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Tech · October 22, 2026

Websites go dark worldwide after critical flaws are exposed, leaving up to 70% of sites open to attack

3 sources →

Two critical vulnerabilities have been discovered in PHP, a programming language that powers approximately 70% of websites worldwide. The flaws, identified with the assistance of artificial intelligence, allow for remote code execution and potential data exposure. In response, government and corporate websites globally have briefly gone dark or suspended services to apply security patches released by the PHP Foundation. Agencies such as the US National Security Agency, the FBI, and the UK government have issued warnings and advisories to prioritize these updates.

Read the original coverage

  • PBS NewsNonprofit

    AI discovered a software vulnerability that could impact 70% of websites worldwide. The rush is on to patch it

    Read at PBS News ↗
  • Daily MailTabloid

    Websites go dark worldwide after critical flaws are exposed, leaving up to 70% of sites open to attack

    Read at Daily Mail ↗
  • CNNMainstream

    Websites shut down globally after AI finds a critical flaw affecting 70% of the internet

    Read at CNN ↗

Reported by multiple outlets

  • Two critical vulnerabilities were discovered in the PHP programming language.
  • PHP powers roughly 70% of websites globally, including platforms like WordPress and Drupal.
  • The flaws allow for remote code execution and potential data breaches.
  • Artificial intelligence was used to help identify the security vulnerabilities.
  • The PHP Foundation has released security patches to address the bugs.
  • Government services in the UK and US have been impacted by temporary outages or service suspensions for patching.

Reported by only some outlets

  • Nearly three dozen UK government services were reported unavailable, according to Elizabeth Lloyd.
  • The FBI recommended that operators take websites offline if they cannot update them immediately.
  • Cloudflare provided information regarding the risk of service disruption and customer data exposure.

About these outlets

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