WordPress glossary
302 Redirect Hack
A compromise where injected code 302-redirects search traffic to affiliate or scam URLs while showing the real site to direct visitors.
Last updated ยท Reviewed by Ali Yasin Jatoi
The 302 redirect hack cloaks behavior by user agent or referrer: Googlebot and humans typing the URL see the normal site, while visitors arriving from Google search are bounced via a 302 to an affiliate funnel. Because it is a temporary redirect, the original URL stays indexed, which is why the attacker uses 302 not 301. Detect by curling pages with a Googlebot user agent and a google.com referrer.
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