

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In a nutshell, understanding website malware is the very first crucial step toward effective cybersecurity. This guide has already informed you of all the types of malware, common entry points, and symptoms of infection. By applying the preventive measures in the article, like malware scanners and WAFs, keeping software updated, and using strong passwords, you can significantly reduce your risk. If malware is detected, it is crucial to act quickly to remove it and secure the vulnerability to protect your site, your data, and your reputation.

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