Websites go dark worldwide as AI exposes critical security flaws

Worldwide, government agencies and companies brought down their websites on Wednesday following the discovery of two critical vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language that forms the backbone of a significant portion of the internet. PHP is often found beneath popular web design platforms, meaning the security flaws could potentially impact a broad array of websites, ranging from e-commerce sites and news platforms to government services.

Wiz, a security firm that identified the issues, estimated that PHP powers approximately 70% of the global web. The duo of flaws has been described as among the most severe vulnerabilities ever discovered in PHP, and possibly in software history. The US National Security Agency advised organizations to apply patches immediately or take vulnerable systems offline.

The National Security Agency warned that the flaws often provide a direct route to a server's file system or database. Attackers could exploit them to gain control of web servers without the need for a password. Volker Dusch, a security engineer at the PHP Foundation, stated to the Wall Street Journal that it is the most serious problem PHP has encountered in over a decade, likening it to a significant event.