Cleaning up is only half the job - if the door that let the infection in stays open, it comes back. Work through this in order.
1. Check what was found
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In cPanel, open Imunify Security and review what's listed under detected or quarantined items - this tells you which files are affected before you change anything.
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2. Change every password, immediately
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Most infections start with a stolen or guessed password, not a mysterious exploit. Change your cPanel password, your CMS admin password (WordPress, Joomla...), and its database password.
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If several people have access (see managing sub-accounts, if applicable), have everyone change theirs too - not just the account owner.
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3. Update everything
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Update your CMS core, every plugin and every theme to their latest versions. An outdated plugin is the single most common way sites get compromised.
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Remove any plugin or theme you no longer use entirely, rather than leaving it deactivated - unused code is still a target.
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4. Restore from a clean backup, if you have one
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If you have a backup from before the infection, restoring it can be faster than manual cleanup - just make sure you also complete steps 2 and 3 afterwards, or the same hole lets the infection straight back in.
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Don't just delete the warning banner or the flagged file. If a plugin was exploited to place it there, removing only that one file leaves the vulnerability open and the infection typically returns within days.
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Still showing warnings after this, or not sure where to start? Open a support ticket and describe what Imunify Security flagged - we can advise on next steps.
In our plans
- All hosting plans have an automatic daily backup, and restoring it costs nothing.
- To see which restore points your account has, open JetBackup (or Backups) in cPanel. Choose one dated before the oldest file Imunify Security flagged.
- If there is none before the infection, or you would rather we do it, open a ticket with your domain, the date you want restored and the Imunify Security report (file paths, threat names and dates, or a screenshot).
- Restoring does not close the hole: change the passwords and update everything straight after, as described above.
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