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We shouldn't be surprised about the PHPocalypse, as the internet is built on sticks and glue

The Register
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Published Oct 26, 2026
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Updated

We've spent the past several decades using duct tape, string, and chewing gum to chain the world's computers together into this thing we call the internet, so there's really no good reason to be surprised that most of it is full of software containing vulnerabilities that are practically just as old. You can listen to the latest episode of The Kettle right here on this page, as well as on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. Those platforms also let you subscribe to Kettle, so you are always notified when the latest episode goes live. The world is still reeling from the PHP2Shell revelations that hit the news cycle this week, and on The Kettle there's no better topic for host Brandon Vigliarolo, cybersecurity editor Jessica Lyons, and FOSS reporter Liam Proven to tease apart. Join us to discuss what exactly is going on, how AI was key to finding another issue no human likely ever would have discovered on their own, and why exposing more bad code in the backbone of the world's computers might be just what we need to rethink the whole thing for the better. A lightly edited transcript follows: Brandon (00:01) Hi everyone, and welcome to the latest episode of The Register's Kettle podcast. I'm your host, Reg reporter Brandon Vigliarolo. And hey, there's only one thing we could focus on for this week's episode, given all the hubbub around it, and that's the PHP apocalypse. It turns out most of the internet is running software that could allow remote code execution on host systems via...

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Affected Software

1 affected component
PHP PHP>=5.4

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What role did AI play in the issues discussed?

The article says AI was key to finding another issue that no human likely would have discovered on their own. It does not provide technical details about that issue.

2

Does the article identify which systems or users are affected by the PHP2Shell revelations?

No. It characterizes the issue as affecting code in the backbone of the world's computers, but does not name affected systems, organizations, versions, or users.

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