AMWScan Antimalware Scanner Lite

WordPress cron runs when the site receives requests. Configure a system cron that runs wp cron event run --due-now when exact timing is required.

Scan and block malicious WordPress uploads is enabled by default under Antimalware > Settings > Scan policy. The plugin scans temporary media, plugin, and theme uploads in report-only mode before WordPress stores or installs them. Malware detections and incomplete scans block the upload. Plugin and theme ZIP inspection requires the PHP ZIP extension.

Enable alerts under Antimalware > Settings > Email alerts. The plugin uses wp_mail when a completed scan contains unresolved security findings. With no custom recipients, alerts go to the WordPress administrator. Add up to 20 custom recipients to send alerts only to those addresses and exclude the administrator. Messages include scan counts and a protected report link, but no local paths or matched code.

No. AMWScan works without it. When the WordPress AI Client is available, AMWScan progressively adds the recommended configured-connectors option and read-only abilities for scan status and finding summaries. Direct AI providers remain optional advanced alternatives.

Enable request monitoring under Antimalware > Settings > Traffic detection. Built-in heuristics detect conservative traversal, sensitive-file, exploit-path, scanner user-agent, and unexpected-method probes. An optional curated local indicator file enriches detection with IP addresses, CIDR ranges, domains, URLs, paths, and explicit ua: fragments. Plain-text lists and CSV files with trail, info, and reference columns are supported. Files are limited to 10 MB and 100,000 records. AMWScan does not bundle or automatically download indicator data; ensure your data license permits local use. This passive monitor checks only requests that reach WordPress. It does not inspect DNS, TLS, arbitrary ports, static-file traffic, rejected connections, or outbound traffic, and it never blocks visitors. Query strings are discarded, source addresses are reduced to network prefixes, duplicate detections are suppressed for five minutes, and the latest 200 detections appear in the dashboard and Traffic console. The console provides seven-day severity and category summaries, filters, and a defanged CSV export.

By default in an amwscan-data directory beside the web document root and outside the scanned tree. If that parent is not writable, the plugin uses a protected, site-scoped directory under WordPress's temporary root. The host can clear temporary storage or discard it with a container, so configure persistent external paths before relying on quarantine, backups, or retained reports. Each scan checks definition metadata and downloads changed data; a failed update keeps the last verified cache. Enable Use cached or embedded definitions without updating under Antimalware > Settings > Engine and storage to prevent update requests.

No. The active AMWScan plugin directory and its private data directory are always excluded from scans.

Enable the PHP FTP extension, select FTP server under Antimalware > Settings, and enter a credential-free ftps://host/path URL. Set AMWSCAN_FTP_PASSWORD in the WordPress PHP process environment when authentication requires a password. Use FTPS for authenticated scans because plain FTP is unencrypted. Remote scans are read-only, and passwords are never stored in WordPress.

No. Reports, logs, backups, quarantined files, and the whitelist are preserved. WordPress options and scheduled events are removed.

Open a report finding and select Report finding. The plugin opens a public GitHub issue draft from legacy matches or canonical malware file signatures, containing signature names, detection types, scanner versions, and the file SHA-256 only. It excludes local paths and matched code. Do not attach executable malware to a public issue; maintainers can arrange a private transfer if they need the sample.

Use the WordPress.org translation project for reviewed locale packs. The source template is languages/amwscan.pot.