National Security Office Urges Urgent Review of PHP Security Flaw

The National Security Office on October 22 conducted an urgent review of the response to a security vulnerability in the web development language PHP and urged swift security measures. The government has raised the cyber crisis alert level in the private sector from 'Attention' to 'Caution' in response to this vulnerability.

The National Security Office announced that it held an 'Emergency Cybersecurity Response Meeting' chaired by Deputy Director Song Gi-ho. Officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of National Defense, and the National Intelligence Service attended the meeting.

Deputy Director Song stated, "This vulnerability allows for server takeover without authentication, and attempts at attacks have already been reported overseas. The speed of our response will determine the extent of the damage. I urge the public, private, and military sectors to act swiftly as one team."

PHP is a widely used programming language for website development globally. Recently, a vulnerability was disclosed that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code without a separate authentication process. The PHP Foundation released a security update on October 21, and some foreign government agencies have temporarily suspended website operations to prevent attacks.

Attending agencies reviewed the current usage of PHP in public, private, and defense sectors and discussed ways to quickly implement security updates. They also addressed temporary protective measures for websites where immediate updates are not feasible and methods for checking for signs of breaches.

The National Security Office noted that the usage rate of PHP in public institutions and the military is relatively low, indicating a safer situation.

Related agencies agreed to share threat information and response status in real-time to enhance cooperation. The National Security Office plans to continuously monitor the implementation of security measures and consider additional responses as the situation evolves.