Image Hotlink Banned – Back-End Problems

  • Hello,

    I just opened my WordPress back-end and got a picture with the text displayed above the back-end interface:

    Image Hotlink Banned
    *This is a placeholder image instead of original image from source!

    Contact: mullenmarketing.net expertwolf.com

    This image is above everything, so I can still use controls, but I can’t really work, write a text because it’s above everything.

    What happened there? Can you help me? Here is a wetransfer link to take a look at a screenshot. It’s a bit hard to describe.

    https://we.tl/t-BG8DyUQqzW

    I’m looking forward to your tips! Tim

    The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Moderator Steven Stern (sterndata)

    (@sterndata)

    Volunteer Forum Moderator

    To share screenshots, use imgur.com rather than asking people to download stuff. It’s much friendlier.

    This may be a plugin or theme conflict. Please attempt to disable all plugins, and use one of the default (Twenty*) themes. If the problem goes away, enable them one by one to identify the source of your troubles.

    If you can install plugins, install “Health Check”: https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/health-check/ On the troubleshooting tab, you can click the button to disable all plugins and change the theme for you, while you’re still logged in, without affecting normal visitors to your site. You can then use its admin bar menu to turn on/off plugins and themes one at a time.

    See https://www.wpbeginner.com/plugins/how-to-deactivate-all-plugins-when-not-able-to-access-wp-admin/

    There’s an admin tab icon image that is hardcoded with the direct URL to the image in your theme. photograph.png was what triggered this for me.

    I can’t remember the exact location of the file, but it’s in the theme—>includes—>

    Then it’s it’s called custom functions or something. Sorry, wish I could remember the exact location…but all you need to do is find where that full path URL is and change it to pull the image contained in the images folder within the theme.

    I know I’m late to the party, but I’m now having the same issue! Here’s what it looks like. I tried the Health Check app as Steve Stern suggested, and that does indeed make the thing go away… but I can’t just leave it in Troubleshooting mode in perpetuity, because it also disables plugins that are essential to the site’s functioning, like Nextgen Gallery. When I disable Troubleshooting mode, and manually disable every plugin– it returns, like an untreated STD.

    But since switching to the Twenty Nineteen theme also makes it go away… the malicious code’s got to be somewhere in the theme I’m using (Lensa)*, yes? I’m tempted to just throw up my hands and redesign the site, but A) I like the site! and B) I feel like that lets the bad guys win. Any idea where I could hunt for the culprit? Acrackin’s suggestion wasn’t specific enough for my novice brain.

    * to be fair, Lensa’s now pretty old & neglected…

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • The topic ‘Image Hotlink Banned – Back-End Problems’ is closed to new replies.