Critical PHP Security Update Disrupts Websites Worldwide
Websites were taken offline after serious flaws were found in PHP, a language used across the internet.
A security update for PHP, a programming language used to build websites, was released Wednesday after two critical flaws were found. The weaknesses were identified by researchers at Calif and Wiz with help from advanced AI tools. Wiz estimated that about 70% of the internet could be affected, though that figure has not been verified.
Cyber-security agencies urged organizations to install the fix quickly. Sites that could not be updated were advised to go offline temporarily, and public services, council pages, BBC programme sites and parts of Wikipedia became inaccessible. The vulnerabilities may give an unauthenticated attacker a route to a server’s files or database, potentially allowing malware installation or a website shutdown.
The problem matters to Spokane residents because PHP can operate behind public websites, content-management systems, hosting services and other software without being obvious to the organization using it. PHP Foundation released the update earlier than planned after details appeared on social media. The latest PHP versions have the fix; people running PHP 8.1 or older were urged to upgrade, while organizations were also told to watch for related updates from third-party software providers and signs that attackers had already gained access.
- The PHP security fix was issued Wednesday.
- About 70% of the internet may be affected, according to Wiz.
- PHP 8.1 and older users were urged to upgrade.
- Organizations unable to patch were advised to take systems offline temporarily.
Source: BBC World ↗
Summarized from the reporting above. Read it for the full story.
Apartments at 29 E 6th Ave. Walk to work, school and entertainment without the hassle of parking. See what is available now.
See available units →
Get briefs like this by email