Location Import Fixed (WordPress plugins only)

Posted by lcleveland in Map Software, Release Notes, Store Locator, Store Locator Plus, WPSLP

One of our users reported an issue where their location import stopped working after updating the Power add on to a new release. This was never an issue for our SaaS users given the strict nature of the directory configuration, WordPress version, and PHP version running on that platform.

If a user downloads a new version of the Power add on (a zip file) and already has a prior version of the slp-power.zip file in the download directory on their laptop, the browser may create a new file named slp-power-2.zip without direct notification or confirmation it has done so.

If the user uploads this file to the WordPress installation it will create a NEW installation of the Power plugin at ./wp-content/plugins/slp-power-2/. This may or may not reside alongside a version of the older installation at ./wp-content/plugins/slp-power/ which is the standard installation path.

Even if a user deactivates and deletes the existing Power add on , which is best practice, before uploading the new slp-power-2.zip , the new path for the plugin will not match the prior path.

This causes the JavaScript for location imports included in the Power add on to not be loaded.

While some users may still encounter this issue depending on how their servers are configured (WordPress version, PHP version, and other variables can impact how the plugins behave).

There is a patch out in the latest version of the Store Locator Plus® WordPress plugin v2511.05.01 and Power add on v2511.05.01 that make this process less fragile. That will alleviate issues on some server configurations, but best practices should still be followed when updating plugins.

Premier users can login to their account at the SLP WordPress plugin store, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the downloads link to get the latest versions of all SLP plugins.

Tired of dealing with plugin version issues, server issues, and Google API billings? Try the Store Locator Plus SaaS edition. It works with WordPress, no plugins required, as well as most other online presence services including Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and others.

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Store Locator Plus® 5.9 Security Update Released (WordPress Plugin)

Posted by lcleveland in Store Locator Plus, WPSLP

Store Locator Plus® 5.9 was released today for our WordPress plugin customers.   The update addresses several security concerns in the AJAX and REST libraries included with Store Locator Plus®.   Despite several articles being released prematurely from security companies in the WordPress market, we are unaware of any compromises to WordPress sites due to this vulnerability.

Unfortunately the folks that manage the WordPress plugin directory de-listed Store Locator Plus® almost immediately, despite our ongoing communication that we were working on patching the reported vulnerabilities.    As such, many of our WordPress plugin users are now unable to update the WordPress plugin to install the latest 5.9 release automatically from within their site dashboard.

Upgrading Store Locator Plus® On WordPress

Users that wish to upgrade to the latest 5.9 release will need to follow these steps until further notice:

  1. If you do not already have an account at WordPress.StoreLocatorPlus.com with the Store Locator Plus® base plugin as a prior purchase, you will need to purchase it.
    1. Go to https://wordpress.storelocatorplus.com/
    2. Click the Add To Cart Link
    3. Complete your purchase
  2. Login to your WordPress.StoreLocatorPlus.com account and download the base plugin.
    1. Go to https://wordpress.storelocatorplus.com/
    2. Click on My Account (top right of screen on the menu bar)
    3. Click on the Downloads entry on the account menu (top-middle of the page).
    4. Download Store Locator Plus®
  3. Deactivate and Delete Store Locator Plus® from your website plugins.   It will not remove your settings or locations.
    1. Login to your website as a site administrator.
    2. Go to plugins.
    3. Find the Store Locator Plus® plugin, hover over the entry on the plugin list.
    4. Deactivate the Store Locator Plus® plugin (this may deactivate your premium Store Locator Plus® add ons)
    5. Delete the Store Locator Plus® plugin.
  4. Upload and activate the updated 5.9 version of Store Locator Plus®.
    1. While staying logged in as an administrator on your site go to plugins.
    2. Click the Add New button.
    3. Click the Upload Plugin button next to the “Add Plugins” title.
    4. Select the Store Locator Plus® slp4.zip file you downloaded from our WordPress store.
    5. Go back to the main Plugins dashboard on your site, listing all plugins.
    6. Check off ALL the Store Locator Plus® plugins, including the newly-uploaded Store Locator Plus® base plugin and any premium add-ons you may have.
    7. From the menu on the top or bottom of the plugin list, choose “Activate” and click Apply.

For those that do not have an existing purchase of the Store Locator Plus® base plugin for WordPress and do NOT wish to purchase a copy from our store, you can wait until the folks that manage the WordPress plugin directory review our latest release and re-list it in the WordPress plugin store.  We are hoping this happens soon, but they are very busy and it could take up to a month for them to review our updates.

For Our SaaS Customers

For our customers using our SaaS service, none of this applies to you.  All security patches and updates are automatically provided as part of the service.   The security concerns in the self-managed WordPress plugin that are being discussed do not affect your site in any way.    SaaS users are not hosting data or access endpoints for AJAX or REST on their servers, and thus have no vulnerabilities like those discussed in the various Store Locator Plus® security bulletins.