Hackers launch ‘millions’ of attempts to exploit global PHP cyber flaw

Cyberattackers have carried out "millions" of attempts to exploit a critical vulnerability in PHP, a fundamental programming language powering 70% of the internet, according to a leading cyber service provider. Security agencies around the world rushed to address the flaw on Wednesday, as it was publicly disclosed. Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, an internet services firm that aids in thwarting cyberattacks, shared on X that the company observed "millions" of "attempts to exploit" the flaw, with thousands in just 10 hours prior to the announcement, tens of thousands within 45 minutes, and hundreds of thousands within two hours.

Amazon's cloud division confirmed that the flaw is now being widely exploited online. Numerous European government departments temporarily took their websites offline as a precautionary measure. As of Thursday morning, prominent French websites like the justice ministry and data protection authority were undergoing maintenance. Matthijs van Amelsfort, head of the Dutch cybersecurity agency, stated that while there is no evidence of the flaw being actively misused, the situation could change, particularly due to AI's ability to facilitate exploitation. The Dutch agency had taken its website offline on Wednesday but later restored it.