WordPress 5.8.1, a security and maintenance release announced last week, fixes 60 bugs and several vulnerabilities.
Users have been informed that the latest update includes three security fixes, including for a data exposure flaw related to the REST API, and a cross-site scripting (XSS) issue in the block editor. WordPress 5.8.1 also updates Lodash, a JavaScript library that provides utility functions for common programming tasks, to address security issues.
These vulnerabilities affect WordPress versions between 5.4 and 5.8. All versions starting with 5.4 have been updated and they include patches for the vulnerabilities.
WordPress developers also mentioned that XSS and privilege escalation vulnerabilities affecting the block editor have been identified and patched during the beta testing period for version 5.8.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has advised users and administrators to review the release notes and upgrade their installations. Websites that support automatic background updates should already be updated.
WordPress websites are always targeted in attacks, but in a majority of cases threat actors exploit vulnerabilities in popular plugins rather than flaws affecting the WordPress core.
Related: Vulnerability That Allows Complete WordPress Site Takeover Exploited in the Wild
Related: Remote Code Execution Flaws Patched in WordPress Download Manager Plugin
Eduard Kovacs (@EduardKovacs) is a contributing editor at SecurityWeek. He worked as a high school IT teacher for two years before starting a career in journalism as Softpedia’s security news reporter. Eduard holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial informatics and a master’s degree in computer techniques applied in electrical engineering.
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