{
  "id": 16031331,
  "title": "What is PHP and how has it raised hacking fears?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/what-is-php-and-how-has-it-raised-hacking-fears",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-22T10:12:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/technology/2026/1022/1596430-php-security-flaw/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Artificial intelligence has uncovered serious security flaws in the popular PHP programming language, causing numerous websites to go offline while organizations scramble to fix the vulnerabilities. Businesses and governments globally are rushing to patch the issues after experts reported a surge in hacking attempts following the disclosure. Here's what you need to know about this PHP flaw:\n\nPHP, short for Personal Home Page, has been powering an estimated 70% of the world's websites since its creation in the early 1990s. It's considered the backbone of the web, supporting everything from online stores to government services through platforms like WordPress.\n\nWiz Research, a security firm, used AI to find hidden vulnerabilities in PHP for over a decade. They recently disclosed the flaws in August, keeping them under wraps while a fix was developed. The PHP Foundation urged anyone running PHP to update immediately, leading to many apps and websites going dark as developers work to secure their code.\n\nThis has raised fears among cybersecurity experts that AI's advanced capabilities could lead to increased risks of cyberattacks. AI models from US firms OpenAI and Google played a role in uncovering the vulnerabilities in PHP, with OpenAI calling it \"one of the most impactful vulnerabilities in recent memory.\" This marks a new phase where AI can find security bugs with internet-scale impact.\n\nSecurity firms like Calif also found the flaws as part of an OpenAI-funded audit of PHP's code. Experts warn that the ease with which information about these vulnerabilities spreads could lead to quick weaponization by malicious actors. Steve Kerrison, a cybersecurity lecturer, noted that taking websites offline doesn't always mean they've been hacked, but rather it's a responsible measure to protect systems while security updates are applied.\n\nWhile larger institutions may quickly fix their websites, smaller sites and users may remain unaware for days, weeks, or months. This could put them at risk of phishing attacks or spreading malicious content. The interconnected nature of online systems means some vulnerabilities might persist even after the problem is fixed if third-party interfaces using PHP are involved.\n\nTo mitigate the risk, cybersecurity experts emphasize the importance of strong cybersecurity measures, including multiple layers of defense.",
  "summary": "Artificial intelligence has found critical security flaws in a major programming language called PHP, with many websites taken offline as organisations worldwide work to fend off would-be hackers, but what is PHP and how has it raised AI hacking fears?",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}