PHP2Shell leaves 59% of exposed PHP servers without official patches
The PHP2Shell vulnerability fixes only cover PHP versions 8.2 through 8.5, leaving an estimated 59% of internet-facing PHP hosts on unsupported versions with no official patch, according to a Shodan count published October 20. The count found about 884,000 hosts advertising unsupported PHP versions out of roughly 1.5 million that reveal one, with PHP 5.x at 369,000 hosts, PHP 7.x at 329,000, and PHP 8.0/8.1 at 186,000. PHP released minimal source backports for 7.4, 8.0, and 8.1, but nothing for 5.6, 7.3, or older. Linux distributions may patch old versions under the same version string, so admins should check vendor changelogs for both CVE IDs. CISA advises taking unsupported PHP systems offline until patched, with PHP 8.4 or 8.5 recommended as upgrade targets since 8.2 support ends December 31, 2026.