Card skimmer on checkout
Injected JavaScript copies card details as customers type them. On OpenCart and Magento this is the most expensive kind of infection.
[ Servers & DevOps ]
Website Malware Removal & Hacked Site Cleanup
Hacked site, cleaned and locked down.
Not every hacked site runs WordPress. I clean OpenCart and Magento stores, Laravel and custom PHP applications and the server underneath them: every backdoor removed, the entry point closed, the software patched and the warnings cleared.
Same-day response · Fixed price · Reinfection guarantee
Same dayfirst response
Fixedprice, quoted upfront
30 daysreinfection guarantee
Any PHPstack, not just WordPress
[ Symptoms ]
Signs your site has been compromised.
The symptoms differ by platform, but the pattern is the same: code you did not write, doing things you did not ask for.
Redirects to another site
Visitors from search or on mobile are sent to scam pages, so the owner often never sees it.
Spam pages in Google
Thousands of indexed pages selling pharmacy or counterfeit goods under your domain.
Browser or hosting warning
A red “deceptive site” interstitial, or the host suspending the account for malware.
Unknown admin accounts
New administrator users in the store or app admin, or API integrations nobody remembers adding.
PHP files where they do not belong
Scripts in image and upload folders, modified core files and obfuscated code with faked timestamps.
[ How it works ]
Contain, clean, then close the door.
01 — First hours
Contain
Forensic backup of files and database, then the live payload stopped so customers are no longer exposed while the cleanup runs. Orders and customer data are preserved.
02 — Cleanup
Clean
Code compared against a clean copy of the exact version you run, the database searched for injected scripts and rogue users, and every backdoor removed, not just the one causing symptoms.
03 — Recovery
Patch, harden & delist
Software patched or upgraded, credentials and keys rotated, the entry point closed, then review requests sent to search engines and blocklist vendors.
[ What actually changes ]
What a proper cleanup includes.
Deleting the file a scanner flagged is not a cleanup. Attackers leave several independent ways back in, and that is why half-cleaned sites are reinfected within days.
Cleanup
- Code comparison — core, extensions and vendor code checked against clean releases of your exact version.
- Database sweep — injected scripts in settings, CMS blocks and pages, plus rogue admin users and integrations.
- Skimmer removal — checkout JavaScript, fake payment forms and exfiltration domains found and removed.
- Backdoor hunt — web shells, poisoned modifications, cron jobs and PHP hidden in media folders.
- Server check — other sites on the account, SSH keys, crontabs and running processes.
Recovery & prevention
- Root cause identified — the vulnerable extension, stolen password or unpatched release that let them in.
- Patched or upgraded — to the current security release of your platform, tested on staging first.
- Keys and credentials rotated — admin, database, hosting, API, payment and encryption keys where exposed.
- Hardening and WAF — admin access restricted, permissions fixed, a web application firewall in front.
- Written incident report — what happened, what was removed, and what you may need to tell your payment provider.
[ Example engagement ]
What a typical store cleanup looks like.
A store with a card skimmer usually needs more than file cleaning: the skimmer often lives in the database, the admin has extra users, and on Magento an exploited store may also need its encryption key rotated. The work follows the same three stages every time.
Illustrative example of a typical engagement. Figures vary with the state of your systems and are not a guarantee of a specific outcome.
1forensic backup before anything changes
3places checked: files, database, server
100%of credentials rotated
30 daysreinfection guarantee
[ Emergency · same-day response ]
Store or site compromised right now?
Send the URL, the platform and what you are seeing. You get a reply the same day with a fixed price and a realistic timeline.
[ Pricing ]
Straightforward pricing. $20/hour or fixed.
Tell me the number you have to work with. I'll tell you honestly what's achievable within it — and if it isn't enough, I'll say so before we start rather than halfway through.
Hourly rate $20/hoursmall jobs and ongoing work · fixed price for defined projects
Fixed project price
Scope agreed in writing, price agreed in writing, before any work starts. No hourly creep and no invoice you haven't already approved.
Monthly retainer
For ongoing work — maintenance, monitoring, updates and small changes. Month to month, cancel whenever, no minimum term.
$20/hour for small jobs
For a single bug, a short task or ongoing tweaks, where writing a full scope would cost more than simply doing the work. Billed in real time, reported in writing.
Budget too tight for the whole thing? I'll often suggest doing the highest-value part first and the rest later, rather than doing all of it badly.
[ Questions ]
Urgent questions.
Which platforms do you clean?
OpenCart, Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce, Laravel, CodeIgniter and custom PHP applications, plus the Linux server they run on. WordPress has its own dedicated service.
Will I lose orders or customer data?
No. This is a cleanup, not a restore from an old backup. Products, orders and customers stay as they are; only malicious code and data are removed.
My checkout was skimmed. What do I need to do?
Stop the skimmer first, then tell your payment provider, who will explain your obligations under their terms and PCI DSS. I give you a written report of what was found and when, which is what they will ask for.
Can I not just restore a backup?
Only if you know exactly when the compromise started. Backdoors often sit dormant for weeks, so a restore frequently brings the infection back along with the content.
Do you upgrade the platform as well?
Yes. An unpatched store gets reinfected. I apply the current security release, or plan a larger upgrade on staging if the store is several versions behind.
What if it comes back?
Every cleanup includes a 30-day guarantee. If the same compromise returns within that window, I clean it again at no charge.
[ Related services ]
Stop it happening again.
WordPress Malware RemovalHacked site cleaned, hardened and delisted, usually within 24 hours.Server Security HardeningLock down SSH, firewall, patching and access before it costs you.OpenCart DevelopmentExtensions, upgrades, bug fixes and security for OpenCart.Magento DevelopmentUpgrades, speed, extensions and security patches for Magento 2.Laravel DevelopmentAPIs, dashboards and long-term maintenance of Laravel apps.Cloudflare SetupDNS, SSL, WAF and caching on Cloudflare, configured properly.
[ Guides on this topic ]
From the blog.
OpenCart Hacked? Clean, Upgrade and Secure Your StoreOpenCart hacked? How I remove card skimmers and backdoors, check OCMOD modifications and the database, patch the store and lock it down so it stays clean.Magento Hacked? Remove the Skimmer, Patch and HardenMagento hacked? The process I follow: contain the store, find card skimmers in config, CMS and files, rotate the crypt key after CosmicSting, patch and harden.
[ Let's talk ]
Tell me what's broken.
Describe the problem in a few lines and you'll get a real reply from the person who'd do the work — same working day, no discovery call required.