Experts warn 2,000 hacked WordPress sites were secretly running a global crime ring

Wordpress brand logo on computer screen. Man typing on the keyboard.

• Researchers uncover vast cybercrime ring running on computers and infected domains where outdated versions of WordPress were installed
• The StopAndProtect investigation revealed the WordPress content management system was key to the ring’s success; both the core software and third-party plugins were subverted
• Around 2,000 WordPress sites were hijacked by the cybercrime ring

Check Point Research has unearthed a global cybercrime ring that relied on a network of WordPress websites. The investigation into an operation dubbed “StopAndProtect” found a network of 5,000 infected computers around the globe, and 2,000 WordPress domains.