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Tips to Protect Your WordPress Site from SQL Injection #

Tips to Protect Your WordPress Site, WordPress is a highly popular Content Management System for building websites. Whether it’s an online store, a blog, or a hobby site, WordPress is an excellent choice. 

When using WordPress, your primary concern should be securing your site against hackers and threats. It’s crucial to understand the various techniques hackers use, such as SQL Injection, to steal data and damage databases. 

This guide will help you learn about SQL injection and provide tips to protect your WordPress site from it.

Ready to get started? Let’s dive in and explore SQL injection. 

Understanding SQL Injection #

SQL injection, also known as Structured Query Language, is a type of attack on websites/applications that allows an attacker to insert malicious statements into the web application, gaining access to the database. This can enable the attacker to create, update, or delete data within the database.

Experience Secure WordPress Hosting with Trustify Hosting! #

Popular SQL database engines include: 

  • Oracle
  • MySQL
  • SQL Server
  • Mongo DB

MySQL ranks second on this list, primarily because WordPress, which uses SQL, powers over 35% of the internet. Consequently, it has become a common target for hackers and identity theft. 

Understanding WordPress SQL Injection #

SQL injection attacks operate in various manners. These typically include:

  • Unauthorized data retrieval: Attackers can manipulate SELECT queries to extract and expose database contents.
  • Modification of Data: SQLi allows attackers to alter database entries or modify account permissions.
  • Denial-of-Service (DoS): DoS attacks disrupt user access to websites by deleting database content.

Your website has a form that collects visitor information. 

If your site requests input like a username, password, or phone number, an attacker might provide malicious SQL code instead.

History of SQL Injection Attacks: Tips to Protect Your WordPress Site #

Input fields are common targets for SQL injection attacks. To illustrate, here are some examples:

  • Login forms
  • Signup forms
  • Contact forms
  • Shopping carts
  • Feedback forms
  • Site searches

How Frequent are WordPress SQL Injection Attacks? #

There are various causes of SQL injection attacks, with some of the most frequent being:

Most website databases utilize SQL

  • SQL injection scanning tools can be found online
  • Almost every website has at least one SQL injection vulnerability
  • Websites have input fields to gather information from users
  • Exploiting it requires no technical expertise
Tips to Protect Your WordPress Site

Methods to Prevent SQL Injection in WordPress #

1. Hide WordPress Version: Tips to Protect Your WordPress Site #

It’s advisable to keep your WordPress version hidden. Publicly displaying this information makes it easier for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities. 

To hide the WordPress version, simply copy and paste the following code into your active theme’s functions.php file:

remove_action(‘wp_head’, ‘wp_generator’);

2. Remove Unnecessary Database Functions #

One effective way to prevent SQL injection attacks is by removing unneeded content and databases. Additionally, normalizing the database can enhance the security of your WordPress site.

3. Tips to Protect Your WordPress Site: Keep an Eye on SQL Statements #

By monitoring SQL statements between database-connected applications, you can identify vulnerabilities in your WordPress site. Various monitoring tools and external applications can provide valuable insights into potential database issues. 

4. Modify Your WordPress Database Prefix #

When installing WordPress, the default database prefix is “wp_”. Changing this prefix can prevent hackers from exploiting vulnerabilities via SQL injection. Ensure you back up your database first, so you have a safe version to restore if anything goes wrong.

Hackers find it easier to exploit database tables using SQL Injection techniques with the default prefix. 

5. Utilize Prepared Statements #

To safeguard your site from WordPress SQL injection, utilize prepared statements. 

A prepared statement is essentially an SQL query template where parameters are set at a later stage before execution. 

Here’s an example of a prepared statement in PHP and MySQL. 

$query = $mysql_connection->prepare(“select * from user_table where username = ? and password = ?”);$query->execute(array($username, $password));

6. Use Trustworthy Form Plugins: Tips to Protect Your WordPress Site #

Whether you run a business, a high-traffic site, or just a blog, forms such as login, registration, and contact forms are crucial. With numerous form plugins available in the WordPress directory, selecting the right one can be challenging.

To protect your site from SQL injection attacks, ensure you install reliable and trusted plugins. Additionally, be aware of previously discovered vulnerabilities and

7. Restrict User Access Privileges #

In WordPress, you can assign various user roles. As an administrator, you can designate roles such as Author, Subscriber, Contributor, Administrator, or Super Admin. Limiting the number of users with access to your website is highly recommended to reduce the risk of WordPress SQL injection attacks. 

Follow these steps to manage user roles:

In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Users > All Users. Here, you can manage users and their roles by selecting a User and clicking Edit. 

Next, go to the Role Setting. Here, you can limit the user’s control on your WordPress site. For example, if someone is assigned as an Administrator, you might consider downgrading them to an Editor, Author, or Contributor. This can help eliminate potential vulnerabilities and enhance your site’s security. 

8. Perform Regular Updates #

To secure your website, use the latest software. Old software, themes, and plugins can expose your site to threats and attacks. 

Regularly check for updates on your WordPress site. Access your WordPress dashboard and click on the Updates tab to easily update to the latest version.

9. Tips to Protect Your WordPress Site: Themes and Plugins for WordPress #

The majority of vulnerabilities, including SQL injection in WordPress, were initially found in themes and plugins, not in the WordPress core. 

Therefore, monitor fixes closely and update as needed. If themes and plugins are not updated regularly, they can become vulnerable. Always ensure you use a plugin that is frequently updated. 

10. Perform Regular Backups #

While backups don’t directly prevent SQL injection, they can help restore a hacked site. There are two ways to take backups.

  • Local Backup: This backup is created automatically or manually and stored on your web hosting provider.
  • Offsite Backup: These backups are generated automatically or manually and sent to offsite storage locations like Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.

Secure Your WordPress Site with Trustify Hosting #

Trustify Hosting provides secure, reliable, and affordable WordPress hosting for users, bloggers, and businesses, ensuring a safe online experience. We include essential security features like SSL certificates, free backups, and more. Regardless of the WordPress hosting plan you select, Trustify Hosting equips you with the necessary features to protect against WordPress SQL Injection attacks.

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