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ARTICLE · 26 OCTOBER 2026

PHP2Shell: What Your IT And Security Teams Should Be Doing Now

Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Lowenstein Sandler LLP
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Two critical vulnerabilities in PHP, the software powering countless websites and internet-facing systems, are being actively exploited to allow unauthorized code execution and data theft. Organizations face urgent questions about what was exposed before patches were applied, which credentials may have been compromised, and how to preserve evidence of potential breaches. Legal counsel must look beyond simple patch deployment to address preservation obligations, vendor accountability, and documentation of re

United StatesTechnology
Amy Mushahwar
Amy Mushahwar

Why lawyers care

Most of the attention is on patching, but counsel should also be asking what happened before the patch and what needs to be preserved afterward. The two flaws are in PHP, the software that runs many websites and other internet-facing systems. A specially crafted web request may allow someone without a log-on to run code on a server or obtain data from the PHP process, including passwords, authentication tokens, application programming interface (API) keys, and certificates.

The practical issue is broader than a single website. PHP is also used in control panels, phone systems, firewalls, monitoring tools, and vendor products where its presence may not be obvious. Updating WordPress, Drupal, or another application may not fix a vulnerable PHP runtime.

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The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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