In the WordPress ecosystem, the number of vulnerabilities being discovered and fixed continues to rise. Record-breaking activity in the Patchstack Bug Bounty program in January 2024 alone resulted in 620 valid reports submitted.
The growing emphasis on security in open-source software development is in part driven by government initiatives such as the Cyber Resilience Act in the EU and the discussion around the Securing Open-Source Software Act in the US Senate. These legislative efforts will compel developers to adopt mature security practices, including implementing official vulnerability management processes like Patchstack’s mVDP program and being transparent about technology usage.
Additionally, external pressures, such as the PCI DSS 4.0 standard for payment processing, now include vulnerability management as a requirement, further pushing developers towards better security practices.
While these changes may not immediately affect smaller developers, those working with governments or larger companies will need to adhere to stricter security measures, including providing software bill of materials (SBOMs) in their deliverables.
2024 is poised to be a pivotal year for WordPress security discussions, with a focus on managing technology stacks properly and instilling greater user confidence.
Patchstack is the number one WordPress vulnerability alert software. Review the patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report 2024.
