Hacking attempts rise after flaws found in program affecting 70% of websites

Cybersecurity firm Wiz Research, using OpenAI technology, says it discovered security flaws in PHP, the Hypertext Preprocessor language that supports about 70% of websites. OpenAI called the bug “one of the most impactful vulnerabilities in recent memory,” and Wiz warned exploitation could let attackers take over servers, steal sensitive data, and deface sites. Wiz said teams worked on a solution before public disclosure and that fixed versions are now available. In the days after the announcement, numerous sites and pages were taken offline, while the NSA urged heightened awareness and the UK’s NCSC called for immediate updates. Cloudflare’s Matthew Prince said exploit attempts rose from tens of thousands within 45 minutes to millions by Thursday. Wiz noted the underlying flaws had existed for decades, but AI reduced the barrier to exploitation.