OTTAWA — Some government websites have been taken down temporarily as a precaution against a security risk, says Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon.
In a social media post, Solomon says the websites went dark to protect government systems and Canadians’ information following guidance from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.
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He says this is being done in response to a vulnerability identified in PHP, a widely used programming language.
Solomon says this is a global issue and governments and organizations around the world are also taking protective measures.
The FBI’s cyber division says the vulnerability could allow malicious actors to remotely execute code in the programming language, potentially compromising sensitive data and networks.
The PHP Foundation, which includes developers who work on securing the programming language, says it has released fixes for the vulnerabilities, along with instructions on how to update systems.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
— With files from The Associated Press
Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press









