Two critical PHP flaws prompt temporary website shutdowns
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on 3news
Two critical vulnerabilities in the PHP programming language have led public bodies and businesses to temporarily take websites offline, including in Finland and the Netherlands. A patch was released on Wednesday and cybersecurity agencies recommend suspending services that cannot be updated, according to the BBC.
Two critical vulnerabilities in the PHP programming language have led organisations to temporarily take some pages offline, including at Wikipedia and public services. The vulnerabilities were discovered using artificial intelligence and a patch was released on Wednesday afternoon, the BBC reported on 22 October 2026.
Several cybersecurity agencies recommend that organisations unable to apply the patch in time take their websites offline. Finland temporarily shut down its public web services and the Dutch cybersecurity agency also took its website offline. The US National Security Agency gave the same advice, warning that the flaws could provide direct access to server files or databases.
The Wikimedia Foundation, which operates the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, said it had taken several systems offline as a precaution until they could be secured. Some pages on the site were therefore inaccessible on Wednesday. The website of Edinburgh City Council and pages for several BBC programmes, including Doctor Who and The Traitors, were also unavailable, with no confirmation that this was linked to PHP.
The BBC reports that the White House said federal agencies were working with artificial intelligence laboratories to speed up the fix. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, meanwhile, urged internet users to check whether their publicly accessible websites use PHP.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
