Global Internet Takes a Day Off as AI‑Flagged PHP Flaw Triggers Worldwide Site Blackout

The world’s websites went dark for a day after an AI‑driven analysis identified a critical PHP vulnerability, described as the most serious ever found.

The flaw prompted governments and businesses – starting with European officials – to pull their sites offline while a critical software update is rolled out.

The update, still being deployed, aims to patch the vulnerability; until then users see generic "site unavailable" messages.

The incident has sparked jokes online about the internet taking a coffee break, but also underscores how a single programming language can affect billions of sites.

Tech observers praised the AI’s role in spotting the issue, noting it may become a standard tool for future security audits.