# PHP security flaws force global website shutdowns

> Critical PHP vulnerabilities trigger worldwide site outages as governments urge fixes.
- Title: PHP security flaws force global website shutdowns · BBC News
- Summary: Critical PHP vulnerabilities trigger worldwide site outages as governments urge fixes. Critical PHP security flaws caused global website shutdowns as…
- Keywords: php, critical vulnerabilities, website shutdowns, governments, cyber-security, php foundation, national cyber security centre, openai, wiz, calif, php 8.1, wordpress
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmly0lg3w5x2o
- Published: 2026-10-21T12:09:22.519+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: php, critical vulnerabilities, website shutdowns, governments, cyber-security, php foundation, national cyber security centre, openai, wiz, calif, php 8.1, wordpress
## Critical PHP flaws discovered
International governments and agencies urged websites to address two critical cyber-security flaws in PHP.
## PHP vulnerabilities discovered by AI
Cyber-security firms Wiz and Calif discovered the flaws using AI tools from OpenAI's Patch the Planet program.
## 70% of internet affected
PHP security experts estimate roughly 70% of the internet is impacted by the vulnerabilities.
## Global website shutdowns
Finnish government, Edinburgh council, BBC and Dutch authorities temporarily shut websites due to the flaws.
## US National Security Agency advice
US National Security Agency advised organizations to take systems offline if unable to apply fixes.
## PHP vulnerability impact
The flaws allow direct access to server file systems or databases without authentication.
## Wikipedia and other sites affected
Wikipedia and DeviantArt temporarily shut down services as precautionary measures.
## PHP vulnerability timeline
The flaws were discovered in August after using AI tools for a few weeks, affecting PHP versions from 2004 onwards.
## Key takeaway

Critical PHP security flaws caused global website shutdowns as governments urged immediate patching.