WEBSITE OUTAGE
PHP? More like PTSD
Governments and cyber-security agencies worldwide are urging organisations to update their websites after AI helped discover two serious security flaws in PHP, a programming language used by millions of websites.
The flaws had gone unnoticed for over a decade and could allow hackers to steal sensitive information, install harmful software or shut down websites.
Researchers at cyber-security firms Wiz and Calif found the problems using advanced AI tools, including those provided through OpenAI’s Patch the Planet programme.
The discovery has sparked a global response. Finland temporarily shut down government websites, while parts of Wikipedia also went offline.
Here’s what you need to know:
The PHP Foundation released a security update on Wednesday after details of the flaws leaked online, forcing it to act earlier than planned.
Security agencies in the UK, US, EU and Australia have told organisations to update their systems or temporarily take affected websites offline.
Cloudflare says it has already spotted signs of hackers trying to use the flaws, while experts warn that older websites may need extra updates and checks.
The internet's cursed attic
Edinburgh council and several BBC programme websites experienced outages too, although it’s unclear whether these were connected.
Wiz estimates that around 70% of websites could be affected, but this figure has not been independently confirmed.
The discovery highlights how AI can help find security problems that have been hidden for years, while also raising concerns about hackers using the same technology to take advantage of them.
Imagine it's your first day in IT and you're being asked to save 70% of the internet. You haven't even figured out where the toilets are. -MG