Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, is engaged in a high-stakes battle with WP Engine over control of the WordPress ecosystem. WP Engine's motion for sanctions seeks to limit Automattic's access to confidential information, which Automattic claims is an attempt to silence its CEO, Matt Mullenweg. This dispute has significant implications for businesses that rely on WordPress.

Allegations that the popular WPForms Lite plugin added a backdoor to WordPress sites triggered widespread panic among business owners. Independent testing debunked the claims, but the situation offers crucial lessons on software security and modern AI search visibility.

A maximum-severity 9.8 security vulnerability in the WooCommerce Social Login WordPress plugin allows unauthenticated attackers to gain full administrator access to e-commerce stores. Exploiting a flaw in the Apple login authentication process, hackers can bypass passwords using just an email address. Immediate updates are required to protect store data, customer trust, and AI search engine visibility.