Thailand urges PHP updates to protect patient and student data
Authorities called for preventive checks after warnings about security flaws, without identifying a confirmed personal data breach in Thailand.
Thai authorities have called on organisations to patch websites and applications built with PHP, warning that security weaknesses could expose personal information. Universities and medical school hospitals were told to put patient records and student databases first.
The Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC) said the vulnerabilities could let unauthorised users enter affected systems. The warnings sought preventive measures and did not identify a confirmed breach of personal data in Thailand.
Yodchanan Wongsawat, deputy prime minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, said he had directed agencies overseen by his ministry to check and upgrade their systems. He said the ministry was also coordinating with other ministries.
The ministry outlined a response covering checks for vulnerable systems, temporary safeguards and installation of fixes. Yodchanan said IT teams should examine all PHP-based websites and applications, add network or cloud protections while preparing upgrades, and watch for suspicious access. Updated PHP versions should be tested and installed promptly, he said.
OpenAI researchers found a major PHP weakness in August but withheld disclosure to allow developers to prepare patches and safeguards. The PHP Foundation has since issued a fix and urged users to install it.
The PDPC office also called for administrators to inspect logs for unusual behaviour and follow breach-response procedures if they suspect a leak. It advised the public to follow official announcements and avoid update links from untrusted sources.
