Pierluigi Paganini answers questions about the PHP2Shell vulnerability, early exploitation, AI-assisted attacks, and the risks to businesses, servers, and personal data. 1. Your latest report reveals that hackers began exploiting the PHP2Shell vulnerability four days before it was publicly disclosed. First, can you explain what PHP is, how widely it is used across the internet, and why this particular security flaw is so serious? PHP is a programming language widely used to build websites and web applications. It powers a significant share of the web. PHP2Shell is serious because it can allow attackers to execute commands on a vulnerable server remotely. Depending on the configuration and the server’s privileges, this could give threat actors access to sensitive data, applications and other systems. 2. According to AWS researchers, attacks were already underway before the vulnerability became public. How did researchers uncover this early exploitation, and what does it tell us about the ability of hackers to identify security weaknesses before developers can fix them? AWS researchers detected exploitation attempts against their honeypot network four days before public disclosure and the release of patches. This shows that attackers can discover or weaponize vulnerabilities before defenders have time to respond. AI-assisted analysis may accelerate this process, helping attackers turn technical information into working exploits in hours rather than days. However, detected attempts do not automatically mean successful compromises. 3. The vulnerability could potentially allow attackers to execute malicious commands on affected servers. What does that mean in practical terms, and what risks does it pose to websites, businesses and the personal information of their users? Remote command execution means an attacker may be able to make a server run commands without authorization. Depending on the attacker’s access, they could steal data, install malware, change website content, or use the compromised server to attack other systems. Businesses could face service disruption, financial losses and reputational damage. Users may also be exposed if their personal information is stored on an affected system. The actual impact depends on the server’s configuration and security controls. 4. The latest findings raise concerns about the gap between discovering a vulnerability and protecting systems against it. How quickly can attackers exploit these weaknesses, and are businesses adequately prepared to respond when critical security flaws emerge? The window can be extremely short. In some cases, attackers can develop or adapt an exploit within hours, leaving organizations little time to react. Many businesses still rely on patching schedules that are too slow for internet-facing systems. Organizations need continuous monitoring, rapid patching, tested incident response plans and clear visibility into exposed assets. They should also investigate suspicious activity dating back to before a vulnerability was publicly disclosed, because attacks may already be underway. 5. With PHP powering a significant portion of the internet, could we see further attacks exploiting this vulnerability? What should website operators do immediately to protect their systems, and should ordinary internet users be concerned about their data? Further attacks are possible, particularly against systems that remain unpatched or exposed. Website operators should apply the relevant security updates, check whether their PHP applications are vulnerable, and review logs for suspicious activity dating back to October 17. They should also restrict access and investigate signs of compromise. Ordinary users do not need to panic, but they should keep their accounts protected with unique passwords and multi-factor authentication where available. Whether personal data is at risk depends on which services they use and whether those systems were compromised. AI-assisted tools are increasingly being used to analyze code and identify vulnerabilities. How much of a role could artificial intelligence play in helping attackers discover and exploit flaws like PHP2Shell, and can defenders use the same technology to their advantage? AI can help analyze code, identify suspicious patterns and speed up the process of turning a vulnerability into a working exploit. This lowers some of the technical barriers for attackers and may shorten the time between discovering a flaw and exploiting it. However, AI is not the only factor, and we should not assume that every attack is AI-driven. Defenders can use the same capabilities to review code, prioritize vulnerabilities, analyze logs and detect suspicious behavior. The real advantage comes from combining AI with reliable data, skilled security teams and effective response processes. This case shows that attackers may exploit a vulnerability before a patch is available. Does this mean traditional vulnerability management is no longer enough, and how should organizations rethink their security strategy? Traditional vulnerability management remains essential, but patching alone is not enough when attackers may act before a fix becomes available. Organizations need to know which internet-facing systems they operate, understand their exposure and have additional controls in place. These include limiting access to vulnerable services, monitoring suspicious activity, applying temporary mitigations and preparing incident response procedures. They should also investigate whether systems were targeted before the vulnerability was disclosed. The goal is to reduce the opportunity for exploitation and detect attacks quickly, even when a patch is not yet available. Below is another interview I gave to TRT World discussing critical PHP vulnerabilities, the risks they pose to web servers, and the growing number of exploitation attempts. I explain why rapid patching and effective security measures are essential to minimize potential damage. Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs – hacking, newsletter)
U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) adds Collabora Online flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added a Collabora Collabora Online – Built-in CODE Server flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-110447 (CVSS score of 9.2), to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Collabora Online – Built-in CODE Server is an app for Nextcloud that lets you open, edit and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets and presentations directly in your browser, without needing Microsoft Office installed on your computer. It is based on Collabora Online and LibreOffice technology. CVE-2026-110447 is a critical OS command injection flaw in Nextcloud’s proxy.php that affects Collabora Online Built-in CODE Server before 26.4.303. Unauthenticated attackers can execute commands when the built-in server is stopped. Standalone Collabora servers are not affected. Update immediately. In versions up to 26.4.302, proxy.php included request data in a Bash command without proper sanitization, allowing attackers to execute OS commands as the web server user. Exploitation is possible only when the local CODE server is stopped, such as during a restart, upgrade or crash. The script runs directly through the web server without loading Nextcloud’s code. Exploitation has been reported since September 2026, with attackers deploying PHP web shells and stealing configuration files containing credentials and application secrets. Three administrators reported the vulnerability on GitHub, while the first recorded attack dates back to September 10. The first attack was reported by a Nextcloud administrator whose servers had been compromised. Logs showed malicious requests on September 10 and 11, 2026, from the same IP, targeting proxy.php on version 26.4.302. The attackers deployed a PHP web shell and searched one server for credential stores and cryptocurrency wallets. Although reviewed logs showed no file exfiltration commands, data accessible to the web server account must be considered potentially exposed. Two other administrators reported similar incidents, but none found evidence of root access. After updating to 26.4.303, one administrator recorded another attempt on September 14, but no new shell appeared. Project maintainer mmeeks urged users to update and remove leftover shx*.php files. The CVE record confirms exploitation in September and October 2026, but the total number of compromised servers remains unknown. The flaw affects only the Development Edition’s Built-in CODE Server deployment. According to Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, FCEB agencies have to address the identified vulnerabilities by the due date to protect their networks against attacks exploiting the flaws in the catalog. Experts also recommend that private organizations review the Catalog and address the vulnerabilities in their infrastructure. CISA orders federal agencies to fix the flaw by October 26, 2026. Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs – hacking, CISA)
A new UEFI bootkit named BlackX, deployed in an espionage campaign in early 2026, exploited the old Baton Drop vulnerability to bypass Secure Boot and load a malicious driver designed to interfere with security solutions from Kaspersky and Avast. The operation has been attributed with medium confidence to APT41, a Chinese state-sponsored threat group also known as Brass Typhoon, Wicked Panda, and Barium. It was discovered in early 2026 and targeted diplomatic agencies in Central Asia, particularly in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Kaspersky researchers analyzed the BlackX bootkit and found similarities with BlackLotus, which has been circulating on hacker forums since October 2022 and leveraged the Baton Drop vulnerability (CVE-2022-21894) to bypass Secure Boot protection. ESET confirmed in March 2023 that BlackLotus exploited Baton Drop, and at the time it could compromise even fully patched Windows 11 systems.
A memory-corruption flaw in Google's Brotli decoder sits in many programs that unpack Brotli-compressed data, among them Bun, the Python Brotli and brotlicffi packages, and Envoy proxies set up to decompress Brotli. Tracked as CVE-2026-111497, the flaw allows crafted compressed data to overwrite past the end of a buffer and corrupt a program's memory, potentially
LiteLLM on Friday revealed that an Agent Platform master key accidentally published to a public GitHub repository in late May 2026 ultimately allowed the threat actor to push a malicious version of the popular Python package. "On May 27, 2026, a configuration file was committed to the public LiteLLM-Labs/lite-harness repository which inadvertently contained the master key to a deployment of
Google has updated its privacy policy to spell out that using personalized artificial intelligence (AI) features in Search or Gemini could allow the company to serve targeted ads to users based on their activity on other connected Google services. "You may choose to allow certain Google services, including services like Search or Gemini Apps, to access data from other Google services you use,
Between November 2025 and March 2026, the Dutch security firm Eye Security pushed more than 2 million updates to computers it did not own to switch off a background updater that it said could have allowed an outsider to take over the machine. The updater belongs to Time4Popcorn, an abandoned copy of Popcorn Time, a free app that streamed pirated films and TV over BitTorrent. Popcorn Time was
U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) adds Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added a critical Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-114625 (CVSS score of 9.4), to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. VeloCloud Orchestrator (VCO) is the central management system for VMware SD-WAN, a technology that helps companies securely connect offices, data centers, cloud services, and remote sites over wide-area networks. It is now associated with Arista Networks, which acquired VMware’s SD-WAN business. The orchestrator gives network administrators a central place to configure, monitor, and manage the network. The flaw is a SQL Injection issue that affects on-premises VeloCloud Orchestrator (VCO). It allows an authenticated user to gain operator privileges and impersonate a local superuser operator account. This could give a remote attacker access to internal functions that should not be remotely available, potentially compromising the system and the data it manages. Hosted VCO versions, including Dedicated, were also affected but have already been patched. “VeloCloud Orchestrator (VCO) on-prem has a security issue where this issue may allow a remote attacker to access privileged internal functionality and impact the VCO host. Successful exploitation may compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the orchestrator and data managed by the orchestrator.” reads the advisory. “On an affected system, any authenticated user can gain operator privileges and masquerade as a local “superuser operator” user. This includes access to functionality that is intended for internal use only and which is not intended to be remotely accessible.” VeloCloud Orchestrator (VCO) is vulnerable by default. An attacker needs access to its web interface and a valid account. Even an account with the lowest permission level, Enterprise Read Only, is enough. No configuration change can prevent this exposure. Administrators should check web access logs for unusual requests, encoded text, attempts to access internal services, or an unusually high number of requests. They should also block these IP addresses linked to attacks: 74.82.197.86 38.54.50.151 If an attack is suspected, administrators should save web, application, system and database logs, along with relevant file timestamps, before starting recovery, if possible. According to Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, FCEB agencies have to address the identified vulnerabilities by the due date to protect their networks against attacks exploiting the flaws in the catalog. Experts also recommend that private organizations review the Catalog and address the vulnerabilities in their infrastructure. CISA orders federal agencies to fix the flaw by October 26, 2026. Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs – hacking, CISA)
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Friday added two vulnerabilities impacting Collabora Online Built-in CODE Server and Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator (VCO) to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV), citing reports of active exploitation in the wild. The critical-severity vulnerabilities are listed below - CVE-2026-110447 (CVSS score: 9.2) - An operating
Researchers remotely disabled a vulnerable updater in the abandoned Time4Popcorn app, a fork of the Popcorn Time BitTorrent client, closing a security flaw that could have allowed attackers to execute malicious code with elevated privileges on millions of computers.
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