Some websites go dark as operators address an AI-detected flaw in a web programming language
The website of the Finnish government, for one, was only partly available Wednesday. A message to visitors said government websites were experiencing a temporary disruption and were fully or partially unavailable while the issue was being resolved.
Following an AI-assisted discovery of vulnerabilities in PHP, a widely used programming language, governments and organizations in Europe and the U.S. took their websites offline temporarily on Wednesday. The FBI's cyber division warned that these vulnerabilities could enable malicious actors to remotely execute code in PHP, potentially compromising sensitive data and networks.
The Finnish government's website, for instance, was partially accessible, notifying visitors of temporary disruptions while the issue was resolved. PHP powers approximately 70% of websites with known server-side programming languages. Ismael Valenzuela, vice president of labs, threat research, and intelligence at cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf, emphasized the significant risk this poses to a substantial portion of the internet's business and commercial infrastructure.
Valenzuela stated that while not all websites are vulnerable, the flaws demand immediate attention. The PHP Foundation released fixes and provided instructions for updating systems. AI agents played a crucial role in uncovering these vulnerabilities, with OpenAI coordinating the efforts over the past two months. OpenAI described these flaws as "one of the most impactful security issues in recent memory," praising AI for finding them before potential attackers.
However, experts warn that AI can also pose security risks and call for responsible development to ensure safe usage of this technology.
Written by urgent.news from Economic Times Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
