Plesk Obsidian v18.0.77 Released with Significant Updates
Plesk has announced the release of its latest version, Obsidian v18.0.77, which introduces crucial enhancements aimed at improving accessibility, security, and usability across its platform. This update includes native support for the ACME protocol via a new SSL extension, integration with the GoAccess web statistics tool, and various fixes and updates for both Linux and Windows environments.
A Major Step Forward in Accessibility
One of the standout features of this release is its emphasis on accessibility improvements. Over the past year, Plesk has focused on updating its interface to better accommodate users with disabilities. The latest version brings Plesk closer to compliance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.
The update affects approximately 200 frequently used pages within the Plesk interface and its popular extensions. Key enhancements include:
- Improved compatibility with screen readers, including VoiceOver.
- Enhanced keyboard navigation across interactive elements.
- Clear and consistent focus indicators for better visual guidance.
- Support for interface scaling up to 200% for improved visibility.
- Refined accessibility behavior throughout commonly used workflows.
These changes reflect Plesk’s commitment to usability and compliance readiness, ensuring that users who rely on assistive technologies can navigate the platform more effectively and independently.
Introducing GoAccess Support for Linux
Plesk now supports GoAccess, an open-source web log analyzer that provides real-time HTTP statistics and visual reports. This integration is available for Plesk on Linux (excluding CentOS 7 and CloudLinux 7) and enhances users’ ability to monitor website traffic efficiently.
With GoAccess, users can:
- Monitor website traffic in real time.
- Detect anomalies more easily.
- Troubleshoot issues faster with actionable insights.
- Access interactive and visually rich reporting tools.
New ACME SSL Extension
The introduction of the ACME SSL extension marks another significant enhancement in this release. This extension adds native support for the ACME protocol, allowing users to issue both wildcard and non-wildcard SSL/TLS certificates seamlessly through Plesk. Key features include:
- Compatibility with any ACME-compatible Certificate Authority.
- Support for HTTP-01 and DNS-01 challenge types.
- External Account Binding (EAB) support for enhanced security.
- Automatic attempts at certificate renewals before expiration.
This new functionality simplifies SSL/TLS certificate management while improving automated deployment workflows, making it easier for administrators to maintain secure connections on their websites.
Feature Improvements and Fixes
The v18.0.77 update also includes several usability improvements based on user feedback:
SSL It! No Longer Requires an Email Address
Plesk has removed the requirement for users to provide an email address when requesting SSL/TLS certificates from Let’s Encrypt via the SSL It! extension, streamlining the process significantly.
Expanded TuxCare Support
The TuxCare Extended Lifecycle Support for PHP now offers broader compatibility, enhancing long-term support options for PHP applications hosted on Plesk servers.
Built-in Code Editor Changes Rolled Back
In response to user feedback, recent changes to the built-in Code Editor have been rolled back. The editor will no longer open in a separate drawer, restoring a more intuitive editing experience that many users preferred.
Deprecated Items
The APS Catalog has been deprecated in this version; while applications installed from it will continue functioning, Plesk will no longer provide support for these applications moving forward. Additionally, support for ngx_pagespeed.so will be removed in future versions starting with v18.0.78.
Important Fixes and Stability Improvements
This release addresses numerous issues across backup management, mail handling, extensions, Joomla! Toolkit integration, Route 53 synchronization, and more:
- A fix was implemented where restoring password-protected scheduled backups stored in AWS S3 did not display the password entry field correctly.
- An issue causing MySQL database backups to fail under certain configurations has been resolved.
- Plesk will no longer fetch APS application information after APS Catalog support is disabled.
- A mailbox synchronization issue related to customer account password changes has been corrected.
Updated Third-Party Components
This version updates several third-party components across both Linux and Windows environments:
Linux Updates
- Roundcube updated to version 1.6.14.
- The sw-engine PHP updated to version 8.4.19.
- OWASP ModSecurity CRS updated to version 4.24.1.
- The PostgreSQL client library updated to version 18.3.
- The libcurl library updated to version 8.19.0.
Windows Updates
- Node.js updated across multiple versions: 24.14.1, 22.22.2, and 20.20.2.
- .NET updated across versions: 10.0.4, 9.0.14, and 8.0.25.
- Plesk engine PHP updated to version 8.4.19.
- Git for Windows updated to version 2.53.
- MailEnable Standard updated to version 10.
What This Means
The release of Plesk Obsidian v18.0.77 represents a significant advancement in accessibility and usability while enhancing security features essential for modern web hosting environments. Users are encouraged to update their systems promptly—especially those on Windows—to take advantage of critical security fixes included in this release.
Plesk continues to prioritize user feedback in shaping its development roadmap; thus maintaining an up-to-date system ensures optimal performance and security compliance moving forward.
The latest update is available through the Plesk Installer; detailed instructions can be found in their official guide online.
For more information, read the original report here.
