Artificial intelligence tools just discovered ways to hack most of the Internet. Around 70 percent of websites use php. Two security companies discovered a couple of major flaws in php in August. Initially, the flaws were kept quiet while developers worked on fixes, but they leaked out on Tuesday. Cybersecurity provider Wiz Security stated:

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These findings rank among the most severe vulnerabilities discovered in php and arguably in software history. The underlying flaws had been present for decades, but demonstrating their exploitability required an exceptionally complex chain of steps, at the edge of what human researchers could practically achieve. Frontier AI models substantially reduced that barrier, turning a long-standing flaw into an exploit.

The php Foundation quickly released patches, so it became a race against time. AI tools make it easy for hackers to automate attacks against thousands of websites. The threat was so serious that the nsa recommended organizations take their websites down if they could not patch the php vulnerabilities in time.

• Most websites that are being properly maintained and monitored will have installed the patch by now. But many Internet-connected devices aren’t properly maintained. If the wrong one is hacked, e-mail addresses, passwords, messages, credit card details and other sensitive information will be stolen.
• Older or abandoned websites could be compromised and used to steal data from those who use them in the future.

It shows the power of AI hacking. AI opens up new vulnerabilities and allows attacks to be carried out on a vast scale. It also opens new tools for defenders—but it is certain to change the nature of the Internet in ways that remain hard to predict.

Other recent stories show how AI hacking could get more serious:

• Researchers at cybersecurity company Frenos demonstrated that 10 leading AI models could successfully plan attacks on critical infrastructure such as power plants or water treatment plants 90 percent of the time.
• Researchers from iVerify and Report uri found criminal groups suspected of ties to China remotely installing spyware on iPhones. “Software once used to spy on politicians, journalists and other high-value targets is becoming a tool for everyday cybercriminals looking to steal cryptocurrency and login credentials,” wrote Axios.
• Indian certificate authority eMudhra has been caught being laughably useless at its job. A certificate authority is essential for certifying that websites are genuine. These digital certificates use long, hard-to-guess series of numbers—or at least they should. One of eMudhra’s private keys was “4.” This is another massive cybersecurity story; it didn’t directly involve AI, but with automated attacks, such weaknesses could be found and abused quickly.

Bible prophecy warns of a coming day when the nations that trust in advanced technologies will sound the alarm for war, but no one will answer the call:

“They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle …” (Ezekiel 7:14).

It is becoming increasingly obvious that our computer networks and the many accounts, devices, businesses, industries and defense systems connected to them are vulnerable. In a world full of selfish human nature, it should be obvious that nations will weaponize this.

• So much of America’s power is connected to these exact technologies, a severe vulnerability that adversaries can use to cripple the society, economy and military of the United States.

Will Saudi Arabia Trade the U.S. for Germany?

Without U.S. military support, Saudi Arabia is backed into a corner, facing Iranian belligerence.

A series of attacks on Saudi Arabia is undermining investor confidence in the kingdom as a regional investment hub. A few examples:

• Iran-backed Houthis targeted the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam yesterday, killing two and wounding eight.
• On October 10, the Houthis attacked the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing 13 people and wounding more than 300.
• On September 10, drones launched by pro-Iran militias in Iraq struck Saudi Arabia’s crucial East-West Pipeline, forcing a temporary shutdown.

This comes as Iran maintains its blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia’s main route for exporting its oil.

The pressure is growing on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

I can’t think of another time when the challenge facing mbs was more. He’s dealing with the Iranians on one side of the country, which is very difficult and problematic, and then he’s dealing with the Houthis who aligned with the Iranians on the other.
—H. A. Hellyer, analyst for Royal United Services Institute

In this critical moment, the U.S. is providing little help. U.S. President Donald Trump has so far declined repeated requests from Crown Prince Mohammed for direct U.S. military aid—even though the U.S. and Israel’s February attack on Iran partly triggered these recent aggressions against the Saudis.

Saudi Arabia finds itself in a delicate situation in the face of Houthi attacks, as well as U.S. hesitation. Trump for the time being seems to be refusing to commit to offering the needed military backing.
—Laurent Bonnefoy, researcher for ceri/Sciences Po

Saudi Arabia’s oil-dependent economy is suffering the consequences.

• According to the International Monetary Fund, the Saudi economy will contract by 3.3 percent this year rather than growing by 1.7 percent as projected in July.
• Saudi Arabia was forced to cancel the Future Investment Initiative (“Davos in the Desert”) scheduled for October 26–29.

And Saudi Arabia is not the only one affected. Volker Treier, foreign trade chief of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted on October 12:

With their recent attacks on airports, energy facilities and other critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the Houthis are targeting sensitive areas that are also relevant to the German economy.

While the U.S. wavers and withdraws, watch for Germany to fill the void. Prophecies in Psalm 83 and Daniel 11 warn that these two nations’ current economic partnership will grow into a powerful military alliance that will direct its firepower not just against the Iranians but also against the Americans.