WPBeginner

Beginner's Guide for WordPress

  • Blog
    • Beginners Guide
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Showcase
    • Themes
    • Tutorials
    • WordPress Plugins
  • Start Here
    • How to Start a Blog
    • Create a Website
    • Start an Online Store
    • Best Website Builder
    • Email Marketing
    • WordPress Hosting
    • Business Name Ideas
  • Deals
    • Bluehost Coupon
    • SiteGround Coupon
    • WP Engine Coupon
    • HostGator Coupon
    • Domain.com Coupon
    • Constant Contact
    • View All Deals »
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Products
X
☰
Beginner's Guide for WordPress / Start your WordPress Blog in minutes
Choosing the Best
WordPress Hosting
How to Easily
Install WordPress
Recommended
WordPress Plugins
View all Guides

WPBeginner» Blog» Showcase» 14 Best WordPress Security Scanners for Detecting Malware and Hacks

14 Best WordPress Security Scanners for Detecting Malware and Hacks

Last updated on June 19th, 2018 by Editorial Staff
161 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Free WordPress Video Tutorials on YouTube by WPBeginner
14 Best WordPress Security Scanners for Detecting Malware and Hacks

Recently one of our readers asked if there is an easy way to scan your website for security, hacks, and vulnerabilities. If you suspect that your website may be hacked, then a quick WordPress security scan can be a good starting point. In this article, we have handpicked some of the best WordPress security scanners that will help you run quick security checks.

Best WordPress vulnerability scanners

What WordPress Security and Malware Scanners Can Do?

Online vulnerability or malware scanners can help you check your website for some very common security risks. For example, they can look for malicious code, suspicious links, suspicious redirects, WordPress version, and more.

However, they are quite limited because they cannot run tests on your WordPress database, user accounts, WordPress settings, plugins, and more.

Hackers can easily disguise malicious code and go unnoticed by these basic security checkups. This is why we recommend using Sucuri‘s web application firewall. It is a complete website security service that detects and neutralizes any malicious code even before it reaches your website.

To make your WordPress site more secure, see our complete WordPress security guide with step by step instructions to protect your website.

Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the best WordPress vulnerability scanners that you can try.

1. Sucuri SiteCheck

Sucuri SiteCheck

SiteCheck is an online tool by Sucuri, the best WordPress firewall and security service. It offers a thorough check of your website looking for malicious code, spam injection, website defacement, etc.

It also checks your website on several domain name blacklist tools including Google Safe Browsing. Sucuri’s SiteCheck tool not just scans the URL you enter, it will also crawl other pages linked from it to offer a thorough and fast scan.

2. IsItWP Security Scanner

IsItWP Security Scanner

IsItWP Security Scanner allows you to quickly check your WordPress website for malware and other security vulnerabilities. It is powered by Sucuri and helps you quickly check your website with step by step instructions to tighten WordPress security.

It also checks your website in Google Safe Browsing and other malware blacklists to make sure that your domain is clean.

3. Google Safe Browsing

Google Safe Browsing

Google’s Safe Browsing tool allows you to see if a URL is marked unsafe to visit by Google. Google monitors billions of URLs and if they suspect that a website is distributing malware, then they mark it as unsafe to visit.

This could potentially ruin your website’s reputation as users coming from Google search or Google Chrome will be shown a warning page when they visit your website. If you are using Google Search Console, then you will be warned when your website is marked as unsafe with instructions to get the warning removed.

4. WPScans

WPScans

WPScans checks your website against known vulnerabilities and suspicious code. They maintain an index of vulnerabilities detected by their system and check your website for those security leaks.

It also tries to detect your WordPress version, installed plugins, and robots.txt files. After the scan, results are presented in an easy to understand format with the explanation of each item.

5. ScanWP

ScanWP

ScanWP is a very basic WordPress vulnerability scanner. It tries to detect your WordPress version to see if you are using the latest version. It also detects the WordPress generator tag, and whether or not your site is showing it.

The generator tag shows which WordPress version you are using. Some security experts believe that this could help hackers to effectively target a website and they recommend removing the WordPress generator tag.

6. WordPress Security Scan

WordPress Security Scan

WordPress Security Scan runs a thorough test by attempting to detect your WordPress plugins, usernames, WordPress version, active theme, and more. It also checks your website on Google Safe Browsing index to make sure it is not blacklisted.

It provides a detailed report of your site status with a brief explanation of each item. These are mostly the items that are common WordPress security best practices like using the latest version of WordPress and keeping your plugins updated.

7. wprecon

wprecon

wprecon is another basic WordPress vulnerability scanner tool. It detects WordPress version to see if you need updates, checks Google Safe Browsing index, and then attempts to detect installed WordPress plugins.

It also scans for directory indexing, theme path detection, external links, iframes, and JavaScripts. Results are presented in a nice format with good explanation for each scanned item.

8. Quttera

Quttera

Quttera offers a useful online vulnerability scanner tool. It runs a deep test crawling through your website to search for suspicious files, malicious code, iframe embeds, redirects, and external links.

It also checks for your domain among blacklisted domains databases including Google Safe Browsing, Malware Domain List, PhishTank, and more. The detailed report is broken down into different sections and you can click on each item to view scan status.

9. Web Inspector

Web Inspector

Web Inspector’s online website security scanner is another useful tool that can be used to test your WordPress site. It first checks your website in Google Safe Browsing and Comodo analysts indexes. After that, it scans for malware downloads, drive-by malware, suspicious code resembling a WordPress backdoor, worm, trojan, iframes, suspicious scripts and files.

10. WordPress Vulnerability Scanner

WordPress Vulnerability Scanner

WordPress Vulnerability Scanner will test your WordPress site for common website vulnerability indicators. It scans for your WordPress version, installed plugin and themes, check for plugins with known vulnerabilities.

The website also provides several other scanning tools for advanced users which can be useful in detecting a website with compromised security.

11. UpGuard Cloud Scanner

UpGuard Cloud Scanner

UpGuard Cloud Scanner is another online utility to scan your WordPress site for security risks. It first checks your domain’s records, DNS, open ports, and mail settings. Domain and server-based hacks can hijack your domain name or misuse it to send spam or malware.

After that, it looks for known malicious code, malware patterns, suspicious links, and phishing attempts. The scan result is displayed in a nice easy to understand format.

12. urlquery URL Scanner

urlquery URL Scanner

A common technique used by hackers and malware is to redirect your website visitors to a spam website. These hacks only redirect non-logged in users, which allows them to go unnoticed for a long time.

urlquery URL scanner simply checks a given URL to detect if it redirects users, initiates a malware download, sets cookies, and more. This information can be used to further analyze your website’s security status.

13. VirusTotal

VirusTotal

VirusTotal is another way to quickly scan a URL for security vulnerabilities and malware. It checks your websites URL in dozens of malware databases and presents a detailed report. It also scans for redirects and suspicious code in the website header.

14. Norton Safe Web

Norton Safe Web

Norton Safe Web is another useful tool to scan your WordPress site for security threats. It uses Symantec’s advanced detection technologies to look for common malware, phishing, and spam patterns.

The results will display computer threats, identify threats, and annoyance factors. A clean website will get the perfect 0 on all three scans. If your website is unsafe, then it will display the detected threats which can help you further investigate and fix the problem.

We hope this article helped you find some of the best WordPress vulnerability scanners online. You may also want to see our beginner’s guide on fixing a hacked WordPress site.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

161 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Popular on WPBeginner Right Now!
  • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

    How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

  • Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

    Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

  • Google Analytics in WordPress

    How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners

  • How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

    How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

About the Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi. Trusted by over 1.3 million readers worldwide.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

5 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Pablo says:
    Jul 10, 2018 at 12:54 am

    Hi Team, is there a plugin which scans your WordPress Intranet site (Offline solutions)?

    Thanks.

    Reply
  2. Dan says:
    Jun 20, 2018 at 10:06 am

    Thank you for the post about security scanners. At first, I thought you were referencing online security scanning for individual FILES. Perhaps you could investigate that as well and post your findings ? I operate a business which enables customers to upload their art files to my website…and use a gravity form with drop box feed….but I still have to open the files, and would want to scan them first before opening on my computer….better then safe then sorry.

    Thank you

    Reply
  3. Gautam Roy says:
    Jun 20, 2018 at 6:40 am

    Thanks for this helpful tip, but tell me is additional security required on WordPress.

    Many people say that WordPress is very secure CMS.
    What is your opinion on that?

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jun 21, 2018 at 8:50 pm

      Hi Gautam,

      WordPress is secure but you still need to follow the security best practices like using strong passwords, installing a backup plugin, adding a security plugin, and more.

      Reply
  4. Robin Eyre says:
    Jun 20, 2018 at 5:04 am

    A useful run down of tools. Thank you.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Thanks for choosing to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our comment policy, and your email address will NOT be published. Please Do NOT use keywords in the name field. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation.

Over 1,320,000+ Readers

Get fresh content from WPBeginner

Featured WordPress Plugin
All in One SEO
Improve website SEO rankings with AIOSEO plugin. Learn More »
How to Start a Blog How to Start a Blog
I need help with ...
Starting a
Blog
WordPress
Performance
WordPress
Security
WordPress
SEO
WordPress
Errors
Building an
Online Store
Useful WordPress Guides
    • 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)
    • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
    • Why You Need a CDN for your WordPress Blog? [Infographic]
    • 30 Legit Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress
    • Self Hosted WordPress.org vs. Free WordPress.com [Infograph]
    • Free Recording: WordPress Workshop for Beginners
    • 24 Must Have WordPress Plugins for Business Websites
    • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
    • 5 Best Contact Form Plugins for WordPress Compared
    • Which is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin? (Comparison)
    • Best WooCommerce Hosting in 2020 (Comparison)
    • How to Fix the Internal Server Error in WordPress
    • How to Install WordPress - Complete WordPress Installation Tutorial
    • Why You Should Start Building an Email List Right Away
    • How to Properly Move WordPress to a New Domain Without Losing SEO
    • How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting for Your Website
    • How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform (Comparison)
    • WordPress Tutorials - 200+ Step by Step WordPress Tutorials
    • 5 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugins Compared
    • 5 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared)
    • 7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2020)
    • How to Choose the Best Domain Registrar (Compared)
    • The Truth About Shared WordPress Web Hosting
    • When Do You Really Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
    • 5 Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders Compared
    • How to Switch from Blogger to WordPress without Losing Google Rankings
    • How to Properly Switch From Wix to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • How to Properly Move from Weebly to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared
    • How to Properly Move from Squarespace to WordPress
    • How to Register a Domain Name (+ tip to get it for FREE)
    • HostGator Review - An Honest Look at Speed & Uptime (2020)
    • SiteGround Reviews from 4196 Users & Our Experts (2020)
    • Bluehost Review from Real Users + Performance Stats (2020)
    • How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a WordPress Website?
    • How to Create an Email Newsletter the RIGHT WAY (Step by Step)
    • Free Business Name Generator (A.I Powered)
    • How to Create a Free Business Email Address in 5 Minutes (Step by Step)
    • How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners
    • How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime
    • Why is WordPress Free? What are the Costs? What is the Catch?
    • How to Make a Website in 2020 – Step by Step Guide
Deals & Coupons (view all)
Pretty Links
Pretty Links Pro Coupon
Get up to 35% OFF on Pretty Links Pro WordPress URL shortener and affiliate links cloaking plugin.
MainWP
MainWP Coupon
Get 15% OFF on MainWP WordPress multisite manager plugin.
Featured In
About WPBeginner®

WPBeginner is a free WordPress resource site for Beginners. WPBeginner was founded in July 2009 by Syed Balkhi. The main goal of this site is to provide quality tips, tricks, hacks, and other WordPress resources that allows WordPress beginners to improve their site(s).
Join our team: We are Hiring!

Site Links
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FTC Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Free Blog Setup
  • Free Business Tools
Our Sites
  • OptinMonster
  • MonsterInsights
  • WPForms
  • SeedProd
  • Nameboy
  • RafflePress
  • Smash Balloon

Copyright © 2009 - 2021 WPBeginner LLC. All Rights Reserved. WPBeginner® is a registered trademark.

Managed by Awesome Motive | WordPress hosting by SiteGround | WordPress CDN by MaxCDN | WordPress Security by Sucuri.