PHP2Shell, two critical PHP flaws (CVSS 9.2), was disclosed and patched on October 21, 2026, after an exploit attempt was recorded four days earlier. Servers with PHP installed by hand are often the hardest to update, and versions below 8.2 have no official fix. Containers on patched PHP 8.4 change that, and most small and mid-sized apps move in 7 days. See how PHP version updates work.
PHP to Docker migration services package a US business's PHP application, with its extensions and settings, into Docker images. The app stays in PHP. It moves onto patched PHP 8.4 inside containers, so the next security release becomes a one-line change to a base image instead of a risky server upgrade.
Many PHP servers were set up by hand years ago. Nobody knows which extensions were compiled in, which php.ini lines matter, or what breaks if the OS is updated. A Dockerfile writes all of that down. The build starts from the official php:8.4-fpm image, adds Nginx, your extensions and Composer packages, and a Docker Compose file describes the stack, MySQL and Redis included, so developers start it with one command.
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Why containerize a PHP application
Docker makes the PHP version, the server setup and every update repeatable, which is what you need when a flaw like PHP2Shell lands. Code safety still depends on the PHP inside.
Patch in minutes
Bump the PHP base image tag, rebuild, run tests and redeploy. A rollback redeploys the previous image the same way.
Same setup everywhere
Developer laptops, staging and production run the same image, so 'it works on my machine' stops being an excuse.
Ready for any host
Containers run on a single VPS, Amazon ECS, Google Cloud Run, Azure or Kubernetes, so you are not locked to one provider.
What we containerize
- Dockerfile on the official PHP 8.4 FPM image with your extensions
- Code fixes needed for PHP 8.4, such as removed functions and deprecations
- Nginx container for static files and FastCGI to PHP-FPM
- Docker Compose file for local development with MySQL and Redis
- Configuration moved to environment variables, secrets kept out of images
- Uploads and sessions moved to volumes, S3 or Redis
- CI pipeline that builds, scans and pushes images
- Production deployment with health checks and log collection
Your PHP app in containers in 7 days
Day 1: Server inventory
Current PHP version, extensions, php.ini settings, cron jobs and file paths are recorded, then you approve the price.
Days 2-4: Images and code fixes
The Dockerfile and Compose file get written, the code is fixed for PHP 8.4, and the full stack runs in containers.
Days 5-6: Staging run
The containers run on staging with a copy of your data, every feature is tested, and you sign off.
Day 7: Production
Images deploy to your chosen host, traffic switches over, and the old server stays ready as a fallback for a few days.
PHP on a hand-built server vs Docker
Day-to-day operations before and after containerizing.
| PHP installed on the server | PHP in Docker | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup record | In someone's memory, or nowhere | Dockerfile and Compose file in Git |
| Updating PHP | Risky in-place upgrade of the whole server | Change the image tag, rebuild, redeploy |
| Rollback | Restore a backup and hope | Redeploy the previous image |
| New developer setup | A day or more of installing things | docker compose up |
| Moving hosts | Rebuild the server by hand | Run the same image elsewhere |
| Several apps on one box | Stuck on one shared PHP version | Each app has its own PHP version |
Why have us containerize your PHP app
Plenty of people can write a Dockerfile. Fewer can also fix twelve-year-old PHP code so it runs on PHP 8.4 inside it.
Lean, secure images
Small images, non-root users, no secrets baked in and image scanning in CI, so containers do not become a new risk.
Fixed price after a review of your current server.
NDA signed on request before any server login.
Docker migration for US businesses
This service is meant for companies in the United States whose PHP app lives on a server nobody wants to touch. Calls overlap US Eastern hours, and messages get a reply within one business day.
One contact handles the whole move, and you receive a written plan and a fixed date for the production switch. 3,460+ clients have trusted the team with 5,000+ projects.
Official sources: PHP supported versions · Docker documentation
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about our PHP to Docker Migration service.
Most small and medium PHP apps reach production containers by day seven: day one for inventory, days two to four for images and PHP 8.4 fixes, days five and six on staging. Large systems get a phased plan, with the first part containerized inside the same 7 days.
No. A container running old PHP is equally exposed. The fix comes from the PHP version inside: images build on a patched release such as PHP 8.4.27, and Docker makes later updates fast.
It can, but old official PHP images get no security updates, so PHP 5 or 7 in production containers is a poor choice. The code is upgraded to PHP 8.4 as part of the move.
Usually not. Many apps run well on a single server with Docker Compose, or on Amazon ECS. Kubernetes makes sense once you run many services, and the audit flags it when it would be overkill.
Only the basics. A short guide covers start, stop, logs and running tests, and the Compose file handles the rest.
Yes. Teams across the United States get one project manager and meeting times that overlap US Eastern hours.
Is your PHP app still on an old version?
Send the URL or repository, under NDA if needed. The audit checks for the PHP2Shell flaw and outdated code and shows what a 7-day migration looks like.
Request a migration audit