Singapore's Cybersecurity Chief Urges Local Firms to Act Now to Fix Critical PHP Vulnerabilities

Singapore’s Cybersecurity Chief Gwenda Fong has urged local firms to act now to fix critical PHP vulnerabilities. PHP is a programming language that supports most of the internet. The vulnerabilities have existed in the software for years until they were discovered by artificial intelligence tools.

Fong said that many institutions, especially small and medium-sized enterprises that rely on external IT suppliers or hosting service providers, may not be aware that their systems have been affected. However, she emphasized that the threat is imminent.

Fong advised institutions that operate websites or online services to check their systems, including those managed by third-party suppliers, to see if they are using affected PHP versions. They should then immediately patch and prioritize internet-facing systems, and investigate if there are signs that their systems may have been compromised.