Google or your host flagged the site
A red warning page, a Safe Browsing flag, or a suspension notice from your host. This needs a fast, thorough clean before you can even ask for the flag to be lifted.
Hacked WordPress site, cleaned properly and locked down.
Malware removed, the entry point closed, and blacklist status cleared, with hardening applied afterward so the same vulnerability cannot be used twice.
THE PROBLEM
How did my WordPress site get hacked?
Almost nobody hacks a WordPress site by hand. Bots scan millions of sites at once for a specific, already-known vulnerability — an unpatched plugin, a weak password — and once they get in, the first thing they usually do is plant a backdoor, so they can get back in even after the obvious symptom is fixed.
WHAT USUALLY CAUSES IT
- An outdated plugin or theme with a publicly known vulnerability that was never patched
- A weak or reused admin password, found in a previous data breach and tried automatically
- A nulled or pirated premium plugin with malicious code built into it from the start
- File permissions left too open, letting an attacker write new files to the server
- No firewall or login protection, so automated bots could brute-force their way in unnoticed
- A previous clean-up that removed the visible symptom but missed the backdoor, so it came straight back
SIGNS YOU NEED THIS
The signs a WordPress site has been compromised
A hack is not always obvious. These are the signs I am usually contacted about.
Spam pages, redirects or pop-ups you did not add
Pages in unfamiliar languages or pharma spam appearing in Google, visitors getting redirected to strange sites, or pop-ups nobody on your team created. Classic signs of injected malicious code.
The site is slow, defaced or will not load
Malware often runs resource-heavy scripts in the background, or a defacement replaces your homepage outright. Both point to the same underlying compromise.
An admin account you do not recognize
A new administrator user, or you have been locked out entirely. This usually means the attacker has had access for a while, not just a moment.
SCOPE
What I deliver
- A full malware scan identifying every infected file and database entry
- Infected files and code cleaned without wiping your actual content
- The entry point, plugin vulnerability or leaked credential that let it in, closed
- Blacklist removal requests filed with Google Safe Browsing and your host
- WordPress core, plugins and themes updated to patched, non-vulnerable versions
- Security hardening: firewall rules, login protection and backup configuration
- A written report on what happened and how it was fixed
TECHNOLOGY I USE
- WordPress
- Wordfence
- MalCare
- Sucuri
- PHP
- MySQL
- Cloudflare
- Query Monitor
PROCESS
How a clean-up runs
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Diagnose and confirm the compromise
A quick check confirms what is actually infected and how serious it is, so you know what you are dealing with before anything else happens.
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Check the logs
Access logs and file-modification timestamps get checked alongside the malware scan itself, since they usually show how and when the attacker got in.
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Identify the root cause and entry point
Every file and database table is scanned, not just the obviously affected ones, until the actual vulnerability, credential or backdoor is confirmed, not just the visible symptom.
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Take a safe backup first
A snapshot is taken before anything is touched, so there is a fallback point and a forensic copy of what was actually there.
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Clean without wiping the site
Infected code is removed and legitimate content restored, rather than defaulting to a full wipe and rebuild, which most hacks do not require.
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Test functionality
The site is checked to confirm it works normally after the clean-up, not just that the malicious symptom is gone.
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Check for mobile-only redirects
Some malware only redirects visitors on mobile, to stay hidden from a quick desktop check. Both are tested separately before this gets marked resolved.
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Close the entry point and harden
The vulnerability, weak credential, or outdated plugin that allowed the breach gets patched, then firewall rules, login protection and backups are put in place so the same route cannot be used again.
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Final quality check and delisting
A last full scan confirms the site is clean, blacklist removal is requested from Google and your host where relevant, and you get a written report on what happened.
BENEFITS
What you get out of it
Cleaning up hacked WordPress sites has been a recurring part of eleven years of freelance work — enough to recognize most infection patterns on sight, and to know the difference between a cosmetic clean-up and one that actually closes the door the attacker used.
Cleaned fast, without losing content
The infection is removed at the file and database level, not solved by deleting everything and starting over.
The actual hole gets closed
Cleaning malware without fixing how it got in just means it comes back. I fix both.
You know what happened
A written report of the cause and the fix, useful for your own records and for your host if they ask.
RELEVANT WORK
Projects built this way
Each of these is written up as a full case study — the problem, the approach, the stack and the outcome.
Freizeitcenter Dietz
German motorhome dealership running sales, rental and workshop booking side by side, with dealer ranges for Dethleffs, Pössl, Sunlight and Knaus.
- WordPress
- WooCommerce
- PHP
Canvascroft
Branding, web design and marketing studio running a subscription creative service, with a work showcase and a direct booking flow.
- WordPress
- Elementor
- WooCommerce
Kinder City
Nursery and pre-school group with multiple settings — admissions, visit booking, Ofsted information and recruitment.
- WordPress
- Elementor
- Responsive templates
DGsors Advertising
Advertising agency covering branding and packaging, content creation, media production and 3D rendered commercials.
- WordPress
- Elementor
- WooCommerce
TESTIMONIALS
What clients say
Every completed Upwork contract to date, each rated 5.0 — quoted as written.
“He is very punctual on timelines and has a complete inside out knowledge of WordPress theme development.”
“He completed the customer theme development work before time. The work delivered is awesome and he delivered more than expected. Really a good and honest freelancer to work with.”
“Ashekur Rahman delivers the work timely and perfectly. His knowledge in wordpress is very vast and he can do anything in wordpress and web developement.”
FAQ
Questions I get asked
What people ask when they discover their site has been hacked.
How fast can you clean a hacked site?
Most infections are identified and cleaned within 24 to 48 hours. If the site is actively harming visitors, for example through malicious redirects, I treat it as urgent and prioritize accordingly.
Will I lose my content?
In almost every case, no. Malware removal targets the infected files and code specifically. A full wipe is only necessary in rare cases where the infection is too deeply embedded to clean safely, and I will tell you plainly if that is the situation.
Can you get me off Google’s blacklist?
Yes, once the site is confirmed clean, I file the removal request with Google Safe Browsing directly. It typically clears within a few days of the request, though the timeline is set by Google, not by me.
How did this happen in the first place?
Most commonly an outdated plugin or theme with a known vulnerability, a weak or reused password, or a nulled/pirated plugin with malicious code built in. Part of the clean-up is identifying which of these applies to you.
Do you set up ongoing protection afterward?
Yes, firewall rules, login protection and a proper backup schedule are part of the hardening step, and can continue as part of an ongoing maintenance arrangement if you want it monitored going forward.
What if my host has already suspended the site?
I can usually still access the files to clean the site, then work with you to get the suspension lifted once your host confirms it is clean. Tell me what access you currently have and I will work from there.
How do I know the infection won’t come straight back?
Because closing the entry point is a separate step from cleaning the files, and I do both. A clean-up that only deletes the malicious code but leaves the vulnerability or backdoor that let it in tends to get reinfected within days, which is the most common reason a second cleaning is needed elsewhere.
Available for new projects
NEXT STEP
Tell me what you’re seeing, and I’ll start the clean-up.
Based in Bangladesh, working with clients worldwide. Describe the project and where it is stuck — every serious enquiry gets a reply within one working day.
- Reply within one working day
- Fixed quote before work starts
- UK, EU and US hours covered
ALSO WORTH READING