PHP2Shell: news, timeline and key numbers

Two critical flaws in PHP, collectively called PHP2Shell, set off a global scramble in the week of October 21. PHP is the open-source language that may underpin up to 70% of websites worldwide. On October 23, UK ministers said 32 government services were unavailable and four more were partly disrupted. Government sites across Europe went dark on October 21 as operators rushed to patch.

Reports on October 24 described the two flaws as serious. By October 26, TechCrunch reported that website owners had been told to patch the newly discovered vulnerabilities immediately or take their sites offline. The flaws were reportedly decades old. The same day, The Register ran an opinion column arguing that the episode shows vulnerability disclosure must change.

Separately, OpenAI launched Project Daybreak on October 24. The program gives vetted partners access to its most capable hacking-focused AI models to find and fix software vulnerabilities.

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