Two critical PHP vulnerabilities (CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619) can allow unauthenticated attackers to execute code on affected web servers. Both carry a CVSS v4.0 score of 9.2, and exploitation attempts are already being observed in the wild. PHP has released the following fixed versions: PHP branch Fixed version PHP 8.5 8.5.12 PHP 8.4 8.4.27 PHP 8.3 […]
Tag Archives: security
HTTP 401 Unauthorized: What It Means and How to Fix It
You load your site, or visit an API endpoint your app relies upon, and instead of a page you find a brief, unhelpful message: 401 Unauthorized. Sometimes a browser password box appears. Other times, a blank white page presents only that number. In either case, visitors are shut out, and if the error strikes your […]
What Is Encryption? How It Protects Your Website and Its Data
If you run a website, you’ve already met encryption even if you’ve never used the word. It’s the 🔒 padlock in the browser bar, the reason your host told you to stop using plain FTP, and the checkbox on your backup settings that says “encrypt archive.” Encryption is one of the few security controls that works […]
Third-Party Script Security: How Tags, Pixels, and Embeds Can Put Websites at Risk
Third-party scripts are common on websites. They help with analytics, ads, live chat, social media, video, payments, and many other features. While not all are risky, every external tag, pixel, widget, or embed adds to your website’s vulnerability. These tools can read page content, collect visitor data, change what users see, and connect with outside […]
What to Do When a Third-Party Data Breach Puts Your Website at Risk
Data breach notification letters have become a familiar routine. They usually start with “We value your privacy” and offer a year of free credit monitoring. But the most important part is often hidden in the middle: A list of what actually got out. A leaked email address is not a leaked admin password. A hashed […]
DNSSEC: The Extra Security Layer That Can Break Your Padlock
Turning on DNSSEC makes your domain more secure — but if it’s misconfigured, newer certificate validation rules can stop SSL renewals in their tracks. Hey there, You know that satisfying click when you finally turn on DNSSEC? It feels like adding a shiny new deadbolt to your domain’s front door. You’re doing the responsible thing: […]
My Website Is Hosting a Phishing Page – Now What?
Most phishing advice is written for the person staring at a suspicious email. This guide is for the other kind of victim: The website owner whose legitimate site has been quietly turned into the attacker’s weapon. You didn’t send the message or build the fake login page. You just woke up to a browser warning, […]
Beyond Login Screens: Why Access Control Matters
As breach costs go up and attackers focus on common web features like dashboards, admin panels, customer portals, and APIs, weak access control quickly leads to lost data, broken trust, and costly incidents. The worst part is that many failures are not rare technical flaws but simple mistakes, such as missing permission checks, roles with […]
Building a serverless, post-quantum Matrix homeserver
* This post was updated at 11:45 a.m. Pacific time to clarify that the use case described here is a proof of concept and a personal project. Some sections have been updated for clarity. Matrix is the gold standard for decentralized, end-to-end encrypted communication. It powers government messaging systems, open-source communities, and privacy-focused organizations worldwide. […]
How we mitigated a vulnerability in Cloudflare’s ACME validation logic
This post was updated on January 20, 2026. On October 13, 2025, security researchers from FearsOff identified and reported a vulnerability in Cloudflare’s ACME (Automatic Certificate Management Environment) validation logic that disabled some of the WAF features on specific ACME-related paths. The vulnerability was reported and validated through Cloudflare’s bug bounty program. The vulnerability was […]
