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

Source: Philstar.com
Published on: 2026-10-22 09:07

TOKYO, Japan - 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% 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 serv...

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