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European governments take websites offline due to PHP security bug
European governments took websites offline due to a critical security bug in the PHP programming language.
Key points
- The PHP2Shell vulnerability allows unauthenticated hackers to remotely execute code and potentially steal sensitive data.
- Researchers from Calif and Wiz used AI tools including GPT-5.6 Sol and Gemini 4 Argon to identify the bugs.
- The U.S. National Security Agency warned millions of organizations to implement patches immediately or take servers offline.
Why it matters. The use of AI by attackers may allow vulnerabilities to be exploited in hours rather than weeks, increasing the urgency for security patches.
European governments took websites offline on Wednesday following warnings about a critical security bug in the PHP programming language. The U.S. National Security Agency advised millions of organizations to patch servers or take them offline to prevent data theft. Researchers from Calif and Wiz identified the vulnerabilities, known as PHP2Shell, using various AI tools.
Latest updates
European governments take websites offline due to PHP security bug
Government websites in Europe were taken offline on Wednesday following the discovery of a critical security bug in the PHP programming language. The vulnerability exposes millions of websites to potential data breaches. Experts note that the rapid increase in both benign and adversarial AI usage is accelerating the discovery of such harmful vulnerabilities. Authorities are currently working to secure servers to prevent unauthorized access.
PHP Security Flaw Forces Government Websites Offline
A major security flaw in the PHP programming language has forced numerous government bodies and councils to take their websites offline. PHP is a foundational building block of the internet, underpinning nearly 70% of all websites worldwide. The vulnerability has created widespread disruption as administrators scramble to patch systems.
Websites around the world taken offline after AI finds 'critical' security flaw
Cloudflare's chief executive said there was a dramatic surge in attempts to exploit the issue once it was announced.
Websites around the world taken down to protect systems - as critical software update issued
Government websites in France, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands went offline on Wednesday over hacking fears, as experts in US and Australia warn of risks.
Websites across Europe taken down - as critical software update issued
Government and business websites across Europe were taken down in a bid to protect organisations after a critical software update was issued over vulnerabilities in programming language. Cloudflare's chief executive said there was a dramatic surge in attempts to exploit the issue once it was announced.
Websites around the world taken down to protect systems - as critical software update issued
Government websites in France, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands went offline on Wednesday over hacking fears, as experts in US and Australia warn of risks.
Websites taken offline after AI discovers critical security glitch
Websites have been taken offline after AI discovered a "critical" security glitch now being exploited by cyber criminals. Websites have been taken offline after AI discovered a "critical" security glitch now being exploited by cyber criminals . Several governments, universities, businesses and local authorities, including in Britain, have closed their sites after security experts said owners should be prepared to shut down. The flaw relates to the widely used PHP protocol, which allows websites to retrieve information from databases. It emerged on Wednesday that the vulnerability, which has existed for a decade, was discovered using AI tools from OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and Google. Cyber security company Wiz said it had used OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol and Google's Gemini 4 Argon to detect the vulnerabilities. Advances in AI have led to warnings of a cyber security nightmare as tools are used to discover flaws that could then be exploited by hackers. Wiz said: "These findings rank among the most severe vulnerabilities discovered in PHP and arguably in software history." It said the flaw had been discovered in August. The White House said it had been notified last week. Among the sites taken offline were those belonging to Edinburgh, Oxford and Bristol councils. The Finnish government, Dutch parliament and several European universities have taken sites offline, as has the notorio.
Websites go offline after critical security glitch
Websites have been taken offline amid a "critical" security glitch being exploited by cyber criminals. Several governments, universities and businesses have closed their sites after security experts said owners should be prepared to shut down. Websites have been taken offline amid a "critical" security glitch being exploited by cyber criminals . Several governments, universities and businesses have closed their sites after security experts said owners should be prepared to shut down. The flaw relates to the widely used PHP protocol, which allows websites to retrieve information from databases. The foundation behind the software revealed on Tuesday the existence of two "critical vulnerabilities" and said a security update would be released on Wednesday afternoon. The update is scheduled for 3pm UK time. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), an arm of GCHQ , told website owners to take their systems offline if they are unable to immediately respond to the problem. The Finnish government, Dutch parliament and several European universities have taken sites offline, as has the notorious anonymous forum 4chan and a string of social websites and business services. The Port of Rotterdam, Europe's biggest shipping hub, also took down its website on Wednesday. The Dutch cybersecurity agency was also taken offline, with a message saying: "Due to vulnerabilities in PHP, we have tempor.
Cyber chiefs tell websites to make critical safety update or go offline
Two severe vulnerabilities have been found in PHP, the programming language that quietly powers a huge share of the internet, including WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and Magento websites. The PHP Foundation is releasing fixes on Wednesday afternoon, and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre, along with European Union and Australian agencies, is urging every organisation using PHP to apply the update immediately. The Dutch cyber-security agency has taken its own website offline, and the lower house of the Netherlands’ parliament and the national public health institute have also made their sites inaccessible as a precaution. Security officials warn the flaws could allow unauthenticated remote code execution, meaning hackers could install malware or take down websites without needing a password. Cloudflare says it is already seeing early attacks emerge and is updating its defences as new methods appear. For ordinary users, the risk is that a favourite shopping site, news page or government service could be disrupted or compromised until the operators patch their servers. Organisations that cannot update right away are being told to take their systems offline until they are fully protected.