{"slug": "here-s-how-to-protect-your-information-from-the-php-flaw-according-to-pros", "title": "Here's how to protect your information from the PHP flaw, according to cybersecurity pros", "summary": "OpenAI said on Wednesday that researchers using its AI models uncovered two \"critical\" flaws in PHP, the open-source programming language used on about 70% of the world's websites, and Cloudflare reported millions of exploitation attempts within a day of the disclosure, according to Aikido Security cofounder Madeline Lawrence. The National Security Administration warned that hackers using one of the PHP exploits could \"steal sensitive data, disrupt services, or move deeper into a network,\" and PHP has released updates it says will shield websites from attackers. Lawrence told Business Insider that consumers should not reuse passwords, use a password manager, enable two-factor authentication on email, banking and password-manager accounts, and act on breach notifications, while warning against closing bank accounts over the flaw.", "body_md": "If you're still using the same password for everything, it might finally be time to get on that.\n\nWhile the [major cybersecurity vulnerabilities](https://www.businessinsider.com/php-vulnerability-cybersecurity-ai-patch-openai-gpt-calif-wiz-hacking-2026-10) that OpenAI agents helped expose on Wednesday primarily impact the owners and operators of websites, it could also give hackers the opportunity to hijack your personal information, researchers said.\n\n\"Be extra careful visiting ANY web site in the next few days,\" Changpeng Zhao, the cofounder of cryptocurrency platform Binance, said on X.\n\n[OpenAI](https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-openai-mathematicians-math-disruption-navier-stokes-2026-10) said on Wednesday that researchers using its AI models uncovered two \"critical\" flaws in the infrastructure of PHP, a popular open-source programming language used on about 70% of the world's websites.\n\nBecause digital commerce websites, for instance, can store [personal shopper information](https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-agents-instinct-muse-redefine-personal-shopping-online-2026-10) in PHP systems, that information would be accessible to a bad actor exploiting the web provider's system if that provider hasn't updated it.\n\nThe National Security Administration warned that hackers using one of the PHP exploits could \"steal sensitive data, disrupt services, or move deeper into a network.\"\n\n\"Even if you yourself are not building software and that's not where your core business is, a lot of your life does depend on companies that depend on those systems,\" Madeline Lawrence, cofounder of Aikido Security, an application security platform, told Business Insider on Thursday.\n\n\"And they could be deeply, deeply vulnerable,\" she added. She said that one day after the disclosure, cybersecurity platform Cloudflare reported millions of attempts to exploit the vulnerability.\n\nIf you do own a website, PHP has released updates it says will help shield websites from hackers. Instructions for applying those updates are available on PHP's homepage.\n\nFor everyone else, here are a few tips [cybersecurity researchers](https://www.businessinsider.com/cybersecurity-ai-mobile-app-data-protection-2024-3) say you can use to protect your info.\n\n- Don't reuse passwords; use a password manager.\n- Check for security advisories from your bank.\n- Use two-factor authentication on your devices and accounts — especially for email, banking, and your password manager.\n- If your data has been breached, expect more convincing scams and phishing emails.\n- Turn auto-updates on and restart your computer weekly.\n\n\"You can ask your claude code to audit what on your laptop is out of date and needs updating,\" Peter Wildeford, head of policy at the AI Policy Network, a bipartisan nonprofit that advocates for safety guardrails and federal oversight, added in a post on X.\n\nPSA: in light of recent cyberattacks and vulnerabilities, I recommend everyone:\n\n* use a good password manager (1Password) and do not duplicate passwords \n\n* use two factor auth for everything important (not via sms!! Google Authenticator or better yet YubiKey)\n\n* Auto-updates on,…\n\n[October 21, 2026](https://x.com/peterwildeford/status/2112994329316708756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\n\nThough Lawrence called the vulnerability \"very severe,\" she cautioned against people running to close their bank accounts to protect themselves.\n\n\"Assume that if you're getting a notification that your data has been leaked,\" she said. \"Take action on that because you could have credentials or information floating around the dark web.\"", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/here-s-how-to-protect-your-information-from-the-php-flaw-according-to-pros", "canonical_source": "https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-protect-information-php-issue-hackers-cybersecurity-2026-10", "published_at": "2026-10-22 21:13:14+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-10-22 21:42:17.735727+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-safety"], "entities": ["OpenAI", "PHP", "Cloudflare", "National Security Administration", "Aikido Security", "Madeline Lawrence", "Changpeng Zhao", "Binance"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/here-s-how-to-protect-your-information-from-the-php-flaw-according-to-pros", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/here-s-how-to-protect-your-information-from-the-php-flaw-according-to-pros.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/here-s-how-to-protect-your-information-from-the-php-flaw-according-to-pros.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/here-s-how-to-protect-your-information-from-the-php-flaw-according-to-pros.jsonld"}}