30 WordPress Plugins Hacked

Check Your WordPress Site NOW!

A bundle of WordPress tools known as the “Essential Plugin” suite—covering features like countdown timers, popup builders, and testimonial widgets—was sold on the marketplace Flippa to a buyer identified only as “Kris.”

He bought the suite, and eight months later he used the backdoors he created to compromise thousands of sites.

Full story here.

Key Takeaways

• A total of 31 WordPress plugins were quietly compromised after being sold to a malicious buyer. The injected malware stayed inactive for eight months before spreading across thousands of websites.
• Well-known podcasting plugins like PowerPress, Yoast SEO, and Seriously Simple Podcasting were not impacted. The affected plugins were mostly general-purpose utility tools.
• If your site uses anything from the “Essential Plugin” suite, it’s important to review it immediately and check for signs of compromise.
• Every plugin you install introduces third-party code to your site. The more plugins you rely on, the more ongoing attention your site needs to remain secure.
• Regardless of this incident, the best defense is simple: keep all plugins updated and remove anything you’re not actively using.