PHP Security Alert: What Happened Last Week and How It Can Affect your Website
Think of your website like a restaurant, your customers see the dining room, but behind the scenes, there's a kitchen keeping everything running. PHP is like the kitchen, it is part of that behind-the-scenes operation, it’s used by popular website platforms, including WordPress, to help websites function properly. When vulnerabilities (or security weaknesses) are discovered in PHP, websites using affected versions may face security risks (Blackbourn).
What Happened?
On October 21, 2026, two critical security vulnerabilities were addressed in PHP, a programming language that helps power millions of websites. The vulnerabilities, known as CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619, could potentially allow hackers to access and control vulnerable website servers without needing login credentials. Both vulnerabilities received a critical security rating of 9.2 out of 10 (based on the common vulnerability scoring system, 10 represents the highest level of severity, not the likelihood of being hacked), prompting urgent software updates (Google Cloud). But what does this mean for your small business? As of October 23rd PHP released another security warning about a less common weakness that could allow hackers to run harmful commands on affected website servers. PHP recommends temporarily disabling a specific server settings until its next regular bug-fix release. Business owners should contact their website developer or hosting provider to confirm the recommended precautions are in place (PHP Developer Team)
How Could This Affect Your Business?
These are potential risks, not confirmation that every PHP website has been compromised (Google Cloud), and here's something important: even if your WordPress website is fully updated, its underlying PHP software may still need a separate security update (Blackbourn). If your business website runs on an outdated or vulnerable PHP version, potential risks could include:
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Website downtime: Your website could become unavailable to customers.
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Data security: Attackers could potentially access or alter sensitive information.
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Unauthorized changes: Someone could interfere with your website or its underlying server
What Should Small Business Owners Do?
The good news? Security patches have already been released.
Here's what you should do:
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Contact your hosting provider or website developer, ask whether your website uses PHP and if the October 2026 security updates have been applied.
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Verify your PHP version. The patched versions are PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36, and 8.2.35. Older versions may require an upgrade or a vendor-supplied security fix (PHP Development Team).
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Request a security review, ask your provider to check for suspicious activity and confirm your website is properly maintained (Canadian Centre for Cyber Security).
The Bottom Line
This week's PHP security scare is an important reminder that website maintenance is extremely important, your website doesn't have to be visibly broken to need attention. Stay tuned for our next blog regarding any updates PHP announces.
At Better Brands Plus, we believe your website should do more than look good. It should be properly maintained, functional, and secure. Not sure whether your website is up to date? Contact Better Brands Plus to discuss your website's maintenance and security needs.
