A volunteer software maintainer who helps distribute security fixes for PHP has emerged as a key figure in efforts to protect websites worldwide after two serious vulnerabilities triggered an urgent race to patch affected systems.
PHP security flaws trigger race to release fixes
After the patch was released, websites and organizations took systems offline to implement the fix, including government websites in Germany and Finland, as well as some hospital and school websites in Europe. The vulnerabilities prompted a rapid response from the PHP project, software maintainers and website operators. Surý’s contribution involves preparing PHP source code into packages that administrators can install on servers. These packages make it easier to deploy updates across large numbers of machines without having to compile the software manually.
Surý calls for better support for open-source software
Ondřej Surý, who lives in Czechia, helps maintain and automate software packages for PHP, a programming language used by roughly 70% of websites, according to The Atlantic . He also said contingency plans were being discussed with Raphaël Hertzog of software company Freexian so that others could take over if he became unavailable. He argued that businesses benefiting from open-source software should provide better financial support to the people maintaining it, warning that the current system could become unsustainable if volunteers lost motivation.
The incident highlighted concerns about how much of the internet depends on a relatively small number of people maintaining critical open-source software .
The vulnerabilities, disclosed earlier this week, could allow attackers to execute their own code on affected servers, potentially enabling them to steal data, disrupt websites or use compromised systems for criminal activity.
