Why AI could threaten much of the world’s digital infrastructure
Summary
AI tools helped cybersecurity experts uncover long-hidden flaws in PHP, a widely used open-source programming language. Experts warn that AI may reveal vulnerabilities faster than the volunteer-run groups and foundations that maintain much of the world’s digital infrastructure can fix them.Key Facts
- Authorities urged website administrators to apply emergency updates after researchers found PHP vulnerabilities known as PHP2Shell.
- The flaws had been in PHP code for more than a decade, according to the article.
- PHP runs about 70 percent of the world’s websites, and sites such as Facebook and Wikipedia were built using it.
- The PHP Foundation, launched in 2021 to coordinate PHP development, operates on a limited budget.
- Many widely used digital tools and systems rely on open-source software maintained by nonprofits and volunteers.
- Experts say advanced AI models can probe security defenses in ways that were previously too complicated for humans.
- Google reported finding more than 1,000 security bugs in a Chrome update, more than in its previous 24 updates combined.
- Open-source software foundations say they lack the resources to address vulnerabilities at the pace AI is uncovering them.
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