The PHP “Meltdown” incident reveals how AI can amplify the threat of legacy vulnerabilities.
Security researchers, using AI tools, have turned a PHP vulnerability—known collectively as PHP2Shell—that has existed for years and was once considered difficult to exploit—into a real-world exploitable attack surface. Within hours of the vulnerability being made public, it was already targeted in millions of exploitation attempts, yet no successful intrusions have been reported to date.
Why it matters：This incident clearly demonstrates for the first time that AI does not create new vulnerabilities out of thin air; rather, it significantly lowers the barrier to exploiting existing vulnerabilities, highlighting AI’s dual role in accelerating both offensive and defensive security dynamics. Moreover, all valid findings rely on human–machine collaboration.