Websites taken down worldwide as critical cyber-security update issued

Critical cyber-security flaws have led to the temporary shutdown of numerous websites worldwide. These vulnerabilities were discovered in the PHP programming language, which powers much of the internet. Multiple agencies, including the Finnish government, Edinburgh council, and BBC, took their websites offline until the issues were resolved. The flaws, which have gone undetected for over a decade, are considered the "most severe vulnerabilities ever discovered" by cybersecurity experts.

PHP Foundation, in collaboration with AI researchers from firms like Calif and Wiz, discovered the issue using advanced AI tools. The vulnerabilities often provide a direct path to servers' file systems or databases, making them highly exploitable. The White House and US National Security Agency advised organizations to take their systems offline if they couldn't apply the fix. The EU, the UK, and Japan advised similar actions.

While the exact impact is difficult to verify, estimates suggest that roughly 70% of the internet may be affected. The vulnerabilities can potentially allow hackers to install malware and bring down websites. The PHP Foundation has released an update to patch the issue, but many organizations are struggling to identify and manage every instance of PHP in their systems. Cyber-security experts warn that this could be a priority target for attackers.