What is PHP and how serious is the computer language flaw causing website shutdowns?

The Guardian Business · 10/22/2026, 4:42:23 PM

An estimated 70% of websites use the open-source language. What is the identified vulnerability in it? Website owners faced millions of attempts to exploit a serious security vulnerability in their programming language, it has emerged, triggering a rush by governments and businesses to fix the problem. The newly discovered vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language that underpins most websites, allows hackers to carry out cyber-attacks and steal data if not fixed. What were the vulnerabilities and why did they affect so many sites? Continue reading...