Websites down: What is PHP and how has it raised AI hacking fears?

The Korea Times - Oct 22, 2026

TOKYO — Artificial intelligence has found critical security flaws in a major programming language called PHP, with many websites taken offline Thursday as organizations worldwide scramble to fend off would-be hackers. As AI's fast-advancing capabilities fuel concern over the increased risk of cyberattacks, here are some questions and answers about the situation: What is PHP and how widely used is it? Created in the early 1990s, PHP is a computer programming language that helps run an estimated 70 percent of the world's websites. It is "a backbone of the web," according to security firm Wiz Research, which says it used AI to find vulnerabilities hidden in PHP for more than a decade. PHP — a name that originally stood for Personal Home Page — underpins popular web design platforms, meaning the flaws could allow hackers to break into various sites, from online stores to government services. A fix was released Wednesday, with the PHP Foundation telling the tech departments of companies and organizations around the world: "If you run PHP, it is imperative that you update now." That has res

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