Malware Cleanup Case Studies — WordPress, Linux, Magento & cPanel

Searching for help with a specific type of infection? These case studies show how we investigate and resolve common compromise scenarios. Need help now? Contact us immediately.

WordPress · Redirect malware

WordPress Redirect Malware Cleanup

Symptoms: Mobile visitors redirected to spam domains; clean on desktop
Root cause: Obfuscated JS injected via compromised plugin + .htaccess rewrite
Remediation: Persistence removed, plugin replaced, WAF rules applied
Prevention: File integrity monitoring + plugin audit schedule

Magento · Credit card skimmer

Magento Credit Card Skimmer Removal

Symptoms: Checkout page loading unknown external JS; PCI alert from processor
Root cause: Magecart skimmer in checkout template via stolen admin credentials
Remediation: Skimmer removed, admin access rotated, checkout templates verified
Prevention: 2FA enforced, CSP headers, admin IP allowlisting

Linux · Crypto miner

Linux Crypto Miner Investigation

Symptoms: CPU at 100%, unknown processes, elevated cloud billing
Root cause: Exposed SSH with weak credentials; XMRig deployed via cron
Remediation: Miner killed, cron cleaned, SSH keys rotated, firewall tightened
Prevention: Key-only SSH, fail2ban, resource alerting

PHP · Backdoor persistence

PHP Backdoor Persistence Removal

Symptoms: Malware returns after cleanup; unknown admin users reappear
Root cause: Multi-layer backdoors in wp-includes and mu-plugins directory
Remediation: All persistence vectors mapped and removed; core files verified
Prevention: Immutable core, disabled file editing, WAF deployment

cPanel · Full compromise

cPanel Compromise Recovery

Symptoms: Multiple accounts sending spam; phishing pages on subdomains
Root cause: Outdated cPanel version exploited; reseller account pivot
Remediation: All affected accounts cleaned, cPanel patched, passwords rotated
Prevention: Auto-update policy, account isolation review, abuse monitoring

WordPress · SEO spam

WordPress SEO Spam & Web Shell Cleanup

Symptoms: Thousands of spam pages indexed; Google Search Console warnings
Root cause: TimThumb-style vuln + uploaded web shell in uploads directory
Remediation: Spam pages removed, shell deleted, sitemap cleaned, Google resubmitted
Prevention: Uploads directory hardened, disable PHP execution in uploads

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Malware remediation examples