WordPress is a great platform: it can be as simple, or as complex as you need. However, with power comes responsibility.
WordPress must be maintained properly, otherwise it can get hacked quite easily. It’s a good rule of thumb to try and update plugins on a weekly (or at least monthly) basis.
Today’s plugin vulnerability to take note of is: Simple 301 Redirects Bulk Addon.
If your site has been hacked and is currently redirecting to an unfamiliar web address and you remember having this plugin, it’s likely that your site has been hacked due to this vulnerability.
Here are the steps to take, in order to fix it!
1. Login to your WordPress dashboard.
Once you’ve logged in to your dashboard, the next step is to access the source of the issue.
2. Navigate to Settings > 301 Redirects.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page. You should see 3-4 redirects that are not related to your website. Delete each redirect one by one.
3. Next, you need to eliminate the source of the hack.
Navigate to the plugins section in WordPress. Locate the following plugin:
Simple 301 Redirects – Addon – Bulk CSV Uploader
Check for an update, and update accordingly.
That’s it! Verify that your website is working correctly by visiting the front end. The old redirect may be cached in the browser, so if you are still seeing the old redirect, try viewing the site in incognito mode.
Luckily, this hack is fairly simple to fix! However, if these things are not your cup of tea, feel free to reach out and hire our team. We can get your site fixed and back up and running quick. Visit our contact page and send us a note — we will get back with you right away. Or if this helps you fix and you’d like to chat about other WordPress or growth marketing opportunities, we’re all ears! Thanks for reading and good luck!