How to Install a Nulled WordPress Theme or Plugin
The process of installing a “nulled” theme or plugin (one that has had its licensing requirements or copyright removed) on your WordPress web site is simple, you begin by never doing it! Yes, the title was click-bait but keep reading.
I understand the lure of using a pirated WordPress nulled theme or pirated WordPress nulled plugin completely. Many times one isn’t sure if particular theme will suit a project or if a plugin will function as needed. No one wants to waste money purchasing a theme or plugin that they end up not using. Especially since there are literally thousands of them out there. Which is why some look for nulled versions of themes and plugins, but is it really worth it?
Costs of Nulled WordPress Themes or Plugins #
Obtaining a “nulled” version of a theme or plugin, to experiment with or otherwise, may seem harmless. However, I can assure you that it hurts everyone!
Beginning with yourself; installing a nulled plugin or theme may come with a few unwanted surprises (more on that later). Secondly, the theme designer or plugin developer is cheated out of funds used to further development. If designers and developers have no incentive to share their work, you won’t be able to find any quality themes or plugins. Much less nulled versions.
How Much is Your Time Worth? #
You’ve spent hours searching for a nulled theme or plugin only to risk your web site, and in some cases the entire server, to security threats. Without a doubt, this will cost you considerably more than any plugin or theme would have. You may even find yourself having to purchase the original theme or plugin. How is that for Karma?
Do you know a little about coding and think you can “heal” any infected files? Good for you. However, the time you spend checking for any malicious code will usually far exceed the cost of just having purchased that theme or plugin. In fact, many times those who nulled the code did so incorrectly or impaired functionality in some way. Thus you will be provided with a false sense of how the item was originally designed to look or function.
Don’t Hack Yourself #
The popularity of the open source WordPress content management system makes it a prime target for hackers. Don’t help these hackers by installing nulled themes and plugins which may contain malicious code.
On the rise is a malware dubbed WP-VCD. This little beauty hides in plain sight (not compressed or encoded) and will quickly spread to your entire web site. The hackers behind this made sure their malicious payload is difficult to remove once it infects your web site. It was also designed to scan its way through your hosting server and infect any other WordPress web sites.
Hackers usually have to spend hours searching for WordPress security vulnerabilities in order to infiltrate a web site. In the case of WP-VCD, the web owner is the one who infects their own web site via a nulled theme or plugin.
WordPress web site owners and webmasters can help prevent a WP-VCD infection by not installing nulled themes and plugins. If you hire a WordPress developer or designer be sure that YOU own any theme or plugin licenses that may be needed on your web site.
End of File #
The purpose of this article was to demonstrate that you aren’t saving any money or time installing nulled software. I highly advise not utilizing pirated software which can end up costing you much more than it would have cost to have simply supported the theme authors or plugin developers.
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