v2.9.6

Release v2.9.6 - PHP 8.1+, WordPress 6.7+ Compatibility & Performance/Security Optimizations

This update brings critical compatibility fixes for recent versions of PHP (8.1+) and WordPress (6.7+), along with a major performance and security optimization to improve layout loading reliability.

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🛠️ Compatibility & Deprecation Fixes

• PHP 8.2+ Compatibility (Callable Deprecation): Resolved the deprecation warning regarding the use of "parent" in callables within SLB_Options::add(). Replaced it with the modern, native PHP 5.6+ argument unpacking
  operator (parent::add(...$args)).
• PHP 8.1+ Compatibility (String Functions): Resolved the deprecation warning for the trim() function receiving a null value in SLB_Utilities::validate_client_object(). Added an explicit typecast to string
  ((string)) to guarantee robust behavior.
• WordPress 6.7.0 Compatibility (Premature Translation Loading): Fixed the debug notice regarding the premature calling of the translation function __() for the plugin name in main.php (which was executed at the
  global scope before the init action). Replaced it with a static string literal.

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⚡ Performance & Security Optimizations

• Secure Local Disk Loading for Theme Layouts:
  • Original Issue: Theme HTML structures (layout.html) were historically loaded via loopback HTTP requests (wp_safe_remote_get()). These network requests often failed silently on environments with restricted loopback
    configurations or those protected by security layers like Cloudflare Zero Trust, local firewalls, or self-signed SSL certificates, preventing the lightbox modal from launching.
  • Solution: Optimized SLB_Base_Object::get_file() to prioritize reading template files directly from the local filesystem (file_get_contents()), with a safe fallback to the original HTTP request if filesystem access
    fails or for remote URIs.
  • Security Hardening (Defense-in-Depth): Integrated strict realpath() and directory boundary validations (strictly checking against ABSPATH and $plugin_dir paths) to mathematically prevent any potential directory
    traversal or local file inclusion risks.