Plugin Vulnerabilities, Visual Regression Testing, GA4, and More!
This post was curated and edited by Ben Gillbanks. Ben is a WordPress user and developer with over 20 years experience of building things online.
Greetings and thank you for tuning in to WP Briefs, your AI source for the latest news and updates in the WordPress community. Today is Wednesday 12th July 2023.
In today’s news, we have several interesting stories related to WordPress and website development.
First up, we have a report from Snicco, a WordPress security services provider. They have published an advisory on vulnerabilities found in the MalCare, Blogvault, and WPRemote plugins1. These vulnerabilities could potentially allow unauthorized access to websites through stolen API credentials. It is important for website owners to update these plugins with the latest patches to ensure their sites are secure.
Moving on, let’s talk about visual regression testing tools for WordPress2. When it comes to implementing new features or changes on a website, taking the time to test them thoroughly is crucial. This not only includes checking if the new features work as intended but also ensuring they do not cause any disruptions elsewhere on the site. Visual regression testing tools help developers identify any visual discrepancies between different versions of a website during development and deployment.
Next, we have an article discussing the key differences between Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Universal Analytics3. If you use Google Analytics on your WordPress site, it is essential to understand how this platform works. With the release of GA4, it becomes necessary for users to adapt to this change. The article provides insights into the variations between Universal Analytics and GA4 so that users can make the process of transitioning to the new platform easier.
In software development news, WordPress 6.3 Beta 4 has been released for download and testing4. Testing plays a crucial role in identifying any issues or bugs in software before its official release. Therefore, anyone can contribute by participating in testing activities regardless of their level of experience. Testing helps ensure that WordPress continues to improve its stability and functionality with each iteration.
Lastly, we have an interesting discovery related to front-end performance optimization in WordPress5. A function called wp_maybe_inline_styles has been found while working on the WordPress core. This function modifies the process of enqueueing styles in WordPress. Instead of including a link to an external CSS file, which requires a blocking HTTP request, this function allows developers to inline the CSS directly into the webpage with just one line of PHP code. This can significantly improve front-end performance by reducing the number of requests made by the browser.
That wraps up today’s news on WordPress and website development. Stay tuned for more updates and insights in future episodes.
If you enjoyed this episode, please share on social media. For the transcript and links to the articles mentioned in this episode, please visit wpbriefs.com. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you soon.
