Title: Possible 2.8.4 hack/virus? Last modified: August 19, 2016 --- # Possible 2.8.4 hack/virus? * [design-ronin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/design-ronin/) * (@design-ronin) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/possible-hackvirus/) * Howdy, * I thought I’d mention this as I have no idea at all as to what actually happened. * Yesterday PM, one of our sites (2.8.4): [http://www.lab-gear.com](http://www.lab-gear.com) basically dropped off. Pinging the URL resulted in a time out and then came back with a very slow response time (minutes as opposed to seconds) and the blog section of the site went totally offline (we have this site set up with a static home page and the posts referenced to a page – as per settings in the ‘Reading Settings’). We had not touched a single file and were still able to access the admin section as normal and in normal response times. * We went through the usual list of things to do, including turning all plugins off etc. and even trawled through the Data Base to see if any malicious things were dropped in. We then rebooted the server and checked it against other WP sites we manage on our own (fast) server and it was the only site to be affected; all the other sites ran as normal. Stats show that there was no ping attack or the like. * The site only came back proper after we pulled everything down and reinstalled 2.8.4 several times. Even now, the blog settings do not work and the /blog resulted in a blank page. The posts still appear as single posts and archives, just not as the usual list of posts. * For now we have implemented a work around and are rebuilding the system to ensure that something like this does not affect the main pages again. For note, we restructured the blog page, gave it a new name and a fresh page template and still nothing. The system refuses to list the posts, yet will display them in categories and as single posts. * Has anyone else experienced something like this and if so were you able to find out what caused it? * Cheers, * G Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total) * Moderator [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/) * (@jdembowski) * Forum Moderator and Brute Squad * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/possible-hackvirus/#post-1212787) * > For note, we restructured the blog page, gave it a new name and a fresh page > template and still nothing. The system refuses to list the posts, yet will > display them in categories and as single posts. * > even trawled through the Data Base to see if any malicious things were dropped > in. * Not a hack nor a virus. Sounds like your database has problems, options table maybe. * Backup your files and database. The files part should be trivial. * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Backing_Up_Your_Database](http://codex.wordpress.org/Backing_Up_Your_Database) * Also read [http://codex.wordpress.org/Restoring_Your_Database_From_Backup](http://codex.wordpress.org/Restoring_Your_Database_From_Backup) in case the “bad thing” happens. * If you can install [WP-DBManager](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-dbmanager/) plugin and select repair tables. * There are ways to repair the database via mysql command line or phpadmin, but I couldn’t find them quickly. * Nice web site BTW. * Thread Starter [design-ronin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/design-ronin/) * (@design-ronin) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/possible-hackvirus/#post-1212833) * Hey jdembowski, * thanks for that but nope. I just did a fresh install in a subdomain and linked it to a fresh DB and not touched a single option; and the same thing again! I have asked the tech guys if it could be something with the server * Moderator [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/) * (@jdembowski) * Forum Moderator and Brute Squad * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/possible-hackvirus/#post-1212837) * This might be redundant and you maye have given this a try already, but if you are feeling brave, try (backup first!) exporting [the blog to WXR](http://codex.wordpress.org/Tools_Export_SubPanel), create an empty blog and import the WXR file into your now empty blog. * That will make sure that nothing except posts and comments are imported back into the database. * Thread Starter [design-ronin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/design-ronin/) * (@design-ronin) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/possible-hackvirus/#post-1212975) * Well, I tried all sorts of things as did the server guys. No clear answer either! jdembowski, I did end up dumping the DB, reinstalling and then pulling in the WP WXR. It worked and still is doign so but I think I found the issue somehow has something to do with the index.php file in the theme. * No idea what, but it def. seems as if it was being randomly corrupted as last night a totally fresh install, on a new root dir. with a fresh db worked and this morning it didn’t! * Keeping an eye on it. * Thanks for your ideas. Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total) The topic ‘Possible 2.8.4 hack/virus?’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [attack](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/attack/) * [Offline](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/offline/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 4 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [design-ronin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/design-ronin/) * Last activity: [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/possible-hackvirus/#post-1212975) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics