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Why does WordPress allow people to run untrusted code? You write: "If I were to run COBOL code from untrusted sources on my server you can forget about securi

Why does WordPress allow people to run untrusted code? You write: "If I were to run COBOL code from untrusted sources on my server you can forget about security." That is why there should be a warning about untrusted code. Are you trying to let WordPress off the hook? Their attitude toward security has been horrible and they should be called out on it. I quote myself: What can they do? They can automate the test that Siobhan Ambrose does in the above article linked to by this thread. At the very least, WordPress can search a theme for Base64, so that when you try to activate the theme, you get a warning: "These templates contain Base64, which may be masking malicious code. Do you wish to proceed?" It doesn't matter if WordPress is written in PHP or COBOL, the team developing the software should make some attempt to address its many security flaws. Please consider the odd use of the word "disrespectful" in this paragraph: "It seems fundamentally disrespectful to users who are simply caught in the crossfire of a political power move their neither know or care about. PHP core has never shown any particular regard for its biggest apps, as evidenced by the above bug and others, so I’m not sure why we should go out of our way to promote their upgrade. PHP 6 sounds much more compelling." http://ma.tt/2007/07/on-php/#comment-422760 http://ma.tt/2007/07/on-php/#comment-422760 That is Matt Mullenweg. Please note that his statement can be turned on its head. I could write: "It seems fundamentally disrespectful to users to create software for them that has lots of fun features but no security."

lkrubner 16y ago
The downvoting on Hacker News sometimes seems wholly random. I am curious who would down vote this above comment of mine. I'm looking at each sentence and trying to think what people are disagreeing with. For instance: "That is why there should be a warning about untrusted code." What is the counter-argument, that WordPress should do nothing about the fact that the templates allow the execution of arbitrary code? "It doesn't matter if WordPress is written in PHP or COBOL, the team developing the software should make some attempt to address its many security flaws." What is the counter-argument, that WordPress has no responsibility for the security flaws in WordPress? Very curious.
- pclark 16y ago
  The downvoting is probably due to your tone, I read your comments and agreed with you but god why do you write like that - why do you keep quoting people with "You write" style opening lines? it sets the tones of your comments off in the most horrible light.
cosgroveb 16y ago
There are two different walls of text here and I'm not going to respond to both but your argument has gone from "PHP sucks" to "Wordpress sucks." Basically my point is this: every bit of software you run on your web server is a security risk. You shouldn't run themes, or any code, really that come from sources you don't trust unless you audit it completely. I don't think the blame really lies with PHP or Wordpress in this case.
- lkrubner 16y ago
  At no point did I say that PHP sucks. At no point did I say that WordPress sucks. I have suggested that the WordPress team is responsible for security risks in WordPress, regardless of what layer the risk may originate from. Again, I would quote the advice that Sam Ruby gave to Matt Mullenweg: "Yes, you can argue that they brought this upon themselves; but it is worth noting that at this point you are along for the ride. When I’m in similar circumstances, I tend to consider the karma implications of cursing the driver." That is good, and necessary, advice for any software project.

lkrubner 16y ago

The downvoting on Hacker News sometimes seems wholly random. I am curious who would down vote this above comment of mine. I'm looking at each sentence and trying to think what people are disagreeing with. For instance: "That is why there should be a warning about untrusted code." What is the counter-argument, that WordPress should do nothing about the fact that the templates allow the execution of arbitrary code? "It doesn't matter if WordPress is written in PHP or COBOL, the team developing the software should make some attempt to address its many security flaws." What is the counter-argument, that WordPress has no responsibility for the security flaws in WordPress? Very curious.

pclark 16y ago
The downvoting is probably due to your tone, I read your comments and agreed with you but god why do you write like that - why do you keep quoting people with "You write" style opening lines? it sets the tones of your comments off in the most horrible light.

cosgroveb 16y ago

There are two different walls of text here and I'm not going to respond to both but your argument has gone from "PHP sucks" to "Wordpress sucks." Basically my point is this: every bit of software you run on your web server is a security risk. You shouldn't run themes, or any code, really that come from sources you don't trust unless you audit it completely. I don't think the blame really lies with PHP or Wordpress in this case.

lkrubner 16y ago
At no point did I say that PHP sucks. At no point did I say that WordPress sucks. I have suggested that the WordPress team is responsible for security risks in WordPress, regardless of what layer the risk may originate from. Again, I would quote the advice that Sam Ruby gave to Matt Mullenweg: "Yes, you can argue that they brought this upon themselves; but it is worth noting that at this point you are along for the ride. When I’m in similar circumstances, I tend to consider the karma implications of cursing the driver." That is good, and necessary, advice for any software project.