WordPress 5.3.1 was released today with 46 bug fixes and enhancements. Changes include several accessibility improvements and four security vulnerability fixes. The update includes multiple changes to the default Twenty Twenty theme.
Version 5.3.1 is a security and maintenance release. All users are encouraged to update as soon as possible. For those with auto-updates enabled, updates are currently rolling out. All major branches of WordPress from version 3.7 through 5.3 received the new security fixes.
The following security issues were addressed:
- Users without the correct permission (capability) could make a post sticky via the REST API.
- An issue where cross-site scripting (XSS) could be stored in links.
- Hardening the
wp_kses_bad_protocol()function so that it is aware of the named colon attribute. - A stored XSS vulnerability using block editor content.
Most of the release focused on maintenance. Form fields and buttons now have the same height, which should result in a more consistent admin UI. This has long been an issue, but the accessibility changes in WordPress 5.3 highlighted the problem.
A bug with how permalinks were generated with the new Date/Time changes in WordPress 5.3 has been fixed. This left some sites using date-based URLs with incorrect post permalinks.
Other changes include removing support for the CollegeHumor oEmbed provider (the site is no longer available), updating the sodium_compat library, and making sure admin verification emails use the user’s locale instead of the site’s locale. For a full overview of all changes, visit the WordPress 5.3.1 release page.
Accessibility Improvements
Some of the biggest accessibility changes fixed issues with the alternate admin color schemes available in WordPress. The accessibility improvements to buttons in WordPress 5.3 did not get carried over to most of the alternate schemes. Or, rather, those alternate color schemes were not taken into account when the changes went into effect. This left secondary button elements practically unreadable in some cases, which made accessibility worse.
Version 5.3.1 creates a unified design for secondary buttons for every color scheme. It also makes sure that the :active state for buttons are consistent.
Other improvements to accessibility include adding underlines to links on the Dashboard screen that were not clearly links by context, properly disabling nav menu forms when they should not be in use, and adding hover effects for links on the “About” admin screens.
Twenty Twenty Changes
The Twenty Twenty theme launched with JavaScript-based, smooth-scroll behavior for anchor links. This feature did not work correctly in all cases. It also broke anchor links to individual comments when paginated comments were enabled on a site.
Version 1.1 of Twenty Twenty includes CSS-based, smooth-scroll behavior. This greatly simplifies the code by using native behavior. It also works based on the user’s reduced motion setting for their browser, which enhances accessibility for the theme.
The theme update comes packaged with a new option for showing or hiding the post author bio. The setting is available under the “Theme Options” section in the customizer. It is enabled by default and will show the author bio section at the end of every post across the site.
The Twenty Twenty update also includes several bug fixes, most of which were trivial issues.
Best and Cheap WordPress 5.3.1 Hosting
The hosting provider that we mean is ASPHostPortal. Who and why ASPHostPortal? ASPHostPortal is one of the best web hosting in the world. Founded in 2008, this company managed by a strong team of web hosting experts. Here are several reasons why you can choose them as your WordPress hosting partner. To make it clear, we have worked out a comprehensive review of the feature, performance, customer service and pricing of this service.
Respected By The WordPress Community
ASPHostPortal is well-respected in the WordPress community, especially for their quick, helpful support. All hosting companies have good and bad customer experiences on the web review, but if you look at ASPHostPortal’s review mentions the majority of feedback is positive.
From HostingAdvice (https://hostadvice.com/hosting-company/asphostportal-com-reviews/)
From WHTOP (https://www.whtop.com/review/asphostportal.com)
From Trustpilot (https://www.trustpilot.com/review/asphostportal.com)
Engineered For Speed
ASPHostPortal shared hosting ($3.81/month) is good. The speed depends on which plan you choose but each one comes with top-notch hardware, CDN, SuperCacher, and software for it’s a tier. ASPHostPortal also makes constant updates to improve speed – allowing customer sites to load even faster. This is our test result from GTMetrix, the loaded time is 0.7 second only.
Best Support In The Industry
With ASPHostPortal’s support system we have always been able to reach someone within minutes whether it be through 24/7 ticket. That’s because ASPHostPortal is a people-focused company who won’t make you wait around listening to bad elevator music. Their team is so helpful and will honestly bend over backward to make sure your issues are resolved. And they won’t tell you “it’s not a hosting-related problem” like other hosting companies.
Top-Notch Security
Not only will your site be protected through auto-updates, daily backups, and server protection, but ASPHostPortal also releases their own patches when there’s a widespread security vulnerability (with WordPress, or even a specific WordPress plugin). They’re both proactive AND reactive which is good because WordPress sites have become prime targets.
ASPHostPortal WordPress Hosting Plans
Whether you’re on a $3.81/month budget or you need a $12.99/month dedicated server, there’s a plan for everyone. I mentioned this already but I use their plan and my WordPress site loads in under 1 second.
Conclusion – ASPHostPortal Is Awesome For WordPress Hosting
Between their hosting and tech support, ASPHostPortal is a clear winner. I don’t write many articles on the other hosting companies because ASPHostPortal is in my opinion, the best. I do WordPress SEO and speed optimization for a living so I’ve been through a lot of hosts – and I’m just glad I found one who I can stick with and keep my website blazing fast.
