WordPress.org has temporarily lifted its ban on WP Engine, effective until October 1. Earlier this week, the platform had blocked WP Engine, preventing numerous sites from updating their plugins and themes, thereby exposing them to potential security risks.

The dispute stems from a disagreement between WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg and WP Engine, which escalated over the past week. Mullenweg attributed the conflict to WP Engine’s private equity investor, Silver Lake.

“I’ve heard from WP Engine customers who are frustrated by their inability to update plugins, theme directories, and Openverse on their sites. It saddens me that Silver Lake’s commercial decisions have negatively affected them,” Mullenweg wrote on the WordPress.org blog.

Mullenweg added that WP Engine was aware of the potential for being blocked, as the company had ignored efforts to resolve the issue through a commercial licensing agreement. He specifically pointed out that WP Engine's leadership, including Heather Brunner and Lee Wittlinger, took the risk, knowing it could impact their customers.

The sudden ban from WordPress.org drew criticism from the community, as many websites were left vulnerable due to the disruption.

Mullenweg has been outspoken about his grievances, referring to WP Engine as “cancer to WordPress” and criticizing the company's lack of contribution to the ecosystem. In response, WP Engine issued a cease-and-desist letter to Automattic—owner of WordPress.com and holder of the WordPress trademark—demanding Mullenweg retract his statements. Automattic responded with its own cease-and-desist letter, accusing WP Engine of trademark infringement.

This conflict highlights a broader issue, as WordPress technology powers nearly 40% of the web. Although the platform is open-source and free, many websites depend on hosting services like WP Engine and Automattic for easy, plug-and-play solutions.