Unauthorised link created

Hows this happened

[keithww]

I've just found that someone has managed to change one of the words on my site home page into a link to their? site. The password to my cpanel is impossible to guess so how can they do this rotten trick? Or more to the point does anyone know how to prevent it?

[LisaWeber]

My first guess would be that you have some sort of malware on your machine that is changing that word for you. It's not changed on your website, just changed on any website you view with your computer.

[keithww]

Thanks Lisa, I'll get someone else to visit my site and see if it's all OK. Wouldn't mind but I've got plenty of stuff to keep my PC secure (or so I thought!)

[wolfadeus]

Also check the backup on a disc?

[mack]

If you contact your host they may be able to offer more of an explanation. They may have had a security breach or be able to do some investigation on your behalf.

Was it a static page or part of a script. It may have been a vulnerability in a script that caused this?

Mack.

[jtara]

My first guess would be that you have some sort of malware on your machine that is changing that word for you

This is commonly done with affiliate links - particularly Amazon. There is malware out in the wild that will change the affiliate ID on the user's machine before the browser sees it.

In some cases, this is installed without the user's knowledge. In other cases, there is disclosure in a "user agreement" that the user is supposed to read when they install downloaded software.

So, first step - check you webpage from somebody else's computer and see if it is the same. As well as the obvious check the .html file itself, after logging-in to a command shell on your site using SSH.