Insecurity by Design: Why WordPress Sites Get Hacked

Part 4 of our series shining a light on the realities of WordPress

 

WordPress powers a huge portion of the internet — and with that popularity comes a major downside: it’s a magnet for hackers.

In fact, in 2023, over 96% of all hacked CMS-based websites cleaned by Sucuri were running WordPress.

So why is WordPress so vulnerable? And how does Infinitus CMS avoid those risks by design?

Let’s break it down.

Why WordPress Gets Targeted

WordPress is open-source. That’s not inherently bad — but it does mean:

  • Their system's code is public
  • Anyone can study it — including bad actors
  • Vulnerabilities are easier to find and exploit

It’s also plugin-heavy. Every plugin introduces new code, new developers, and new risks. And many of the most commonly used plugins have known security issues.

Common attack paths:

  • Outdated plugins or themes
  • Brute-force login attempts
  • Cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection
  • Malicious file uploads
  • Vulnerable admin users with too much access

And even if you update regularly, it only takes one missed patch or one abandoned plugin to leave the door wide open to being hacked.

The Real-World Impact

We’ve seen it over and over: small businesses using WordPress get hacked, and they don’t even know it.

Common scenarios:

  • Malware injected into site files
  • Spam pages hidden on your domain (hurts SEO)
  • Contact forms hijacked for phishing
  • Entire sites taken offline

Sometimes clients only realize there’s an issue when their hosting provider suspends their account — or when Google flags their site as dangerous.

How Infinitus Prevents These Problems

Infinitus CMS takes a radically different approach.

Here’s how we keep our clients safe:

  • Security Through Controlled Access: Unlike open-source systems, our platform isn’t publicly available for download, significantly limiting the chances of bad actors gaining access to your site.
  • No third-party plugin access: All features are built-in or manually integrated by us — meaning no random code from unknown developers.
  • Managed hosting: Only we deploy and update Infinitus-powered sites. No freelance devs poking around. No forgotten admin users. No plugin update roulette.
  • Fewer moving parts: A lean codebase reduces risk. There’s simply less to go wrong.

We also follow established best practices:

  • Strong user access control
  • Server-side security protocols
  • Monitoring and regular maintenance
  • Prevention-first mindset

Security That’s Built In — Not Bolted On

With WordPress, security is something you chase after — patching holes, installing plugins, reading blog posts on “how to harden your site.”

With Infinitus, security is part of the foundation.

You don’t need to think about it.
You don’t need to worry about it.
You just get peace of mind — because it’s all handled.

Coming Up Next: WordPress at a Crossroads

In Part 5, we’ll take a look at the growing tension inside the WordPress world — including high-profile community rifts, platform fatigue, and what it all means for businesses looking to the future.