PHP security update: what it means for Make a Will Online customers
22 October 2026
Following reports of a security issue affecting PHP, we want to explain what happened and how we have responded.
We do not use PHP to handle your personal information, payment, or the details you provide when making your will. We use WordPress (which uses PHP) for some limited parts of our public information and marketing pages.
We installed the recommended security patches at 11am BST on 22 October 2026.
PHP is software used to run many websites, including WordPress. The recent announcement concerned two serious vulnerabilities in PHP itself. These were industry-wide issues, rather than a flaw specific to Make a Will Online or WordPress. On vulnerable servers, they could allow attackers to run unauthorised code.
Here is a brief timeline:
- 20 October 2026: The PHP security team gave advance notice of an upcoming release addressing two critical vulnerabilities and urged website operators to prepare to update.
- 21 October 2026: Security patches were released and details of the vulnerabilities became public. WordPress also alerted website owners to the need to update the PHP software running their sites.
- 22 October 2026, 11am BST: We installed the recommended patches.
For our customers, the key distinction is between our public-facing WordPress pages and the service that handles your will information. Your will information is not processed or stored in WordPress. Using WordPress for marketing content does not remove the need to keep it secure, which is why applying these updates mattered.
An announcement about a software vulnerability does not, by itself, mean that a website has been breached or customer information accessed. We are sharing this update so you know how we use the affected technology and when we took action.
We understand that making a will involves sharing sensitive information. You deserve clear information about how that information is handled. If you have questions about this update or using our service, please contact the Make a Will Online team.
