Race to update services' computer systems after cyber-security flaw found

Race to update services' computer systems after cyber-security flaw found

A newly disclosed vulnerability in the widely used PHP programming language has triggered urgent security updates across governments and businesses worldwide. UK tech minister Baroness Lloyd said 32 government services are fully unavailable and four are partly offline, largely as precautionary measures while patches are applied. The flaw could let attackers remotely run code on servers, and PHP underpins roughly 70 percent of the world’s websites, including parts of Wikipedia and many WordPress platforms. Cloudflare reported exploit attempts jumped from thousands to millions within hours of the public announcement, though no successful breaches have been confirmed. For ordinary users, the disruption is already visible in everyday services: one garage in South Wales could not print MOT certificates, forcing staff to use paper and delaying customers. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre called the event unprecedented and said work with international partners is continuing to identify and fix exposures.