Out West Online is aware of two critical security vulnerabilities affecting PHP, the technology used to power WordPress and millions of websites worldwide.

The PHP development team issued an urgent security advisory on 20 October 2026, identifying two critical vulnerabilities, each rated 9.2 out of 10 for severity. These vulnerabilities could potentially allow attackers to gain unauthorised access to affected web servers, making it important that security patches are applied as soon as possible.

Latest Update – Security Patches Being Rolled Out

CloudLinux, which provides software and security updates used by many web hosting providers, has confirmed that it has begun releasing patched versions of PHP. Our hosting providers are currently rolling out these updates and conducting testing to ensure they are implemented safely and effectively.

The patching process is underway, with further updates expected as testing is completed.

What Does This Mean for Our Clients?

If your website is hosted and managed by Out West Online, there is no immediate action required from you. We are working closely with our hosting providers and monitoring the situation to ensure the necessary security updates are implemented.

A few important points:

• Your website: This is a PHP security vulnerability, not an issue specifically caused by WordPress or your website.
• Security updates: Patched PHP versions are being released, tested and rolled out across affected hosting servers.
• Website availability: Some websites may experience temporary interruptions while updates and security measures are implemented.
• What you need to do: No action is required from clients whose hosting is managed by Out West Online at this stage.
• Importantly, a website being potentially affected by a vulnerability does not mean it has been compromised.

We Are Monitoring the Situation. We will continue monitoring updates from PHP, CloudLinux and our hosting providers as the security patches are implemented.

We appreciate your patience and understanding while these important updates are completed. If you have any questions or concerns about your website, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Further Information

• Official PHP Security Advisory
• CloudLinux Security Update

Last updated: 22 October 2026

Steve Bigg
Out West Online