21/10/2026
๐จ URGENT CYBER SECURITY ALERT โ UK BUSINESSES & WEBSITE OWNERS
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a critical warning affecting PHP, the technology powering millions of websites worldwide.**
Two critical security vulnerabilities have been identified in PHP, a core technology used by many websites, including those built on platforms such as WordPress.
The situation is serious enough that the NCSC is advising organisations to prepare for immediate security updates and, where vulnerabilities cannot be adequately mitigated, to consider temporarily taking affected systems offline.
โ ๏ธ What does this mean for your business?
If your business operates a website, online shop, booking platform or web-based application, your systems could potentially be affected.
The NCSC is recommending that organisations:
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Identify websites and systems running PHP.
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Prioritise checking publicly accessible websites and applications.
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Monitor systems for suspicious activity.
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Apply critical PHP security updates as soon as they become available.
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Check for updates from website software and hosting providers.
Security updates are scheduled for release today, Wednesday 21 October 2026, at 3pm BST, potentially earlier.
๐ **Don't assume your website is automatically protected.**
Updating WordPress, plugins or themes alone does not necessarily update the underlying PHP software running on your web server.
At Chaos Internet, we understand how important website security is to businesses of all sizes so we'll taking your websites offline shortly, for a short period, to instigate fixes. If you're unsure whether your website could be affected, we strongly recommend contacting your website developer or hosting provider as a matter of urgency.
Cyber security isn't something to leave until tomorrow.
๐ Official NCSC warning:
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/critical-security-issue-affecting-php
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/critical-security-issue-affecting-php
The NCSC is encouraging UK organisations to prepare for immediate updating of systems using PHP.