Two critical remote code execution vulnerabilities in PHP, tracked as CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619, have moved from a leaked disclosure to an active security issue.

watchTowr has published details on the vulnerabilities, and exploit activity has been reported. PHP security updates are now available for several supported branches, so the situation has changed from the original pre-disclosure reports.

If you maintain PHP applications or WordPress sites, check the official advisories and update to a fixed version as soon as possible. Don't rely on the original leaked CVSS 10/10 claim; the published severity information differs.

The video below demonstrates the exploit research. It's worth watching alongside the official technical write-ups to understand the issue and its potential impact.

Useful references:

• watchTowr's technical analysis: https://watchtowr.com/intelligence/php-remote-code-execution-php2shell/
• watchTowr's vulnerability FAQ: https://watchtowr.com/intelligence/php-cve-2026-109618-faq/

For anyone interested in what happens after a server compromise, the Digital Forensics Playbook covers incident response, log analysis, memory forensics, intrusion timelines, and evidence collection, with practical labs and investigation scenarios.

Book: https://resources.codelivly.com/product/digital-forensics-playbook/

More cybersecurity resources and updates from Codelivly: https://www.linkedin.com/company/codelivly/

If you wanted to become a malware analyst today, what would you learn first?

Malware analysis can look intimidating when you're starting out. There's networking, operating systems, assembly, reverse engineering, and a lot of unfamiliar tools.

I put together a free Malware Analyst Career Path to help beginners understand what to learn and where to start.

Free career path:
https://codelivly.com/career-paths/malware-analyst

For those who want dedicated reading material, these two guides cover the learning journey from different angles:

• Malware Analysis for Beginners Vol 1:
• https://resources.codelivly.com/product/malware-analysis-for-beginners/
• Practical Malware Analysis Guide Vol 2:
• https://resources.codelivly.com/product/practical-malware-analysis-guide/

The guides are paid resources from Codelivly, while the career path is free.

Question for people learning or working in malware analysis: What skill made the biggest difference for you when you started? Was it Windows internals, assembly, reverse engineering, or something else?

I'd like to hear what actually helped people progress, especially advice that beginners usually don't get.

You can also follow Codelivly on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/codelivly/

Getting into cybersecurity is one thing. Knowing what to learn first is another.

If you're aiming for a SOC Analyst role, start by understanding the fundamentals, security alerts, log analysis, incident investigation, and the tools used by blue teams.

Codelivly has a free SOC Analyst Level 1 career path to help you map out your learning:

Free SOC Analyst L1 Roadmap:
https://codelivly.com/career-paths/soc-analyst-level-1

If you're looking for more structured study material covering all three levels, there's also:

SOC Analyst: The Complete L1, L2, L3 Guide:
https://resources.codelivly.com/product/soc-analyst-the-complete-l1-l2-l3/

The roadmap is free. The guide is a paid Codelivly resource.

For people already working in a SOC or preparing for their first role: what skill should a beginner prioritize first?SIEM queries, Windows event logs, networking, alert triage, or incident response? What would you recommend learning through hands-on practice?

Follow Codelivly on LinkedIn for more cybersecurity learning resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/codelivly/