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Front page: the core facts: every version

This section is a projection of the site's data, rebuilt on every release. A new version is recorded only when the text a reader sees changes, so a release that changed something elsewhere leaves this section's version alone. It has 2 versions; the newest is first, and each is shown as the changes from the one before. Read the current version →

v2 · site v0.5.8 · 22 October 2026 · 1 lines added or changed, 1 removed or changed, against v1 · 48aa4802b3a9

confirmed: There are two flaws. Both are in PHP itself, underneath every website that uses it, and both are rated critical: 9.2 out of 10. [cve-cve-2026-109618, cve-cve-2026-109619, php-net-advisory]

4 unchanged lines

reported: Attackers are trying. One internet security company reports millions of attempts; Amazon reports a decoy server was hit four days before the announcement. [x-eastdakota-php2shell-stats, thehackernews-php2shell-4days]

confirmed: Attackers are trying, in large numbers. No organisation has ~~confirmed~~said ait ~~break-in,~~was broken into through this flaw, as of the evening of 22 October, and the US government's official list of flaws known to be used in attacks did not include these two when last checked. [cisa-kev-json, cisa-kev-catalog]

confirmed: Every agency says install the fix. They disagree on what to do if you cannot: the US says take the website offline, the UK lists that as a last resort, several European agencies say cut it off from the public internet, and some say nothing about it. [cisa-alert-php-20261021, ncsc-news-php, certeu-sa-2026-018, acsc-alert-php]

confirmed: The headline '70% of the Internet' is not what it sounds like. It is roughly the share of websites built with PHP, which is what the same company's own article says; nobody has measured how many are actually at risk. [wiz-blog-php2shell, x-wiz-io-php2shell, cloudflare-blog-php2shell-waf]

v1 · site v0.3.2 · 22 October 2026 · the first version · a9ba1bdfcfcf

confirmed: There are two flaws. Both are in PHP itself, underneath every website that uses it, and both are rated critical: 9.2 out of 10. [cve-cve-2026-109618, cve-cve-2026-109619, php-net-advisory]
confirmed: Someone anywhere on the internet, with no password, can use them against a website that has not installed the fix, and make its server run their own commands. Researchers proved this on the most traditional way of running PHP; for other setups it is likely but less certain. [github-ghsa-w8hw-w9fx-j79w, github-ghsa-6wmf-4rv5-p3rp, php-foundation-blog-security-release]
confirmed: The fix is in PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36 and 8.2.35, released on 21 October 2026. Websites on PHP 8.1 or older have no ready-made fix. [php-net-advisory, github-php-src-branch-7.4-backport]
reported: The weak spot was first noticed in 2024 and left alone, because nobody could show it was dangerous. In August 2026, three research teams using AI tools showed that it was, and told the PHP project. [php-foundation-blog-security-release, calif-php2shell, wiz-blog-php2shell]
confirmed: The plan was to announce the fix on 22 October. Word leaked out on 20 October, so it was released a day early. [php-foundation-blog-security-release, daubois-blog-php2shell-rumors]
reported: Attackers are trying. One internet security company reports millions of attempts; Amazon reports a decoy server was hit four days before the announcement. [x-eastdakota-php2shell-stats, thehackernews-php2shell-4days]
confirmed: No organisation has confirmed a break-in, and the US government's official list of flaws known to be used in attacks did not include these two when last checked. [cisa-kev-json, cisa-kev-catalog]
confirmed: Every agency says install the fix. They disagree on what to do if you cannot: the US says take the website offline, the UK lists that as a last resort, several European agencies say cut it off from the public internet, and some say nothing about it. [cisa-alert-php-20261021, ncsc-news-php, certeu-sa-2026-018, acsc-alert-php]
confirmed: The headline '70% of the Internet' is not what it sounds like. It is roughly the share of websites built with PHP, which is what the same company's own article says; nobody has measured how many are actually at risk. [wiz-blog-php2shell, x-wiz-io-php2shell, cloudflare-blog-php2shell-waf]

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