Weekly WordPress News: WordPress 5.8.1 Security Release

Hey, WordPress fans. We are checking in with your latest dose of weekly WordPress news.

This week, WordPress released a security and maintenance update with 60 bug fixes and 3 security fixes. We recommend updating your sites if you haven’t yet. 

Beyond that, Jetpack acquired Social Image Generator, a plugin that automatically creates social share images. We also have a lot of news, tutorials, and roundup posts for you.

Let’s get to all of this week’s WordPress news…

WORDPRESS NEWS AND ARTICLES

• WordPress 5.8.1 Security and Maintenance Release – update your sites if you haven’t yet.
• Jetpack Acquires WordPress Plugin Social Image Generator – the creator will continue to develop the plugin as an addition to Jetpack’s social media tools.
• Over 1 Million Sites Affected by Gutenberg Template Library & Redux Framework Vulnerabilities – update to the latest version to get the security patch.
• WordPress 5.9 Proposed Scope: Major Push Towards Full-Site Editing, Plus a New Default Theme – what to expect from 5.9.
• Worldwide WordPress Virtual 5K Set for October 1-30, 2021 – registration for the race is free. 
• Fluent Forms 4.2 with Massive Features – check this out if you’re using this form builder plugin.
• Add a Little Pumpkin Spice to Your WordPress Admin This Autumn – give your WP admin a new look.
• The Month in WordPress: August 2021 – a roundup of WordPress news in August.
• Termly Responds to Feedback, Updates Its Cookie Consent Banner Limits – making it a free solution for far more users.
• WordPress Vulnerability Report: September 2021, Part 2 – the regular iThemes vulnerability roundup.

TUTORIALS AND HOW-TOS

• How to Save a WordPress Backup to Dropbox Automatically? –  manually and using plugins.
• How to Create WordPress Custom Taxonomies (2021) – using code and plugins.
• WordPress 2 Factor Authentication (Plugin + How to Set Up) – as the title says.
• How to Create a Referral Program Using WordPress – a couple of options for setting up a referral program.
• Why You Need To Optimize Your Landing Page Now – and how to do it.
• How to Improve WordPress SEO via Your Categories and Tags – best pactices on using both.
• An In-Depth Guide to Create and Customize a WordPress Menu – an in-depth guide to creating a WordPress menu. 
• How to Change Your WordPress Theme in 2021 – how to safely switch themes.

RESOURCES

• Litho Multiple Purpose Elementor Theme Review – our hands-on review on this creative and responsive theme.
• WP Scheduled Posts $39 AppSumo Deal – a lifetime deal on this scheduling plugin.
• The 20+ Best Medical WordPress Themes in 2021 – the best medical WordPress themes for health and medical businesses.
• 11 Best WordPress Linkedin Plugins in 2021 – including paid and free options.
• Top 8 Sidebar Plugins for WordPress (2021) –  to help display your content.
• 10 Best WordPress Membership Plugins in 2021 – for membership site owners.
• Ajit Bohra on Gutenberg, Full Site Editing and React – a new episode of WP Tavern Jukebox.