Is Palo Alto Networks (WildFire) flagging your website or file?
If Palo Alto Networks (WildFire) is flagging your site or a file — often showing up as WildFire verdicts “malware”/“grayware”; “Palo Alto Networks” VT engine flags — it is either a real infection or a false positive from a past issue. Here is how to get it cleared.
Step 1 — Confirm it is really a false positive
Do not request removal while malware is still present, or the flag returns. Check first:
- Run my free Is My Site Hacked? checker.
- Cross-check on VirusTotal to see every engine flagging you.
If anything turns up, get it fully cleaned first — deleting the visible malware is not enough if a backdoor remains.
Step 2 — Report the false positive to Palo Alto Networks (WildFire)
Site/file owners dispute via the VT mailbox; WildFire customers use the in-console “report incorrect verdict.” Submit here: vt-pan-false-positive@paloaltonetworks.com (email)
- Confirm the “Palo Alto Networks” verdict on VirusTotal.
- Email vt-pan-false-positive@paloaltonetworks.com with the VT link, SHA-256, the suggested correct verdict, and justification.
- WildFire customers: Monitor → WildFire Submissions → open the Analysis Report → “Report an Incorrect Verdict.”
- Add the VT results as supporting evidence.
- Re-check after review.
Good to know: For owners without a console, the vt-pan-false-positive mailbox is the public path; WildFire customers should use the in-console form.
Step 3 — If the warning keeps coming back
A detection that returns after you have been cleared almost always means the infection was never fully removed — usually a backdoor in a theme file, a rogue admin user, or malware in the database. That is exactly what I fix. I am a USA-based WordPress security specialist: I remove the infection completely, submit the delisting on your behalf, and harden the site so it stays clean.
Get my site cleaned · See how it works · read my client reviews.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Palo Alto Networks (WildFire) take to clear a false positive? Once the site/file is genuinely clean and you have submitted the request, most are resolved within a few days. Submitting while still infected only restarts the clock.
It keeps coming back — why? Because the real infection (a backdoor, rogue admin, or database payload) is still there. A full cleanup stops the loop.