Two critical vulnerabilities discovered in PHP, one of the world’s most widely used web programming languages, have triggered a global cybersecurity alert. The flaws, dubbed “PHP2Shell,” could allow attackers to remotely execute commands on servers running older PHP versions without needing a password or valid account credentials.
NSA warns: “Update immediately or take systems offline”
The US National Security Agency urged organisations using PHP to update their systems without delay. Institutions unable to install the updates immediately were advised to temporarily take their websites offline.
Germany took several government websites offline as a precaution, while France temporarily disabled official websites belonging to local administrative offices. Authorities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland and the Czech Republic also introduced similar measures while applying security patches.
Vulnerabilities discovered with the help of AI
Artificial intelligence models played a key role in identifying the two critical vulnerabilities. Researchers at Calif reported the first flaw on August 11 as part of their work with OpenAI, while cybersecurity company Wiz reported the second vulnerability on August 24.
OpenAI said Calif identified a critical vulnerability using GPT-5.6 Sol under its “Patch the Planet” initiative, while Wiz independently discovered and reported both flaws.
The company described the vulnerabilities as one of the most wide-reaching cybersecurity issues in recent years because of PHP’s extensive use across the internet.
Türkiye sends urgent warning to institutions
Türkiye’s Cyber Security Presidency also launched nationwide security scans following the discovery. Public institutions, private-sector organisations and critical infrastructure operators received an urgent cybersecurity notice through the SOME Communication Platform. System administrators were asked to review internet-facing infrastructure and install the available security updates as quickly as possible.
The Presidency warned that vulnerable systems could face serious risks including unauthorised access, data breaches and disruptions to digital services.
Why is PHP so important?
PHP is an open-source, server-side programming language widely used to develop websites and web applications. Major content management systems, e-commerce platforms, news websites and online services rely on PHP, including WordPress.
Because of its widespread use, the potential impact of the vulnerabilities is not limited to individual websites. Cybersecurity experts are urging administrators to apply updates immediately and also examine their systems for signs of possible previous compromise.
Source: NationalTurk
