WordPress Security News 2026
Find all WordPress security alerts, critical plugin and theme vulnerabilities, and essential updates to protect your professional site. Each article is curated to help you understand real risks without technical jargon.
Discover our WordPress servicesWordPress 7.0 Beta 5
WordPress 7.0 Beta 5 is ready for download and testing! This version of the WordPress software is still under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, it’s recommended to test Beta 5 on a test server and...
WordPress 6.9.4 Release
WordPress 6.9.4 is now available WordPress 6.9.2 and WordPress 6.9.3 were released yesterday, addressing 10 security issues and a bug that affected template file loading on a limited number of sites. The WordPress Security Team has discovered that not all of the security fixes were fully applied,...
#208 – Behind the Scenes at the CloudFest Hackathon
In this WP Tavern episode, Nathan Wrigley explores the CloudFest Hackathon, an event bringing together open source enthusiasts to collaborate on innovative projects in just three days. Carole Olinger, the Hackathon lead, details the organising process and project selection, talking about cross-CMS...
Your Browser Becomes Your WordPress
For nearly two decades, WordPress has been known for a simple, powerful idea: that anyone should be able to get online and start creating with minimal friction. The famous five-minute install captured that spirit for an earlier era of the web. Today, we’re introducing my.WordPress.net, a new take...
WordPress 6.9.3 and 7.0 beta 4
WordPress 6.9.2 was released earlier today and addressed 10 security issues. A few users have subsequently reported an issue where the front end of their site was appearing blank after updating to 6.9.2. The issue has been narrowed down to some themes using an unusual approach to loading template...
WordPress 6.9.2 Release
WordPress 6.9.2 is now available This is a security release that features several fixes. Because this is a security release, it is recommended that you update your sites immediately. You can download WordPress 6.9.2 from WordPress.org, or visit your WordPress Dashboard, click “Updates”, and then...
WordPress 7.0 Beta 3
WordPress 7.0 Beta 3 is available for download and testing! This beta version of the WordPress software is still under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, you should evaluate Beta 3 on a test server and...
#207 – Rob Ruiz on WP Rig and the Future of Theme Development
In this episode, Nathan Wrigley interviews Rob Ruiz, current maintainer of WP Rig, a free WordPress theme development toolkit and starter theme. Rob Ruiz shares his journey from designer to theme developer, discusses the benefits of WP Rig for both beginners and agencies, and highlights how it...
WordPress 7.0 Beta 2
WordPress 7.0 Beta 2 is now ready for testing! This beta version of the WordPress software is under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, you should evaluate Beta 2 on a test server and site. You can test...
#206 – Jonathan Desrosiers on WordPress Sustainability, Community Engagement, and Release Strategies
In this episode, Nathan Wrigley speaks with Jonathan Desrosiers about tying WordPress releases to flagship community events like WordCamps. They discuss the logistical challenges, especially around scheduling, international holidays, and global contributor coverage. The conversation explores the...
WordPress 7.0 Beta 1
WordPress 7.0 Beta 1 is ready for download and testing! This beta release is intended for testing and development only. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, use a test environment or local site to explore the new...
#205 – Matt Cromwell on Redefining WordPress Product Growth in a Crowded Ecosystem
In this episode, Nathan Wrigley talks with Matt Cromwell about Matt’s new agency, Roots and Fruit, which is aimed at helping WordPress product businesses grow sustainably. They discuss shifts in the WordPress ecosystem, the importance of focusing on the entire product experience (not just code),...
#204 – Russell Aaron on the Hidden Settings Page You Never Knew Existed options.php
In this episode, Nathan Wrigley talks with Russell Aaron about the little-known WordPress admin page “options.php.” Russell Aaron explains what the page does, displaying and allowing edits to the entire wp_options table, and discusses its usefulness and risks. They cover why it exists, who can...
Piloting the AI Leaders Micro-Credential
Today, we are happy to announce our first WordPress-focused micro-credential, designed to help students build practical AI skills, earn a recognized credential, and connect more directly to job opportunities. The program, AI Leaders, is a workforce-oriented credential rooted in WordPress and open...
#203 – Miriam Schwab on Elementor’s Decade of Growth and the Future With AI
In this episode, Miriam Schwab discusses her journey in the WordPress space, from running an agency to founding Strattic, which was later acquired by Elementor. Now serving as Elementor’s Head of WordPress, she shares insights on Elementor’s growth, their careful approach to major updates, and...
WordPress 6.9.1 Maintenance Release
WordPress 6.9.1 is now available! This minor release includes fixes for 49 bugs throughout Core and the Block Editor, addressing issues affecting multiple areas of WordPress including the block editor, mail, and classic themes. For a full list of bug fixes, please refer to the release candidate...
#202 – Charly Leetham on Using WordPress to Enable a Digital Nomad Life
In this episode of WP Tavern, Nathan Wrigley chats with Charly Leetham about her journey as a digital nomad using WordPress. Charly shares how evolving technology allowed her to build a flexible, location-independent tech support business. She discusses the freedoms and challenges of living on the...
#201 – Marc Benzakein on How Life Has Changed During the Internet Era
In this episode of the WP Tavern Jukebox podcast, Nathan Wrigley and Marc Benzakein reminisce about the early days of the internet, sharing personal stories from dial-up and BBS boards to today’s always-connected world. They discuss how internet use shifted from a niche hobby for tech enthusiasts...
#200 – Corey Maass on His Real-Life AI Tools and Workflows in WordPress Development
In this episode, Nathan Wrigley talks with Corey Maass about how AI tools have transformed web development, especially for client projects. Corey Maass shares his ever-changing tech stack, the impact of AI on productivity and creativity, and how tools like Claude Code and Copilot are saving time...
#199 – Brian Coords on WooCommerce’s Challenges and Innovations in a Changing WordPress Landscape
In this episode, Nathan Wrigley interviews Brian Coords, Developer Advocate at WooCommerce, about his career path, WooCommerce’s recent rebranding, and its approach to developer relations. They discuss how WooCommerce balances its open source ethos, support challenges, and global reach, as well as...
#198 – Muntasir Sakib on Bridging the Gap Between WordPress Plugin Development and Marketing Success
In this episode of WP Tavern, Nathan Wrigley talks with Muntasir Sakib about the crucial importance of marketing in the WordPress plugin ecosystem. Muntasir shares insights from his experience growing popular plugins and discusses how product success today depends not just on great development, but...
#197 – Johanne Courtright on Enhancing Gutenberg: Agency-Driven Block Editor Innovations
In this episode, Johanne Courtright chats with Nathan Wrigley about her journey in WordPress development, focusing on enhancing the block editor (Gutenberg). She discusses her project, Groundworx, which adds features and custom blocks tailored for agencies and advanced users, such as improved...
#196 – Topher DeRosia on How Public Contributions Shape Careers in WordPress
In this episode, Nathan Wrigley chats with Topher DeRosia about the impact of doing things in public within the WordPress community. Topher shares how openness, community involvement, and generosity have shaped his career and personal life, reflecting on organic reputation and the balance between...
#195 – Saumya Majumder on How Cloudflare Outages Impact the Web and WordPress Performance Solutions
In this episode, Saumya Majumder joins Nathan Wrigley to discuss innovations at BigScoots, focusing on high-performance WordPress hosting and Cloudflare-powered architecture. They unpack the recent global Cloudflare outage, the complexities of internet infrastructure, and Cloudflare’s transparency...
#194 – Devin Walker on Leading Jetpack: Challenges, Vision, and the Future
In this episode, Nathan Wrigley talks with Devin Walker, the new Artistic Director (Head) of Jetpack at Automattic. Devin shares his background in WordPress, the challenges and opportunities of leading Jetpack, and his plans to bring focus, simplify the experience, and improve both functionality...
#193 – Roger Williams on How We Might Reimagine Sponsoring WordPress Contributions
In this episode, Roger Williams joins Nathan Wrigley to discuss the complexities and evolution of sponsored contributions in the WordPress community. They explore how companies like Kinsta can support WordPress and other open source projects, balancing philanthropic goals with business realities....
#192 – Joshua Bryant on How Dow Jones Is Supercharging WordPress Editorial Workflows
In this WP Tavern Jukebox podcast episode, Nathan Wrigley talks with Joshua Bryant about how Dow Jones uses WordPress in a headless setup to power major news sites like the Wall Street Journal. Joshua shares how his team decoupled the Gutenberg editor, embedding it in a React application for...
Post Status Happiness Hour Session Thirty Nine
Transcript ↓ In this podcast episode, host Michelle Frechette chats with developer Mark Westguard ... Read more This article, Post Status Happiness Hour Session Thirty Nine, was published at Post Status — the community for WordPress...
#191 – Arnas Donauskas on AI-Powered Troubleshooting for Websites
On the podcast today we have Arnas Donauskas from Hostinger. Arnas shares how Hostinger uses AI to help users build, fix, and optimise WordPress sites, automatically detecting errors, applying fixes, and improving performance. He highlights their AI’s 70% success rate in resolving issues, discusses...
#190 – Seth Rubenstein on Block Composability in WordPress’ Future
In this episode of WP Tavern, Seth Rubenstein from Pew Research Center talks with host Nathan Wrigley about advanced WordPress development, focusing on block composability in Gutenberg. Seth explains how new APIs, Block Bindings, Block Bits, and the Interactivity API, are making WordPress more...