PHP: The three letters that shut down sites all over the internet today
A critical, long-standing vulnerability in the PHP programming language has caused widespread site outages after AI tools made it easier to exploit. Major platforms and government agencies have taken systems offline as a precautionary measure.
Why it matters
This incident demonstrates how AI can lower the barrier to entry for cyberattacks, turning obscure, decades-old software flaws into immediate, high-impact security threats.
Two bugs found with AI are behind major issues today for 4chan, DeviantArt, Wikipedia, and the blog where the bar around the corner posts pictures of people’s dogs. The “critical vulnerabilities” were discovered in the PHP programming language, which underpins much of the internet, including any site built on WordPress. But it’s far bigger than that. Some Dutch and Finnish government agencies took their sites down as a precaution. The NSA Cybersecurity account on X recommended that organizations take their systems offline if “an immediate update is not feasible,” as did the UK’s National Cyber Security Center. Even Pokémon Home and Pokémon Champions were taken offline, Kotaku reports.
Headlinne story · 7 newsrooms
Global Websites Go Dark After AI Uncovers Critical Programming Language Flaws
What every outlet reported, where they differ, and how each framed it →
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in