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.
Reviewed by Ali Yasin Jatoi · Updated
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.
Where this applies on our service