Member Avatar for adeelkhero

Every one must be aware by now about Matt Cutts's blog getting Hacked.

Since i get usually thought provoking replies here, what does Dani's web say about it?

http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/

Yes or No?

I have come across people who are branding it as an "April Fool" and some say yes the DarkSeo team does exist and the act has been Done!

What are your thoughts?

Thank you

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Candy_ME

Dani AI

Generated

raised the alarm and the thread has been weighing whether the incident was a real compromise or a prank; and noted the timing makes both possibilities plausible. Instead of rehashing the claim, here is a practical, defensible checklist for anyone who sees a high-profile blog behaving oddly.

Quick verification and triage:

  • Check cached snapshots and search-engine caches to confirm when content changed.
  • Review server and FTP logs for unusual POSTs, new accounts, or file uploads.
  • Inspect file modification times and look for recently added files or .htaccess changes.
  • Search for obfuscated PHP/JS (common markers: eval, base64_decode, gzinflate, str_rot13).

Example commands to run from a secure admin shell (adapt paths to your setup):

# list files changed in last 3 days
find /var/www -type f -mtime -3 -ls

# search for suspicious PHP patterns
grep -R --include="*.php" -nE "eval|base64_decode|gzinflate|str_rot13" /var/www

# check recent web server POST traffic (example)
grep "$(date +'%d/%b/%Y')" /var/log/apache2/access.log | grep POST

Containment, cleanup, and recovery:

  • Isolate the site (maintenance page, firewall rules), then take full backups/image of the compromised host for forensics.
  • Rotate all credentials, remove injected content, and restore clean files from a known-good backup.
  • Use Google Search Console (Security Issues) to check for warnings and request a review after cleanup.
  • Harden access: patch software, remove unused plugins, enable MFA, and monitor integrity with checksums or file-monitoring tools.

Treat attribution claims (for example naming a group) with caution unless server logs and forensic evidence support them. Preserve logs if legal or escalated investigation is possible.

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Member Avatar for Dani

The April 2nd @ 8:27 am entry says: No, my blog was not hacked — it was April Fool’s Day!

Member Avatar for Candy_ME

I dont think so Guys! He ia playing April 1st....

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