Several European governments and Canada pulled sites offline after a patch for two serious flaws in PHP, software behind WordPress and Drupal. Business sites should update.
Government websites in the Netherlands, Denmark, France and Finland went offline, at least in part, after the PHP Foundation announced a security fix for two critical flaws. Canada also shut down some sites for a time. The shutdowns were a precaution, according to Reuters and Engadget.
PHP is a programming language that runs a large share of websites, including those built on WordPress and Drupal. The flaws could let a hacker break into a server and potentially take control of it. They reportedly went unnoticed for years and were found by cybersecurity firms using AI tools.
Tiffany Farriss, interim CEO of the Drupal Association, said every version of PHP released in the last 20 years is vulnerable. She said the issue affects the majority of the internet. Canada's digital minister, Evan Solomon, confirmed the temporary shutdown on X and urged site operators to update fast.
If your business site uses PHP, the alert box above lists the steps. The short version is to ask your host or developer to install the patch today. A site that does not use PHP is not covered by this warning.
The US cybersecurity agency CISA has also urged organizations to apply the new patch. The White House told Reuters it learned of the issue on Friday. The reporting does not say whether hackers have already used these flaws, so watch for notices from your host.
If your website runs on PHP, including WordPress or Drupal, ask your host or developer to install the new PHP patch today.
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