Dutch cybersecurity center investigating first signs hackers abused PHP issues

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is looking into initial reports that hackers may have successfully exploited vulnerabilities in the PHP programming language. The agency flagged the potential abuse in its latest update.

"The situation could deteriorate quickly," the NCSC adds. "The use of artificial intelligence (AI) could potentially allow these vulnerabilities to be exploited even faster."

The NCSC had previously observed attempted attacks on websites that appeared to have failed. It cautioned, however, that attackers could still exploit the vulnerabilities successfully in the future. The centre says the latest developments highlight the need for organizations to install available security updates without delay. "We strongly advise everyone to patch their systems immediately."

The NCSC had earlier stated that there were no indications that the available security updates were insufficient to fix the vulnerabilities.

Two critical security flaws in PHP came to light this week. The programming language is used by a large share of websites worldwide, and attackers could exploit the flaws to launch cyberattacks, including attempts to take control of websites.

Chaotic scenes unfolded on Wednesday after the news emerged, with numerous government agencies, companies, and other organizations taking their websites offline as a precaution. Many sites gradually came back online only after patches were released on Wednesday afternoon by the organization behind PHP.

A significant number of websites may still be running without the required security updates, leaving them exposed to potential cyberattacks.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) has not yet received any reports of data breaches linked to the PHP vulnerabilities. Under Dutch law, organizations must report incidents involving potential breaches of personal data.