Government websites in Europe, elsewhere go dark as software flaw sparks security scramble

Government websites across Europe and other regions went offline due to critical vulnerabilities discovered in the widely used PHP programming language. Developers of PHP identified two critical flaws and urged users to update immediately, with a fix released by Wednesday afternoon. However, reports of hackers already exploiting these vulnerabilities prompted government agencies, including those in the Netherlands and Finland, to take their sites offline as a precautionary measure. PHP underpins a significant portion of the internet, including major platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, raising concerns about widespread vulnerability. Cybersecurity firms like Cloudflare reported emerging attacks, while agencies worldwide advised immediate updates or temporary site closures to mitigate risks. The situation highlights the critical dependency on foundational internet software and the rapid response required to maintain online security.