Digest 121: LiteSpeed Affects 7M Sites & WP Engine Legal Conflict Deepens

This week, Automattic fired a massive counterclaim at WP Engine alleging false advertising. We’re also diving deep into the huge list of 50+ Black Friday deals, critical security alerts, and Canva’s shocking move to make the entire Affinity Suite permanently free.

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💡 WordPress Spotlight

• WPDigest.io’s BFCM Deals Page is Live
  We have listed 50+ top WordPress Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals for 2025 (with savings up to 80%), positioning the season as the best time of year for WordPress users to make strategic investments. The deals cover all major categories, including WordPress Hosting, Themes & Page Builders, Plugins & Addons, and many more. (Source)
  You can share your deal for inclusion using the submission form.
• Modulards Partners with Patchstack to Launch ‘Patch & Protect’ Security Add-on
  Modulards has announced a partnership with Patchstack, integrating the threat intelligence company’s vulnerability database directly into their dashboard. This collaboration introduces the new ‘Patch & Protect’ add-on, which provides an extra layer of security through virtual patching and hardening rules. It detects vulnerabilities up to 48 hours before public disclosure, instantly mitigating threats at the PHP level to protect plugins, themes, and core, without impacting site performance. (Source)
• WordPress 6.9 Beta 2 is Now Available for Testing
  WordPress 6.9 Beta 2 is now available for testing ahead of the final release on December 2, 2025. This version includes over 33 Editor updates and 28 fixes for WordPress core since Beta 1. Testers are urged to help ensure the release is stable and powerful. (Source)
• Automattic Files Massive Counterclaim Against WP Engine Alleging Deceptive Practices
  Automattic has escalated its legal battle with WP Engine, filing a 162 page counterclaim that accuses the hosting company of “false advertising and deceptive business practices.” Automattic alleges that WP Engine, under private equity ownership, inflated its valuation by slashing costs and degrading product quality, including removing customer features like post restoration. The filing claims these actions harmed users and eroded public trust in the WordPress name, while WP Engine is also accused of falsely representing its contributions to the open source project. (Source)
• Critical XSS Vulnerability Found in LiteSpeed Cache Plugin
  A critical cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability (CVE-2025-12450) was discovered in the popular LiteSpeed Cache plugin, affecting over seven million sites. The flaw, present in versions up to 7.5.0.1, stems from insufficient input sanitization. Attackers could exploit this via malicious links to steal sensitive user information. Users must update immediately to version 7.6 or newer. (Source)
• Automattic’s SEO Claims in WP Engine Counterclaim Draw Scrutiny
  Automattic’s massive counterclaim against WP Engine includes six specific claims related to SEO, arguing that WP Engine used excessive repetition of WordPress trademarks as an aggressive strategy to rank and confuse consumers. However, analysis by Search Engine Journal suggests these claims rely on outdated SEO concepts, like keyword density, which contradicts Google’s own documentation on how modern search engines rank content. (Source)
• Canva Acquires and Relaunches Affinity Suite as a Free Professional Design Tool
  Canva has introduced the “all-new Affinity,” a fully reimagined professional design app combining photo editing, vector design, and page layout tools into one fast platform. Following its acquisition last year, the entire Affinity suite is now offered completely free forever to everyone, challenging the subscription model of professional software. The new version features a highly customizable workspace and integrates Canva AI tools for premium users. (Source)
• WordCamp Asia 2026 Launches Call for Contributor Stories
  WordCamp Asia 2026 has opened its call for contributor stories to celebrate the diverse efforts sustaining the WordPress community. Anyone who has contributed at any level is encouraged to share their journey in text (250 words max) or video/audio (1–10 minutes). Submissions are due by December 1, 2025, for a chance to be showcased across the official event platforms. (Source)
• Devin Price Joins Automattic to Lead Jetpack as Artistic Director
  Devin Price, the founder of GiveWP, has joined Automattic as the new Artistic Director, or Head, of Jetpack. Price sees the role as a challenge to unify Jetpack’s identity and communicate its immense value in backups, security, and performance optimization to millions of users. His priority is refocusing the product’s narrative and listening closely to community and user feedback to guide its next era. (Source)
• The Community Debates Low Adoption of Cloudflare Zero Trust for WP Admin
  A Reddit discussion explored why the highly effective Cloudflare Zero Trust security solution is rarely used for WordPress admin areas. The consensus pointed to complexity and the need for specialized knowledge, as it requires manually excluding critical files like admin-ajax.php and wp-json to prevent site breakage. Most users prefer simpler, existing security plugins, or they find the enterprise-grade setup to be overkill for basic websites. (Source)
• Jamie Marsland Shares His Unexpected Journey to WordPress Fame on Seriously, BUD?
  Jamie Marsland was a recent guest on the Seriously, BUD? podcast, where he shared his unexpected journey to WordPress fame. He discussed his childhood in the Cotswolds and his early career as a tennis coach, which he credits for developing his passion and ability to teach. Marsland touched on his criticism of modern education, advocating instead for nurturing a genuine love for learning. He also humorously recounted how he and his wife aligned on their approach to parenting their three daughters. (Source)
• New WordPress 6.9 Features Focus on Collaboration and AI
  WordPress 6.9 introduces major updates focused on collaboration and design. Key features include Block-Level Notes for in-editor feedback, the ability to hide blocks on the front end, new blocks (like Accordion and Math), and a globally available Command Palette. It also lays the groundwork for AI integration with the new Abilities API. (Source)
• Progress Planner Argues for Brand Assets Page Standard
  Progress Planner argues that every website needs a dedicated Brand Assets Page to prevent misuse and save time for designers and journalists. They introduced a new Brand Assets plugin (WordPress block plugin) that helps users easily create this page with sections for logos (SVG/PNG/EPS), color codes (Hex/CMYK), and typography examples. (Source)

✨ Fresh Features Rollout

1. Gutenberg 21.9 Introduces New Blocks and DataViews Persistence
   This release adds new blocks including Math (for LaTeX formulas), Breadcrumbs, Term Count, and Term Name. It improves the user experience by enabling Direct Drag and Drop to move blocks without a drag chip, and introduces DataViews customization persistence for patterns, templates, and pages in the Site Editor. The stable Accordion block is also enhanced with anchor support. (Source)
2. AIOSEO 4.8.8 Rolls Out AI Content & Image Generation
   This major update brings the power of AI into the editor with the AI Assistant block, which generates content from prompts in seconds. It also features an Image Generator for creating original, custom visuals, and the LLMs.txt Generator, which gives users control over how AI systems discover and index their site’s content, including full markdown conversion options. (Source)
3. WP Rocket Service Connects with GTMetrix API
   WP Rocket has rolled out a new server-side feature that connects the plugin with the GTMetrix API. This integration, released on October 6, 2025, allows WP Rocket to interact with GTMetrix, likely for performance monitoring or optimization insights. (Source)
4. WP Amelia 8.6 Adds E-Tickets and New Payments
   In version 8.6 introduces E-tickets with QR codes for event check-in (Pro/Elite). It also adds Barion Payment Integration, expands payment options with Apple Pay via Square, and includes an automatic Stripe receipt option. Invoice and Panel improvements in 8.6. Key improvements allow users to download invoices in XML format and include customer custom fields on invoices. The “Pay Now” button remains visible in the Customer Panel until an appointment is fully paid, regardless of the start time. (Source)
5. WooCommerce 10.3.4 Fixes PayPal and Script Performance
   This minor release focuses on script optimization and numerous fixes for the PayPal payment gateway integration. It improves country code and locale handling, resolves shipping callback errors, and ensures accurate processing of negative line items like discounts for PayPal Standard. (Source)
6. Essential Addons Adds Image Masking and Morphing Extensions
   Essential Addons Lite and Pro both received new creative extensions: Image Masking (Lite) and Image Morphing (Pro). The release also includes fixes for Woo Cart, Advanced Tabs, and Liquid Glass effects, alongside improvements to the Smart Post List and Event Calendar elements. (Source)
7. Smart Slider 3.5.1.30 Adds Joomla 6 and Generator Features
   Introduces Joomla 6 compatibility and new variables for the VirtueMart generator. It also adds support for MP4 uploads in Joomla, includes a location variable for the Event Booking generator, and features Alt tags for video cover images. (Source)
8. ZipWP Renames Staging to Sandbox Sites for Clarity
   ZipWP has renamed “Staging Site” to “Sandbox Site” for temporary or experimental sites to eliminate user confusion. Sandbox Sites are now for building and exploration, while the term Staging Sites is reserved for environments linked to a Live Site for testing updates before deployment. (Source)
9. Droip v2.4.4 Improves Search and Symbol Editing
   Droip v2.4.4 delivers more accurate results for Collection search and enhances the Symbol editing experience. Key updates also include adding file renaming support for media assets and refactoring the YouTube video playback logic into a separate module. (Source)

🆕 Fresh Releases

• SeedProd Launches AI Website Builder SeedProd has launched a new AI Website Builder capable of generating a complete WordPress website in under a minute. The tool requires no coding, allowing users to build, launch, and customize professional sites quickly and easily. (Source)
• AffiliateWP Launches RewardsWP Referral Plugin
  AffiliateWP has launched RewardsWP, a dedicated plugin for WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads stores. It enables stores to run double-sided, automated customer referral programs with real-time tracking, fraud prevention, and instant advocate onboarding directly after purchase. (Source)
• Smash Balloon Launches WPChat Live Chat Suite
  Smash Balloon has released WPChat, a new plugin that adds a professional, customizable WhatsApp chat button and live chat widget to WordPress sites. The tool features AI-powered smart FAQs and a quick, no-code setup for real-time customer support. (Source)
• Themeisle Unveils Fresh Rank SEO Optimization Tool
  Themeisle has launched Fresh Rank, an AI-assisted content optimization tool designed to find, analyze, and update underperforming articles. It uses Google Search Console data to prioritize high-ROI posts and generates professionally-graded drafts, aiming to cut content editing costs by 70%. (Source)
• UiCore Blocks Extends Gutenberg with 75 Blocks
  UiCore Blocks is a new plugin offering 75 flexible and high-performance Gutenberg blocks for WordPress. It features comprehensive responsive controls, custom attributes, shadows, filters, and animation support, enabling users to create modern and visually stunning websites easily. (Source)
• Punave Launches AI Sales Platform for Lead Generation
  Punave has launched a new AI-powered sales platform offering unlimited lead generation, real-time data enrichment, and email verification. Positioned as a faster and simpler alternative to established platforms like ZoomInfo, it provides full API access and is currently free to try. (Source)

🗓️ Mark Your Calendar 

If you’re looking for opportunities to network and learn, check out these upcoming WordPress events and meetups:

• WordCamp Taiwan (November 7-8, 2025)
• WordCamp Bharatpur (November 7-8, 2025)
• WordCamp Athens (November 8, 2025)
• WordCamp Valencia (November 8-9, 2025)
• WordCamp Wroclaw (November 15-16, 2025)
• WordCamp Netherlands (November 27-28, 2025)
• WordCamp Brasil (November 28-29, 2025)
• WordCamp Malaysia (December 6-7, 2025)
• WordCamp Nepal (Butwal, January 23-24, 2026)
• WordCamp Asia (Mumbai, April 9 – 11, 2026)
• WordCamp Europe (Poland, June 4-6, 2026)
• WordCamp US (Phoenix, 2026)

That’s a wrap for this week’s WPDigest! Stay tuned for more exciting WordPress updates next week.

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