Foto: BB.LV / программист
Cert.lv notes that the work on updating the software has been actively ongoing since Wednesday, and access to a large number of state digital resources has already been restored. It is expected that access to most of the affected resources from abroad may be restored by Monday, October 26. At the same time, the exact timelines depend on the installation of security updates and the results of checks for each system. Cert.lv reported that the portal Latvija.lv is currently accessible from abroad. On Wednesday, Cert.lv, in collaboration with responsible institutions, identified resources in the public sector and critical infrastructure that were potentially vulnerable, informed their owners, and provided recommendations for implementing necessary security measures. Today, system administrators continued to promptly install security updates, and after their implementation and necessary checks, access to resources is gradually being restored. Preventive restrictions have been introduced to reduce the risk of possible cyberattacks. Currently, there is no information about successful attacks on Latvian information systems using the mentioned PHP vulnerabilities. On Thursday, targeted notifications to the private sector continued. As reported, due to critical security vulnerabilities discovered globally in the PHP programming language, access to a number of government agency websites was restricted on Wednesday evening. Initially, Cert.lv reported that access from abroad to several Latvian digital resources was temporarily limited, and later the State Chancellery disseminated information that a decision had been made to temporarily suspend access to the unified platform of websites to protect it from possible cyberattacks. The platform hosts 165 websites of government institutions and municipalities. Due to the suspension of access, many websites of state and municipal institutions were not accessible either in Latvia or abroad. PHP is widely used for creating websites, so the identified vulnerabilities pose significant risks to a large number of systems. Overall, about 6000 resources have been identified in Latvia that could potentially be affected by vulnerabilities, and several hundred of them are used by the public sector. Cert.lv, in collaboration with responsible institutions, continues to monitor the situation and coordinate necessary measures.
