Major websites go offline as operators race to patch a serious PHP vulnerability

Summary

Major websites are going offline while their operators work to patch a critical security flaw in PHP, a widely used programming language that underpins much of the web. TechRadar reports that major websites are going offline as they try to patch a huge PHP vulnerability, and it has published a running list of the big sites hit so far. The New York Times reports that the flaw has prompted a global rush to patch vulnerable systems, and asks why government and business websites are going offline. The BBC reports that websites were taken offline after PHP's developers said "critical vulnerabilities" had been discovered, and that services are racing to update their computer systems.

Timeline

1. TechRadar

   22 Oct 2026, 11:58 UTCSource ↗

   TechRadar reports that major websites are going offline as they attempt to patch a huge PHP vulnerability, and it has published a list of the big sites hit by the PHP crisis so far.

2. The New York Times

   22 Oct 2026, 15:55 UTCSource ↗

   The New York Times reports that a critical security flaw in PHP, the programming language underpinning much of the web, has prompted a global rush to patch vulnerable systems, and asks why government and business websites are going offline.

3. BBC

   22 Oct 2026, 17:12 UTCSource ↗

   The BBC reports that websites were taken offline after the developers of PHP said "critical vulnerabilities" had been discovered, and that services are racing to update their computer systems.