All news with #active exploitation tag

Windows LNK Shortcut Abuse Addressed by Recent Patches

🔒 Microsoft has quietly altered how Windows displays .lnk shortcut Targets, addressing a long‑abused technique attackers used to hide malicious commands in trailing whitespace. The issue (tracked as CVE-2025-9491) stemmed from Explorer showing only the first 260 characters of a Target field, allowing long PowerShell or BAT scripts to be concealed. Third‑party vendor 0patch acknowledges the UI change but says Microsoft’s fix doesn't prevent execution and offers a micropatch that truncates long Targets and warns users.

BRICKSTORM Backdoor Targets VMware vSphere and Windows

🛡️ CISA, NSA, and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security report that PRC state-sponsored actors deployed the BRICKSTORM backdoor to gain long-term persistence on VMware vSphere (vCenter/ESXi) and Windows hosts. The analysis of eight samples includes YARA and Sigma detection content plus scanning guidance for vCenter filesystems and SIEMs. Organizations should apply the provided IOCs and detection signatures, hunt for modified init scripts, DoH resolver requests, and hidden API endpoints, and report any findings immediately.

PRC State-Sponsored Actors Use BRICKSTORM Malware Campaigns

🔒 CISA warns that PRC state-sponsored actors are deploying the BRICKSTORM backdoor to maintain stealthy, long-term access on VMware vSphere and Windows hosts. The malware leverages nested TLS/WebSockets, DNS-over-HTTPS, and a SOCKS proxy for encrypted C2, lateral movement, and tunneling, and implements a self‑healing persistence mechanism. CISA urges defenders to hunt with provided YARA/Sigma rules, block unauthorized DoH, inventory edge devices, and enforce DMZ segmentation.

CISA, NSA, and Cyber Centre Warn of BRICKSTORM Malware

🔒 CISA, NSA, and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security released a joint malware analysis on BRICKSTORM, a sophisticated backdoor targeting VMware vSphere (vCenter) and Windows environments used by PRC state-sponsored actors. The report provides indicators of compromise (IOCs), detection signatures, and CISA-developed YARA and SIGMA rules to help critical infrastructure owners identify compromises. Recommended mitigations include scanning with the provided rules, inventorying and monitoring edge devices, enforcing network segmentation, and adopting Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals; organizations are urged to report suspected activity to CISA immediately.

ThreatsDay: Wi‑Fi Hack, npm Worm, DeFi Theft and More

🔒This week's ThreatsDay roundup highlights a string of high-impact incidents, from a $9 million DeFi drain and an npm-based self-replicating worm to airport Wi‑Fi evil‑twin attacks and mass camera compromises. Researchers and vendors including Fortinet, Microsoft, and TruffleHog disclosed evolving malware techniques, supply-chain abuse, and widespread credential exposure. Practical protections include minimizing long-lived secrets, enforcing CI/CD safeguards, updating detection for eBPF-based threats, and applying MFA and phishing-resistant controls.

WARP PANDA: Sophisticated China-Nexus Cloud Threats

🔍 CrowdStrike identified a China-nexus adversary, WARP PANDA, conducting covert intrusions against VMware vCenter and cloud infrastructure throughout 2025, deploying novel Golang implants and the backdoor BRICKSTORM. Operations emphasized stealth—log clearing, timestomping, unregistered VMs, and tunnelling via vCenter/ESXi/guest VMs—enabling long-term persistence and data staging from live VM snapshots. WARP PANDA also exfiltrated Microsoft 365 and SharePoint content, registered MFA devices, and abused cloud services for C2, prompting recommendations for tighter ESXi/vCenter controls and robust EDR on guests.

Critical Privilege-Escalation Flaw in King Addons for WP

⚠️ A critical privilege-escalation vulnerability (CVE-2025-8489) in the King Addons for Elementor plugin is being actively exploited to create administrative accounts during registration. Attacks began on October 31, a day after public disclosure, and Wordfence reports blocking more than 48,400 exploit attempts. Site owners should upgrade to King Addons 51.1.35 immediately and check logs for suspicious IPs and unexpected admin accounts.

Microsoft Quietly Patches Long-Exploited Windows LNK Bug

🔒 Microsoft has quietly fixed CVE-2025-9491, a Windows Shortcut (.LNK) UI misinterpretation flaw that enabled remote code execution and has been abused since 2017 by multiple state-affiliated and criminal groups. The change, deployed in November 2025, forces the Properties dialog to display the full Target command string regardless of length, removing the truncation that hid malicious arguments. Vendors including 0patch and ACROS Security noted alternative mitigations — a UI change by Microsoft and a warning-based micropatch — that together reduce user exposure.

Critical King Addons WordPress Plugin Flaw Exploited

⚠️ A critical privilege-escalation vulnerability in the King Addons plugin for Elementor (CVE-2025-8489, CVSS 9.8) is being actively exploited to create administrative accounts. The flaw stems from an insecure handle_register_ajax() implementation that permits unauthenticated users to specify the administrator role during registration via the "/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" endpoint. A patch is available in version 51.1.35 (released September 25, 2025); administrators should update immediately and audit for unauthorized admin users.

Microsoft mitigates Windows LNK zero-day exploited widely

🔒 Microsoft has quietly mitigated a high-severity Windows LNK vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-9491, which attackers used to hide malicious command-line arguments inside .lnk files. The flaw relied on padding the Target field so Windows previously masked arguments beyond 260 characters, enabling persistence and malware delivery. Microsoft’s November update now shows the full Target string in Properties but does not remove malicious arguments or warn users. An unofficial 0Patch micropatch limits target strings and warns on unusually long values.

Star Blizzard Targets Reporters Without Borders in Phishing

📧 Sekoia.io researchers have identified a fresh wave of spear-phishing linked to the Russia-nexus intrusion set Star Blizzard (aka Calisto/ColdRiver) that targeted NGOs including Reporters Without Borders in May–June 2025. Operators impersonated trusted contacts via ProtonMail, using a custom Adversary-in-the-Middle kit to harvest credentials and relay 2FA prompts through compromised sites and redirectors. Observed tactics included a ZIP disguised as a .pdf, decoy encrypted PDFs instructing victims to open files in ProtonDrive, injected JavaScript to lock password-field focus, and an API-driven workflow for handling CAPTCHA and 2FA challenges, underscoring continued risk to Western organizations supporting Ukraine.

Yearn Finance yETH Pool Exploited for $9M via Mint Bug

⚠️ A vulnerability in Yearn Finance's yETH pool allowed an attacker to mint an enormous amount of yETH and drain approximately $9 million in assets. Check Point Research (CPR) found that a desynchronization between the pool's main supply counter and its cached virtual balances (packed_vbs[]) enabled the exploit. The attacker used flash loans and repeated deposit/withdraw cycles to pollute cached balances, burned LP tokens to reset supply to zero, then deposited 16 wei to trigger faulty "first deposit" logic and mint inflated tokens, later converting stolen LSD assets to ETH and laundering funds.

CISA Adds One CVE to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog

🚨 CISA added CVE-2021-26828 — an OpenPLC ScadaBR unrestricted file upload vulnerability — to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog after evidence of active exploitation. The flaw allows dangerous file types to be uploaded, a frequent attack vector that poses significant risks to federal networks. Under BOD 22-01 federal agencies must remediate cataloged CVEs by required dates; CISA also urges all organizations to prioritize remediation.

Rigged DeckMate 2 Shufflers Used to Cheat High-Stakes Poker

🃏 Security researchers demonstrated at Black Hat 2023 that the popular DeckMate 2 automated shuffler can be compromised to reveal card order, exploiting an exposed USB port, hard-coded credentials, and an internal camera. The device’s firmware hash check was bypassed in the proof-of-concept, allowing attackers to transmit card sequences to accomplices. Two years later, DOJ indictments show criminals used pre-hacked units, invisible card markings, and remote signaling to defraud players of millions.

ShadyPanda Browser Extension Campaign Hits 4.3M Users

🛡️ A seven-year browser extension campaign attributed to the actor known as ShadyPanda has infected 4.3 million Chrome and Edge users by operating legitimately for years and then pushing malicious updates. A Koi Security report describes a remote code execution backdoor that affected roughly 300,000 users across five extensions, including Clean Master, and a parallel spyware push via Edge extensions such as WeTab. Malicious updates enabled hourly downloads of arbitrary JavaScript, extensive logging of site visits, exfiltration of encrypted browsing histories, and comprehensive browser fingerprinting.

Google fixes two Android zero-days, 107 vulnerabilities

🔒 Google released its December 2025 Android security bulletin addressing 107 vulnerabilities, including two zero-days (CVE-2025-48633 and CVE-2025-48572) that are reported to be under limited targeted exploitation. The flaws affect Android 13–16 and include information-disclosure and privilege‑escalation issues; the most critical fix this month is CVE-2025-48631 (DoS). Updates also include critical kernel fixes for Qualcomm and closed‑source vendors, and Samsung has ported fixes. Users should apply updates, keep Play Protect active, or move to supported builds.

Google Issues December Patch for 107 Android Flaws

🔒 Google released its December 2025 Android security update addressing 107 vulnerabilities across Framework, System, Kernel and components from Arm, Imagination Technologies, MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Unison. Two high-severity Framework defects — CVE-2025-48633 (information disclosure) and CVE-2025-48572 (privilege elevation) — are reported as exploited in the wild. A separate critical Framework issue, CVE-2025-48631, could enable remote DoS without added privileges. Google published two patch levels, 2025-12-01 and 2025-12-05, and users should update promptly when vendors release device-specific builds.

CISA Adds Actively Exploited XSS Bug in OpenPLC ScadaBR

⚠️ CISA has added an actively exploited cross-site scripting flaw, CVE-2021-26829, to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog after reports of operational abuse against OpenPLC ScadaBR. The XSS affects Windows 1.12.4 and Linux 0.9.1 via system_settings.shtm and was used to deface HMI pages and disable logs. Federal civilian agencies must remediate by December 19, 2025; operators should apply vendor fixes, change default credentials, enable logging and monitor for web-layer manipulation and outbound callbacks.

Asahi Data Breach Exposes Personal Details of 1.9M

🔒Asahi Group Holdings confirmed a ransomware-driven data breach discovered in September that affected up to 1.9 million people. The company says personal information including names, genders, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses was exfiltrated, and the Qilin ransomware group claimed responsibility and published sample files. Production and shipping were suspended during the incident and system restoration is ongoing. Asahi reports no payment card data was exposed and has opened a dedicated contact line for affected individuals.

North Korean Actors Push 197 Malicious npm Packages in Campaign

🛡️ North Korean threat actors tied to the Contagious Interview campaign have uploaded 197 malicious npm packages designed to deliver a variant of OtterCookie that incorporates features of BeaverTail. Socket reports the packages have been downloaded over 31,000 times and include loader names such as bcryptjs-node, cross-sessions, json-oauth and tailwind-magic. The payload evades sandboxes and virtual machines, profiles hosts, fetches a cross-platform binary via a hard-coded Vercel URL, opens a C2 remote shell, and can steal clipboard contents, keystrokes, screenshots, browser credentials, documents and cryptocurrency seed phrases.