What happened

According to a report by Dawn, government websites across Europe and other regions were taken offline on Wednesday following the discovery of critical vulnerabilities in PHP, a widely used programming language. PHP developers released urgent software updates and urged all operators to apply them immediately. In response to warnings that malicious actors were already attempting to exploit the security flaws, several government agencies and organizations proactively shut down public-facing systems while applying fixes.

Key facts

  • Discovery: Cybersecurity company Wiz discovered the flaws using AI vulnerability research tools, including Wiz Atlas, Google's Gemini 4 Argon, and OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol. The vulnerabilities had remained hidden in PHP's codebase for more than ten years.
  • Impact: The issue affects every PHP version released over the past 20 years. PHP powers roughly 75 percent of websites with identifiable programming languages, including major platforms such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and Magento.
  • Precautionary shutdowns: Entities taking websites or services offline included the Dutch National Cyber Security Centre, the Port of Rotterdam, Finnish state IT provider Valtori, France's Interior Ministry, and online encyclopedia Wikipedia.
  • Official advisories: Cybersecurity agencies in Australia, Britain, Europe, and Japan urged immediate updates. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi advised website owners to prepare patches, and the White House confirmed it was notified of the issue.

Why it matters

Cybersecurity experts cited by Dawn warned that because artificial intelligence allows attackers to quickly reverse-engineer public software fixes, a widespread wave of automated exploitation is expected. Small websites operating on shared hosting infrastructure may face heightened risks if operators take longer to implement updates. Specific step-by-step instructions for patching individual servers are not specified in the source; please check the official notice.

📰 Read the Original Report

Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 22, 2026 · Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash