Securing a WordPress site is crucial for preventing malicious attacks, data breaches, and other security threats. Vulnerability scanning is one of the most important steps in securing your website. This guide will show you how to set up a vulnerability scanner on a VirtualBox virtual machine (VM) and use it to scan a WordPress installation. The focus will be on setting up VirtualBox, installing WordPress locally, and using various vulnerability scanning tools to assess and mitigate potential threats.
Why Use VirtualBox for WordPress Vulnerability Scanning?
VirtualBox is a powerful tool that allows you to create virtual environments, making it ideal for testing and vulnerability scanning without affecting your live WordPress site. It offers flexibility, ease of use, and the ability to experiment without risking real-world consequences. By setting up a virtual machine, you can simulate different environments, run penetration tests, and perform security scans to identify weaknesses in your WordPress setup.
Step-by-Step Guide to Scanning WordPress Vulnerabilities Using VirtualBox
Step 1: Set Up VirtualBox
- Install VirtualBox
- To start, download and install VirtualBox from the official website: https://www.virtualbox.org. VirtualBox is free and works across various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Download the installer for your operating system.
- Follow the installation instructions provided on the website.
- Once installed, open VirtualBox.
- Create a Virtual Machine
- After installing VirtualBox, you need to create a new virtual machine to run your WordPress installation.
Open VirtualBox and click New.
- Name your virtual machine (e.g., “WordPress Security Test”).
- Select the type of operating system you want to run (typically Linux).
- Allocate memory for your VM. At least 2 GB of RAM is recommended.
- Create a virtual hard disk. Allocate around 10 GB or more for WordPress and the scanning tools.
- Install an Operating System
- Download a Linux distribution like Ubuntu from ubuntu.com. Once downloaded, follow these steps to install it on your virtual machine:
- Open VirtualBox, select the VM you created, and click Start.
- Choose the Ubuntu ISO file as the startup disk and follow the on-screen prompts to install Ubuntu.
- Once Ubuntu is installed, you can log into your virtual machine.
Step 2: Install WordPress on the Virtual Machine
Set Up a Web Server
To run WordPress, you’ll need a web server with PHP and MySQL support. On your Ubuntu VM, install Apache, MySQL, and PHP:
Open the terminal and update your package list:
bash
sudo apt update
Install Apache:
bash
sudo apt install apache2
Install MySQL
bash
sudo apt install mysql-server
Install PHP and other required packages:
bash
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql
Download and Install WordPress
Once the server is set up, download and install WordPress:
Download WordPress
bash
wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
Extract the files:
bash
tar -xvzf latest.tar.gz
Move the WordPress files to the Apache root directory:
bash
sudo mv wordpress/* /var/www/html/
Set the correct permissions:
bash
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/
Configure MySQL by creating a database and user for WordPress:
bash
sudo mysql -u root -p
Inside the MySQL prompt:
sql
CREATE DATABASE wordpress;
CREATE USER ‘wpuser’@’localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY ‘password’;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO ‘wpuser’@’localhost’;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Access your WordPress site by typing http://localhost in the browser of your virtual machine, and complete the setup process.
Step 3: Install a Vulnerability Scanning Tool
Now that WordPress is up and running, it’s time to install a vulnerability scanning tool. There are several options for scanning vulnerabilities in a WordPress site, such as WPScan, Nikto, and OpenVAS.
Option 1: WPScan
WPScan is a popular WordPress security scanner that can identify vulnerabilities in plugins, themes, and WordPress core.
Install WPScan on your virtual machine
bash
sudo apt install ruby ruby-dev
sudo gem install wpscan
Update the WPScan database
bash
wpscan –update
Run a scan on your local WordPress installation
bash
wpscan –url http://localhost –enumerate vp
This command will scan for vulnerabilities in plugins. You can replace vp with vt to scan for vulnerable themes or v to check the WordPress core.
Option 2: Nikto
Nikto is a web server scanner that checks for dangerous files, outdated server software, and other vulnerabilities.
Install Nikto
bash
sudo apt install nikto
Run a scan on your local WordPress site:
bash
nikto -h http://localhost
This will scan for vulnerabilities related to the server and WordPress installation.
Option 3: OpenVAS
OpenVAS is a more comprehensive vulnerability scanning tool, but it requires more resources. It is suited for larger security scans that go beyond WordPress-specific vulnerabilities.
Install OpenVAS
bash
sudo apt install openvas
Initialize OpenVAS
bash
sudo gvm-setup
Access the OpenVAS web interface through https://localhost:9392 and run a full vulnerability scan on your WordPress site.
Step 4: Analyze the Scan Results
Once the scan is complete, the results will show vulnerabilities related to your WordPress core, plugins, themes, and server configuration.
- Common Issues Detected:
Outdated Plugins and Themes: Scanners often detect plugins or themes that haven’t been updated in a while and may contain security vulnerabilities. - Weak Login Credentials: Brute force attacks are common in WordPress. Tools like WPScan can identify if you are using weak passwords or default usernames.
- Unpatched WordPress Core: If your WordPress version is outdated, it can be vulnerable to known exploits.
- Insecure File Permissions: In some cases, file permissions may not be set properly, allowing unauthorized access.
Fixing Vulnerabilities: - Update Everything: Ensure that all plugins, themes, and the WordPress core are updated to the latest versions.
- Use Strong Passwords: Enforce strong password policies for all users.
- Delete Unused Plugins and Themes: Unused or outdated themes and plugins should be removed.
- Harden WordPress Security: Follow security best practices, such as disabling file editing through the dashboard, limiting login attempts, and securing the wp-config.php file.
Step 5: Regular Scanning and Monitoring
Vulnerability scanning is not a one-time task. As your website grows and as new vulnerabilities are discovered, it’s essential to regularly scan your WordPress site and fix any issues promptly.
- Automated Scans: You can automate scans with tools like WPScan by scheduling them using cron jobs on your virtual machine.
- Monitoring Plugins: Consider installing a security plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri to monitor real-time threats and scan for vulnerabilities from within WordPress.
Conclusion
Running vulnerability scans on WordPress using VirtualBox is an effective way to secure your website without affecting the live environment. By setting up a local WordPress installation on a virtual machine and using tools like WPScan, Nikto, or OpenVAS, you can identify security flaws and implement measures to fix them. Regular scans and security best practices will help keep your WordPress site safe from malicious attacks.
Interesting Reads:
20 Best WordPress Community Themes In 2024
Optimizing Website Performance: Best Practices for Delaying JavaScript Files with WP Rocket
