PHP forms the basis of almost all websites on our web hosting platform - from WordPress and Shopware to TYPO3. To ensure your website remains secure in the long term, we are migrating our web servers to the versions of PHP for which the PHP Project still provides security updates. Here you can find out what is changing and what you can do.
What’s happening, and when?
On 30 October 2026, we will disable all PHP versions below 8.2 on our web servers. Domains that are still using PHP 5.x, 7.x, 8.0 or 8.1 at that time will be automatically migrated to PHP 8.4 on that day.
PHP 8.2 and 8.3 will remain available. We strongly recommend PHP 8.4 - and, where your control panel offers it and your application supports it, PHP 8.5 as well. These two versions will receive security updates for the longest period.
No immediate risk: the latest security updates have been installed
On 21 October 2026, the PHP project released security updates for two critical vulnerabilities. We applied these updates for PHP 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5 to our servers on the very same day - details can be found on our status page. The decommissioning of older versions is not a response to an incident, but a planned precautionary measure.
Why we are phasing out older versions of PHP
Each PHP version is supported by the PHP project for a limited period only. After that, there are no further official security updates - newly discovered vulnerabilities are no longer patched for these versions. This is stated on php.net (supported versions) and php.net (no longer supported versions):
| PHP version | Security updates until | With us |
|---|---|---|
| 5.6, 7.0 to 7.4 | discontinued (most recently 7.4 on 28 November 2022) | discontinued on 30 October 2026 |
| 8.0 | ended on 26 November 2023 | decommissioned on 30 October 2026 |
| 8.1 | ended on 31 December 2025 | deactivated on 30 October 2026 |
| 8.2 | 31 December 2026 | still available |
| 8.3 | 31 December 2027 | still available |
| 8.4 | 31 December 2028 | recommended; target date for automatic migration |
| 8.5 | 31 December 2029 | Recommended, where the Control Panel offers it |
The importance of this is illustrated by the following recent example: on 21 October 2026, the PHP project patched two critical vulnerabilities in the PHP core, which, in the worst-case scenario, could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the server - CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619. These have been fixed in PHP 8.2.35, 8.3.36, 8.4.27 and 8.5.12. According to the PHP Project’s security advisory, there are no longer any updates available for PHP 8.1 and earlier; exceptionally, only source code fixes have been provided for some older branches.
For versions without official support, we would have to reproduce and backport every future vulnerability ourselves. This is not a reliable long-term solution - and we do not want security to be left to chance. We are therefore switching over on 30 October 2026.
Who is affected?
This affects web hosting packages using the KeyHelp and Plesk control panels, where at least one domain or subdomain is still using PHP 5.x, 7.x, 8.0 or 8.1. You can check whether this applies to you in a matter of seconds via your control panel - the instructions below show you where.
What you should do now
Check the version: Check your control panel to see which PHP version your domains are using.
Create a backup: Back up your files and database before making any changes.
Update your application: Update your CMS or online shop, including themes, plugins and extensions, to the latest version.
Make the change yourself: Switch the PHP version to 8.4 and test your website. This way, you can decide when to do it and react calmly if any problems arise.
Step-by-step guide:
What will happen after 30 October 2026
If you haven’t made the switch by then, we will automatically upgrade affected domains to PHP 8.4 on 30 October 2026. Existing applications will generally continue to run without any changes. However, if your application is out of date, your website may display errors or become inaccessible afterwards. Versions below 8.2 will no longer be available; you will only be able to temporarily switch to PHP 8.2 or 8.3.
Help and Contact
Are you unsure whether your website is ready, or do you need assistance with the migration? Please contact us, we’ll be happy to help.
