All news with #microsoft tag

Weekly Cyber Recap: WSUS Exploited and LockBit 5.0 Surge

⚠️ Microsoft released an out-of-band patch for a critical WSUS remote code execution (CVE-2025-59287) after researchers observed active exploitation that drops a .NET executable and Base64 PowerShell payloads. LockBit has resurfaced with a new multi-platform 5.0 variant claiming victims, while a modified Telegram Android app distributing the Baohuo backdoor has infected tens of thousands of devices. Reporting also shows the F5 breach began in late 2023 and has since widened, underscoring the need for urgent patching and threat hunting.

Top IAM Vendors for Zero Trust and Identity Security

🔑 Identity is becoming the new perimeter as organizations accelerate the move to Zero Trust, making robust Identity & Access Management essential for secure access and continuity. This roundup examines leading IAM vendors and highlights capabilities in IGA, PAM, IDaaS, CIEM and risk-based authentication. Profiles cover strengths, pricing and integration trade-offs for vendors including CyberArk, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, SailPoint, Avatier and BeyondTrust to help CISOs match products to requirements.

CoPhish: Microsoft Copilot Studio Agents Steal OAuth Tokens

🔐 Datadog Security Labs has described a new phishing technique called CoPhish that abuses Copilot Studio agents to present fraudulent OAuth consent requests on legitimate Microsoft-hosted demo pages. Attackers can configure an agent’s Login topic to deliver a malicious sign-in button that redirects to a hostile application and exfiltrates session tokens. Microsoft confirmed it will address the underlying causes in a future update and recommends governance and consent hardening to reduce exposure.

Threat Actor Misuse of AzureHound for Cloud Discovery

🔍 AzureHound is an open-source Go-based enumeration tool designed for cloud discovery and red-team assessments that threat actors also misuse to map Entra ID and Azure resources. Unit 42 outlines how adversaries leverage Microsoft Graph and Azure REST APIs to enumerate users, groups, roles, storage and services and to identify privilege escalation paths. The report highlights observable artifacts such as the user-agent azurehound/ and discusses detection opportunities in Microsoft Graph, Entra ID sign-in logs and Cortex XQL hunts. Practical mitigations include phishing-resistant MFA, Conditional Access Policies, token binding and broad endpoint and cloud visibility.

Critical Microsoft WSUS RCE Flaw Exploited in Wild Now

⚠️Microsoft released out-of-band updates to fully remediate a critical deserialization vulnerability in Windows Server Update Service (WSUS), tracked as CVE-2025-59287. The initial Oct. 14 fixes were incomplete, prompting emergency patches for multiple Windows Server versions. Exploits in the wild were reported after a public proof-of-concept was published, allowing remote code execution as SYSTEM on affected servers.

Microsoft issues emergency WSUS patch for critical RCE

⚠️ Microsoft released an out-of-band security update to address a critical WSUS remote code execution vulnerability, CVE-2025-59287 (CVSS 9.8). The flaw stems from unsafe deserialization of AuthorizationCookie objects at the GetCookie() endpoint, where AES-128-CBC-encrypted cookie payloads are decrypted and deserialized via BinaryFormatter without type validation, enabling SYSTEM-level code execution on servers running the WSUS role. Microsoft published updates for supported Windows Server releases and recommends installing the patch and rebooting; short-term mitigations include disabling the WSUS role or blocking TCP ports 8530 and 8531.

Critical WSUS RCE Flaw in Windows Server Exploited Now

⚠️Microsoft confirmed attackers are exploiting a critical Windows Server Update Service vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-59287, a remote code execution flaw that affects servers running the WSUS Server role when configured as an update source for other WSUS servers. The bug can be abused remotely with low complexity and no user interaction to run code as SYSTEM, raising wormable concerns. Microsoft released out-of-band patches for all affected Windows Server versions and advised immediate installation or temporary disabling of the WSUS Server role; public proof-of-concept code and active scanning have been observed in the wild.

CISA Adds Two Vulnerabilities to Known Exploited Catalog

🔔 CISA has added two vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog following evidence of active exploitation: CVE-2025-54236, affecting Adobe Commerce and Magento, and CVE-2025-59287, affecting Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). The issues—an improper input validation flaw and a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability—are common attack vectors that pose significant risk to enterprise networks. Under BOD 22-01, Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies must remediate cataloged CVEs by required due dates, and CISA strongly urges all organizations to prioritize timely remediation as part of their vulnerability management.

Microsoft Releases Out-of-Band WSUS Patch for CVE-2025-59287

⚠ Microsoft released an out-of-band security update (October 23, 2025) to remediate a critical Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) remote code execution vulnerability, CVE-2025-59287, after a prior fix proved incomplete. The flaw affects WSUS on Windows Server 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025 and could allow an unauthenticated actor to execute code with SYSTEM privileges. CISA urges organizations to identify affected WSUS servers, apply the update and reboot, or temporarily disable the WSUS Server Role or block inbound TCP ports 8530/8531 as mitigations until the patch is installed.

ToolShell Exploit Drives Surge in SharePoint Attacks

🛡️ Cisco Talos reports a rapid rise in exploitation of public-facing applications following the mid‑July 2025 disclosure of the ToolShell chain, which targets on‑premises Microsoft SharePoint servers via CVE-2025-53770 and CVE-2025-53771. In Q3, application exploitation featured in over 60% of Talos Incident Response engagements, with ToolShell activity implicated in nearly 40% of cases. Talos urges expedited patching and network segmentation to limit lateral movement and downstream impacts such as ransomware.

Microsoft issues emergency WSUS updates for critical RCE

⚠️ Microsoft has released out-of-band security updates to remediate a critical WSUS vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-59287. The flaw affects only Windows servers with the WSUS Server Role enabled and allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to execute code as SYSTEM in low-complexity attacks without user interaction. Microsoft published cumulative KB updates for all affected Server builds and requires a reboot; administrators who cannot patch immediately are advised to disable the WSUS role or block TCP ports 8530/8531 as temporary mitigations.

CASB Buying Guide: Key Capabilities, Vendors, and Questions

🔒 A Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) sits between enterprise endpoints and cloud services to deliver visibility, enforce access controls and detect threats. This guide summarizes core CASB functions — visibility, control, data protection and compliance — and contrasts deployment modes (API vs proxy). It profiles major vendors such as Netskope, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, Palo Alto Networks and others, and presents 16 practical questions to assess internal readiness and evaluate providers against SSE/SASE roadmaps.

HP Pulls Update That Broke Entra ID Auth on AI PCs

⚠️ HP has pulled an over-the-air update to HP OneAgent for Windows 11 after a cleanup script removed Microsoft certificates required for some organizations to authenticate to Microsoft Entra ID. The silent update deployed on HP AI PCs ran package SP161710 and an install.cmd that deleted any certificate containing the substring "1E", producing false positives. Affected devices disconnected from Entra ID/Intune; HP says the update is no longer available and is assisting impacted customers.

Threat Source: SharePoint Exploits and Patch Urgency

⚠ Cisco Talos reports a sharp increase in attacks against public-facing applications, with the ToolShell chain exploiting unpatched Microsoft SharePoint servers rising to over 60% of IR cases this quarter. Ransomware-related incidents fell to about 20% but show evolving tactics, including leveraging legitimate tools and compromised internal accounts for persistence and phishing. Organizations are urged to prioritize rapid patching, robust network segmentation, centralized logging, MFA, and user education to reduce exposure.

Microsoft Unveils Mico: Copilot Avatar for Empathy

🤖 Microsoft today introduced Mico, a new avatar for its AI-powered Copilot designed to feel more personal, supportive, and empathetic. The optional visual presence listens, adapts its expressions and color to interactions, and will respectfully push back when presented with incorrect information. The Copilot Fall Release also adds features such as Copilot Groups for up to 32 collaborators, long-term memory, Deep Research Proactive Actions, and a Learn Live voice-enabled tutor. These updates begin rolling out in the United States with broader regional availability planned.

Harden Identity Defense: Richer Context and Correlation

🔒Microsoft outlines expanded Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) capabilities designed for modern, hybrid environments. The post highlights general availability of unified identity and endpoint sensors, broad on‑premises sensors for Domain Controllers, AD FS, and AD CS, and native integration with Microsoft Entra ID. It emphasizes an identity‑centric approach that correlates accounts across platforms, integrates with PAM, and links identity signals into Defender XDR to enable contextualized alerts, coordinated response, and automatic attack disruption across devices and sessions.

Azure Storage Mover: Cloud-to-Cloud S3 to Blob Migrations

🚀 Azure Storage Mover is now generally available for direct cloud-to-cloud migrations from AWS S3 to Azure Blob Storage. The fully managed service performs high-speed, server-to-server parallel transfers without requiring self-hosted agents, preserving file metadata and supporting incremental syncs to minimize downtime. Integrated automation via the Azure portal, CLI, and REST API removes the need for custom scripts or third-party tools, while RBAC, Azure Active Directory, Multicloud Arc connectivity, and encryption in transit address security and compliance. Customers who tested the preview moved petabytes of data and reported reduced infrastructure overhead and faster access to Azure analytics and AI capabilities.

Microsoft Disables Explorer Preview for Internet Files

🔒 Microsoft has updated File Explorer to disable the preview pane by default for files downloaded from the Internet or marked with the Mark of the Web. The change, included in Windows security updates released on and after October 14, 2025, is designed to block exploits that can leak NTLM hashes when previewed documents reference external resources. When preview is blocked, File Explorer shows a warning and users can manually unblock trusted files via Properties > Unblock or add the location to Trusted sites/Local intranet; a sign-out may be required for the change to take effect.

Microsoft Blocks Ransomware Campaign Targeting Teams Users

🛡️ Microsoft said it disrupted a ransomware campaign that used fake Teams installers to deliver a backdoor and prepare for encryption operations. Attackers lured victims with impersonated MSTeamsSetup.exe files hosted on malicious domains, which installed a loader and a fraudulently signed Oyster backdoor. The group identified as Vanilla Tempest intended to follow with Rhysida ransomware. Microsoft revoked over 200 fraudulent code-signing certificates and says a fully enabled Defender Antivirus will block the threat.

CISO Imperative: Building Resilience in Accelerating Threats

🔒 The Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2025 warns that cyber threats are accelerating in speed, scale, and sophistication, driven by AI and coordinated, cross-border operations. Attack windows have shrunk—compromises can occur within 48 hours in cloud containers—while AI-powered phishing and credential theft have grown markedly more effective. For CISOs this requires reframing security as a business enabler, prioritizing resilience, automation, and modern identity controls such as phishing-resistant MFA. The Secure Future Initiative provides practitioner-tested patterns to operationalize these priorities.