New: Implemented a "System Readiness" dashboard widget that surfaces configuration and environment issues impacting security and stability, with quick links to relevant settings and documentation.
Improved: Enforced stricter Content-Security-Policy (CSP) measures in the plugin admin area by adding additional security directives.
Improved: Enhanced the detection of obfuscated malicious JavaScript to better identify hidden security threats.
Improved: More efficient analysis of suspicious requests by the firewall, resulting in better performance and fewer false positives.
Improved: Updated HTTP header validation methods used for whitelisting requests in the anti-spam engine and traffic firewall settings. These settings now support entries with an empty value after the colon.
Improved: Refactored database operations to use stricter identifier validation, improving SQL safety and compliance with MySQL standards.
Improved: Implemented batch processing and timestamp formatting for spam comment cleanup to improve performance and prevent resource issues.
Improved: Added exception logging and enhanced error handling to the continuous code quality assurance process.
Improved: File handling operations are now more fault-tolerant with the implementation of explicit permission checks and thread-safe file locks.
Changed: To prevent accidental movement dashboard widgets can now be reorganized using drag-and-drop via their headings only.
Compatibility: Refactored code to address deprecated features and ensure compatibility with PHP 8.5.
Fixed: A minor bug where escaped HTML tags were not properly handled when rendering the settings pages user interface.
Fixed: A minor bug that caused the server error log message: preg_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in /wp-cerber/cerber-common.php:4267.
Fixed: A minor bug that caused the server error log message: preg_match(): Passing null to parameter #2 ($subject) of type string is deprecated.
Fixed: A minor bug that caused the server error log message: Undefined array key "REQUEST_METHOD".
Fixed: A minor bug that caused the server error log message: preg_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated.
Fixed: A minor bug that caused the server error log message: Undefined array key "HTTP_HOST".
New: Added detection of AI bots and LLM scrapers (OpenAI, Claude, Meta, Apple, etc.) to easily identify AI-driven traffic in logs and alerts.
Improved: Browser detection now provides better accuracy in the logs, triage, and email notifications.
Improved: Enhanced precision in identifying mobile OS and their versions, including better support for iOS and Android.
Improved: Better detection of service agents (PayPal, Stripe) and automation tools (curl, Python, Wget) for more efficient analysis of background requests.
Improved: Localization and translation logic has been rebuilt for better translation quality in non-English languages.
Improved: Optimized server security by rewriting .htaccess rules to mitigate CVE-2018-6389.
Important: WP Cerber now requires PHP 7.4 or newer to run, with PHP 8.x recommended for optimal performance and security.
Improved: Optimized email alert links and admin navigation, improved handling of admin URLs for Cerber.Hub sites, and refined escaping in rare edge cases.
Bug fix: When a user entered a wrong password in the login form, the message showing how many login attempts remained would disappear.
Bug fix: When the site was restricted to logged-in users only, the custom message above the login form would disappear after a user entered a wrong password.
Important: The behavior of the 'authenticate' hook has been reverted to restore the behavior from versions before WP Cerber 9.6.6. Custom login workflows may be affected.
New: Added RDAP protocol support for retrieving IP address data. This is a modern and efficient replacement for WHOIS.
New: Added a setting to configure an optional message shown when a user’s email address is not allowed for registration.
New: New setting for handling login attempts with prohibited usernames: administrators can choose to silently deny access or also block the IP address.
Improved: Hardened .htaccess rules to prevent file execution in the WordPress uploads folder, even in edge-case scenarios.
Improved: Updated the plugin upgrade process to correctly handle copying and deleting obsolete settings.
Improved: Optimized log table rendering by replacing esc_url() with the faster crb_escape_url().
Improved: Enhanced diagnostic messaging in the "Upload a reference ZIP archive" dialog on the scanner page.
Improved: Hardened code of crb_escape_url() — bulletproof just got tougher.
Fixed bug: Warning: Undefined array key 'title' in cerber-load.php on line 9157.
Fixed bug: Undefined property: stdClass::$plugin in cerber-common.php on line 5853.
Fixed bug: The notification threshold setting was being reset to its default value after upgrading the plugin.
Fixed bug: The integrity scanner could stop scanning if the WP Cerber data folder became write-protected.
Minor: The setting "Non-existing users are strictly prohibited" has been moved from "Main Settings" to the "Global User Policies" tab.
Minor: The "Disable login language switcher" checkbox has been moved from "Main Settings" to the "Global User Policies" tab.
Fixed: A fatal PHP error triggered by a conflict with InfiniteWP.
Fixed: A bug that prevented language translations from loading when the main website's language was set to English.
Fixed: An issue within Cerber.Hub where new client websites were incorrectly added to the main website with extraneous quotation marks in the client website URL and website name.
Improved: Cerber.Hub now renders client websites using the language specified in WP Cerber settings, allowing you to choose any language when managing a client website remotely.
Removed: The deprecated FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING constant, ensuring compatibility with modern PHP versions.
Important: The minimum required PHP version is now 7.3, with PHP 8.x recommended for optimal performance and security.
New: WP Cerber’s admin interface can now be displayed in any language independently of the site's language, with automatic translations available when enabled in settings.
New: The Live Traffic log now highlights 301 and 302 HTTP redirections and separately marks those triggered by WP Cerber for better visibility.
New: All redirections caused by WP Cerber are now always logged in Traffic Inspector when any logging level is enabled, improving security monitoring.
Improved: Database table update code has been optimized to reduce unnecessary SQL queries, improving performance and reducing server load.
Improved: SQL queries for WP Cerber’s admin pages are now cached in WordPress’s persistent object cache, reducing database requests and speeding up page loads.
Improved: Messages related to dates and versions have been refined for better clarity and consistency.
Improved: Duplicate log links in Activity Log pop-ups have been removed for a cleaner user experience.
Improved: WP Cerber cookies now use the SameSite=Strict attribute.
Fixed: A bug that caused repeated translation file update requests has been fixed. WP Cerber now correctly manages translation updates without failed requests.
New: Introduced automatic translation of the plugin interface and messages for non-English websites, powered by AI and delivered via the WP Cerber cloud.
Improved: Enhanced plugin interoperability by allowing third-party plugins to integrate with WordPress and WP Cerber's authentication, enforcing their rules during login attempts.
Improved: Enhanced compatibility with alternative WordPress directory structures, such as those used by Bedrock.
Improved: Refined error messages on WordPress and WooCommerce login/password reset forms for better compatibility with third-party plugins.
Improved: Streamlined error reporting by automatically logging PHP errors and displaying them in a developer-friendly format on the Diagnostic tab.
Fixed: Resolved incorrect Anti-spam settings links displayed in Activity log pop-up windows.
Fixed: Addressed missing translations for tab titles on WP Cerber admin pages for non-English websites.
Fixed: Resolved a fatal PHP error triggered when saving add-on settings.
Fixed: Corrected URL display in Activity and Traffic logs when WordPress is installed in a separate directory.
Fixed: Resolved an issue where CTRL + clicking a link failed to open it in a new window/tab.
Fixed: Repaired broken "View details" links on the WordPress Plugins admin page.
Other: Removed the obsolete "Cerber Security Cloud protocol" setting.
New: Dashboard widgets can now be rearranged using drag-and-drop, giving you full control over their placement.
New: Unused widgets can be disabled via the gear icon at the bottom of the page for a cleaner interface.
New: Added new widgets to the dashboard: Activity Breakdown, Top Offending IP Addresses, New Users, and Login Issues, providing deeper insights into site activity.
Improved: WP Cerber now leverages persistent WordPress cache like Redis to speed up some SQL-heavy requests on admin pages.
Improved: Permissions to block users have been updated, allowing any user with the edit_users or delete_users capability to block accounts. [How to block a WordPress user](https://wpcerber.com/how-to-block-wordpress-user/)
Improved: An inter-page overlay loader has been introduced to improve navigation on resource-intensive admin pages.
Compatibility: WordPress now checks for required PHP and WordPress versions before allowing an update to WP Cerber.
Compatibility: Added plugin headers "Requires PHP" and "Requires at least" to wp-cerber.php for better compatibility checks.
Compatibility: This is the final version supporting PHP 7.0, as the next release will require PHP 7.2.
Compatibility: Removed outdated CSS that previously supported older versions of Safari.
Fixed: Resolved issues with untranslated plural forms in some multilingual phrases.
New: WP Cerber continuously monitors IP detection issues and provides diagnostic messages. If IP detection fails due to configuration or server settings, the details of the issue are displayed to assist in troubleshooting.
Improved: When valid proxy headers are missing, WP Cerber falls back to the standard $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] variable to extract IP addresses.
Improved: If the PHP constant [CERBER_IP_KEY](https://wpcerber.com/wordpress-ip-address-detection/) is configured but does not provide valid IP address, WP Cerber switches to fallback methods for IP detection.
Improved: The Sessions page now marks users with enforced [2FA](https://wpcerber.com/two-factor-authentication-for-wordpress/) using a green "2FA" label. A solid label indicates successful verification, while an outlined one means verification is pending.
Improved: WP Cerber’s cookies in the "Live Traffic" log are highlighted in green under "Server Response Cookies". Their values are now properly decoded for easier analysis.
Improved: REGEX patterns for [URL exceptions](https://wpcerber.com/antispam-exception-for-specific-http-request/) no longer require escaped slashes. Existing patterns are automatically updated during the upgrade.
Improved: 2FA PIN emails now include the recipient’s first and last name along with their email address. This change helps improve email deliverability.
Improved: Enhanced storage of 2FA session data prevents its misuse as an attack vector in compromised WordPress databases.
Improved: 2FA login forms have been improved for full compatibility with WordPress installations in sub-folders, particularly on web servers with sub-optimal configurations.
Improved: Database operations are optimized to leverage the latest PHP-compatible technologies. Performance on modern servers is improved.
New: The integrity scanner now monitors installed plugins and notifies you if any have been abandoned, helping you maintain site security.
New: The integrity scanner also monitors for changes in plugin ownership and alerts you, so you can assess the new developer's credibility and make informed decisions.
Improved: The plugin settings interface now dynamically adapts to your specific web server environment, displaying only relevant options to streamline the configuration process.
Improved: Translations are now loaded from WP Cerber's bundled folder, ensuring more accurate and up-to-date translations for non-English sites.
Fixed: Saving settings for one WP Cerber add-on could reset another add-on's settings to default values.
Fixed: The integrity scanner might attempt to recover files even when recovery options are disabled.
Fixed: A bug that affected the rendering of WP Cerber’s admin dashboard when WordPress encountered email-sending issues.