With the highly anticipated WordPress 2.9 in a few weeks, WordPress 2.8.5 was released to fill some security holes in the interim. They call this a “hardening release” and although it’s not mandatory, it’s recommended.

What they highlight for the 2.8.5 release are:

  • A fix for the Trackback Denial-of-Service attack that is currently being seen.
  • Removal of areas within the code where php code in variables was evaluated.
  • Switched the file upload functionality to be whitelisted for all users including Admins.
  • Retiring of the two importers of Tag data from old plugins.

I’ve read so many comments on other blogs about what other features are in this release. Uhm…there aren’t any! WordPress 2.8.5 is for your protection, it’s free, and takes you a moment to upgrade. Just upgrade to it, sit tight and wait for late November/early December for the new features that will be part of 2.9 (e.g. image editing, media embeds).

If you haven’t performed a WordPress upgrade before, all you have to do is go to your WordPress dashboard and click Upgrade. Taking the five seconds or so to upgrade could save you countless hours if you are hit by an exploit.

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