‘No indications’ PHP code flaw has led to government systems being hacked, cyber security official says – as it happened
News Source
•Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:16:40 GMT
📰 What Happened
A UK cyber security official says there is no sign that a serious flaw in PHP has let hackers into government systems. The comment came during a politics live blog on Thursday.
The flaw is in PHP, software that runs millions of websites. As a precaution, 32 government websites were taken offline. The National Cyber Security Centre sent 50,000 alerts to affected organisations.
The same blog covered the chancellor's budget plans, red tape for small businesses and oil prices.
🔍 The Backstory
PHP is free code that powers many publishing tools, including WordPress. A single bad line can let an attacker run commands on a server, so agencies often switch sites off while they patch.
Governments are deeply tied to the internet now. When Spain and Portugal lost power for hours in April 2025, about 55 million people were affected, showing how fast one failure spreads.
Security officials face a trade-off. Shutting a site stops an attack but also stops people using services they need that day.
🎯 Why It Matters
Government sites handle taxes, benefits and health records. A flaw in common code can expose private data for millions of people, even if nothing has leaked yet.
A UK cyber security official says there is no sign that a serious flaw in PHP has let hackers into government systems. The comment came during a politics live blog on Thursday.
The flaw is in PHP, software that runs millions of websites. As a precaution, 32 government websites were taken offline. The National Cyber Security Centre sent 50,000 alerts to affected organisations.
The same blog covered the chancellor's budget plans, red tape for small businesses and oil prices.
PHP is free code that powers many publishing tools, including WordPress. A single bad line can let an attacker run commands on a server, so agencies often switch sites off while they patch.
Governments are deeply tied to the internet now. When Spain and Portugal lost power for hours in April 2025, about 55 million people were affected, showing how fast one failure spreads.
Security officials face a trade-off. Shutting a site stops an attack but also stops people using services they need that day.
Government sites handle taxes, benefits and health records. A flaw in common code can expose private data for millions of people, even if nothing has leaked yet.