Technology · London, UK · United Kingdom · October 23, 2026

Hacking attempts rise after AI-found PHP flaws

Reported by 6 outlets · first reported Oct 23, 5:37 AM ET

Cybersecurity leaders warned of a coming 'vulnerability tsunami' after AI tools exposed critical flaws in PHP, a programming language underlying about 70% of websites. NPR reported hacking attempts are rising, Amazon said it saw attacks before the warning was public, and IT workers described relentless patching. A UK minister said 500 new vulnerabilities had been found in government systems.

Why it matters

Governments and companies worldwide have taken websites offline or rushed patches to prevent breaches.

Background

PHP has powered much of the web since the 1990s, including major content management systems. AI tools are increasingly used to find software bugs.

The story so far

1. Oct 21Websites taken offline worldwide after critical PHP flaw
2. Oct 22Millions of exploitation attempts reported after PHP flaws disclosed
3. Oct 23Hacking attempts rise after AI-found PHP flaws
4. Oct 24Japan to simulate cyberattacks after PHP flaws

Follow the whole story →

Sources

• The Guardian ↗Oct 23, 2:48 PM ET
• CNBC ↗Oct 23, 12:55 PM ET
• NPR ↗Oct 23, 5:37 AM ET

This summary was written automatically from the reporting linked above; follow the sources for the full story. How One Turn works.

See it on the globe →All of Oct 23's stories