Raleigh-area websites update after AI finds critical PHP flaw affecting 70% of sites

Governments and corporations worldwide, including those operating websites serving the Raleigh area, have been working overnight to patch critical vulnerabilities found in PHP, a programming language that powers about 70% of websites globally, WRAL reported.

The US National Security Agency and European cybersecurity agencies advised immediate action after artificial intelligence helped uncover two major flaws in PHP, which could allow attackers to remotely execute code and access sensitive data, according to ABC11 WTVD.

Some websites temporarily went offline as operators scrambled to apply patches released by the PHP Foundation, which urged all website operators to update their systems without delay to protect against potential cyberattacks.

The FBI’s cyber division warned that these vulnerabilities pose a significant risk to data and network security, recommending that websites unable to update immediately should consider going offline until patched, WRAL noted.

This incident highlights the growing role of AI in cybersecurity, both as a tool to detect hidden software flaws and as a factor raising concerns about the potential for more sophisticated cyberattacks, ABC11 WTVD reported.