My server may have malware or was hacked — can you scan/clean it, and keep my data?
If you suspect a malicious plugin or mod has compromised your server, the priority is to stop the bleeding, remove the bad files, and get back to a clean state — without losing your world. Some pirated or sketchy plugins carry backdoors, so this is worth taking seriously.
Clean-up steps
Work through these in order. The goal is to isolate the compromise before restoring known-good data.
- Stop the server from the Console tab so nothing malicious keeps running.
- Remove recently added, untrusted plugins/mods. Delete anything you installed from an unofficial source. Going forward, only download from official sources — SpigotMC, Modrinth, and CurseForge.
- Change your passwords — your HumbleServers panel password and any in-game admin passwords.
- Restore a clean backup from before the compromise (see the note below on how backups currently work).
Warning: Pirated or "cracked premium" plugins are the most common source of backdoors. If a plugin is normally paid but you got it free from a random link, treat it as suspect.
Restoring clean data
The self-serve Backups tab is temporarily offline while we rebuild it into an improved deduplicated system. In the meantime you can back up manually by downloading your world and files through the Files manager or SFTP, and our staff can help restore a clean copy via ticket.
Open a support ticket and we can help review the server. Your world data can usually be kept while we remove the bad files.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my world if it is cleaned? Usually not. The malicious files are typically plugins/mods and configs — your world/ data can normally be preserved while the bad files are removed.
How do I avoid this happening again? Only install from SpigotMC, Modrinth, or CurseForge, keep your panel password strong and private, and review the Users tab so no subuser has more access than they need.
Can you scan the server for me? We do not run a magic antivirus, but staff can review suspicious files with you via ticket and help you get back to a clean, trusted setup.