WordPress.org Security Alert

A few days ago WordPress.org announced another server-level security breech at the WordPress.com servers… WordPress quickly made moves to mitigate any security risks.

The original post is at http://wordpress.org/news/2011/06/passwords-reset/

“The WordPress team noticed suspicious commits to several popular plugins (AddThis, WPtouch, and W3 Total Cache) containing cleverly disguised backdoors. We determined the commits were not from the authors, rolled them back, pushed updates to the plugins, and shut down access to the plugin repository while we looked for anything else unsavoury.

We’re still investigating what happened, but as a prophylactic measure we’ve decided to force-reset all passwords on WordPress.org. To use the forums, trac, or commit to a plugin or theme, you’ll need to reset your password to a new one. (Same for bbPress.org and BuddyPress.org.)”

Some people have interpreted this to mean that WordPress itself has security problems which has caused concern from some of our users.

Please note that this exploit does NOT impact individual WordPress installations that individuals have installed through their cPanel or had Net Solutions install for them.

If, in the last week or so, you have installed updates for the WPTouch, AddThis or W3TotalCache I would suggest you check your copy from the repository (or plugin search) ASAP. The particular exploit gained access to WordPress.org and the plugin repository.

There are always risks associated in hosting any CMS but many of these risks you can mitigate through good password management, security updates and choosing a great web host that offers WordPress maintenance.

You also must not forget to do frequent off-site backups to deal with any potential catastrophe.