v7.5.1 release ZIP missing /freemius/ folder — fatal error on every request

  • Resolved diamondground

    (@diamondground)


    1 week, 1 day ago

    Heads-up that the 7.5.1 release ZIP on WordPress.org appears to be missing the entire /freemius/ directory. Because shortcodes-ultimate.php still requires freemius/start.php at line 31, any site that installs or auto-updates to 7.5.1
     hits a fatal error on every request:

         Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Failed opening required

         '.../wp-content/plugins/shortcodes-ultimate/freemius/start.php'

         in shortcodes-ultimate.php:31

     Comparing the two official ZIPs from downloads.wordpress.org:

       shortcodes-ultimate.7.5.0.zip — 549 files, /freemius/ present (223 files)

       shortcodes-ultimate.7.5.1.zip — 326 files, /freemius/ entirely missing

     Reproduction:

       1. Install Shortcodes Ultimate 7.5.1 from WordPress.org on a fresh site

       2. Activate (or simply load any page if already active)

       3. PHP fatal on every request — site is unreachable

     The 7.5.1 changelog notes "Updated Freemius SDK", so it looks like the SDK was

     refreshed but accidentally excluded from the release archive when it was

     re-packaged. Rolling back to 7.5.0 restores normal operation.

     Given auto-update is the default path for many installs, this is likely

     affecting a large share of the 400k+ active installations. Would appreciate a

     7.5.2 (or re-packaged 7.5.1) with the /freemius/ folder restored.

     Happy to provide any further details from my install if useful.

     Thanks!
Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • hummingbirdandi

    (@hummingbirdandi)

    1 week, 1 day ago

    I am having the same problem. I’ve deactivated the plugin for now but would love to get it back up and running! Thank you!

    agadakou

    (@agadakou)

    1 week, 1 day ago

    same problem here, rolled back to previous version

    AdminMHRI

    (@adminmhri)

    1 week, 1 day ago

    Having the same issue. Buggy update. Had to rollback to 7.4.9

    Jarkko Karhunen

    (@jarkko71k)

    1 week, 1 day ago

    7.5.1 crashes whole site, 7.5.0 still works

    @anansi.pro

    (@mahasvin)

    1 week, 1 day ago

    Yep. Crashed 3 my websites overnight.

    capo7

    (@capo7)

    1 week, 1 day ago

    Same here. Criticial error overnight.

    Plugin Author Vova

    (@gn_themes)

    1 week, 1 day ago

    Hello everyone,

    Thank you for your reports, and I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. I’m aware of the issue in the latest plugin release: due to a version control error, incorrect changes were included in the release, which may have caused problems on some sites.

    I’m working on a fix right now and will publish an updated version as soon as possible. In the meantime, if your site is affected, please roll back to the previous stable version of the plugin.

    Thank you for your patience. I’ll update this thread once the fix is available.

    xpozure

    (@xpozure)

    1 week, 1 day ago

    For anyone affected by the Shortcodes Ultimate 7.5.1 issue, the safest immediate action is to disable the plugin entirely, not attempt a rollback through WordPress.

    The 7.5.1 release is missing the /freemius/ directory, which causes a fatal error on load and can take both frontend and admin areas offline instantly. Because of this, standard recovery methods inside WordPress (update/reinstall/rollback via dashboard) are not reliable in a broken state. Immediate recovery steps:

    • Access your site via hosting File Manager or FTP
    • Go to /wp-content/plugins/
    • Rename or delete the shortcodes-ultimate folder
    • This immediately disables the plugin and restores site access

    At this stage, attempting a rollback through WordPress is not always safe or effective. In many cases, the database and plugin state may already reflect the newer version’s structure, and forcing older files back in can create additional inconsistencies. Disabling the plugin cleanly is the safest and most stable short-term recovery. Important clarification for users:

    Yes, users should ideally test updates on a staging site before applying them to production. However, that advice does not replace or excuse proper release testing on the developer side. End users cannot realistically validate plugin packages at build level before auto-update occurs. For developers / maintainers:

    This incident is fundamentally a release and packaging failure, not a typical runtime bug.

    A missing core dependency folder in a public release indicates a breakdown in the release pipeline. For a plugin with a large install base, this is critical because:

    • auto-updates push directly to live production sites
    • a single packaging error becomes a widespread outage
    • users have no opportunity to intercept the failure before impact

    At minimum, production releases should include:

    • build validation that confirms all required directories exist in the final ZIP
    • automated integrity checks before publishing to the repository
    • staging-based testing of the exact release artifact (not just source code)
    • a safeguard or rollback mechanism when critical file mismatches are detected

    This is not about blame — it’s about ensuring that production releases meet a basic reliability standard before reaching live environments. Final point:

    In this case, the correct mitigation for users is simple: disable the plugin, stabilise the site, and wait for a corrected release (7.5.2 or re-packaged 7.5.1).

    Plugin Author Vova

    (@gn_themes)

    1 week, 1 day ago

    The issue has now been resolved, and a fixed version of the plugin has been released.

    I sincerely apologize once again for the inconvenience this caused. Thank you for your patience and for reporting the problem so quickly.

    dterweij

    (@dterweij)

    1 week ago

    Yeah that was a big issue that should not happen. Flooded mailboxes as our site is in action just a few weeks per year (public event). Missing a day of tickets. I do prefer auto updates on because wordpress and its many plugins are sensitive for 0 day hacks and holes. Now we have to plan a speed board meeting to see if we can extend it a day 🙁
    Sorry is not enough, tho I use the free version because thats all I need for now, I would like a full licence in return 🙂
    I hope it never happens again in my few active weeks, I pay for 24h support for the few weeks I realy dont want downtime.

    thisistrue

    (@thisistrue)

    1 week ago

    So my issue now is, apparently my license has expired in the meantime, so I went to working just fine -> active site completely crashed -> remove plugin -> reinstall plugin -> “Oh, you want it to WORK? Give us money.” That leaves a pretty sour taste in my mouth.

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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