Experts say AI can find and exploit software weaknesses in minutes, a speed that could fuel a rise in cyber attacks. The warning follows a recent breach involving flaws in PHP, a programming language that underpins 70 percent of the internet. Several government agencies took websites offline, including a cyber defence portal, to prevent breaches. Security specialists urge governments to use AI for defence, share intelligence with private firms, and recover critical services first.
Millions of attempts to exploit newly published PHP bugs were recorded within hours, according to Cloudflare analysis. The PHP Foundation said it had seen no successful exploitation, and many circulating exploits appear ineffective. Researchers at Calif first identified the flaws in early August, using AI tools alongside human expertise. Some of the underlying issues were known since 2024 but were considered too complex to exploit. Security researchers say AI mainly magnifies existing patterns of vulnerability discovery rather than creating new ones.
Hacking attempts have risen to millions after two critical vulnerabilities in PHP, a widely used programming language, were made public. Cloud services firm Cloudflare said attempts jumped from thousands before the announcement to millions shortly after. Global agencies, including Australia's Australian Signals Directorate, have urged websites to patch their code urgently. Developers have released fixes and told users to update immediately. Some governments have taken websites offline as a precaution, and several Asian governments have ordered cyber security inspections.
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Australian government websites, including the cyber defence portal cyber.gov.au, were taken offline after serious vulnerabilities were found in PHP, a widely used web scripting engine. The Australian Signals Directorate says some organisations took sites down as a precaution and there is no sign the sites were affected. NSW Minister for Digital Government Jihad Dib said some NSW government sites were temporarily taken down while patches are applied. No government agencies have reported data breaches. OpenAI said an AI model identified the flaw and warned that similar findings could rise sharply.
Industry Minister Tim Ayres has said no Australian government websites have been breached after a serious security flaw was discovered in a widely used programming language. The live coverage follows the day's developments on the issue.
The PHP Foundation has released emergency security updates for two critical flaws in the PHP programming language, which could let attackers gain remote control of victim systems. The flaws affect PHP installations going back to version 5, but only PHP 8.2 and newer are still supported with patches. Security experts warn that attackers could begin exploiting unpatched systems quickly. Some organisations took their websites offline before the fixes arrived. The FBI has urged anyone who finds signs of compromise to isolate the system and report it.
