PHP issues: Websites go dark worldwide as AI exposes critical security flaws
Critical security vulnerabilities in the PHP programming language have forced organizations worldwide to take systems offline to prevent unauthorized server access. The flaws were identified by security firms using AI models, prompting urgent calls for software patches across the internet.
Why it matters
Because PHP powers approximately 70% of the web, these vulnerabilities pose a massive risk to global digital infrastructure and government services.
Government agencies and companies around the world shut down websites on October 21, 2026 after two critical flaws came to light involving PHP, a programming language that is the basis for a large share of the internet. Photo / Kirill Kudryavtsev, AFP
Government agencies and companies around the world shut down websites on Wednesday after two critical flaws came to light involving PHP, a programming language that is the basis for a large share of the internet.
PHP sits underneath popular web design platforms, so the weaknesses potentially affect a vast range of websites, from online stores and news outlets to government services.
Wiz, one of the security firms that found the issues, estimated that PHP runs about 70% of the world’s websites and said the flaws rank “among the most severe vulnerabilities discovered in PHP, and arguably in software history”.
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Global Websites Go Dark After AI Uncovers Critical Programming Language Flaws
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