Think Your WordPress Site
Was Hacked?
Confirm It, Then Fix It.
“Hacked” covers a wide range of situations, from a full malware infection to a single compromised plugin to something that just looks alarming but is not actually malicious. Before you panic or start deleting files, confirm what is actually happening.
This page walks through diagnosis first. If you already know it is malware, skip straight to /wordpress-security/malware-removal/. If you are not sure, the checks below take five minutes and will tell you.
What Actually Counts As A Confirmed Hack
A large share of “is my site hacked” concerns turn out to be something else entirely, a plugin conflict, a caching issue, or a false positive from an overzealous scanner. The five checks on this page, a Google Safe Browsing lookup, an incognito browser test, a review of recent admin accounts, a search engine listing check, and a check of your hosting provider's notices, together confirm or rule out an active compromise within a few minutes.
If two or more of these checks come back positive, treat it as confirmed and move to containment immediately. If only one is ambiguous, it can also be a plugin conflict or caching issue rather than malware, which /wordpress-security/white-screen-of-death/ covers as a related but distinct category of confusing symptoms.
Francisco Escobar's WordPress infrastructure has never triggered a confirmed hack in the 14 years CV Infotech has managed it, which is why we know this diagnostic sequence catches real compromises reliably without causing unnecessary panic over a false alarm. If everything comes back clean but something still feels off, a short security audit at /wordpress-security/is-wordpress-secure/ is worth it regardless.
Diagnosis Before Panic
We confirm what is actually happening before recommending any action, since deleting the wrong file based on a false alarm can cause more damage than the suspected hack itself.
Immediate Containment Guidance
If confirmed, you get specific steps to limit damage right away, before a full removal is arranged, not just told to wait.
24-Hour Removal If Confirmed
Once diagnosed as malware, our standard commitment is a clean, verified site within 24 hours.
Root Cause Explained In The Report
You learn exactly how the compromise happened, not just that it was removed, which is what actually prevents a repeat.
What We Cover In Every Hacked-Site Engagement
5-Minute Diagnostic Self-Check
Google Safe Browsing status, an incognito browser test, recent admin account review, search listing check, and hosting provider notices, confirming or ruling out a hack quickly.
Immediate Containment Guidance
Password changes, maintenance mode, and what not to touch yourself, specific steps that limit damage while full removal is arranged.
Full Malware Removal If Confirmed
Complete removal of malicious files, database entries, and unauthorised accounts, connecting directly to /wordpress-security/malware-removal/.
Root Cause Identification
We identify the specific vulnerability that let the attacker in, whether an outdated plugin, weak credential, or nulled theme.
Google Safe Browsing Review Request
If flagged, we submit the review request and monitor until the warning clears, typically within a few days to two weeks.
Written Root-Cause Report
You receive the full story: what happened, how, and what we changed so it does not happen again.
Why CV Infotech For Hacked Site Recovery
Most “hacked WordPress site” panic resolves in one of two ways, either it is genuinely confirmed and needs fast, careful removal, or it is a false alarm from a plugin conflict or an overcautious scanner. Telling the two apart quickly is what actually matters in the first hour, and it is why our process always starts with diagnosis, not immediate action.
John Gowland's real estate platform in the UK has never needed this service, built with the same hardening standard applied from day one that prevents most of what lands people on this page. Laura Maher's ongoing WordPress work with us from Australia runs on the same proactive model.
This service is not the right choice if:
- You have already confirmed it is malware and want to go straight to removal, see /wordpress-security/malware-removal/
- Your hosting provider's plan already includes managed malware removal you have not yet tried
- You are comfortable with FTP and server terminal and prefer to handle diagnosis yourself
- The symptoms you are seeing sound more like a plugin conflict, see /wordpress-security/white-screen-of-death/
We will confirm which of these applies during the 5-minute self-check before billing anything.
USA
Compliance: CCPA · Hosting: AWS us-east-1 · Support hours: EST (UTC-5)
Diagnosis and any site access is handled in compliance with CCPA, processed on AWS us-east-1 infrastructure, with updates communicated during EST business hours.
Full detail: /web-development-agency-usa/UK
Compliance: UK GDPR · Hosting: AWS eu-west-2 London · Support hours: GMT (UTC+0)
UK GDPR governs how any data is handled during diagnosis. John Gowland’s real estate platform in the UK was built to prevent needing this service in the first place, supported on GMT hours.
Full detail: /hire-developers-uk/Australia
Compliance: Privacy Act 1988 · Hosting: AWS ap-southeast-2 Sydney · Support hours: AEST (UTC+10)
Privacy Act 1988 obligations are factored into how Australian client data is handled during diagnosis. Laura Maher’s ongoing WordPress work with us from Australia runs on this same AEST-aligned support model.
Full detail: /app-development-company-australia/Common Hack Types And Their Tell-Tale Signs
Recognising the pattern speeds up diagnosis significantly.
| # | Item | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redirect hack | Visitors sent to an unrelated site, admins usually unaffected, see /wordpress-security/redirect-hack/ |
| 2 | Pharma or SEO spam hack | Spam text and links appear in Google results but not on the visible page, see /wordpress-security/pharma-hack/ |
| 3 | Backdoor installation | Attacker regains access even after password changes, see /wordpress-security/backdoor-removal/ |
| 4 | Brute-force compromise | Large volume of failed login attempts precedes a successful one, see /wordpress-security/brute-force-protection/ |
| 5 | Defacement | Homepage visibly altered or replaced, usually the most obvious hack type |
| 6 | Credential stuffing | A password reused from an unrelated breach elsewhere gets tried successfully against wp-login.php |
Diagnosis First, Always
We confirm before we act, avoiding panic-driven mistakes that make things worse.
512 Verified 5.0 Reviews
512 reviews on Freelancer.com with a 5.0 rating, from real client engagements.
24-Hour Removal Once Confirmed
Fast action once diagnosis confirms an active compromise.
Francisco Escobar, 14 Years, Zero Breaches
Client since 2012. This diagnostic process reflects 14 years of telling real hacks apart from false alarms.
How A Hacked-Site Recovery Works
From triage to written report, all within 24 hours of confirmed containment.
We verify the compromise using the same checks above plus deeper file and database scanning, and give you an honest hour estimate.
The site is isolated so it stops causing further reputation or ranking damage while we work.
Complete malware and backdoor removal, detailed at /wordpress-security/malware-removal/.
We identify and close the specific vulnerability that let the attacker in.
If the site was flagged, we submit the review request and monitor until it clears.
You get the full story: what happened, how, and what we changed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Confirmed Hack? We Start Within 2 Hours And Finish Within 24.
$30/hr. Full diagnosis included. Written report when it is done.
Get Emergency Help Now at $30/hr