redsand
Forum Replies Created
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Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] minimum required PHP version to 5.3.21 not acceptableHi agenciesFirst,
I’m sorry, but unfortunately that’s simply not possible. Things have already been implemented. We upgraded the plugin’s minimum required PHP version to 5.3.21 almost a month ago. As mentioned above, we have to look at what will be best for the vast majority of the plugin’s users.
However, there is a workaround for you:
Install the plugin WP Rollback, and then roll back WP-SpamShield to version 1.9.6.8 or 1.9.6.9, which will work on your PHP 5.3.3. (5.3.0 and higher will work.)
I hope that helps!
– Scott
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] minimum required PHP version to 5.3.21 not acceptableHi agenciesFirst,
I’m very sorry to hear you had frustrating experience and weren’t able to activate the plugin.
However, it’s important to understand that we have very good reasons behind decisions like this. We’ve been increasing required minimums as slowly as possible over the last year or so. We increased the minimum required version to PHP 5.3 a year ago, and only recently in February increased it to 5.3.21. This was all noted in the plugin’s Changelog, and documentation.
PHP 5.3.21 was released 3 years ago, so I’m not sure how asking users to make sure they are using a PHP version released 3 years ago is applying pressure…I just can’t agree with that statement.
For security reasons (not to mention performance), whatever version of PHP you are using, you should be using the latest release. If you’re on 5.3, you want to be using 5.3.29 (if you absolutely cannot or will not upgrade).
If you take a moment to look at the history of PHP releases:
- Current Versions – Info on the currently supported releases: PHP 7.0, PHP 5.6, and PHP 5.5.
- Historical Releases – Release dates of all versions.
- Unsupported Branches – Versions that have reached End of Life (EOL) and have been retired.
- PHP 5.2 – Released 2 Nov 2006 and retired 6 Jan 2011 (Last release 5.2.17) – Launched 10 years ago, and retired 5 years ago.
- PHP 5.3 – Released 30 June 2009 and retired 14 Aug 2014 (Last release 5.3.29) – Launched 7 years ago, and retired 1.5 years ago.
- PHP 5.4 – Released 1 March 2012 and retired 3 Sep 2015 (Last release 5.4.45) – Launched 4 years ago, and retired 0.5 years ago.
So, PHP reached its End of Life (EOL) 5 years ago, and is no longer supported by the PHP team, meaning: no more updates, and most importantly, no more security updates. Likewise, PHP 5.3 reached EOL 1.5 years ago, and PHP 5.4 reached EOL 6 months ago. So, no more security updates for PHP 5.2, 5.3, or 5.4. Ouch.
It’s just not a good security practice to continue to use PHP versions that are outdated and not receiving security updates…it’s the OS for a web server…that’s not a small deal! Running an outdated version of PHP on your site may leave some open doors for hackers. (The WordPress requirements page notes this as well.) There are unpatched security vulnerabilities for each of these retired PHP versions: 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4.
These days, things move quickly. Global cybersecurity threats, new technology, more efficient code…all keep us moving forward. PHP 5.3 is already ancient. We’re up to PHP 7.0 now.
You can see we have an excellent reason to push the minimum required version up! We only pushed it up to a version that’s already 3 years old. That’s quite reasonable! And if security were the only concern, we would be making PHP 5.5 the required minimum.
It’s important to remember that even though you as a single user may not have experienced any security issues (that you know of), there are a lot more users and environments to consider, and we have to look at the overall global picture of security.
There are a ton of benefits to upgrading. The newer versions are far more efficient…and faster. Just wait till you try out 7.0. 🙂
We’re definitely not trying to leave anyone out by not supporting PHP versions below 5.3.21. We’re just trying to do the right thing by our users.
Your web host probably already has higher versions of PHP installed on your server. (It’s not like your desktop computer that only has one Operating System version…on a hosted website, PHP has several at once, and you just have to tell it which you want to use.) They usually have all the versions up to the current version. Almost every web host out there has PHP 5.5 and 5.6 available. You usually just need to go into your cPanel (or other control panel) and make the change. If that isn’t available, and you send in a support request, they will be happy to switch it for you. It’s just a configuration change, so it’s not like a whole new OS needs to be installed, and is very easy and quick for them (or you) to do.
IF, and this is a big IF, your web host does not have anything higher than PHP 5.3, please do yourself a favor and leave them immediately for another web host that has up to PHP 5.6 or 7.0.
I hope that helps!
– Scott
We do have more info on this (if you’re interested) in the plugin’s minimum requirements section.
If you need help with this or anything else, we will be happy to help…just head over to the WP-SpamShield Support page, and submit a support request.
FALSE. Not all of these were fixed in 2.7.9. Additionally, your settings page ads “phone home” in violation of the WordPress plugin developer guidelines – they call ads.xhanch.com.
@bolson7: It appears to have been a legitimate site that originally did not contain malware, and malware was only recently discovered on it by Google Safe Browsing. Malware sites don’t always start off as malware sites. Could have been hacked, changed owners…there are a number of scenarios. Comments are often placed in code to reference a URL that may explain something more fully. WPSC’s author wouldn’t have knowingly referenced an active malware URL at the time it was included.
Put this thread to rest, folks, the situation is fixed.
@jebswebs: The issue I reported in this thread is indeed fixed…I verified the changes in the code.
The issue reported here would not have caused the issue you’re experiencing, even if it had not been fixed. The malware URL was in a code comment, and was removed in version 1.4.8 anyhow. You should start a new thread for your issue, as it’s an entirely different issue. I would recommend working through the WP Super Cache documentation first, as you may be able to resolve your issue. To be honest, I really doubt WP Super Cache was the cause of your high CPU usage and site crashing. I would recommend spending some time debugging your site thoroughly to make sure there aren’t any hidden issues you may not be aware of.
Bravo. Yes, it’s all squared away now. Thanks to WordFence & WP Super Cache teams for quick fixes.
Forum: Reviews
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] Unsupported on my host's outdated PHPThank you! 🙂 Sounds like a plan! Like I said, if you need any help, just let us know. 🙂
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] First Name & Last Name FieldsHi sharmavishal,
Thank you! 🙂 You’re very welcome, my friend.
– Scott
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] PHP Version ProblemI know, it’s frustrating and counterintuitive. Unfortunately it’s not an uncommon system.
Your web host should have PHP 5.5 or 5.6 already on your server. (It has multiple versions available at once…you just tell it which one to use.) You likely just need to change the config files to tell it to switch. This can usually be done easily through your cPanel (or other web admin control panel). If that doesn’t work then you would just need to send a support request to your web host’s tech support and ask them to switch you.
The most significant changes IMO were between 5.2 and 5.3, so you should be able to go to 5.5 or 5.6 without issue. If necessary, you can go to 5.4…just keep in mind it is outdated and reached End of Life as well, so sooner or later you would want to upgrade from that too.
If you need more specific info on changes made to each version, on PHP’s Unsupported Branches page, it has links to upgrade guides for each of the retired versions.
Forum: Reviews
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] Unsupported on my host's outdated PHPHi mpedersen!
I’m very sorry to hear you had frustrating experience and weren’t able to activate the plugin.
PHP 5.2 reached the end of its life 5 years ago, and is no longer supported by the PHP team, meaning: no more updates, and most importantly, no more security updates. It’s actually not secure to run PHP 5.2 anymore as there are known security exploits, so running it on your site may leave some open doors for hackers. (The WordPress requirements page notes this as well.)
WordPress itself has a current minimum requirement of 5.2.4, but PHP 5.6+ is (highly) recommended – see the WordPress requirements. It’s likely that WordPress itself will not support it for much longer.
Quite a few significant changes were made to PHP code in PHP 5.3, so it means a lot of code and plugins had to be re-tooled for maximum compatibility from PHP 5.3 on. It’s also significantly faster…that’s a good thing! 🙂 PHP is currently up to version 7.0 now.
We’re definitely not trying to leave anyone out by not supporting PHP 5.2. We’re just trying to do the right thing by our users.
After weighing all the pros and cons, we decided it would be better to have the plugin deactivate completely, instead of staying active and causing unknown problems for a user because it didn’t support PHP 5.2. Quite a few plugins don’t support 5.2 anymore, they just don’t tell you. 🙂 Many require 5.3 or even 5.4.
Your web host probably already has higher versions of PHP installed on your server. (It’s not like your desktop computer that only has one Operating System version….PHP has several at once, and you just have to tell it which you want to use.) They usually have all the versions up to the current version. Almost every web host out there has PHP 5.5 and 5.6 available. You usually just need to go into your cPanel (or other control panel) and make the change. If that isn’t available, and you send in a support request, they will be happy to switch it for you. It’s just a configuration change, so it’s not like a whole new OS needs to be installed, and is very easy and quick for them (or you) to do.
IF, and this is a big IF, your web host does not have anything higher than PHP 5.2, please do yourself a favor and leave them immediately for another web host that has up to PHP 5.6 or 7.0. Seriously. Really. 🙂
I hope that helps!
– Scott
We do have more info on this (if you’re interested) in the plugin’s minimum requirements section.
If you need help with this or anything else, we will be happy to help…just head over to the WP-SpamShield Support page, and submit a support request.
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] Do you support Epoch plugin?You’re very welcome! 🙂 Sounds good!
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] First Name & Last Name FieldsHi sharmavishal,
You’re very welcome.
Anyways for anybody else looking for a fix for this edit wp-spamshield.php and remove all the instances of First Name & Last Name and then first name and last name doesnt turn up on the front end.
Actually, editing the
wp-spamshield.phpfile is going to break things, so you’re not going to want to do that. We don’t recommend or provide support for hacking the plugin.As mentioned in the other threads, the First Name and Last Name fields are an integrated part of the spam protection, so disabling those would disable the spam protection. (I won’t explain that part again, but for anyone interested please see the other threads.)
If you need further help, please submit a support request at the WP-SpamShield Support page at the link above.
– Scott
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] First Name & Last Name FieldsHi sharmavishal,
I’ve addressed this question several times previously. So as not to repeat the same info again, please see my explanation on any of these threads:
https://wordpress.org/tags/wp-spamshield-registration-fieldsThe First Name and Last Name fields do get registered in the database, so if that’s not happening for you, then you have a separate issue.
– Scott
Please note that the WP-SpamShield Support page is our main support venue, not the WordPress forums here, so that will always be the best way to get a quick response and resolve any tech support issues.
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] PHP Version ProblemHi calisun,
Please check your information…you would be incorrect. The plugin is correct.
21 is greater than 3, so unfortunately 5.3.3 is much older than 5.3.21, and you’re not above the requirement. (5.3.3 does not equal 5.3.30.)
Please see the PHP Releases for more info.
PHP 5.3.3: http://php.net/releases/#5.3.3 (Released: 22 July 2010)
PHP 5.3.21: http://php.net/releases/#5.3.21 (Released: 17 Jan 2013)PHP 5.3.3 is 6 years old. PHP 5.3.21 is 3 years old.
Please upgrade to a newer version of PHP as soon as possible. PHP 5.5, 5.6, or higher are recommended.
Please give us a little credit. 🙂 We wouldn’t make a mistake like that.
– Scott
@wfsupport: Agreed. I’m glad you guys are reporting it though. It is a legit malware URL. It would require a user to go into the code and copy and paste the link into a browser, but it would still be best if WP Super Cache removes it though.