No, the internet isn't dying due to 'one of the most significant vulnerabilities of 2026' - but this is what you need to know

You've probably heard about PHP2Shell and how this freshly emerged security issue affects a ton of websites, as well as warnings on how website owners need to urgently apply patches to fix this.

It sounds like a big deal – and it is – so you've likely got questions.

Maybe for starters: what is PHP2Shell exactly and what does it affect? And what does it mean for you as someone using a web browser today – is it not safe to visit some websites now? This article aims to provide answers to the common questions about PHP2Shell and explain all the key points that you need to know about this vulnerability (well, actually it's two vulnerabilities to be precise).

What is PHP2Shell? PHP2Shell is the name given to a security flaw in the PHP programming language that's used by many websites and web applications across the globe.

In fact, PHP is used by almost 70% of websites as Wikipedia estimates , and it's employed in the likes of WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and other common systems that drive websites – which is why the possible impact is so widespread.

In practical terms, attackers could potentially execute malicious code on affected systems, including the deployment of web shells, thereby gaining control over vulnerable servers.

Sergey Lozhkin, Head of Research Center for APAC and META at Kaspersky It consists of two separate memory-related vulnerabilities labelled CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619.

These flaws in the way PHP works could be exploited by a malicious attacker to compromise a site that's using PHP (which is the majority of the web, as noted), and potentially this could lead to the ability to remotely execute code.

It's a serious incident with these vulnerabilities being rated as 9.2 out of 10 for severity.

What happens if an attacker manages to exploit a website using these vulnerabilities? Sergey Lozhkin, Head of Research Center for APAC and META at Kaspersky GReAT, explained to TechRadar: "The potential impact is considerable: if successfully exploited, this vulnerability could enable remote code execution, one of the most serious forms of cyber compromise.

In practical terms, attackers could potentially execute malicious code on affected systems, including the deployment of web shells, thereby gaining control over vulnerable servers." In other words, the attacker could run their own code and alter the content of a website to nefarious ends (stealing data for example), or redirect you to their own malicious site for phishing purposes (or even directly installing malware).

Has PHP2Shell been exploited yet? PHP2Shell has been a trickier customer than expected because these vulnerabilities were disclosed before the official announcement of the security issue was made.