This guide explains why using an outdated version of PHP that is no longer officially supported is dangerous and how to use a more recent version of PHP with a website hosted by Infomaniak.

Is an outdated version of PHP dangerous?

When you use a PHP version that is (soon) vulnerable on one or more of your websites, a warning message will appear in the dashboard of the hosting accounts concerned.

The PHP language is constantly evolving, and when you use a PHP version that is no longer updated, you expose your website to security risks. Malicious individuals could, for example, exploit known security vulnerabilities to gain access to your site and modify its content. It is therefore strongly recommended to always use a recent version of PHP.

3 situations are possible:

• the PHP version is fully supported: no action is required
• this PHP version only receives security updates: it is recommended to use a more recent version of PHP
• the PHP version is no longer supported: it is strongly recommended to use a more recent version of PHP

Using a more recent version

The latest versions of PHP offer improved performance and accelerate website loading times.

Before using a more recent version of PHP, it is important to follow these precautions:

• If your website uses a CMS or web application(WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc.), ensure that the current version of the CMS is supported by the PHP version you wish to use.
• If your website was developed manually, consult the official PHP documentation to learn about the modified functions and any potential changes that may affect the operation of your code.

If a malfunction occurs after migrating to a newer version of PHP, it is sometimes possible to revert to a previous version, provided that it is still supported!