Welcome to Hot Web Dev March 2025, featuring the latest technology and web development news. This month features the new version of GIMP, WordPress exploits and the usual learning and coding resources featuring career advice when breaking into technology. The tool of the month is a PHP tool that is a development saviour for newbies and professionals alike.
Table of contents
GIMP 3.0 Released After 7 Years
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and open-source raster graphics editor primarily used for image editing, retouching, and creating digital art. It was first released in 1996 and has become one of the most popular alternatives to proprietary software like Adobe Photoshop. I first started using it when I switched to Linux full-time in 2007. Back then, it had multiple windows, a major flaw when it comes to minimising windows. This was fixed in 2012 when the editor and all the panels loaded in a single window. Since then, updates have included non-destructive editing, improved colours and high-bit depth support.
After 5 years of development, version 3 has improved support in opening Photoshop PSD files and exporting to new image formats. The GUI has been updated to a more modern theme. Colour management has improved and shows improvements when working with multiple layers. Not forgetting the new and improved Wilbur logo.
WordPress Sites Infected
Over one thousand WordPress websites are infected with JavaScript backdoors. The four exploits enable the installation of a fake SEO plugin, inject malicious JavaScript into the wp-config file, and add an SSH key for remote access and code execution. It appears to be targeting regions where Mandarin is prevalent.
Another exploit found an issue with the ‘mu-plugins’ directory in WordPress sites to hide malicious code, maintain persistent remote access, and redirect visitors to bogus sites.
The ‘mu-plugins’ folder is for special plugins in the ‘wp-content/mu-plugins’ directory that WordPress executes automatically without user intervention. This makes them ideal for staging malware.
Source
Learning Resources
If you are due to graduate this year in the tech world, you may need a hand with career advice for the future. I came across this handy guide, which also offers an ebook into the strategies for helping you break into tech.
FreeCodeCamp have a tutorial on animatedly learning C++. The free interactive course comes in eleven parts, which feature all the basics and build up to learning data structures and object-oriented programming (OOP).
Coding Resources
Docker is a platform that enables developers to create, deploy, and run applications within containers. These lightweight, portable, and consistent environments bundle an application with all its dependencies. This ensures that an application behaves the same way regardless of its deployment location, whether on a developer’s laptop, a testing server, or a production cloud environment. Learn how to dockerize a React App step by step.
WOW Tool Of The Month
PHP and Laravel have been featured several times over the past year. Laravel Herd is a PHP development environment. It can be used for other PHP projects, including WordPress and other PHP frameworks.
Herd manages and installs Node, PHP versions, the Composer installer and Expose, making them accessible from the terminal. It’s currently available for Windows and Mac. If you want extra features, a pro version is available, which costs $99 per year.
Must Read Resources From March 2025
- Why NestJS Became My favourite Node.js Framework (After Years of Express.js)
- Mistakes That Django Developers Make and How To Avoid Them
- PyQt6 Toolbars & Menus — QAction
- What is vibe coding, and is it really the future of app and game development?
- Must-Have Tools for React Development in 2025
Discover more from WorldOWeb
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.