WordPress Update 4.9.4 Fixes 4.9.3 Auto Update Failure

by | Feb 6, 2018 | WordPress Updates

WordPress Update 4.9.4 fixes 4.9.3 auto update failure

New WordPress updates have been released versions 4.9.3 & 4.9.4 on February 5 & 6, 2018. The WordPress Update 4.9.4 fixes 4.9.3 auto update failure, a severe bug in 4.9.3 that causes automatic background updates to fail and repairs 34 other bugs

As WordPress.org states about the 4.9.3:

This maintenance release fixes 34 bugs in 4.9, including fixes for Customizer changesets, widgets, visual editor, and PHP 7.2 compatibility.

Whenever a new WordPress update is released, Win At Web will evaluate the update.

Then we will fully test and make sure that it will not break your site before we role out the update to your site.

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Table of Contents hide
1 What is in this WordPress Update 4.9.4 Fixes 4.9.3 Auto Update Failure?
2 34 Bug Fixes
2.1 Canonical URLs
2.2 Code Editor
2.3 Customize
2.4 Email
2.5 Emoji
2.6 Media
2.7 Plugins
2.8 REST API
2.9 Role/Capability
2.10 TinyMCE
2.11 Upgrade/Install
2.12 Widget
2.13 WPDB
3 Conclusion

What is in this WordPress Update 4.9.4 Fixes 4.9.3 Auto Update Failure?

The 4.9.4 maintenance release only affects the issue that the 4.9.3 maintenance release caused as WordPress’ Dion Hulse stated.

This maintenance release fixes a severe bug in 4.9.3, which will cause sites that support automatic background updates to fail to update automatically, and will require action from you (or your host) for it to be updated to 4.9.4.

How did this happen?

Four years ago with WordPress 3.7 “Basie”, we added the ability for WordPress to self-update, keeping your website secure and bug-free, even when you weren’t available to do it yourself. For four years it’s helped keep millions of installs updated with very few issues over that time. Unfortunately yesterdays 4.9.3 release contained a severe bug which was only discovered after release. The bug will cause WordPress to encounter an error when it attempts to update itself to WordPress 4.9.4, and will require an update to be performed through the WordPress dashboard or hosts update tools.

Will this WordPress Update 4.9.4 fixes 4.9.3 auto update failure affect my website?

WordPress managed hosting companies who install updates automatically for their customers can install the update as normal, and we’ll be working with other hosts to ensure that as many customers of theirs who can be automatically updated to WordPress 4.9.4 can be.

34 Bug Fixes

Bug Fixes and Patches

WordPress 4.9.3 contains 34 bug fixes.

Canonical URLs

  • Redirect to the correct URL when the post date changes.

Code Editor

  • Disable attr-value-double-quotes HTMLHint rule since too strict for user input.
  • Add Ctrl/Cmd+F as aliases for persistent search for more intuitive behaviour.
  • Replaces JSHint with esprima.

Customize

  • Improve accuracy of message displayed when accessing Customizer with a changeset that is already published or trashed.
  • Prevent showing SFTP theme installation notification in multisite when user cannot install themes.
  • Use changeset-specific “locked” messages when branching is enabled.
  • Prevent frontend previewing from causing a customization lock on the changeset.
  • Let default status for Customizer be draft if user does not have capability to publish.
  • Correct “Add Items” button reference in help text shown after creating a new menu.
  • Ensure customize_autosaved requests only use revision of logged-in user.
  • Include nav menu item for Home custom link in search results for “Home”.
  • Ensure media playlists get initialized after selective refresh; expose new wp.playlist.initialize() API.
  • Ensure heartbeat keeps changeset locked when in branching mode.

Email

  • Don’t send notifications for site or network admin email address change to the default ‘admin_email’ value.

Emoji

  • Update Twemoji to 2.4.0.
  • Update emoji base URL in _print_emoji_detection_script() and wp_staticize_emoji().

Media

  • Restore white background of the content area in media modal.
  •  Introduce a custom error handler for MediaElement.js to display a download link if a FLV file cannot be rendered for any reason.
  • Store and reuse image cropper ratio settings if available, instead of overwriting.
  • Fix JSHint error after #42595.
  • Avoid page scrolling when opening the media modal.

Plugins

  • Update review filter links in Details modal.

REST API

  • Add existing term_id to the error data object when attempting to create a duplicate term.

Role/Capability

  • Make install_languages capability check less restrictive.

TinyMCE

  • On the toolbar drop-downs apply overflow style on the actual element with text.
  • When keeping the scroll position treat all shortcodes as preview-able.
  • Backport bug fixes to NotificationManager, WindowManager and MultiRange.

Upgrade/Install

  • In postMessage events handler, check for message object existence before checking its action property.
  • Only trigger Background Update processes from within the core update check when a core autoupdate is on offer.

Widget

  • Prevent checkValidity from running on a form when widget is first adding to sidebar.
  • Allow relative/partial URLs in Image Widget’s link field.
  • Ensure media is explicitly enqueued from Text widget in case Media widgets are unregistered.

WPDB

  • Use a PCRE syntax which supports PCRE compiled between 2003 and 2006.

Conclusion

If you are having any issues with the WordPress Update 4.9.4 fixes 4.9.3 auto update failure, please Contact Us immediately and we will resolve the problem.