I don’t know all the details, but WordPress 2.1.2 has just been released. From what I understand, if you upgraded to 2.1.1 (it came out a week or so ago), it is recommended that you upgrade as soon as possible.

The download is available at the WordPress download page.

I don’t have a list yet of changed files, but as soon as I see one, I’ll post it here.

UPDATE:

Here’s a little more information on the sudden release of WP 2.1.1. It seems a couple of the release files for WP 2.1.1 were changed by an unscrupulous person. So, this release only affects you if you downloaded and installed WP 2.1.1 within the last week. It is important, though, if you are still on 2.1.0, that you do the upgrade. This from the WordPress Blog:

Longer explanation: This morning we received a note to our security mailing address about unusual and highly exploitable code in WordPress. The issue was investigated, and it appeared that the 2.1.1 download had been modified from its original code. We took the website down immediately to investigate what happened.

It was determined that a cracker had gained user-level access to one of the servers that powers wordpress.org, and had used that access to modify the download file. We have locked down that server for further forensics, but at this time it appears that the 2.1.1 download was the only thing touched by the attack. They modified two files in WP to include code that would allow for remote PHP execution.

What some people do for enjoyment…

The opponents of the principles described in the movie The Secret have been out in force ever since the Oprah shows. I have to tell you–it is so entertaining! The most fun part of reading, listening, and watching the ‘naysayers’ is that with most of the arguments, they’re actually showing that the Law of Attraction, or intention/manifestation, or whatever you want to call it, is working!

For instance, in this CBS News video clip with James Arthur Ray and Scranton University psychology professor John Norcross, Harry Smith, the moderator, directs this at Norcross:”This just sounds a lot like the little engine that could: ‘I think I can, I think I can…’ Is there any harm in that?”

“Sure there is,” Dr. says. “Let me count the ways. First, if you’re reading The Secret, you’re being led away from other demonstrably effective treatments and self-help resources. Second, when it doesn’t work, people start to blame themselves and become demoralized. So when your cancer doesn’t remit [sic], schizophrenia doesn’t disappear, and you continue to be blind, you say, ‘It must be something in me’. This is just outlandish claims.”

My first reaction to hearing that was, “Oh boy. Here we go again. ‘There, there,’ he says. ‘It’s not your fault’.” He was trying to tell me, “Listen–do you not understand that you have something wrong with you? It’s not your mind that causes this condition you have, it’s not your fault, and it’s not your mind that will cure it, it’s not you that can cure it. It’s not your job to cure it. It’s mine. Only I can. The great and powerful Oz. medical doctor.”

Oops. Sorry.

The funniest statement the good professor made was this: “There is always spontaneous remission, there is always the placebo effect. We need to show The Secret does more than that. There is no reliable scientific evidence to show that the Law of Attraction or the secret works.”

Can science explain spontaneous remission or the placebo effect? Not that I know of. I suppose it didn’t even occur to him that the mind could actually be causing the remission, or causing the body to act as if it had received a drug. Nope. We can’t prove scientifically that the mind has any effect, so we can’t even entertain it as a viable cause. All we have are questions and observations. That’s evidently not enough.

Ray relates the case of a person that he’s worked with that made major changes in her life. Smith says to Norcross, “…There are instances like that where these things happen where folks sort of get their lives together from looking at a DVD or reading a book like this.”

The professor’s response? “Well, of course, but we don’t know that’s causedly the case. You know, Mr. Ray and other proponents of The Secret keep talking about ‘cases’. ‘Cases’ are not science. We need randomized clinical trials, the same thing we do in medication studies, to show this is due to it.”

Here’s another gem from another interview, again from a psychology professor: “It’s just old hot air in a new balloon.”

Scientist types can be so idiotic. Scientist types can be so blind to what’s in front of them sometimes. Reminds me of a race horse with blinders on.

Have a wonderful deliberate day!