What’s New in Magento 2.4.2?

The Magento 2.4.2 release on February 09, 2021, focuses on performance enhancements, security improvements, and platform updates, offering E-commerce store owners enhanced capabilities for a superior online shopping experience.

  • The Magento 2.4.2 release, launched on February 09, 2021, prioritizes performance, security, and platform enhancements.
  • Upgrade to Magento 2.4.2 to benefit from over 280 core code fixes, resolution of 290 GitHub issues, more than 30 security enhancements, and improved GraphQL capabilities.
  • This release aims to empower E-commerce store owners with advanced tools to enhance their online shopping environments.

Magento 2.4.2 Release – Key Highlights

  • Added support for SameSite attributes for cookies, enhancing security and compliance.
  • Now supports Elasticsearch 7.9.x and Redis 6.x for optimized performance and scalability.
  • Facilitates the use of web-optimized images in content for improved page loading speeds.
  • Updated Adobe Stock Integration to version 2.1.1, improving asset management capabilities.
  • Enhanced Magento PWA Studio for progressive web applications, offering improved user experiences and performance.

Magento Security Patch 2.4.0.12

  • Introduced an option to install time-sensitive security fixes independently of functional updates.
  • Released security-only patch 2.4.0.12 (Composer package 2.4.1-p1) to address vulnerabilities identified in the previous quarterly release, Magento 2.4.1.
  • Includes essential hotfixes from Magento 2.4.1 to maintain platform stability and security.

What is expected from the latest Magento 2.4.2 Release:

Substantial Security Enhancements

  • Implemented over 35 security fixes to address remote code execution (RCE) and cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities.
  • Implemented SameSite attribute support for all core cookies to enhance security and privacy.
  • Enhanced security against malicious uploads by standardizing and strengthening file system operations across Magento components.
  • Resolved core content security policy violations to improve overall platform security.
  • Enhanced backend performance with optimized database queries and resource management.
  • Updated localization features to support multiple languages and currencies for global operations.

Infrastructure Improvements

  • Enhanced framework quality across various areas including Customer Account, Catalog, CMS, OMS, Import/Export, Promotions, Targeting, Cart and Checkout, and Staging and Preview.
  • Improved backend performance with optimized database queries and resource management.
  • Enhanced error handling and logging mechanisms for easier troubleshooting and maintenance.
  • Updated frontend user interface for improved navigation and usability.
  • Streamlined backend processes to enhance overall platform efficiency.

Platform Enhancements

  • Now supports Elasticsearch 7.9.x for enhanced search functionality and performance.
  • Compatible with Varnish 6.4 to optimize caching and improve page load speeds.
  • Supports Redis 6.x for efficient data caching and storage.
  • Compatible with Composer 2.x for managing dependencies and ensuring compatibility with latest libraries.
  • Enhanced backend performance with optimized database queries and resource management.

Performance Enhancements

  • Enhanced API performance for faster data retrieval and processing.
  • Optimized admin response time for deployments handling large catalogs.
  • Natively supports complex catalogs up to 20 times larger than Magento 2.4.1, ensuring scalability and performance.
  • Improved backend performance with optimized database queries and resource management.
  • Streamlined frontend user interface for improved navigation and usability.

GraphQL

  • Respects catalog permissions to ensure secure and controlled access to catalog information.
  • Enhanced support for remote purchasing assistance, facilitating seamless transactions and customer support.
  • Improved localization support for global operations, enabling multi-language and multi-currency capabilities.
  • Optimized product data retrieval for configurable products with extensive variant options, enhancing performance and user experience.
  • Enhanced backend performance with optimized database queries and resource management.

PWA Studio

  • Enhanced internationalization and localization capabilities for global operations.
  • Support for multiple stores to manage diverse product offerings and regional preferences.
  • Improved extensibility for easier integration of third-party extensions and customizations.
  • Implemented Google Lighthouse for enhanced client-side performance optimization.
  • Availability of "My Account" features in Venia for improved user account management.

Media Gallery

  • The new Role Resources for the Media Gallery allow merchants to restrict administrator access.
  • Merchants have granular control over actions such as inserting media assets into content, uploading assets, editing asset details, deleting assets from the Media Gallery, and managing folder structures.
  • Enhanced backend performance with optimized database queries and resource management.
  • Improved user interface for smoother navigation and enhanced usability.

AWS S3 support enhancements

  • Supports object storage for scalable and future-proof extensibility.
  • Capability to store media files on AWS S3 for optimized performance and reliability.
  • Enhanced backend performance with optimized database queries and resource management.
  • Improved user interface for smoother navigation and enhanced usability.

The Magento Commerce 2.4.2 release includes

  • Introduced B2B v1.3.1 with enhanced features and functionalities.
  • Ability to complete purchase orders using online payment methods for streamlined transactions.
  • Improved Page Builder content migration and customization of Page Builder CSS for enhanced design flexibility.

Magento 2.4.2 – Official Release Notes

  • Magento Open Source 2.4.2 Release Notes
  • Magento Commerce 2.4.2 Release Notes

    • Upgrade your Magento store to the latest version, Magento 2.4.2, today to leverage its enhanced features and optimize business operations until Magento 2.4.3 releases in August 2021. Ensure a secure upgrade by hiring certified developers to safeguard your store's security and data integrity. Also, take a look at the releases of Magento 2.4.1-p1 and Magento 2.3.6-p1 alongside Magento 2.4.2. Share your thoughts and reactions on these updates in the Comments section below and spread the word within the Magento community through social media. Thank you!