Two PHP Vulnerabilities Put Websites at Risk

Two vulnerabilities in the PHP programming language put websites and online services at risk, according to The Verge. The flaws were disclosed recently, and some services, including DeviantArt and 4Chan, were temporarily shut down after disclosure.

PHP is used by as many as 70 percent of websites, according to some accounts. It powers platforms including Wikipedia, WordPress and Drupal, as well as many other sites. The Verge reports that governments were also affected.

Updating servers may not resolve the problem for every site. The vulnerabilities affect PHP versions dating back roughly 20 years, including many that are no longer supported. Older sites and services that are no longer actively maintained may therefore remain at risk, with some potentially having little option but to shut down permanently.

Security firm Wiz described the flaws as “among the most severe vulnerabilities discovered … in software history,” as quoted by The Verge. The source does not identify the affected PHP versions or provide details about patches.