Cloudflare's Matthew Prince says PHP2Shell exploit attempts on its network rose from thousands in the 10 hours before the disclosure to millions afterward

Cloudflare's free, default WAF upgrade means all its customers gain enhanced protection against the PHP2Shell vulnerability without any action on their part.

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince reported a massive surge in exploit attempts for the PHP2Shell vulnerability. In the 10 hours preceding its public disclosure, Cloudflare's network observed thousands of attempts. Following the announcement, this number escalated dramatically, reaching tens of thousands within 45 minutes, hundreds of thousands in two hours, and ultimately millions. To combat this, Cloudflare developed a new Web Application Firewall (WAF) capability that provides full transaction detection, evaluating both requests and origin responses. This new defense mechanism is now enabled by default and free for all Cloudflare customers. The disclosure of PHP2Shell follows another significant cyber vulnerability announced within a 24-hour period, highlighting a concerning trend in cybersecurity threats.

The rapid escalation of PHP2Shell exploit attempts from thousands to millions underscores the immediate and widespread threat posed by newly disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities. This event highlights the critical need for proactive security measures and rapid response capabilities within the cybersecurity industry. The development of a novel WAF solution by Cloudflare signifies an arms race between exploiters and defenders, pushing innovation in security technology.

Cloudflare's decision to offer the new WAF protection for PHP2Shell free and enabled by default for all customers represents a significant move to democratize advanced security. This approach not only protects their existing user base but also sets a new industry standard for immediate vulnerability mitigation. It implies that sophisticated security tooling, once exclusive, is becoming more accessible, potentially leveling the playing field for businesses of all sizes against sophisticated cyber threats.