WordPress Release: 3.7.39

TL;DR

WordPress 3.7.39 Release

This security maintenance release focuses on addressing several security vulnerabilities in WordPress 3.7. The update includes important security fixes for output escaping in various functions, ensuring bookmark query limits are properly validated, and improvements to the GitHub Actions workflow for Slack notifications. This release is part of WordPress's ongoing commitment to maintain security for older versions of the platform.

Highlight of the Release

• Security fixes for output escaping in the_meta() function
• Improved validation for bookmark query limits
• Enhanced error message escaping in the plugins system
• Updated GitHub Actions workflow for Slack notifications

Migration Guide

No migration steps are required for this update. This is a drop-in replacement that addresses security vulnerabilities without changing APIs or functionality.

Upgrade Recommendations

Immediate upgrade strongly recommended for all WordPress 3.7 sites.

This release contains important security fixes that protect your site from potential vulnerabilities. As this is a security release, it's highly recommended to update your WordPress installation as soon as possible.

For sites still running WordPress 3.7:

1. Back up your website before updating
2. Update through your WordPress dashboard or via manual update
3. Verify your site functionality after the update

While WordPress 3.7 is quite old and no longer officially supported for feature updates, the WordPress team continues to provide security updates as a courtesy. However, for the best experience and security, consider upgrading to a more recent major version of WordPress.

Bug Fixes

Security Bug Fixes

• Posts & Post Types: Fixed potential XSS vulnerability by properly escaping output within the the_meta() function.
• General: Added validation to ensure bookmark query limits are numeric, preventing potential security issues.
• Plugins: Enhanced security by properly escaping output in error messages displayed to users.

New Features

No new features were added in this maintenance release. WordPress 3.7.39 is focused exclusively on security fixes and internal workflow improvements.

Security Updates

Security Enhancements

• XSS Protection: Fixed a cross-site scripting vulnerability in the the_meta() function by properly escaping output.
• Input Validation: Added proper validation to ensure bookmark query limits are numeric, preventing potential injection attacks.
• Error Message Security: Enhanced security by properly escaping plugin error messages, preventing potential XSS vulnerabilities.

These security fixes address vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited to compromise WordPress sites. All users are strongly encouraged to update to this latest version.

Performance Improvements

No specific performance improvements were included in this release. The changes were focused on security fixes and internal workflow improvements.

Impact Summary

WordPress 3.7.39 is a security maintenance release that addresses several important vulnerabilities. The update focuses on fixing potential XSS issues by properly escaping output in the the_meta() function, validating bookmark query limits, and escaping plugin error messages.

This release demonstrates WordPress's commitment to maintaining security even for older versions of the platform. While WordPress 3.7 is no longer receiving feature updates, these security patches help protect the sites still running this version.

The changes are entirely behind-the-scenes and won't affect the visible functionality of WordPress sites. Users won't notice any differences after updating, but their sites will be more secure against potential attacks.

The release also includes improvements to the GitHub Actions workflow for Slack notifications, which benefits WordPress core contributors but has no impact on regular WordPress users.