On 31 December 2018, all support for PHP 5.6 ended and support for PHP 7.0 ended on 3 December 2018 - but many websites are still using these PHP versions, which are no longer supported. Experts warn of serious security risks.
Official security support for PHP 5.6.x ends on 31 December 2018 and security support for PHP 7.0.x ends on 3 December 2018. This is a major problem, as many websites are still using PHP version 5.6, which was released in August 2014 and will no longer receive security patches in the future. The same applies to the PHP 7.0.x branch released on 3 December 2015. According to ZDNet, around 62 per cent of all websites are still using PHP 5.6.x. Hundreds of millions of pages are exposed to "serious security risks" - a very big problem for the PHP ecosystem, an expert told ZDNet.If your CMS or shop system is still using PHP 5.6.x or PHP 7.0.x, then you should urgently switch to PHP 7.2. PHP 5.6 has not received any new functions since 1 January 2017, only critical security updates. Version 5.6 is the last branch of PHP 5.x for which patches are still being released. The deadline for the "end of life" on 31 December has been known for some time. The official Twitter account of PHP.net, for example, has been warning users since 1 January 2017: "Plan your upgrades to PHP 7!". Various developers and researchers also warned of a ticking "PHP time bomb", writes ZDNet.
Old versions of content management systems or online shop systems are not compatible with PHP 7.2. An upgrade or migration to the latest version of the software is now urgently required. Many hosters will soon stop providing PHP 5.6.x and PHP 7.0.x. I can advise you on the changeover to PHP 7.2 and, if necessary, make your website compatible with PHP 7.2 by upgrading or migrating your software. Just contact me without obligation.
