We would like to inform all MasonHosting.com customers of two recently disclosed critical PHP security vulnerabilities and provide reassurance about the security of our web hosting services.

What are the vulnerabilities?

On 21 October 2026, the PHP development team released emergency security updates addressing two critical vulnerabilities:

  • CVE-2026-109618 — A memory-handling vulnerability that could potentially allow attackers to execute malicious code remotely.

  • CVE-2026-109619 — A vulnerability involving internal PHP memory and application state that could also potentially allow remote code execution.

Both vulnerabilities are considered critical because, under certain conditions, they could allow an attacker to execute code on a vulnerable server without requiring authentication.

Is MasonHosting affected?

We are pleased to confirm that MasonHosting's hosting server has been patched against both vulnerabilities.

We have reviewed our server configuration, applied the relevant cPanel and PHP security updates, and verified that the installed PHP packages contain the security fixes for both CVEs.

This includes vendor-provided security patches for older PHP versions where applicable.

No action is required from customers to install these specific server-level security patches, as these have been managed by MasonHosting.com.

However, these fixes do not address unrelated vulnerabilities within customer websites, applications, plugins or themes.

What should customers do?

Although our hosting infrastructure has been patched, we strongly encourage all customers to take this opportunity to review the security and maintenance of their own websites.

We recommend:

  1. Update your website applications. Ensure WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, WHMCS or any other applications you use are running their latest compatible security updates.

  2. Update plugins and themes. Outdated plugins, extensions and themes are common sources of website security vulnerabilities.

  3. Review your PHP version. Older PHP versions, including PHP 7.4 and PHP 8.1, have reached end-of-life and no longer receive normal security updates from the PHP development team.

  4. Consider upgrading to a supported PHP version. We recommend using a currently supported PHP version, preferably PHP 8.4 or 8.5 where your website software supports it.

  5. Maintain regular backups. Always ensure you have a recent backup of your website files and databases before making significant changes.

How to change your PHP version in cPanel

MasonHosting customers can manage the PHP version used by their websites directly through cPanel.

  1. Log in to your cPanel account.

  2. Navigate to Software → MultiPHP Manager.

  3. Locate and select the domain you wish to update if you have multiple.

  4. Choose a newer, supported PHP version from the available options.

  5. Click Apply to save the change.

  6. Visit your website and carefully test its functionality.

Important: Changing PHP versions can affect compatibility with older website software.

After changing your PHP version, check that your website loads correctly and that important functionality, including contact forms, shopping carts, logins and administration pages, continues to work.

If your website displays errors or stops functioning, you can return to MultiPHP Manager and revert to your previous PHP version.

You should then check the PHP compatibility requirements of your website software, plugins and themes before attempting another upgrade.

For WordPress websites, ensure your WordPress installation, theme and plugins support the PHP version you intend to use. Similar compatibility checks should be performed for other content management systems and applications.

Why move away from unsupported PHP versions?

Even though MasonHosting has applied fixes for these two specific vulnerabilities to the older PHP versions installed on our server, those versions remain end-of-life.

Continuing to use unsupported software increases the risk of exposure to future vulnerabilities, compatibility issues and performance limitations.

Upgrading to a supported PHP version helps ensure your website continues to benefit from ongoing security updates, bug fixes and improvements.

Our commitment to security

At MasonHosting, maintaining a secure and reliable hosting environment is a priority.

We continue to monitor relevant security advisories, maintain our server infrastructure and apply security updates to help protect our hosting customers.

While we manage the underlying hosting infrastructure, keeping individual website applications, plugins, themes and custom code updated remains an important part of maintaining a secure website.

If you require assistance identifying your current PHP version or have questions about changing it, please contact our support team.

Thank you for choosing MasonHosting.

The MasonHosting Team

Further information



Thursday, October 22, 2026





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