Hacking attempts rise after AI tool finds severe flaws in PHP code
Governments are racing to apply safeguards after the vulnerabilities were identified in a language used across a large share of the web.
What to know
- The flaws were found in PHP, a programming language widely used to build websites.
- The vulnerabilities were described as severe and were surfaced by AI technology.
- Authorities in multiple countries are moving to put safety measures in place.
Attempts to break into computer systems have increased after an AI tool identified what were described as severe vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language that underpins a large majority of websites. Governments in several countries are rushing to adopt safety measures in response, according to the report, which did not name the agencies involved or specify the fixes being applied.
It is not clear how many systems remain unpatched, which organizations were targeted, or whether any intrusion succeeded. The report did not identify the AI tool or the researchers behind the findings. Administrators of sites built on the language face the task of locating and correcting the flaws, a process that can lag behind disclosure.
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