How to Fix the “The Site Ahead Contains Harmful Programs” Error on Your WordPress Website

Are you receiving an error message saying “This site contains harmful programs” on your WordPress website?

If so, you might be wondering how this impacts your online business, website reputation, and what steps to take to resolve the issue.

This in-depth guide will walk you through everything you need to know about fixing harmful programs warnings in WordPress.

Why Do You Get the “Site Ahead Contains Harmful Programs” Error?

In most cases, this error means your website has been hacked by bots, causing Google to list it as insecure. If search engines such as Google and Mozilla Firefox detect malware on your site, they flag it and display a warning to make sure that users are not able to access it.

The warning can also occur if you are showing ads from low-quality advertising networks: sometimes, these networks display links to websites spreading malicious code.

So in the end, this warning is displayed to protect and prevent users from spreading malwares.

This can result in a domino effect. The traffic to your website will decrease if visitors cannot access it. Rankings will drop, which will affect your revenue collection. To top it off, if your website is hacked, your hosting provider might suspend your account until it’s fixed. Etc, etc.

Hopefully, by acting quickly, you can save all of this from happening.

Steps to Fix the “Site Ahead Contains Harmful Programs” Error

Important: before troubleshooting the harmful programs warning, please make sure to backup your WordPress website.

Step 1: Scan Your WordPress Site for Malicious Software

You should start by scanning your WordPress site to detect any malware. Then you can go ahead and clean it.

There are two ways to proceed: by hand or by using a plugin.

Using the manual method is time-consuming. There is a technical aspect to it, and above all, it is not very effective when it comes to cleaning your site. Indeed, since hackers hide their malware, it is hard to detect manually.

That’s why WordPress security plugins are recommended for scanning and cleaning your website.

The three following tools can be used to conduct a web-based scan of your WordPress site for potentially malicious code:

• WPScan
• Wordfence Security – Firewall & Malware Scan
• Sucuri

Identify and remove the malware.

Step 2: Uncover the Reason Behind the Hacking

Understanding how your site was compromised is pivotal for future prevention. Common vulnerabilities include:

• Outdated themes and plugins
• Visiting malicious websites
• Using a corrupted device
• Weak passwords

Security Vulnerabilities in Themes And Plugins

It is common for WordPress websites to have a number of themes and plugins installed. What if I told you that themes and plugins can develop vulnerabilities over time?

When a plugin or theme installed on your website is vulnerable, the site becomes vulnerable as well.

If a vulnerability is discovered, software developers quickly patch it and release an updated version. By updating to the new version, this vulnerability will be fixed.

So please, keep your plugins and themes up to date!

Visiting Malicious Or Phishing Site

You can be tricked by hackers by opening a malicious link through an email with a link or a fake advertisement that seems authentic.

Clicking the link will take you to a malicious web page. They are coded in such a way that simply visiting the site can infect your browser. The attackers then steal your login credentials using a method known as cookie stealing.

Make sure you haven’t visited any suspicious sites in your browser history, and clear your browser’s cache and cookies.

Corrupted Device

Though it doesn’t happen often, we need to keep in mind that it’s a possibility. You may risk infecting your WordPress website if you use an infected computer or device to access it.

Hackers infect computers by injecting their malware into numerous files. Now, if you upload one of those documents to your website, the hacker will be able to compromise it.

Ensure your device or computer has an antivirus program to make sure that your device is clean of any malware infection.

Passwords That Are Not Strong Enough

In order to guess websites’ usernames and passwords, hackers use a technique known as brute force. Bots are programmed to make thousands of login attempts within seconds.

When you or any of your WordPress users set passwords like ‘admin’ and ‘password123’, hackers can guess them very easily.

You should always remind your website’s users to use a unique and strong password.

Step 3: Improve Your WordPress Security

You can take a variety of measures to secure your website according to WordPress’s recommendations. The hardening measures should be implemented before the site review begins.

1. Change every user’s password and log them out
2. Implement the two-factor authentication
3. Install an SSL certificate.
4. Monitor your website

Step 4: Submit Your Site for Google Review

Once your website has been thoroughly checked for malicious software, you can ask Google to remove this warning from search results.

The only way to do that is through Google’s Webmaster tools.

In webmaster tools, click on the security issues link. A list of any security issues found by Google will appear on this page. Links to cleaning up resources will also be available to you.

You should submit the following form if you do not find any security issues in Google Webmaster tools.

If you have solved the issues, click the checkbox and ask for a review.

Preventive Measures to Avoid Harmful Program Warnings in the Future

Implement these measures to protect your WordPress site from future attacks:

1. Use Trusted Plugins and Themes

Always choose plugins and themes from reputable sources, and keep them updated with WP Umbrella safe update feature to prevent vulnerabilities.

2. Maintain Regular Backups

Frequent backups ensure you can restore your site if an attack occurs. Services like WP Umbrella automate backups and provide easy recovery options.

3. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

WAF helps block malicious traffic before it reaches your site. Many security plugins offer WAF as part of their premium services, or you can use CloudFlare.

4. Monitor Site Security Regularly

Set up regular scans with your security plugin to catch issues early. Proactive monitoring can prevent minor threats from turning into major problems.