WordPress 5.1.1 Security and Maintenance Release is now available for the general public to test. The security and maintenance release was issued by WordPress yesterday on March 12, 2019 and is for all the previous versions. WordPress suggests strongly that you have this update applied to your WordPress website without delay and so do we.
This release includes changes that would help hosts to prepare users for the minimum PHP version bump coming in WordPress 5.2 update. It also includes a pair of security fixes that handle how comments are filtered and stored in the database. Prior to this security fix, WordPress posts were vulnerable to cross-site scripting with a maliciously crafted comment.
Some of the highlights in WordPress 5.1.1 Security and Maintenance Release include:
- Hosts can now offer a button for their users to update PHP.
- The recommended PHP version used by the “Update PHP” notice can now be filtered.
- Several minor bug fixes.
You can check out the full list of changelog to learn more about the changes in WordPress 5.1.1.
Updated versions of WordPress 5.0 and older releases are also available for those who have not updated to WordPress 5.1 yet.
You can download WordPress 5.1.1 Security and Maintenance Release or venture over to Dashboard > Updates and simply click “Update Now.” Websites that support automatic background updates are already beginning to update to WordPress 5.1.1.
Similar to 5.1.1, the next version – 5.1.2 is also going to be a short-cycle maintenance release.
We, WordPressers, owe it to the reporters of these issues for practising responsible disclosure. The previous version of WordPress, WordPress 5.1 was released a month ago on February 21, 2019. Know more about it here.