Why Do WordPress Sites Get Hacked?
TL;DR: WordPress sites get hacked primarily due to outdated software (plugins, themes, and core), weak login credentials, and the platform’s widespread popularity, making it an attractive target.
Even small sites are vulnerable: hackers exploit them for email harvesting, SEO spam, DDoS attacks, and cryptocurrency mining.
Protect your site by keeping software updated, using strong, unique passwords with two-factor authentication, maintaining regular backups, following the principle of least privilege for user access, and installing a security plugin like Wordfence.
WordPress sites get hacked for reasons that might surprise you — and size doesn’t matter nearly as much as you think. Whether you’re running a personal blog or an enterprise e-commerce site, understanding the “why” behind WordPress attacks is your first line of defense.
The truth is, WordPress’s massive popularity makes it an attractive target. But popularity alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Individual site owners often unknowingly leave doors open for attackers through outdated software, weak passwords, or poorly chosen plugins. Meanwhile, hackers see value in every site, from small personal blogs to Fortune 500 brands, just for different reasons.
In this guide, we’ll break down exactly why WordPress sites get hacked, what makes your site attractive to attackers, and most importantly, what you can do to protect yours.
Table of Contents
- → 1. WordPress’s Popularity as a CMS (and Across the Internet)
- → 2. WordPress’s Technical Makeup and Developer Ecosystem
- → 3. Outdated WordPress Core Files or Software
- → 4. Using Security Solutions That Aren’t Tailored for WordPress
- → 5. WordPress Leaves Plenty of Room for Human Error
- → Signs Your WordPress Site May Already Be Compromised
- → Strengthen Your WordPress Site’s Security Posture With Wordfence
- → Why WordPress Sites Get Hacked FAQs
1. WordPress’s Popularity as a CMS (and Across the Internet)
WordPress remains the most widely used content management system (CMS) in the world. According to W3Techs, it powers 60% of all websites using known CMS and 42.8% of all websites on the internet. This massive footprint means that WordPress isn’t just a tool for bloggers or small businesses anymore; it backs major e-commerce stores, enterprise websites, and news outlets around the globe.
That popularity is both a testament to WordPress’s flexibility and a key reason why it attracts so much attention from threat actors. Cybercriminals tend to target the technologies with the widest reach — because exploiting one vulnerability can potentially affect millions of sites. The same dynamic once applied to Microsoft’s dominance in operating systems: Windows users weren’t necessarily less secure than Mac users, but the larger user base made them a more attractive target for malware developers.
In WordPress’s case, the platform’s open-source nature and vibrant plugin ecosystem mean that vulnerabilities can surface in a variety of places, from outdated themes to third-party extensions that aren’t maintained regularly. While this openness fuels innovation and community-driven development, it also underscores why proactive security measures are critical for every WordPress site, no matter the size or purpose.
Attackers Take Advantage of Any Website, Regardless of Size
To a malicious hacker, everyone’s worthy. Every WordPress website is a potential target, depending on the bad actor’s end goal. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with the size or purpose of the site.
Even small operations that don’t process user data can be used for malicious actions, such as:
- Mining emails from WordPress user accounts to sell in bulk to black market buyers
- Injecting for-profit ads or SEO spam to make money from impressions and conversions
- Launching DDoS attacks on other websites, using your clean IP address to launch new attacks
- Cryptocurrency mining using your site’s resources
- Hosting illegal content, which can create a potential legal liability for your brand
2. WordPress’s Technical Makeup and Developer Ecosystem
WordPress’s flexibility is what makes it so powerful, but it’s also what adds complexity from a security standpoint. Every part of the software (the core, themes, and especially plugins) can introduce potential entry points for attackers.
As we noted in our 2024 Annual WordPress Vulnerability and Threat Report, plugins account for the vast majority of vulnerabilities, with themes following behind and WordPress core representing only a small portion. That’s not surprising when you consider how many plugins exist and how many different developers contribute and maintain them across the ecosystem.
Yet, the platform’s openness is also what makes WordPress thrive. Extensibility via software like themes and plugins is what allows the platform to grow, evolve, and meet nearly any need you can imagine. That’s also why it’s so important to know how to choose WordPress software safely, so you can take advantage of WordPress’s strengths without exposing your site to unnecessary risk.
There are three important rules to follow to ensure your WordPress environment stays secure:
- When selecting themes or plugins, look for those with strong user reviews, active support, and reputable developers.
- Avoid plugins and themes that haven’t been updated in over a year or are known for having unresolved security complaints. Outdated software often means developers have abandoned the project, leaving known vulnerabilities unpatched and your site exposed. Check the plugin’s number of active installations and read recent reviews for any mentions of security issues or conflicts.
- Before choosing the best WordPress plugins for your website, always install a security plugin, like Wordfence, first.
3. Outdated WordPress Core Files or Software
We’ve touched on this, but it’s worth emphasizing: One of the best ways to protect your WordPress site proactively is to keep all software components (core, themes, plugins) up to date.
As a beginner, you may be worried about doing this yourself — there is the potential for it to break your website if there are any conflicts between these code components as you introduce new updates. In that case, you’ll want to make a proactive plan to handle this, as updates happen quite regularly across WordPress core, plugins, and theme files. WordPress maintenance agencies offer reasonable monthly plans for handling the process of making these updates in a way that doesn’t break your site.
As part of an ideal WordPress maintenance plan, make sure you’re also removing inactive plugins and themes from your WordPress instance. Even inactive, they can still serve as an attack vector.
A related best practice is to maintain regular backups of all site files, ideally in multiple locations. Keep backups offsite (i.e., not on the same file system as your live site). While some web hosts do this automatically, consider also using a WordPress backup plugin.
4. Using Security Solutions That Aren’t Tailored for WordPress
Not all security tools are built with WordPress in mind — and that distinction matters. General website security solutions often miss the nuances of how WordPress sites are structured, from the way plugins interact with core files to how login mechanisms and endpoints can be targeted. Because of this, using a solution designed specifically for WordPress ensures that protections are tailored to the platform’s unique architecture and threat landscape.
When evaluating WordPress security tools, it’s important to look beyond basic malware scanning or generic firewalls. A good WordPress security solution understands the ecosystem’s most common attack vectors: plugin vulnerabilities, brute-force login attempts, and malicious file uploads, offering features that address them directly.
You’ll want something that combines prevention, detection, and rapid response into one streamlined solution that integrates cleanly with your site. All of which are offered by a comprehensive WordPress security solution like Wordfence.
When selecting a security plugin for WordPress, you are looking for coverage across the most important attack vectors, and corresponding features like a web application firewall (WAF), malware scanning and cleanup, login security, timely notifications, and responsive customer support.
Wordfence’s WAF implements firewall rules that can protect against WordPress-specific vulnerabilities even before plugin developers offer patches for known vulnerabilities. We also operate a Bug Bounty Program to reward security researchers for proactively bringing these issues forward.
We turn these insights, as well as insights from our team of threat intelligence security researchers, into our malware and firewall rules that all users have access to via Wordfence’s free plugin. Paid subscribers to Wordfence Premium have immediate access; Free users get access after a 30-day delay.
In a worst-case scenario where your WordPress site is hacked (or you want to enact a proactive solution before it happens and potentially takes your business website down), Wordfence offers remediation options via Wordfence Care and Response (1-hour incident response time) plans.
Ultimately, the level of coverage and corresponding security plugin features and services you need depends on the nature of your website, whether you’re using it for business purposes, and the types of data you process within. Read our guide about how to choose the right Wordfence product for help finding your ideal fit.
5. WordPress Leaves Plenty of Room for Human Error
Raise your hand if you’ve been guilty of reusing the same password on more than one site. It’s common but problematic, especially if this is also the case with your WordPress admin login credentials.
Reusing login credentials can make you an easy target for hackers if they’re exposed in a hack on another website where security is breached and sensitive data is accessed. Get ahead of a bad situation and find out if your information is compromised as details are shared publicly using a tool like Have I Been Pwned.
As a best practice, use unique passwords (don’t reuse passwords), especially admin credentials. And certainly don’t reuse WordPress admin passwords with your hosting account. You can make this easier on yourself by using a password manager, which can also enforce the straightforward use of more complicated (less likely to be hacked) passwords.
Your hosting environment plays a critical role in your site’s security. Host your site (or each site if you manage multiple sites) in its own isolated file system. Why? Because if multiple sites share the same file system, a hack on one can compromise them all, turning one breach into a large “blast radius.” Isolating each site ensures that if one is compromised, the others remain safe.
Additionally, ensure your hosting provider uses up-to-date PHP versions. Old and outdated PHP versions create vulnerabilities because they’re no longer supported or receiving security updates. Newer versions that are currently maintained and supported do a better job of securing your site and protecting against certain types of exploits.
Beyond that, configure multiple layers of security — a cybersecurity principle also referred to as defense in depth. All Wordfence plans, including Wordfence Free, offer basic rate limiting and two-factor authentication (2FA), which adds another layer of protection to your login security in addition to your password. Typically, 2FA involves using an authentication app on your phone to generate a random code.
On the other hand, rate limiting is another critical feature that prevents attackers from making unlimited login attempts. By throttling requests from suspicious IPs, it stops brute-force attacks before they can succeed. Wordfence Premium, Care, and Response plans add even more protection through the real-time IP blocklist, which blocks known malicious IP addresses in real time, plus country blocking and a 30-day security Audit Log.
Beyond that, follow proactive security practices like enforcing the principle of least privilege, which means giving each user only the permissions required to do their jobs and handing out admin access sparingly. For example, a blog writer requires lower WordPress access privileges than the main WordPress administrator. Limiting admin access in tandem with increasing login security measures better protects your site, even in a situation where admin login credentials are exposed in a security breach.
If you’re interested in more thorough guidance that walks you through how to strengthen your security posture step-by-step, check out our WordPress security checklist.
Signs Your WordPress Site May Already Be Compromised
Arm yourself with knowledge and get to know the warning signs. Common indicators that your site has been compromised include:
- Unexpected changes to files or content
- New admin users you didn’t create
- Unfamiliar files in your WordPress directories
- Significant drops in site performance
- Search engines flagging your site as unsafe
- Unexpected redirects to other websites
- Suspicious outgoing traffic
If you notice any of these signs, run a security scan immediately. You don’t need a paid Wordfence plan to do this. Here’s how to install Wordfence Free on your site — it’s quick and easy:
Strengthen Your WordPress Site’s Security Posture With Wordfence
There are many reasons why a WordPress site can be the target of an attack — we’ve touched on several above.
While it may be concerning to hear that no site is safe from being a target, rest assured that there are many things that are within your power to implement to that can deter most malicious actors from trying, starting with solutions like Wordfence Free, a completely free WordPress security plugin.
As you scale your business and how you use your website in tandem with it, you’ll want to explore additional security options, like Wordfence Premium or additional services like Wordfence Care and Response for ongoing security maintenance and prompt incident response.
In addition to practical tools and services, it’s also important to arm yourself with knowledge. Check out our WordPress Security Essentials Course, taught by Wordfence Co-Founder Mark Maunder, to learn the most important WordPress security basics in under 20 minutes.
Why WordPress Sites Get Hacked FAQs
Is WordPress Secure?
Yes, WordPress core is secure when kept up to date. The core team quickly patches vulnerabilities, but security is shared. Your site’s safety depends on keeping everything – core, plugins, themes – updated, using strong passwords, choosing reputable themes/plugins, and adding protection like Wordfence. WordPress provides a solid foundation, but the full stack must be maintained.
Is WordPress Easily Hacked?
Not when it’s properly maintained. Most attacks succeed because of preventable issues: outdated plugins, weak passwords, abandoned themes, or no monitoring. With basic security hygiene and a firewall/scan solution like Wordfence, WordPress can be extremely secure. Its popularity draws attackers, but that doesn’t make it easy to breach.
Why Is WordPress So Vulnerable?
It isn’t more vulnerable than other platforms; it’s just a bigger target. With over 42% of the web running WordPress, attackers focus on where the impact is largest. Plugins and themes expand functionality and potential entry points, but most issues stem from third-party code, not WordPress core. Proper maintenance eliminates the majority of risks.
How Do WordPress Sites Get Hacked?
Common attack vectors include outdated plugins/themes, weak login credentials, malware injected through compromised components, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting (XSS). Attackers use automated tools to scan for these weaknesses, then exploit them to inject malware, steal data, or hijack server resources.
What Are the Major Reasons WordPress Sites Get Hacked, and How Can You Prevent Them?
Major causes include outdated software, weak passwords, vulnerable plugins/themes, lack of monitoring, poor backups, weak login security, and insecure hosting. Prevention comes down to good security hygiene plus the right tools. Wordfence helps protect against multiple attack vectors simultaneously.
What Motivations Do Hackers Have for Hacking WordPress Sites?
Hackers target sites of all sizes for many reasons: stealing emails, injecting SEO spam, mining cryptocurrency, launching attacks from your server, hosting phishing content, stealing customer data, or demanding ransom. Even small personal sites have value, which is why every WordPress installation needs protection.
Why Do WordPress Sites Get Hacked After Plugin Updates?
When a vulnerability is patched, attackers immediately target sites that haven’t updated yet. Incorrect or conflicting updates can also create temporary gaps, and compromised plugins may introduce malicious changes disguised as updates. Always update from reputable sources, maintain backups, and use Wordfence to block exploitation attempts during these windows.
What Types Of Vulnerabilities Are Most Frequently Exploited?
The most common types of exploits include XSS, SQL injection, authentication bypasses, remote code execution, CSRF, and insecure file uploads. Most occur in plugins, not WordPress core, which makes careful plugin selection and maintenance essential.
What Are Common WordPress Plugin Security Flaws?
Typical issues include poor input validation, broken access controls, weak authentication, insecure file handling, SQL injection, XSS, outdated dependencies, and a lack of timely updates. These often result from abandoned or poorly maintained plugins. Always choose actively supported plugins with strong reputations.
Are Free WordPress Themes Riskier Than Premium Ones?
Price doesn’t determine security. Both free and premium themes can be safe if actively maintained, reputable, and sourced from legitimate channels. Avoid nulled/pirated themes and any theme that hasn’t been updated in a long time. The key is proper vetting and ongoing updates.
What Should You Do When Your WordPress Site Is in Trouble?
Act quickly and methodically: scan your site with Wordfence, change all passwords, remove suspicious users, restore modified core files, and update all software. Document what you find. Follow our step-by-step guide for more instruction. If you need expert cleanup or hands-on support, Wordfence Care and Response offer professional remediation and hardening.