Two flaws in PHP, the code behind nearly 70% of websites, can let hackers take over a site without a password. AI found them after they sat hidden for more than a decade.
U.S. agencies told organizations to update PHP right away or take it offline if they can’t. Government agencies in the Netherlands, France, Denmark and Finland took websites offline as a precaution.
Japanese banks paused some services. MUFG Bank halted some online banking transactions, Mizuho stopped services and Shizuoka Bank shut its banking app. Japan’s bank settlement network was not affected.
Security flaws discovered with the help of artificial intelligence have triggered an urgent, OpenAI-led effort to protect websites worldwide, PYMNTS reported. The scramble exposes how quickly AI can uncover weaknesses in the software that supports online banking, payments and commerce.
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The vulnerabilities affect PHP, a programming language used by nearly 70% of websites whose server-side language is known, according to Oct. 21 data from W3Techs, a web technology survey, Newsweek reported. Wiz researchers warned that attackers could exploit the flaws to take control of vulnerable servers, steal sensitive information or deface websites, PYMNTS reported. Still, the discovery does not mean every website using PHP is vulnerable. Exposure depends on the PHP version and how each system is configured, according to Newsweek.
For financial institutions, the danger extends beyond their core banking systems. Customer portals, merchant platforms, payment applications and third-party service providers may depend on software that banks do not directly control.
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