Deputy PM Orders Urgent PHP Patch After OpenAI Vulnerability Alert

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yoschanan Wongsawat posted on Facebook that he had been informed OpenAI researchers recently discovered a major security vulnerability in PHP, the primary language used to build over 70% of websites globally. The vulnerability is severe enough to potentially allow system hijacking. Fortunately, OpenAI discovered the weakness itself before any exploitation occurred, giving development teams the past two months to create fixes and prepare defense systems. While there is no need for panic, this is a critical moment for Thai agencies, particularly universities and medical school hospitals that manage vast amounts of important data, to urgently manage their systems in three steps: 1. Prepare response: IT teams must check all websites and work systems using PHP, prioritizing patient data systems and student databases. 2. Mitigate risk: While waiting for main system upgrades, immediately enable additional protective layers on network or cloud systems and monitor for abnormal access to block it preemptively. 3. Fix: Rush testing and upgrading PHP to the latest secure version as soon as possible, as this is the only way to permanently close the vulnerability. He has ordered agencies under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) and coordinated with other relevant ministries to closely assist in accelerating inspections and upgrades across all their systems following OpenAI's alert. He wishes to inform the public and all service users of this issue and assure them that his ministry and its agencies are proceeding full steam to fix the issue and protect the public's important data, closing all risks before any malicious actors can act.