How to Figure Out the Cause of a Website Hack
I recently experienced a hack on my Joomla 1.7 site and I was able to identify the script that was used to perform the hack. However, I was still left wondering how the hack happened and what steps I should take to prevent it from happening again in the future.
What caused the problem?
To figure out what caused the hack, it is important to follow some basic forensic steps:
- Establish the basetime – when did the files that were modified change?
- Use the command ‘find’ to search your webroot for files that changed before the basetime but not more than 24 hours before the basetime.
- Correlate the results with your web access logs to see what happened at the time those files changed.
- Identify the attacker by searching the logs using their IP address and see if you can figure out what else they did.
- If the attacker uploaded any files, analyze them to understand what they did.
By following these steps, you can determine how the attacker was able to execute code on your system, which is crucial for preventing future hacks.
Preventing future hacks
After analyzing the hack, it is important to take steps to prevent it from happening again:
- Consider rebuilding the server and restoring your web content from a clean backup.
- Regularly update your CMS and plugins to the latest versions, as they often contain security patches.
- Use strong and unique passwords for all accounts associated with your website.
- Implement a web application firewall to protect against common attack vectors.
- Regularly monitor your website for any suspicious activity.
By following these preventive measures, you can reduce the risk of future hacks and ensure the security of your website.
UPDATE
I found a helpful resource called the Forum Post Assistant / FPA, which can assist in identifying and resolving website hacks.