PHP2Shell security flaw forces thousands of Nepali websites offline
Summary
A critical PHP security flaw has forced thousands of Nepali government and banking websites offline as authorities rush to patch systems and prevent potential attacks. The outage has also disrupted public services, bank portals and tracking systems, with some services expected to return after security audits and updates.
Key Points
- Thousands of government and banking websites in Nepal have been taken offline after two critical PHP vulnerabilities were disclosed globally.
- Nepal Rastra Bank, private banks and several government systems, including the Vehicle Consignment Tracking System, have temporarily suspended online services.
- The Software Development and Operation Centre and cyber security agencies are auditing shared government platforms and restoring systems in stages after security patching.
- Officials say no cyberattack or unauthorized access has been reported in Nepal so far, but older unsupported PHP versions are slowing the restoration process.
