Over 1,000 government websites and online services in Nepal have resumed operations following a temporary shutdown prompted by cybersecurity risks. The services were taken offline to address a vulnerability known as “PHP-to-shell,” which affected the PHP programming language used in website development. According to the Software Development and Operation Center (SDOC) of the Government of Nepal, the restoration followed the successful application of security patches and rigorous testing to mitigate the identified risks. The vulnerabilities, officially identified as CVE-2024-109618 and CVE-2024-109619, had necessitated the precautionary suspension of systems not only in Nepal but also across various global government, financial, and private sector institutions starting last Thursday. The temporary suspension of these websites had disrupted digital services for many citizens. With the implementation of the necessary security measures, government digital services are now returning to normal. The SDOC stated that while the majority of services are back online, technical teams are continuing to work on restoring the remaining systems as quickly as possible. The center also expressed its gratitude to the technical staff and supporting organizations who worked through the Dashain holidays to resolve the security issues and restore functionality.
Article source: Gorkhapatra National Daily | Image credit: Gorkhapatra National Daily