S. Korea raises cybersecurity alert level as computer language flaw sparks global security concerns

Seoul, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) — South Korea's science ministry raised the country's cyber crisis warning level to "caution" on Thursday, aligning with global efforts to tackle two critical cybersecurity flaws involving PHP, a programming language that underpins much of the internet. The ministry announced the upgrade at noon, urging companies and government agencies to promptly patch their systems, as exploit codes have already become publicly available.

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon stated that the flaw in PHP could impact numerous websites, necessitating an urgent response. The warning follows the shutdown of government websites and businesses worldwide due to the vulnerabilities, which were discovered using artificial intelligence (AI). Cybersecurity firm Wiz, among the firms that uncovered the flaws, characterized them as the "most severe" vulnerabilities detected by AI.

PHP, short for Hypertext Preprocessor, powers a vast array of platforms, including online shopping sites, Wikipedia, and WordPress, a popular content management service for many websites. The flaw, discovered on Wednesday, could enable attackers to gain unauthorized control over affected web servers, potentially leading to data breaches, system shutdowns, and website defacements.

Developers have since released patches to address the vulnerabilities, and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) issued a security update advisory.