UK Government Sites May Be Down Temporarily Due to PHP Cyber-Security Flaw
The UK government has announced that some of its websites may be down temporarily due to a critical cyber-security flaw in the PHP programming language. The issue, which affects millions of websites worldwide, was identified by a researcher who described it as the "most serious" issue they have ever found.
The PHP flaw, which allows attackers to steal personal data, has prompted warnings from governments and cyber-security agencies to take sites offline. The Office for Budget Responsibility and NHS Scotland have already taken their sites down, and Wikipedia has also taken down parts of its website. The UK government is working to identify any potential exposure.
The vulnerability was discovered using artificial intelligence, with Wiz describing it as the "most severe" ever detected by AI. OpenAI, whose technology was used to find the flaws, calls the discovery "one of the most impactful security issues in recent memory".
