All news with #critical infrastructure tag

⚠️Threat actors exploited a Cisco SNMP vulnerability (CVE-2025-20352) to achieve remote code execution on legacy IOS XE switches and install custom, largely fileless Linux rootkits that hook into the IOSd memory space, set universal passwords (including one containing 'Disco'), and hide processes and network activity. The rootkits spawn a UDP-based controller to toggle or zero logs, bypass access controls, and reset running-config timestamps to mask changes. Trend Micro also observed spoofed IP/MAC addresses and attempts to combine a retooled Telnet memory-access exploit to deepen persistence.

⚠️ A YouGov survey commissioned by the digital policy briefing Digitalwende for Süddeutsche Zeitung Dossier reports that 61% of more than 2,000 respondents view the threat from hybrid attacks as strong or very strong. The poll describes hybrid attacks as combinations of cyber operations, military actions and disinformation aimed at destabilizing societies. Perceived risk differs by party: Greens (72%), Union (71%), SPD (67%) and AfD (49%).

🔐 In episode 439 of Smashing Security, Graham Cluley and guest Annabel Berry examine a reported critical infrastructure hack that allegedly exploited default passwords and featured perpetrators boasting on Telegram. They probe how basic misconfigurations can cascade into major incidents and spotlight the human cost of defending organisations — stress, burnout, and leadership failures. The show pairs this sober analysis with lighter cultural asides, including music and media reflections.

⚠️ Cisco Talos disclosed vulnerabilities affecting OpenPLC and the Planet WGR-500 industrial router, including a ModbusTCP denial-of-service and multiple critical flaws in HTTP-handling functions. The OpenPLC issue (TALOS-2025-2223 / CVE-2025-53476) can be triggered by a crafted series of TCP connections to exhaust the ModbusTCP server. Planet WGR-500 vulnerabilities (TALOS-2025-2226–2229 / CVE-2025-54399–54406, CVE-2025-48826) include stack-based buffer overflows, format string, and OS command injection flaws that may lead to memory corruption or arbitrary command execution.

🛡️ The German federal procurement portal was rendered inaccessible for almost a week by a sustained DDoS campaign; the service was restored Tuesday afternoon. Security analysts attribute the disruption to the pro‑Russian hacker group NoName057(16), which has previously targeted critical infrastructure, authorities and companies in Western countries. The attacks, confirmed as DDoS by observers, overwhelmed servers with a flood of requests. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) said it was informed of the incident. The portal, dtvp.de, is a central nationwide platform for electronic Q&A and bid submissions in public tenders.

🔔 The US Department of Homeland Security has reassigned hundreds of cybersecurity personnel from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to non-cyber roles supporting immigration and border enforcement, reports say. This shift has most impacted CISA’s Capacity Building team, which writes emergency directives and oversees protections for the government’s highest-value assets; refusal to accept new roles reportedly risks termination. Analysts warn that reductions in specialized threat hunting, vulnerability scanning, and coordinated advisories will slow response times and create exploitable gaps. Enterprises are urged to tighten patch cycles, adopt phishing-resistant MFA, review privileges, and rely on sector ISACs and private intel sharing while federal capacity is strained.

🔍 Forescout observed pro‑Russian hacktivist group TwoNet compromise a realistic water‑treatment honeypot in September, moving from initial access to disruptive actions in roughly 26 hours. The attackers used default credentials and SQL enumeration, then exploited a stored XSS (CVE-2021-26829) to display the message "Hacked by Barlati," altered HMI PLC setpoints and disabled real‑time updates and logs. Researchers urge strong authentication, network segmentation, IP-based ACLs for admin interfaces, and protocol-aware detection to spot exploitation and HMI changes.

🔒 Jaguar Land Rover has reported a 25% drop in volume sales in the three months to 30 September after a cyber incident severely disrupted production and sales. Wholesales in Q2 FY2026 were 66,165 units, down 24.2% year-on-year, while retail sales fell 17.1%. The company began a controlled, phased restart of UK manufacturing from 8 October and launched a supplier financing scheme to ease cashflow during the restart.

⚠️ The US government shutdown will sharply reduce federal cybersecurity capacity, with CISA set to furlough approximately 1,651 of its 2,540 staff (about 65%), leaving only 889 employees, and NIST estimated to retain roughly 34% of its workforce. Core functions such as vulnerability management, guidance, the CVE program and website operations will be curtailed until appropriations resume. The pause raises immediate operational risks, complicates incident response and increases opportunities for threat actors and fraud.

🔒 Google Pixel phones have been added to the DoDIN APL, allowing federal agencies to procure devices that meet Department of Defense network security requirements. Pixel 9 hardware and integrated on-device protections combine with Google Cloud for secure remote management, 5G connectivity, and AI-enabled workflows. Use cases include secure field capture, centralized analytics, and pilots such as TrackInspect for transit infrastructure safety.

⚠️ TOTOLINK X6000R routers running firmware V9.4.0cu.1360_B20241207 contain three vulnerabilities that enable argument injection, unauthenticated command execution, and sanitization bypasses leading to file corruption or persistent denial-of-service. The most severe, CVE-2025-52906, is an unauthenticated command injection rated Critical (CVSS 9.3). TOTOLINK has released updated firmware and users should apply the patch immediately while defenders use device visibility and threat prevention to detect exploitation.

⚠️ The US government shutdown that began on Sept. 30 deepens federal cyber risk by compounding prior spending cuts and workforce reductions. Significant cuts — including roughly $1.23 billion trimmed from civilian cyber budgets and about 1,000 CISA staff fired earlier in July — have already weakened defenses. Agencies have issued contingency plans and will exempt some critical SOCs and intelligence functions, but contractors and broader response capacity face disruption. Adversaries are likely monitoring for opportunities, and the effects will persist even after funding resumes.

🛡️ CISA has ended its cooperative agreement with the Center for Internet Security, terminating federal funding for the MS-ISAC on September 30 and placing the program's future in doubt. The MS-ISAC supports more than 18,000 state, local, territorial and tribal members with services such as advisories, secure information sharing, tabletop exercises and the Albert intrusion detection system. CIS has been temporarily subsidizing operations at over $1m per month but plans to phase out that support and is pushing members toward a paid membership model. CISA says it will move to a "new model" to support SLTT partners with tools, grant access and regional advisors.

⚠️Manufacturing organizations now face an average of 1,585 cyberattacks per week, a 30% year‑over‑year rise, and ransomware remains the predominant threat. Incidents can incur losses that reach hundreds of millions and in some cases force insolvency. Deep supplier connectivity amplifies exposure because a single compromised vendor can cascade disruption across industries. The report urges executives to prioritize resilience, segmentation, and third‑party risk management.

⚠ The MegaSys Enterprises Telenium Online Web Application contains a critical OS command injection vulnerability (CVE-2025-10659) that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to inject arbitrary operating system commands via crafted HTTP requests. CISA reports a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 and a CVSS v4 score of 9.3, indicating high potential for remote code execution. MegaSys has published a fix; administrators should apply updates promptly and follow CISA mitigation guidance to reduce internet exposure and isolate control systems.

🔎 Two 17-year-olds in the Netherlands were arrested after allegedly being recruited via Telegram by pro‑Russian hackers to map Wi‑Fi networks near government targets. Reports say the youths walked areas of The Hague close to Europol, Eurojust and several embassies while using a Wi‑Fi sniffer; the Canadian embassy was reportedly targeted. The domestic intelligence service tipped off police, who carried out raids and seized evidence. One teenager remains in custody while the other has been electronically tagged and placed under house arrest as the probe continues.

🌐 Cloudflare observed a nationwide Internet shutdown in Afghanistan on 29 September 2025 that began with a brief fixed-line interruption around 11:30 UTC and escalated to a full fiber-optic cut shortly after 12:30 UTC. HTTP requests, DNS queries (1.1.1.1) and total bytes dropped to zero at a national level, while mobile providers showed brief, partial connectivity. The outage removed the majority of announced IPv4 and IPv6 prefixes and threatens banking, customs, emergency communications, television and radio services.

📵 The U.S. Secret Service says it disrupted a large network of SIM farms near New York City that officials warn could have disabled cellular service during the U.N. General Assembly. Agents seized more than 300 SIM servers and roughly 100,000 SIM cards across sites in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Authorities say the equipment could have texted the entire U.S. population within minutes, launched DDoS attacks, and interfered with emergency communications. The agency attributed the operation to nation-state actors working with organised crime, while specific locations and perpetrators remain undisclosed.

🔒 The US Secret Service has seized and dismantled a network of electronic devices across the New York tristate area that could be used to disrupt cellular service ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. Authorities recovered 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards, equipment capable of enabling DoS attacks, disabling towers and facilitating anonymous encrypted communications. The operation was led by the agency’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, which says early analysis identified contacts between individuals tied to the network and known nation-state threat actors; the investigation remains ongoing with multiple federal and local partners.

🚗 Jaguar Land Rover has extended a production shutdown until Wednesday 1 October 2025 after a major cyber incident that halted its Solihull, Halewood and Wolverhampton plants. The company said teams are working with cybersecurity specialists, the NCSC and law enforcement while it investigates, and warned the outage has already cost an estimated £120m in profits and £1.7bn in revenue. Unions have called for government-backed support for suppliers facing bankruptcy amid cascading supply-chain risk.