You are seeing 'This site contains harmful programs' bug on your website? This usually means that your website has been hacked and Google has marked it as unsafe. Sometimes even when you fix the hack, the error still appears. In this article, we will show you how to fix this site issue. Contains WordPress harmful program errors.
The number one reason for this error is that your website is hacked and is believed to be distributing malware. This code spreads from the infected website to site visitors and can even spread to other websites.
Google flags a website with this warning if it finds any suspicious code that could be malware or a Trojan. This warns users to be careful when visiting these sites.
Another common reason for this error is showing ads from low-quality ad networks. These networks may sometimes display advertisements linked to websites that distribute malicious code.
To find this malicious code on your site, check out our tutorial on how to scan your WordPress site for potentially malicious code.
You can also check your site using Google's safe browsing analytics tool.
All you need to do is add your site's domain name as the query parameter to the URL like this:
https://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=YourDomain.com
Now that you know why the error occurs, let's take a look at how to fix it.
If you don't like the video or need more instructions, continue reading.
Before you begin, make a full backup of your WordPress site. If you already had a backup system installed, keep it handy, as you may need it.
Removing malware and recovering a website can be a very complicated task. Sometimes, even when you thoroughly clean your site, the malicious code may reappear until you find and remove the backdoor placed on your site.
Backdoor refers to a method of bypassing normal authentication and gaining the ability to remotely access the server while remaining undetected. Finding the back door is also not an easy task. It could be a compromised password, insecure file permissions, or a cleverly disguised file. We have a detailed guide on how to find a backdoor in a hacked WordPress site and fix it.
Once you have successfully removed the backdoor, you will still need to thoroughly check all your files and databases for any malicious code.
As you can see, cleaning and infecting the WordPress site can be a very tedious task. That's why we use Sucuri on all of our websites.
Sucuri is a website monitoring and security service for WordPress users. It monitors your site 24/7 for suspicious activity, blocks any hacking attempts on your site, and cleans your site of any malware.
It costs $199/year, which is well worth it considering a freelance security expert can charge you upwards of $250 an hour.
Save yourself the frustration and hours of cleanup and use Sucuri.
Note:If you use our link to register, then we will receive a small commission. However, we only recommend products that we personally use and believe will add value to our readers.
Once you're absolutely sure your website is clean, you can ask Google to remove this warning from search results.
You will need to use Google webmaster tools for that. If you haven't added your site to webmaster tools yet, follow our tutorial on how to add your WordPress site to Google webmaster tools.
Once there, you need to click on the security issues section in webmaster tools. This page will list any security issues that Google has found on your website. You'll also see links to cleanup resources on your site.
Once you've fixed the issues, click the checkbox and request a review.
Subscribe to WPBeginnerIn case you don't see any security issues in Google webmaster tools, you need to fill out the form below to report an incorrect phishing warning.
We hope this article has helped you fix this site. Contains harmful program errors. You may also want to see our list of the 25 most common WordPress mistakes to avoid.
If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to our WordPress YouTube Channel video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
