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Polish Public Websites Found Vulnerable to Hacks, Researchers Say
A security review of Poland's public web found more than 10,000 government entities and 250,000 websites exposed to potential cyberattacks, including hospitals, airports, and courts.
At the Def Con cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas on Friday, researchers Robert Kruczek and Kamil Szczurowski presented findings from a nationwide scan of Poland's public internet. They discovered that over 10,000 public entities and 250,000 websites had security flaws, spanning airports, hospitals, and government offices.
The researchers identified common points of failure, particularly in software used to organize and display web content. These flaws could have allowed hackers to take over websites and disrupt public services. Some of the bugs were extremely easy to exploit, yet vendors often dismissed the reports as mere inconveniences rather than serious threats.
A lack of bug bounty programs and clear channels for reporting security issues compounded the problem, leaving many vulnerabilities unaddressed. The researchers said their motivation was a sense of patriotism and a desire to make Poland's public web safer for everyone.
The findings come as Poland works to strengthen its cyber defenses following a wave of suspected Russian hacks targeting the country's energy and water providers. The research underscores the urgent need for more robust cybersecurity measures across public infrastructure.