From Portuguese sources

PHP2Shell Campaign Chains PHP and Linux Kernel Flaws to Compromise 25 Servers Including US Government-Linked Network

Israeli security firm Dream disclosed a sophisticated campaign that achieved root access on 25 servers by chaining two remote code execution vulnerabilities in PHP2Shell with a Linux kernel flaw. The attackers targeted 24 perimeter firewalls from a single unnamed vendor plus one internal management server across the United States, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Three of the compromised devices belonged to an environment connected to the US government, where the intrusion led to domain controller access and Active Directory enumeration. The attack chain began with CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619, which granted initial web server access, and escalated via CVE-2026-46300 (Fragnesia) to obtain root privileges. Dream observed extensive reconnaissance using the Chinese search engine FOFA, with indicators pointing to Chinese-language tooling and timing, though no specific threat actor was attributed.

Threat Actors Exploit Critical CVE-2026-101767 RCE Flaw in Oracle E-Business Suite

Threat intelligence firm Defused detected active exploitation attempts against CVE-2026-101767 targeting Oracle E-Business Suite honeypots on October 27, 2026. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8, requires no authentication, and resides in the Thin Client Framework servlet within the Application Object Library component. Oracle released a fix seven days earlier in its October 2026 Critical Patch Update, covering versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.15. Successful exploitation grants SQL execution under the privileged APPS database account, enabling lateral movement to operating system commands and access to financial, payroll, and procurement records. Horizon3.ai privately reported the issue in July 2026, and prior similar flaws in the same product were leveraged by the Cl0p ransomware group. Immediate mitigation includes applying the quarterly patch or restricting access to the GanttDataServer servlet via URL firewall rules.

South Korean Hacker Uses Generative AI Framework ARTEX to Breach 90 Organizations and Steal 8.2 Million Records

Seoul Metropolitan Police arrested a 32-year-old man identified only as A for conducting a series of intrusions against approximately 90 South Korean companies and institutions between September 2025 and October 2026. The attacker, who had no formal technology education and learned hacking from publicly available online materials, previously worked in penetration testing at a security firm from 2019 to 2022. Roughly 60 of the victims were compromised using the generative AI-powered pentesting framework ARTEX, which autonomously determined attack paths after receiving only the target name. The operation resulted in the theft of 8.2 million personal records and internal documents, after which the perpetrator extorted 38 organizations for a total of 360 million won in Tether, ultimately receiving 300,000 won. Police recovered part of the stolen material and are investigating possible copies on the dark web, classifying the case as the country's first large-scale incident involving generative AI. Six additional suspects remain under investigation while the main perpetrator has been referred to prosecutors on charges of violating information and communications network laws and extortion.

Apple Patches 163 Vulnerabilities in iOS 27.2 Including Multiple WebKit Code Execution Flaws

Apple released iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2 on October 26, addressing 163 vulnerabilities across its mobile platforms. More than 30 of these issues reside in the WebKit engine, with several enabling remote code execution simply by visiting a malicious webpage. The update also resolves two sandbox escapes, one in WebKit's process model and another in the App Store reported by Cisco Talos researchers. Four privacy-related fixes include a flaw in Apple Intelligence that could expose sensitive user data to remote attackers. On the same day, Apple issued iOS 18.7.11 for older devices such as the iPhone XS and XR, fixing a CoreGraphics out-of-bounds write tracked as CVE-2026-86950 that had already been exploited in a highly sophisticated targeted attack. The company stated that none of the 163 flaws in the main release have been observed in the wild.

Ransomware Group Emperador Claims 3.9 GB Data Theft from AB InBev

The ransomware group Emperador has added AB InBev, the manufacturer of Budweiser and Corona beers, to its list of alleged victims. The group claims to possess 3.9 GB of internal data and is demanding a $1 million Bitcoin ransom. The listing includes 329,244 social listening alerts, 2,510 corporate emails from subsidiaries, around 19,000 access records, internal service portal logs, and public key infrastructure certificates. Most of the data volume, 3.2 GB, is attributed to Azure storage assets. AB InBev has neither confirmed nor denied the claims, and no samples have been published to verify authenticity. The announcement provides no details on how the data was allegedly obtained, such as an exposed storage account or leaked credentials. While access records and certificates could aid network mapping and lateral movement, the lack of private keys or confirmed encryption of systems limits the immediate impact assessment.

AI-Driven Software Boom Fuels Record Surge in Critical Vulnerabilities in 2026

The National Vulnerability Database recorded more than 72,000 CVEs between January and September 2026, compared with 48,244 for the entire previous year. The increase stems directly from the massive growth in code volume produced with AI coding assistants that allow features once requiring two weeks to be completed in a single afternoon. Much of this newly generated code reaches production without thorough human security review because models optimize for functionality rather than adversarial misuse. Common flaws such as missing authorization checks, exposed API keys in repositories, and insecure direct object references appear repeatedly in freshly deployed applications. Criminal groups have adopted the same AI tools to scan and test targets at scale, widening the gap between attacker speed and defender verification processes. Organizations that skip structured adversarial testing leave these issues to be discovered by threat actors, resulting in data exposure and operational disruption far costlier than pre-release remediation.

Critical Code Injection Flaw in Okta Access Gateway Allows Authenticated Command Execution

Okta disclosed CVE-2026-115547, a critical code injection vulnerability in the administrative console of Okta Access Gateway. An authenticated administrator can execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system using the privileges of the gateway service account. The flaw received a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.1 and stems from insufficient input validation when processing configuration values in a specific format. Affected appliances running versions prior to 2026.10.2 must be updated, as no workaround is provided. The same disclosure day also included CVE-2026-115546 for authentication source verification and two PHP execution issues (CVE-2026-109618, CVE-2026-109619) previously seen in Palo Alto PAN-OS. Exploitation requires administrative console access and no in-the-wild attacks have been reported.

k0t Operators Breach Corporate Firewalls and VPNs Exposing Over 70,000 Credentials

Group-IB and NyxLab detailed a campaign by the operator k0t targeting exposed firewalls and VPN portals. The operation collected more than 70,000 credentials from network devices and LDAP directory extractions across 84 compromised appliances. Initial access relied on CVE-2025-64446 directory traversal in FortiWeb, CVE-2026-0257 authentication bypass in Palo Alto GlobalProtect, and password brute-forcing against FortiGate devices. Attackers then leveraged CVE-2019-6693 to decrypt FortiOS configuration secrets and chained the noPac technique to reach domain administrator privileges. Persistence was achieved through MeshCentral, AdaptixC2, Atera, AnyDesk, and ngrok, while Rclone handled data exfiltration to cloud storage. Victims appeared on the Qilin and The Gentlemen leak sites, suggesting the operators likely act as initial-access brokers rather than direct ransomware affiliates.

Atlassian October Security Bulletin Flags 176 Third-Party Library Vulnerabilities Across Jira, Confluence and Bitbucket

Atlassian released its October security bulletin detailing 176 vulnerability entries distributed across seven products including Jira, Confluence, Bamboo, Bitbucket, Crowd, Fisheye and Crucible. Of these, 162 entries carry high severity and 14 are rated critical, though the total does not represent 176 unique flaws because the same identifiers recur when multiple products share the same third-party library. All critical issues originate in external components rather than Atlassian code, with the most severe being CVE-2026-65637 in the Coyote component of Apache Tomcat used by Confluence, which allows interception of server-client connections. Affected versions and corresponding fixes were published for Confluence Data Center, Bamboo, Bitbucket Data Center, Jira Software and Jira Service Management, with the company stressing that administrators must compare exact build numbers against the full corrected-version table. No exploitation of the listed issues had been reported as of 22 October, and Atlassian classifies the inherited exposure from third-party libraries as lower priority, issuing separate critical alerts only for immediate-risk cases.

Hirudo Android Banking Trojan Uninstalls Legitimate Bank Apps and Installs Attacker-Controlled Fakes

Researchers at ThreatFabric have detailed Hirudo, a sophisticated Android banking trojan that also serves as a remote access tool and replaces genuine bank applications with attacker-controlled copies. The malware spreads through decoy apps themed around shopping, adult video, and short series, including Shopora, 1V1 X, ZoyaTV, and KoiShort. Once installed, it uses accessibility services to detect target banking apps, verify their signatures, display a fake update prompt, and force uninstallation of the real application before installing a malicious replica signed with a publicly known test key. The trojan employs components from the open-source YAHFA and Dobby projects to intercept signature checks, hide accessibility services, bypass screenshot restrictions, and forward Play Integrity attestations to the attacker’s server. Eight ready-made replicas target seven Indonesian banks, while credential theft focuses on users in China, India, Mexico, Morocco, and Thailand. Server logs collected in August 2026 contained thousands of credentials, device data, and financial profiles, with the attestation key set confirmed as publicly leaked and partially revoked by Google.

Critical GitLab Flaw CVE-2026-110264 Allows Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution

GitLab has released patches for a maximum-severity vulnerability that permits unauthenticated remote code execution on self-managed installations. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-110264 with a CVSS score of 10.0, stems from an integer overflow during regular expression compilation. It affects every version starting from 7.0 released in 2014 and impacts both Community and Enterprise editions. The issue was reported through the company's HackerOne bug bounty program and has no available workaround. Patches are available in multiple recent releases, though earlier critical updates from October 12 do not cover this vulnerability. No exploitation has been observed as of October 22, and the flaw is not yet listed in the NVD or CISA's exploited vulnerabilities catalog.

Node.js Issues Security Updates Patching Ten Vulnerabilities Including High-Severity TLS Name Verification Bypasses

The Node.js project released security updates on October 21 for release lines 26, 24, and 22, addressing ten vulnerabilities with four rated high severity. The most critical issue, CVE-2026-111497, resides in the Brotli decoder and involves an out-of-bounds write that could enable remote code execution across all three supported lines. Two additional high-severity flaws affect TLS name verification: CVE-2026-105483 bypasses checks when addresses contain full-width digits, while CVE-2026-106069 fails on imprecise IP address resolution, potentially allowing a certificate to be accepted for an unintended destination. A fourth high-severity vulnerability, CVE-2026-105482, causes the dns.resolve function to truncate names containing null characters, creating inconsistencies between queried and resolved names. Medium-severity issues include out-of-order processing in HTTP socket keep-alive, improper certificate validation for non-standard IPv4 addresses, and repeated cryptographic random values in snapshot initialization and single-executable applications affecting crypto.randomUUID and crypto.randomInt. The updates also refresh c-ares, CA certificates, Undici, OpenSSL, and SQLite, with recommendations to test HTTPS outbound connections, DNS handling, Brotli-compressed content, and permission-restricted workloads.

Zscaler Report Details How Generative AI Accelerates Custom Malware Creation and Social Engineering

Zscaler published an analysis on October 16 examining the use of generative AI by attackers for social engineering, data discovery, and malware development. Principal security researcher Phil Hagen notes that the report focuses on broad methods rather than naming specific malware families or confirmed campaigns. The core observation centers on the dramatically increased speed at which malicious scripts can be written and iteratively revised. Traditional detection that relies on matching files or traffic against known patterns loses effectiveness when code is frequently altered while preserving the same functionality. The analysis clarifies that observed rapid creation and revision does not equate to fully autonomous self-mutating malware that changes on every execution. Another impact is the disappearance of classic indicators such as spelling and grammar errors in phishing messages, which previously helped identify malicious intent. Zscaler recommends focusing on behavioral analysis of what programs actually do rather than solely relying on matches to previously catalogued samples.

Critical PHP Core Flaws Enable Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution

The PHP project released emergency patches on October 21 for two critical vulnerabilities in the language core, tracked as CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619 and collectively referred to as PHP2Shell. Both issues received a CVSS 4.0 score of 9.2 and allow remote code execution without authentication. CVE-2026-109618 resides in memory-handling routines where longjmp can leave request data partially initialized, and subsequent shutdown operates on invalid data; multipart requests with many headers or empty file fields can trigger the condition. CVE-2026-109619 affects an obsolete global state in long-lived workers that retain references to freed memory, with confirmed paths involving fatal errors, error reporting data, and session upload progress. Researchers demonstrated unauthenticated code execution over HTTP against the first flaw on Apache with mod_php using default limits, while PHP-FPM exposure was identified through code analysis. The FBI Cyber Division issued an alert urging immediate updates, and Cloudflare deployed WAF rules while confirming early attacks in the wild.

US Department of Homeland Security Orders Federal Agencies to Remove DeepSeek Products

The US Department of Homeland Security issued an order on October 19 requiring federal civilian agencies to cease purchasing products from DeepSeek and to remove related technology from government systems. The directive, published the following day, targets Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, its affiliates, and any third-party products or services built on DeepSeek implementations. The measure stems from the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 and follows a recommendation by the Federal Acquisition Security Council, though no specific incidents or evidence were detailed in the notice. The restriction applies only to federal environments and does not prohibit private sector or individual use outside government systems. No removal deadline was set, and the document does not name the signing authority. The order is filed under docket DHS-2026-0628 with the CISA implementation team listed as the contact point.

GhostAction Campaign Compromises 790 GitHub Repositories via Malicious Workflows

Researchers from OpenSourceMalware have identified 790 publicly accessible GitHub repositories containing malicious workflows planted by the GhostAction campaign as of October 9. The campaign abuses trusted maintainer accounts to inject workflows that automatically exfiltrate secrets including AWS access keys and tokens for GitHub, GitLab, Google, Slack, SendGrid, OpenAI, Anthropic, and OpenRouter. Earlier counts by GitGuardian recorded 772 repositories between August 31 and September 30, though the datasets differ and are not cumulative. A separate wave on October 8 impacted 346 repositories linked to two maintainer accounts, including a project belonging to Uber. The malicious workflow runs on code pushes or manual triggers, scans repository files and full Git history for credentials, and sends findings in plaintext to attacker infrastructure. Removing the workflow file does not mitigate exposure, as successful executions already leak credentials and old commits may still contain secrets.

Cybercriminals Exploit Command Injection Vulnerability in SiteGuard WAF Server Edition

EG Secure Solutions has confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2026-106931, a command injection flaw in the statistics processing function of SiteGuard Server Edition. The vulnerability, classified as CWE-78, allows local attackers with low privileges to execute arbitrary system commands as root on Unix systems or SYSTEM on Windows without user interaction. CVSS scores rate the issue at 8.5 under version 4.0 and 7.8 under version 3.0, affecting installations from version 2.20 onward when statistics are enabled by default. Specific version ranges for Apache, Nginx, and IIS editions on FreeBSD and other platforms determine the exact impact, with some IIS versions remaining unaffected. The vendor notified direct support customers on September 29, followed by public advisories from JVN on October 14 and JPCERT/CC. Organizations unable to update can apply a targeted patch or disable the statistics feature, though the patch erases attack traces, requiring prior diagnostic data collection.

OpenCode Reports Possible Exposure of Third-Party API Keys After Legacy System Breach

OpenCode disclosed that an attacker accessed a legacy system on October 16, potentially exposing API keys from external providers that users had stored in the Console. The incident affected only 1.4 percent of Console users, and the targeted system was already undergoing decommissioning. The company described the exposure as possible rather than confirmed and provided no details on the attack vector, duration, or number of keys involved. Some affected users reported unauthorized charges on their provider accounts. OpenCode stated that the incident was limited to keys stored in the Console and did not impact keys saved locally in its command-line or desktop applications. The firm notified impacted users by email on October 17 and is working with Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google. It recommended revoking and rotating exposed keys directly with each provider.

Compromised ConnectWise Credential Used to Access 173 Microsoft 365 Environments in Supply Chain Attack

A compromised credential from ConnectWise Cloud Backup, formerly known as SkyKick Backup, was abused to access at least 173 partner and customer Microsoft 365 environments. Microsoft Threat Intelligence classified the incident as an active supply chain attack. The attacker bypassed password and multi-factor authentication by using a client assertion issued from the vendor environment, impersonating an already-approved application identity to obtain Microsoft Graph tokens. Access occurred on October 15 between 06:13 and 08:34 UTC, with the intruder enumerating environment identifiers sequentially at short intervals, indicating automated scripting against a prepared target list. The backup application's permissions covered Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, and directory information. In one environment, another vendor application was granted global administrator rights and planted secrets in two trusted applications valid until 2028. ConnectWise later disabled seven application identities, revoked affected certificates, and suspended Cloud Backup services.

Anthropic Model Reconstructs NSA Seeds for NIST Elliptic Curves in Under 30 Minutes

An internal Anthropic research model traced the origins of the five seeds used by the NSA to generate the NIST elliptic curves P-192, P-224, P-256, P-384, and P-521. The discovery resolves a 25-year-old question that arose when the curves were standardized in FIPS 186-2 for ECDSA in 2000. Researchers combined analysis of 1990s random number generators, 34 generator-output combinations, and lattice reduction techniques to identify lrand48 initialized with Unix timestamps from May 1997 to April 1998. The P-256 seed corresponds to the 1842nd candidate from a run started on 16 August 1997, and example seeds from ANSI X9.62 follow the same pattern. The work does not demonstrate any cryptographic break or backdoor in the curves and does not recommend changes to production systems. Several questions remain open, including the seed for curve B-163 and the reason certain candidate values were discarded.

Critical Prompt Injection Flaw in ChatGPT GitHub Connector Allows Theft of Private Repositories

A critical vulnerability in the ChatGPT GitHub connector enables attackers to steal private repositories through indirect prompt injection. Researcher Sunil Tripathy demonstrated that hidden instructions placed in a public GitHub repository can trick the ChatGPT agent into accessing and exfiltrating data from the victim's private repositories. The attack works when the victim connects their GitHub account to ChatGPT with full repository access and then asks the agent to review the attacker's public repo. The injected instructions are executed as trusted commands, allowing the agent to commit malicious GitHub Actions workflows that exfiltrate secrets such as AUDIT_CANARY to attacker-controlled servers. Direct requests to steal data are refused by the agent, but framing the instruction as a deployment requirement bypasses this safeguard. OpenAI's documentation claims the connector is read-only, yet the attack achieves both read and write access across repositories. No CVE was assigned, the report was closed as out of scope on October 14, and the issue remained exploitable on October 15 with no published fix available.

Cybercriminals Use Fake WatchGuard VPN Support Site to Steal Credentials Through SEO Poisoning

Cybercriminals created a counterfeit WatchGuard support website that tricked users into entering their VPN server address, username, and password before delivering the legitimate installer. The Huntress team discovered the phishing page while investigating an October 7 incident at a managed service provider. Victims reached the site through Bing search results for terms such as watchguard vpn sll download, which redirected them to the malicious domain watchguard-vpn.net. The page mimicked the official support structure, including FAQs and a download button that led to a credential-harvesting form. The first submission always failed with an Incorrect data message, prompting victims to re-enter their details, after which the real signed client WG-MVPN-SSL_12_11_5.exe was provided. A 150-line JavaScript script silently exfiltrated the credentials via HTTP POST to a secondary domain, leaving no visible signs of compromise on the victim's system. The site, which claimed to be an independent fan site, was taken offline on October 13.

VirusTotal Integrates Threat Intelligence Directly into ChatGPT Conversations

VirusTotal has connected its threat intelligence database to ChatGPT, enabling users to investigate files, URLs, domains, and IP addresses directly within ongoing conversations. The integration, announced on October 14, operates through VirusTotal AI (VTAI) and the Model Context Protocol without requiring an API key. Setup occurs in ChatGPT developer mode via OAuth authorization using a Google account. Existing analysis reports become available in the chat, displaying source details, analysis dates, detection coverage, and explanations of each detection result. For authorized attachments, the connector computes the file hash locally and only submits unknown samples, while URLs, domains, and IPs can be submitted or re-analyzed with permission. Usage remains free within defined quotas, with separate limits for queries and contributions, and the connection is tied to the user account rather than individual chats. VirusTotal explicitly notes that missing reports do not confirm safety and that full privacy implications must be considered before sharing content.

CrowdStrike Joins Anthropic Critical Infrastructure Defense Program as Founding Partner

CrowdStrike has become a founding partner in Anthropic's critical infrastructure defense program, which applies artificial intelligence to protect energy, water, manufacturing, and transportation systems. The partnership was announced on October 8 and brings together 11 founding partners, including Nozomi Networks, Rockwell Automation, and Palo Alto Networks. The initiative combines access to Claude models, dedicated engineers, and threat research aimed at security providers and industrial equipment manufacturers. CrowdStrike contributes its Falcon platform, delivering security data, threat intelligence, and attacker behavior history through Falcon for XIoT, which unifies visibility across industrial and IT assets. The program builds on the existing integration of Claude within CrowdStrike's Charlotte AI assistant. Initial focus remains on identifying defensive methods that work safely and effectively in industrial settings without positioning AI as a complete solution.

Three Zero-Days Chained in Ivanti Connect Secure Grant Root Access Without Login

An attacker chained three zero-day vulnerabilities in Ivanti Connect Secure to execute commands as root without authentication. The compromised appliance was running the fully patched version 22.8R2.4 when exploitation began on October 3. Volexity discovered the intrusion, attributed the activity to UTA0576 with low confidence in criminal rather than espionage motives, and reported the flaws to the vendor. Ivanti acknowledged limited in-the-wild exploitation on October 13. The first two issues, an authentication bypass and remote code execution, were combined under CVE-2026-104935 with a CVSS score of 8.6, allowing code execution as the cgi-server user. A third privilege-escalation flaw then elevated access to root. The final flaw lacked a patch at disclosure time, with a fix promised in an upcoming release. CISA classified the exploitation as active with total technical impact.

Small and Medium Businesses Accelerate Cybersecurity Investments as AI-Powered Attacks Rise

Owners of small and medium enterprises have begun treating cybersecurity as a core business priority rather than an afterthought. The rise of artificial intelligence has made it easier to develop and launch web platforms, mobile applications, and digital services without large teams, but this expansion has also triggered a surge in automated AI-driven attacks and data leaks affecting companies of every size. The outdated assumption that smaller operations are too insignificant to target no longer holds, as AI-powered scans probe the internet for any available vulnerability around the clock. When breaches occur, consequences extend beyond technical damage to include LGPD fines, operational downtime, and lasting loss of customer trust built over years. In response, entrepreneurs are focusing investments on three main areas: web application firewalls, recurring AI-assisted pentesting, and autonomous security operations centers. Solutions from Cloudflare, HackerSec, and SentinelOne are frequently adopted because they offer robust protection without requiring dedicated in-house security staff. This shift marks a broader change in mindset, where security is now viewed as an essential component of sustainable growth rather than a cost to be deferred until after an incident.

AT&T to Pay $177 Million to Settle Two 2024 Customer Data Breach Class Actions

AT&T has agreed to pay a total of $177 million to resolve two separate class-action lawsuits stemming from major customer data leaks that occurred in 2024. The settlement, approved on October 2 by Judge Sidney Fitzwater in the Northern District of Texas, allocates $149 million to the first breach and $28 million to the second, covering compensation, attorney fees, and administrative costs. The first incident, disclosed on March 30, 2024, exposed personal information of 73 million individuals, including names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, account passwords, billing numbers, and Social Security numbers for some victims, with records dating from 2019 or earlier found on the dark web. The second breach originated from unauthorized access to AT&T’s Snowflake cloud environment between April 14 and 25, 2024, affecting nearly all mobile customers and revealing call metadata such as phone numbers, interaction counts, durations, and cell tower identifiers from May to October 2022 plus January 2023. No evidence of direct system intrusion was found in the first case, and the second exposure did not include Social Security numbers or call content. Individual claimants can receive up to $5,000 or $2,500 respectively for documented losses, with the claims deadline set for December 18, 2025. AT&T settled without admitting any wrongdoing or liability.

GhostAction Campaign Expands to Inject Malicious GitHub Workflows Stealing AWS Keys and Tokens

The GhostAction campaign has returned with an expanded technique that targets a wider range of credentials across hundreds of repositories. On October 8, two compromised maintainer accounts injected a malicious workflow named security-audit.yml into 346 GitHub repositories, including high-profile projects such as uber/athenadriver and kitao/pyxel. The workflow disguises itself as a security audit routine and executes automatically on every code push, exfiltrating credentials via HTTP requests to attacker-controlled servers. Unlike previous waves that only harvested GitHub Actions secrets, the new version also scans the working directory and full git history for forgotten credentials in older commits. Targeted data includes AWS access keys, GitHub and GitLab tokens, Google API keys, Slack and SendGrid tokens, OpenAI and Anthropic credentials, PyPI passwords, and crates.io tokens. Since October 7, more than 500 GitHub accounts have planted similar workflows, building on earlier campaigns that affected 817 repositories in September 2025 and 772 between August and September.

GreyNoise Detects Active Exploitation Attempts of CVE-2021-36260 Against Hikvision Cameras

GreyNoise recorded exploitation attempts targeting CVE-2021-36260 in Hikvision cameras and recorders between September 21 and October 1. The vulnerability carries a CVSS score of 9.8 and allows unauthenticated remote command execution through insufficient input validation in the embedded web server. Attack traffic originated from four IP addresses, three routed through a commercial VPN in Lithuania and one from a Ukrainian residential network, with all targets located in Ukraine. Attackers leveraged a publicly available Nuclei template to probe devices, though GreyNoise confirmed only scanning activity and not successful compromises. The five-year-old flaw remains actively scanned despite an available firmware patch from Hikvision and a CISA advisory recommending immediate updates. Password changes provide no protection because the attack requires no authentication. Defenders are advised to apply firmware updates, remove devices from public internet exposure, and segment video surveillance networks from critical infrastructure.

Censys Exposes DarkSword iOS Exploit Platform and Coruna Crypto Wallet Stealer

Censys has disclosed the inner workings of DarkSword, a commercial platform that sells remote access to iOS devices, along with its associated malware Coruna that targets cryptocurrency wallet recovery keys. The infrastructure was exposed between September 15 and 17, allowing researchers to analyze the full attack chain starting from a WebKit and JavaScriptCore exploit delivered through the browser. After escaping the Safari sandbox and reaching the kernel, the platform deploys three layers including a flag, controller, and main implant. Coruna then scans the device for BIP39-compliant seed phrases stored in photos and Apple Notes across 19 targeted wallet applications such as MetaMask, Phantom, Trust Wallet, Coinbase, Exodus, imToken, Bitpie, and BitKeep. The exposed server contained 11 victim recovery keys, 179 directories of extracted data, and 75 operator accounts, indicating a structured commercial operation with agent accounts, commissions, and device quotas. Confirmed infections affect devices running iOS 16.1 and 16.3.1, while Apple has extended patches to additional iOS 18 devices. Maintaining updated iOS versions remains the primary defense against this threat.

EY Confirms Data Breach Exposing Goldman Sachs and Man Group Client Details via Checkmarx Vulnerability

EY has confirmed a data breach involving client documents accessed through a third-party technology services management platform used to support its tax operations. The unauthorized access occurred via a vulnerability in Checkmarx software and lasted from March 28 to April 12, with detection only on April 23. Exposed information included names, addresses, tax identification numbers, email addresses, and financial details belonging to clients in Goldman Sachs wealth management and the Man Group investment fund. Neither Goldman Sachs nor Man Group systems were compromised, confirming the exposure originated solely from EY's environment. The leaked materials consisted of attachments from support tickets rather than core system data. EY has engaged independent security firms, notified regulators in California, Texas, Massachusetts, and Vermont, and offered credit monitoring to affected individuals.

FBI Issues Alert on Active FortiBleed Campaign Harvesting Credentials from Exposed FortiGate Firewalls

The FBI and United States Secret Service have issued a joint alert regarding the FortiBleed campaign, an ongoing operation that targets internet-exposed FortiGate firewalls and SSL VPN gateways. Attackers have already collected 86,644 valid credentials from devices across 194 countries as of June 19, demonstrating the global scale of the indiscriminate scanning effort. The campaign relies on reused or previously leaked credentials combined with legacy SHA-256 password storage that enables offline cracking. Operators employ automated credential stuffing, the Go-based FortigateSniffer tool capable of intercepting 24 authentication protocols, and GPU-accelerated password cracking. Once inside, attackers create unauthorized administrator accounts and often delete legitimate ones, forcing victims to perform full device recovery rather than simple password resets. The activity was first documented in June, with the official alert released on October 7, confirming that scanning continues.

Atlassian Fixes Critical Path Traversal Flaw CVE-2026-21589 Exposing Files in Jira and Confluence

Atlassian has patched CVE-2026-21589, a CVSS 9.3 path traversal vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to read files across eight products including Bitbucket, Confluence, Jira Software, Jira Service Management, Bamboo, Crowd, Crucible and Fisheye in Data Center editions. The flaw accepts manipulated paths where traversal sequences appear adjacent to forward slashes, backslashes or double colons, including URL-encoded variants. Attackers must know the exact file name and path because the vulnerability does not permit directory listing and is restricted to the web application root directory of each product. Configuration files located in predictable locations remain accessible to attackers familiar with the products. Patches have been released in specific versions such as Bitbucket 10.5.1, Confluence 10.2.19, Jira Software and Jira Service Management 11.3.12, Bamboo 12.1.12, Crowd 7.2.4 and Crucible and Fisheye 4.9.15. Atlassian found no evidence of exploitation in its cloud products, though the advisory does not address on-premises customer installations.

Apache Struts CVE-2026-104711 Enables Remote Code Execution via Legacy RESTful Mapper

Apache Struts has patched four vulnerabilities, one of which permits unauthenticated remote code execution through an OGNL injection flaw. The issue, tracked as CVE-2026-104711, only affects applications that still rely on the legacy RESTful mapper; modern configurations using the default mapper, restful2, or the official Struts REST plugin remain unaffected. Exploitation occurs when the legacy mapper extracts action names and parameters directly from the URL, allowing attackers to inject malicious OGNL expressions. Vulnerable releases span 2.0.0–2.3.37, 2.5.0–2.5.33, 6.0.0–6.11.0, and 7.0.0–7.3.0, with fixes available in 6.12.0 and 7.4.0. The remaining three flaws impact availability or cause cross-request data leakage but do not lead to code execution, and only one received an “important” severity rating.

Web Application Vulnerabilities Surge as AI-Driven Development Outpaces Security Testing

The number of vulnerabilities in web applications continues to grow each quarter, driven in part by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in software development pipelines. While integrating AI tools boosts productivity and shortens release cycles, many organizations fail to match this speed with equivalent security testing and validation processes. As a result, increasing amounts of code reach production environments without ever being assessed from an attacker’s perspective. Cybercriminals have quickly recognized this gap, exploiting repeated flaw patterns in applications that skip security reviews. The article emphasizes that pentesting must become a recurring part of the development cycle, conducted weekly or monthly to match the pace of updates. Continuous security testing allows teams to identify and remediate issues before they can be weaponized. Developing rapidly with AI is not inherently risky, but releasing unvalidated code transforms speed into exposure.

Microsoft Fixes CVE-2026-96940 in Exchange Server Allowing Authenticated Mailbox Access

Microsoft has patched CVE-2026-96940, a CVSS 8.8 vulnerability in Exchange Server that lets any authenticated user read other users' mailboxes without administrative rights. The flaw exposes full message content and attachments including contracts, spreadsheets, and sensitive documents. Affected on-premises versions include Exchange Server Subscription Edition RTM, Exchange 2016 CU23, Exchange 2019 CU15, and Exchange 2019 CU14. Exchange Online users are protected because the fix was applied server-side. Microsoft rates exploitation as likely but reports no confirmed attacks in the wild at disclosure time. The issue turns a single low-privilege credential into broad access to executive, legal, and financial correspondence.

Realtek Jungle SDK Flaw CVE-2021-35394 Fuels Cling Botnet Spread Across Routers

Researchers at Nozomi Networks have observed a sharp rise in exploitation attempts against CVE-2021-35394, a critical remote code execution vulnerability in the Realtek Jungle SDK. The flaw, rated 9.8 on the CVSS scale and disclosed five years ago, is being used to deploy the Cling botnet on routers and video recorders. The affected SDK is embedded in products from multiple vendors, leaving large numbers of devices exposed because firmware updates are rarely applied. Cling carries exploits for seven distinct vulnerabilities targeting Realtek, Linksys, MVPower, TBK, LB-LINK, FiberHome and China Mobile hardware. Once installed, the malware performs recursive scanning, spreads like a worm, manipulates TCP tunnels and proxies, and participates in DDoS attacks. Its command-and-control channel hides instructions inside STUN protocol transaction IDs, impersonating legitimate responses from Google public STUN servers. FortiGuard Labs has confirmed the findings and tracks the variant as ClingSTUN.

ThreatMon Exposes SQL Server xp_cmdshell Abuse Stealing Credentials from Viva Aerobus

Researchers at ThreatMon discovered an exposed attacker infrastructure containing 17 attack tools and data stolen from airline Viva Aerobus. Attackers gained operating system access through the xp_cmdshell feature in SQL Server, which allows execution of system commands when enabled. They issued Windows and encoded PowerShell commands directly through database sessions. Data exfiltration occurred by reading files, splitting content into smaller chunks, converting to Base64, and returning results via normal SQL query responses to avoid network detection. Recovered materials included browser, Windows, and SQL credentials, source code, configuration files, database connection strings, OAuth, email, SFTP, and payment system references, plus connection history from SQL Server Management Studio. Activity took place between September 25 and 29, with no identified initial access vector or link to known malware families.

Dell Patches Six Critical Flaws in Container Storage Modules for Kubernetes

Dell has fixed six vulnerabilities in its Container Storage Modules that integrate storage systems with Kubernetes clusters. Two of the issues received the maximum CVSS score of 10.0, allowing remote unauthenticated attackers to obtain full administrative credentials for registered storage backends. Additional flaws enable privilege escalation to root on cluster nodes, exposure of hardcoded credentials, and leakage of Kubernetes secrets across the entire cluster. All versions prior to 1.17.0 are affected, with the fixes delivered in version 1.18.0. No workarounds exist, and Dell recommends rotating JWT signing keys after applying the update because the previous keys must be considered compromised.

International Law Enforcement Operation Dismantles KillSec Ransomware Group and Seizes 110 TB of Stolen Data

An international operation coordinated by Eurojust with support from Europol has dismantled the infrastructure of the KillSec ransomware group. Authorities seized five servers containing at least 110 terabytes of data stolen from victims and took control of the group's leak site domains. Three individuals were arrested, including a 16-year-old identified as the group's primary administrator and operator. The coordinated action involved law enforcement from nine countries and included eight searches across Spain, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Romania. KillSec has been active since 2024 and is linked to nearly one thousand ransomware incidents worldwide, primarily using a double-extortion model that combines data encryption with threats to publish stolen information. The seized data volume highlights the scale of the group's operations, which frequently targeted healthcare environments where system downtime directly impacts patient care.

Attackers Abuse Legitimate Microsoft Defender Exclusions to Conceal Malware

Huntress researchers have detailed an evasion technique in which threat actors avoid disabling Microsoft Defender entirely. Instead, they create targeted exclusions for specific folders or file extensions, allowing malware to operate undetected while the protection status remains apparently active. These exclusions are configured through PowerShell commands, Windows Management Instrumentation, Group Policy, or direct registry modifications, all requiring administrator privileges after initial compromise. A registry key named HideExclusionsFromLocalAdmins can further conceal the list of exclusions from local administrators viewing the interface. The approach has been linked to campaigns involving GootKit in 2019, WhisperGate in 2022 that excluded the entire C: drive, and Muddled Libra in 2024. Defenders are advised to monitor registry changes directly, as this bypasses interface hiding, and to flag exclusions of entire drives or common directories such as temporary and downloads folders.

Cisco Confirms Active Exploitation of CVE-2026-76504 in Catalyst SD-WAN Manager

Cisco has confirmed that the critical vulnerability CVE-2026-76504 in Catalyst SD-WAN Manager has been exploited in attacks throughout September. The flaw carries a CVSS score of 9.8 and allows attackers to gain full administrator access without any credentials by bypassing API authentication through malformed URI encoding. The issue affects the login session handling mechanism, enabling forged requests to grant netadmin privileges by default. Similar URI manipulation techniques were observed earlier this month in Oracle PeopleSoft attacks. Patches are available across multiple release trains including 20.9.10.1, 20.12.8.2, 20.15.6.1, 20.18.4.1, 26.1.2.1 and 26.2.1, while older installations must migrate to supported versions. Cisco recommends restricting access to trusted hosts and placing the Manager behind firewalls until updates are applied. The vulnerability was discovered during routine support operations and verified by Cisco's Product Security Incident Response Team.

Zero-Days in PaperCut MF Chained to Compromise Active Directory in Education Sector

Analysts at eSentire investigated an attack that chained two zero-days in PaperCut MF, tracked as CVE-2026-81578 and CVE-2026-82078, to move from an internet-exposed print server to a domain controller in an education sector client in under two days. Attackers gained initial access through the card or badge query field, delivering malicious Java code that allowed unauthenticated configuration changes and arbitrary bytecode execution on version 24.0.2. The first stage loader reassembled payload fragments in memory, launched the next stage, and deleted its own files while remaining compatible with multiple Tomcat versions. A web shell followed, accepting commands via a custom HTTP header, reading configurations, and erasing log traces while positioning itself early in the request processing chain. The command-and-control implant was AdaptixC2, hidden inside a modified Microsoft Copilot binary downloaded from Alibaba Cloud infrastructure. Privilege escalation was achieved without passwords by locating a domain-privileged service account, stealing its access token, and relaunching the implant under those rights. On the domain controller the payload arrived via administrative share and was executed by modifying the Windows PlugPlay service, after which the legitimate path was restored to minimize traces. The operators extracted credentials from memory and registry, enabled Restricted Admin mode, used an NTLM hash for RDP access, and copied the full Active Directory database containing passwords for all domain accounts.

WatchGuard Patches Critical API Flaws in Access Points Allowing Unauthenticated Command Execution

WatchGuard has released firmware version 3.4.8 to address three vulnerabilities affecting its access points, two of which are rated critical. The most severe issues, CVE-2026-86102 and CVE-2026-101891, both scored 9.3 on the CVSS scale and reside in the internal API management service. These flaws permit unauthenticated attackers with network access to execute arbitrary shell commands or bypass access controls without requiring any credentials or valid sessions. A third vulnerability, CVE-2026-87969 with a CVSS score of 8.6, involves command injection through the command-line diagnostic interface but requires authenticated administrator privileges. All firmware versions from 1.0 through 3.4.7 are impacted. The vulnerabilities were disclosed on September 28 with no evidence of active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code available at the time. A compromised access point could serve as an internal foothold for further network attacks due to its visibility into corporate traffic.

File Sharing Flaw Exposes Unencrypted Records of Over 3 Million People from Pentagon Defense Manpower Data Center

A misconfiguration in a file sharing system allowed unauthorized access to a server belonging to the Defense Manpower Data Center, the central personnel registry of the U.S. Department of Defense. The exposure affected more than 3 million individuals and included names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, contact details, gender, race, and military occupational specialties. The data remained unencrypted throughout the incident window that lasted from October 2025 until July 2026. The DMDC discovered the issue on 16 July 2026, applied an immediate fix, and restored the system, yet victim notifications did not begin until 18 September. Affected individuals are being offered one year of free credit monitoring and identity restoration services through the contractor IDX. No evidence of data misuse has been identified and no attribution has been made public.

NVIDIA Unveils Open Agent Safety Platform to Secure Autonomous AI Agents

NVIDIA announced the Open Agent Safety Platform on September 28, introducing a set of tools designed to contain autonomous AI agents that interact with models, tools, code execution environments, data, networks, and corporate systems. The platform consists of two main components: the open-source OpenShell runtime under Apache 2.0 license, which isolates agents at the kernel level, and NVIDIA Sentry, which performs monitoring and policy enforcement inside BlueField data processing units. This hardware separation ensures that security controls remain effective even if the agent's host environment is compromised. The architecture is structured in three layers covering the application, runtime governance, and underlying infrastructure. Pre-execution verification combined with real-time behavioral monitoring restricts actions that deviate from defined policies. The BlueField-4 DPU sits between agents and reasoning models, while the solution is optimized for Vera processors and BlueField DPUs with declared compatibility for other hardware. More than 100 organizations have expressed support for the initiative, although no performance metrics or independent test results were provided.

CISA Adds Two Critical Citrix NetScaler Flaws to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog

The CISA has added two critical vulnerabilities affecting Citrix NetScaler ADC and Gateway to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog following reports of active global exploitation. Both CVE-2026-88771 and CVE-2026-88772 carry a CVSS score of 9.5 and were patched by Citrix on September 27, the same day they were added to the catalog. The first flaw stems from improper input validation and allows unauthenticated arbitrary command execution on default installations. The second issue involves a buffer overflow that can lead to remote code execution or denial of service when DTLS is enabled on VPN virtual servers. Affected versions include 14.1-73.32, 13.1-63.21 and earlier, with fixes available in 14.1-73.37, 13.1-64.23 and later releases including FIPS variants. The issues were identified by watchTowr on September 26, and Citrix confirmed ongoing attacks against unpatched systems. Organizations are advised to apply patches immediately while preserving evidence and following full incident response procedures.

CSRF Flaw in Elementor Allows Admin Account Creation on Over 2 Million WordPress Sites

A critical CSRF vulnerability has been identified in the Elementor page builder plugin for WordPress, affecting versions 4.3.0 and 4.3.1. The issue enables attackers to create administrator accounts on target sites by exploiting improper handling of CSRF protections in the Editor Events module. With a CVSS score of 8.8, the flaw impacts more than 2 million installations out of over 10 million total WordPress sites using the plugin. No CVE identifier had been assigned at the time of disclosure on September 26. The vulnerability was fixed in version 4.3.2, and users are urged to update immediately. The discovery is credited to researcher Saggre following responsible disclosure, with no public records of active exploitation noted at the time of analysis.

Mandiant Uncovers WAF Bypass Campaign Exploiting Critical Oracle PeopleSoft CVE-2026-35273

Mandiant has identified an active campaign abusing CVE-2026-35273, a critical unauthenticated remote code execution flaw in Oracle PeopleSoft's Environment Management Hub (PSEMHUB). Attackers bypass web application firewalls by replacing the literal path /PSEMHUB/ with /%50SEMHUB/, exploiting the fact that many WAF rules inspect the URL before decoding while the PeopleSoft application server decodes it afterward. The exploitation chain relies on Java object deserialization via POST requests to /%50SEMHUB/hub, allowing deployment of two distinct JSP web shells. The group then establishes persistence with a trojanized installer that drops the SIDEEYE backdoor along with Neo-reGeorg and MeshAgent. Activity attributed to UNC6240, linked to ShinyHunters, began as a zero-day against educational institutions in June 2026 and has since expanded to higher education, technology, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and government sectors.

Fake Terraform Providers on HashiCorp Registry Distribute Go Malware to Developers

Cybersecurity researchers have identified Go-based malware distributed through two fake Terraform providers and two Go modules hosted on the official HashiCorp registry. The providers gocommunity-io/dockerd and kreuzwenker/docker, along with modules gocommunity.io/orderedbtree and gogets.dev/btreex, impersonate legitimate projects and represent the first documented case of malicious code being delivered via the HashiCorp registry. Attackers approach developers on LinkedIn, Facebook, and job forums using fake Web3 company profiles, then supply seemingly harmless repositories whose malicious behavior is triggered through npm or PyPI dependencies. Once executed, the malware collects hardware attributes, operating system data, hostname, and node availability before sending the information to attacker infrastructure. Command and control relies on a Slack channel polled every ten seconds and encrypted commands read from Sepolia testnet Ethereum smart contracts every three seconds, with each infected client using ephemeral key pairs for targeted delivery. The code matches the Graphalgo campaign previously documented by ReversingLabs and attributed to North Korean actors.

Group-IB Discovers RemControl Android Banking Trojan Using Dynamic Overlay Attacks to Steal Banking PINs

Group-IB has identified a new Android banking trojan named RemControl with samples dating back to July 2026. The malware targets more than 30 financial institutions across Europe, the Middle East, and Canada, with Italy and France as primary focus areas. RemControl employs an overlay technique that displays a full-screen phishing replica of the legitimate banking app when the victim launches the real application, capturing PINs, access codes, and card details before seamlessly returning control to the authentic app. Phishing screens are not bundled in the APK but are fetched dynamically from operator-controlled servers reachable via Telegram channels, allowing rapid target changes without reinfection. Distribution relies on fake Google Play listing pages that mimic a streaming application, with geo-targeted delivery for Italian visitors. The trojan requests VPN permissions to block Play Store traffic and bypass real-time security checks, followed by accessibility service access that enables screen reading, keystroke logging, remote taps, and unlock pattern reconstruction.

Check Point Patches Critical Zero-Day CVE-2026-93616 Enabling Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution on Management Servers

Check Point has addressed a critical zero-day vulnerability tracked as CVE-2026-93616 with a CVSS score of 9.8 that allowed remote unauthenticated attackers to upload and execute arbitrary scripts on management servers. The flaw combined directory traversal with insecure file handling, enabling attackers to escape the intended directory and place scripts in executable locations. Affected products include Security Management Server, Multi-Domain Security Management Server, Log Server, Multi-Domain Log Server, and SmartEvent. Targeted attacks were observed starting July 23 before public disclosure, though exploitation remained limited. Vulnerable versions span multiple R82, R81, and R80 releases, with fixes now available through specific hotfixes and Jumbo Takes. Administrators are advised to apply patches immediately, place management servers behind a Security Gateway, and restrict TCP port 19009 access. Detection guidance includes reviewing cpm.elg logs for unusually long usernames and ReflectionUtils errors containing directory traversal sequences.

ShinyHunters Claims Breach of FBI Recruitment Portal and Demands Eight-Figure Ransom

The hacker group ShinyHunters has publicly claimed responsibility for compromising the FBI's official recruitment website, FBIjobs.gov, asserting access to sensitive data belonging to nearly all FBI agents as well as job applicants. According to the group, the intrusion extended to multiple internal systems including criminal justice databases, human resources platforms, and Medlink. The attackers stated they exploited a zero-day vulnerability in Oracle PeopleSoft to achieve remote code execution and subsequently defaced the careers site with a fabricated seizure notice. The FBI has acknowledged awareness of unauthorized activity on the portal but has not confirmed any data theft or the scope of the intrusion. ShinyHunters is now demanding an eight-figure ransom payment, framing the amount as a minor fraction of its own resources and warning that time is limited. The operation appears to be retaliation for an FBI public statement issued in May regarding the group's prior activities. Independent verification of the claims remains unavailable, and experts note that extortion groups routinely exaggerate the value of stolen data to increase pressure on victims.

WordPress Patches Critical Core Vulnerability CVE-2026-87902 Affecting All Versions from 4.7.0

WordPress has released patches for a critical vulnerability in the platform's core code, tracked as CVE-2026-87902 with a CVSS score of 9.2. The flaw impacts every version from 4.7.0 through 7.1.1, meaning virtually all unpatched installations remain exposed. Because the issue resides in the base system rather than plugins or themes, even sites without any extensions installed are at risk. The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to load arbitrary PHP files from outside theme directories, which can lead to remote code execution on certain server configurations. The bug was privately reported in July by researcher Robert Ressl through HackerOne and disclosed publicly on 22 September, with no confirmed exploitation observed so far. Administrators are urged to apply the updates immediately and keep automatic updates enabled.

PAYLOAD Ransomware Seizes Active Directory GPO to Disrupt Entire Windows Domain Without Encryption

Researchers at Kaspersky have documented an attack by the PAYLOAD ransomware that paralyzes an entire Windows domain without encrypting a single file. Instead of encryption, the operators leverage native Windows policy mechanisms to enforce disruption across the environment. The core of the attack is a malicious Group Policy Object named PAYLOAD linked directly to the root of the Active Directory domain. This placement allows the policy to reach virtually every connected device, turning it into a corporate-wide disruption tool. Through the GPO, the group distributes ransom notes from SYSVOL, replaces wallpapers and lock screens with extortion images displaying the message Welcome to Payload, and disables local administrator accounts on affected machines. A second policy object named win Firewall Off disables the Windows firewall across the entire fleet, increasing exposure during the operation. Initial access occurred in April 2026 via a compromised legitimate domain account on a FortiGate SSL VPN, with possible entry vectors including phishing, password spraying, and credential stuffing. The victim is a manufacturing company in the Middle East. The extortion model combines data theft with operational shutdown, delivering effects similar to traditional ransomware but without any decryption key to negotiate.

Critical Microsoft SharePoint Vulnerability Allows Remote Code Execution via SafeControls Bypass

A vulnerability tracked as CVE-2026-65660 with a CVSS score of 8.8 affects Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016, SharePoint Server 2019, and Subscription Edition. The flaw permits an authenticated low-privileged attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution on on-premises servers. It stems from improper handling of quotes in attacker-controlled Register directives within the ToolPane component, bypassing the SafeControls mechanism. This allows registration of dangerous .NET classes followed by deserialization-based remote code execution. Microsoft released patches on August 11, 2026, and initially reported no public disclosure or exploitation. Publication of a detailed technical analysis has now increased the risk for unpatched installations.

HackerSec's Yaga AI Agent Delivers Autonomous Penetration Testing with 98% Effectiveness

HackerSec has developed an autonomous penetration testing platform powered by its Yaga AI agent, marking a shift from scripted automation to adaptive, decision-making offensive security operations. Unlike traditional tools that follow predefined checks, Yaga observes the target environment, interprets responses, forms hypotheses, and replans attack paths in real time while maintaining memory and state across findings. The system relies on a proprietary harness that coordinates advanced AI models, security tools, contextual data, and ongoing decision logic rather than depending on a large language model alone. Yaga already achieves more than 98 percent effectiveness and supports continuous testing that matches the rapid change cycles of modern applications. CEO Andrew Martinez noted that periodic manual pentests can no longer keep pace with AI-accelerated attacks, requiring an AI-native model capable of operating at the same speed as the systems it protects. The platform allows human specialists to monitor and validate results while the agent conducts the investigation independently.

North Korean WaterPlum Group Infects 30,000 Computers Across 100 Countries via Fake Coding Tests

The North Korean-linked group WaterPlum, also known as Contagious Interview, has infected at least 30,000 computers in more than 100 countries between December 2025 and July 2026. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), the operation moved at least $10.7 million in cryptocurrency to North Korea and compromised more than 7,000 wallets. Attackers pose as recruiters on social media and freelance platforms, luring software developers with nonexistent job offers that require downloading malicious files disguised as coding tests. The malware arsenal includes BeaverTail, InvisibleFerret, OtterCookie, OtterCandy, and StoatWaffle, with the latter hiding inside blockchain-themed projects and abusing Visual Studio Code configurations. Developers are specifically targeted because they often store production keys, wallets, and credentials on the same machines used for testing third-party code. Japanese authorities have dismantled laptop farms connected to the scheme that helped maintain the attackers' operational cover.

EtherHiding Campaign Hides Banking Trojan C2 in Polygon Smart Contracts

Security researchers have detailed the EtherHiding campaign, which conceals command-and-control infrastructure inside smart contracts on the Polygon blockchain. The final payload is a malicious browser extension that functions as a banking trojan, intercepting credentials and two-factor codes from approximately 479 financial and cryptocurrency websites. Instead of embedding fixed addresses in its code, the malware queries an encrypted C2 server address from the smart contract, allowing operators to change destinations through low-cost blockchain transactions that bypass domain blocking. Infection begins when victims visit one of 31 compromised legitimate sites that inject JavaScript displaying a fake CAPTCHA prompt. The prompt instructs users to press Windows+R and execute a PowerShell command, a social engineering technique known as ClickFix that downloads the malicious scripts without exploiting any software vulnerability. The campaign has remained active from November 2025 through at least September 2026, demonstrating the resilience of blockchain-based infrastructure against traditional takedown methods.

Click2Shell Flaw in WordPress Core Enables Remote Code Execution via Single Malicious Link

Researchers at pwn.ai have disclosed Click2Shell, a vulnerability in the WordPress core that allows an attacker to install a malicious theme and achieve remote code execution simply by tricking an authenticated administrator into opening a crafted link. The isolated flaw carries a CVSS score of 7.1, but the full attack chain reaches 9.6. The issue stems from an interpretation mismatch between the WordPress.org theme directory and the administrator browser, causing the browser to automatically trigger the install button without any user confirmation or password prompt. Affected versions start from 6.0 and run up to but not including 7.1.1. The vulnerability has been fixed in WordPress 7.1.1 with backported patches released for all supported branches down to version 4.7. No exploitation in the wild had been observed at the time of disclosure, yet the low barrier of convincing an admin to click a link makes prompt patching essential.

SETTRA Ransomware Deploys MeshAgent and gdrv.sys BYOVD Against Windows Systems

Huntress analysts have identified two separate incidents involving the newly observed SETTRA ransomware targeting Windows environments. The attacks combined the legitimate MeshAgent remote management tool with a Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver technique using gdrv.sys to disable security controls. Victims included a consumer services and retail company hit in July and an industrial organization compromised in September. Initial access occurred through VPN connections or previously stolen credentials, after which operators deployed MeshAgent to maintain persistence and execute commands. Before encryption, the group deleted Windows event logs, disabled system recovery features, removed recovery partitions, and overwrote free disk space. Encrypted files received the .locked or .locked_wip extensions, with the ransomware binary named after the victim domain and ransom notes dropped as RESTORE_FILES.txt.

HEAVYGRAM Spyware Uses Telegram Bots for Command and Control Against Iranian Targets

Researchers at Group-IB have published a detailed analysis of HEAVYGRAM, a spyware family that abuses the Telegram messaging platform as its command-and-control infrastructure. The malware family was first observed in the second half of 2023 and has since been linked with moderate confidence to the Handala Hack group. Instead of operating dedicated servers, the operators rely on Telegram bots, accounts, and groups to register infected hosts, receive commands, exfiltrate stolen data, and deliver additional payloads. Once active, HEAVYGRAM captures screenshots, records audio, harvests cached files, and steals data from Telegram Desktop installed on the victim machine. The campaign primarily targets Iranian journalists, dissidents, and individuals opposed to the Iranian government. Infection vectors include malicious files distributed via messengers, disguised as legitimate applications such as Pictory, KeePass, or Telegram-related tools, sometimes delivered as HTML applications or scripts.

BIND DNS Servers Receive Patches for 14 Vulnerabilities Including High-Severity DoS Flaws

The Internet Systems Consortium has released BIND 9 updates that address 14 vulnerabilities across multiple versions of the widely used DNS server software. Seven of the issues received a CVSS score of 7.5 and were rated high severity, while the remaining seven scored between 5.3 and 6.5. The most critical flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker to crash the named process with a single malformed SIG(0) request over DNS over HTTPS. Additional vulnerabilities enable cache poisoning through forged NXDOMAIN responses, downgraded secure delegations, and acceptance of unsigned answers, as well as resource exhaustion via uncontrolled cache growth and excessive CPU consumption. Affected releases span BIND 9.11.0 through 9.18.50, 9.20.0 through 9.20.27, and 9.21.0 through 9.21.25. No workarounds exist, making immediate upgrades to versions 9.20.29, 9.21.26, or 9.20.29-S1 the only mitigation. The ISC reports no known exploitation in the wild and none of the flaws appear in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

KREMLIN Banking Malware Hijacks Chrome and Edge to Steal Credentials and Session Tokens in Brazil

Elastic Security Labs researchers have detailed the operations of the KREMLIN banking malware, tracked under the identifier REF9334, which targets Chrome and Edge browsers to harvest credentials and session tokens. The campaign focuses almost exclusively on Brazil, with 98 percent of the 1,515 identified infections located in the country and impersonating a dozen Brazilian banks. Infection begins with multi-stage JavaScript loaders disguised as banking documents, invoices, or corporate papers that require manual execution by the victim. The loaders then deploy C++ installers and malicious browser extensions that modify the Secure Preferences file, enable developer mode, and overwrite protection objects with forged metadata using a technique called Phantom Extension. Once active, the extension collects session tokens, cookies, sessionStorage and localStorage data, 15 days of browsing history, screenshots, open tab information, and full HTML of visited pages. The operation has run since May 2025 across seven distinct campaigns and began using Ethereum smart contracts for infrastructure on 19 May 2026.

Cisco Confirms Active Exploitation of Critical Secure Email Gateway Flaw Allowing Root Command Execution

Cisco has confirmed active exploitation of a critical vulnerability in its Secure Email Gateway product that allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-76461 with a CVSS score of 9.8, stems from insufficient input validation in the message analysis logic of AsyncOS. Attackers can trigger the issue by sending a specially crafted email containing malicious SQL instructions, which leads to arbitrary SQL command execution and full root access on affected appliances. The vulnerability impacts physical and virtual deployments running AsyncOS versions 15.5 and earlier, 16.0, and 16.5. Patches are available in versions 15.5.5-0141, 16.0.4-302, and 16.5.0-780, while the Secure Email and Web Manager and Secure Web Appliance remain unaffected. CISA added the CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on September 14 and set a September 17 remediation deadline for federal agencies.

AWS Systems Manager Agent Flaw Allows Bypass of Port Forwarding Restrictions

Amazon has fixed a vulnerability in the AWS Systems Manager agent that permits an authenticated attacker to bypass restrictions on port forwarding sessions. The issue, tracked as CVE-2026-89049, stems from inadequate validation of equivalent representations of blocked link-local addresses. As a result, attackers can reach the EC2 instance metadata service at 169.254.169.254 and obtain temporary credentials tied to the instance's IAM role. Affected versions are those prior to 3.3.4851.0, with the fix included in that release and all subsequent versions. AWS recommends reviewing custom builds of the agent, restricting access to the AWS-StartPortForwardingSessionToRemoteHost document, auditing Session Manager activity, and applying least-privilege principles to IAM roles.

Malicious Twitch Extension Steals OAuth Tokens from Nearly 31,000 Users

A browser extension posing as an enhancement for Twitch has been stealing OAuth authentication tokens from approximately 31,000 users across Chrome and Firefox. The extension, known as Twitch Enhanced Viewer or JeetBot, was discovered by researcher Kush Pandya of Socket. It promised 1080p streaming in restricted regions and an ad-free experience while covertly exfiltrating session tokens to attacker-controlled servers. The tokens were transmitted in plaintext via network-layer redirects, allowing full access to chat functions, private messages, and account settings. Both the Chrome version with around 30,000 installations since June 26, 2025, and the Firefox version with 604 users since July 7, 2025, remained available in official stores at the time of reporting. Users are advised to immediately disable the extension and revoke active Twitch sessions to invalidate stolen tokens.

Revolut Confirms Limited Data Exposure After Fraudulent Government Email Request

Revolut has confirmed that a small number of customers had personal documents and full transaction histories exposed after the company responded to a fraudulent request that appeared to come from a government authority. The incident, disclosed on September 13, involved no intrusion into Revolut systems. Attackers instead used an unauthorized email account that carried valid credentials from a government domain, making the request appear legitimate. Exposed data included passport and driver’s license copies, identity verification selfies, full names, dates of birth, occupations, addresses, contact details, IBAN statements, complete transaction histories, and Bitcoin activity records. The combination of identity documents and detailed financial history significantly raises the risk of account takeover and targeted social engineering. Revolut stated that customer funds remained secure, blocked the malicious email source, notified regulators, and contacted all affected users.

Casbaneiro Banking Trojan Targets Financial Institutions in Argentina, Peru, Colombia and Mexico

Fortinet researchers identified a Casbaneiro campaign in August that specifically targets bank customers across four Latin American countries. The infection begins with a PDF attachment that displays the recipient's own email address to build credibility and creates urgency around an unpaid invoice or judicial notice. The PDF link performs IP-based geofencing, redirecting non-target visitors to Google or YouTube while delivering a Base64-encoded ZIP only to victims in the selected countries. Inside the archive, an HTA file downloads the legitimate AutoIt interpreter along with a compiled script and compressed payload, helping evade binary-focused defenses. The malware stays dormant until the victim visits a monitored banking website, at which point it activates its C2 channel, exfiltrates Outlook contact data, and can display bank-specific credential-harvesting overlays. Additional remote-access capabilities allow operators to control the keyboard, manipulate the clipboard, and execute arbitrary commands on the infected system.

Android Ransomware Mantax Otax Encrypts Files and Streams Victim Screen in Real Time

Researchers at Zimperium have identified a new Android ransomware strain called Mantax Otax that combines file encryption with live screen recording and surveillance capabilities. The malware is distributed through sideloaded APK files delivered via messaging apps and phishing messages rather than official app stores. Once installed, it uses AES encryption to lock files with the .enc extension and conducts ransom negotiations directly on the infected device through an on-screen chat interface. In addition to encryption, Mantax Otax continuously captures the screen, saves footage as MP4 video, and streams it to operators while also photographing the surroundings with the device camera. The malware abuses accessibility services to read on-screen content, intercepts SMS messages to steal two-factor authentication codes, and exfiltrates contacts, call logs, browser history, and credentials from WhatsApp and Telegram. It also displays a fake lock screen to capture the device PIN. Impact is reduced on Android 10 and later due to Scoped Storage restrictions, though surveillance functions remain active. Evidence points to a targeted campaign against users in Indonesia.

Russian State-Linked Group GTG-20006 Uses Anthropic AI Agents to Automate Malware Rebuilding

Anthropic has identified a Russian state-linked operation tracked as GTG-20006 that deployed autonomous AI agents to continuously rebuild its malware arsenal whenever detections occurred. The group, connected to Midnight Blizzard, APT29 and Cozy Bear, created a closed-loop automation system in which AI agents monitored tool performance against known defenses and triggered immediate code modifications to evade security products. Beyond malware, the agents handled domain registration, hosting infrastructure setup, phishing email delivery, command-and-control channel monitoring and implant persistence tracking across compromised environments. The campaign, active in July and August 2026 and overlapping with CaptiveCrunch, targeted more than twenty organizations including ministries, defense bodies, embassies and think tanks across Ukraine, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In one incident the attackers exfiltrated over 300,000 national identity records and commercial registration data for more than 500,000 companies. Anthropic disrupted the activity and published a detailed report highlighting how the automation shifted the cost burden back onto defenders.

Check Point Patches Two Critical VPN Vulnerabilities Allowing Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution

Check Point has released fixes for two critical vulnerabilities affecting its Security Gateway, Security Management Server, and locally managed Spark Firewall products. Both flaws received a CVSS score of 9.8 and enable remote code execution without requiring authentication. CVE-2026-85102 resides in certificate trust validation during VPN negotiation, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to force the process and execute arbitrary code. CVE-2026-85103 is a heap buffer overflow triggered while parsing the ASN.1 structure of VPN certificates. Affected versions include R81.20, R82, and R82.10 before the listed hotfixes, as well as unsupported R80.40 and R81 releases. R82.20 remains unaffected. The issues were discovered internally by Check Point researchers, with no active exploitation or public proof-of-concept observed as of the September 10 disclosure.

Cybercriminals Distribute NJRAT, DCRAT and Chaos via Fake GTA 6 Downloads

Threat actors are leveraging anticipation around GTA 6 to spread multiple malware families through fake game downloads. Security researchers at Huntress identified campaigns that combine search-engine poisoning, gaming forums, torrent sites and social-media posts to deliver oversized fake ISO files exceeding 100 GB. Victims who execute the installer see Russian-language messages claiming an invalid crack or missing license, while remote-access tools and data stealers run silently in the background. The delivered payloads include NJRAT and DCRAT for keystroke logging, screen capture and webcam access, Mercurial Grabber for harvesting browser credentials and Discord tokens, and the Chaos wiper that encrypts small files and overwrites larger ones. The operation primarily targets Russian-speaking gamers, as indicated by the ransom note and error messages. Analysts recommend avoiding unofficial downloads and isolating any compromised systems immediately.

Microsoft Fixes Remote Code Execution Flaw in Windows Remote Desktop Client

Microsoft has addressed a remote code execution vulnerability in the Windows Remote Desktop Client tracked as CVE-2026-69485 with a CVSS score of 8.8. The flaw stems from the use of an uninitialized resource and can be triggered by a specially crafted network request from an authenticated attacker with low privileges. Exploitation requires no user interaction such as clicking links or opening files and can lead to information disclosure, file modification, or service disruption. Multiple versions of Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016 through 2025 are affected, including Server Core installations. The issue was not publicly disclosed prior to patching and no active exploitation has been observed. Fixes were released in the September security updates including KB5124008 and KB5122871.

US Accuses Chinese AI Companies of Industrial-Scale Model Distillation Targeting Claude, GPT, Gemini and Grok

US agencies have accused six Chinese artificial intelligence firms of conducting large-scale unauthorized distillation operations to replicate advanced capabilities from leading models including Claude, GPT, Gemini, and Grok. The activity is reported to have begun at least by late 2024 and involved DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, Alibaba, MiniMax, StepFun, and Z.AI. Billions of tokens were extracted through millions of automated API requests routed via cloud providers, aggregators, and proxies to conceal origins and evade detection. The targeted capabilities included chain-of-thought reasoning, programming, software engineering, autonomous agent functions, and multimodal processing. Shared premium accounts and bulk subscriptions were used to lower costs while automated route-switching systems helped maintain access after blocks. Authorities assess that the sophistication and volume indicate distillation has become a core development method for these companies and likely occurred with Chinese government awareness. China has rejected the claims, stating its AI progress stems from independent innovation and calling the allegations unfounded.

US Offers $10 Million Reward for Iranian IRGC Cyber Commander Amir Yaryab

The United States has announced a reward of up to $10 million through the Rewards for Justice program for information leading to the identification or location of Amir Yaryab, leader of the Cyber Operations Command within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Yaryab oversees units responsible for cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Groups under his direction, including Shahid Hemmat and Shahid Shushtari, have conducted campaigns against defense, energy, telecommunications, finance, transportation, hotels, and airlines sectors. He is also linked to structures associated with the CyberAv3ngers group, known for attacks on industrial control systems and operational technology equipment. Previous operations attributed to IRGC-linked actors compromised internet-exposed Unitronics programmable logic controllers, affecting at least 75 devices between November 2023 and January 2024, including 34 in the US water and wastewater sector. The reward specifically targets individuals acting under foreign government direction in malicious cyber activities against US critical infrastructure.

AI Detection Agents Shift Cybersecurity from Alerts to Autonomous Investigations

AI-powered detection agents are redefining how organizations identify and respond to cyber threats by moving beyond simple signature matching and alert generation. Instead of forwarding isolated events to human teams, these agents now perform initial investigations themselves, correlating telemetry from multiple sources and reconstructing attack chains before escalating any incident. The technology has progressed from theoretical discussions to active budget conversations, forcing security teams to evaluate how much triage work can be handled autonomously. Traditional monitoring systems deliver chronological events and leave analysts to connect the dots manually, while the new agents handle correlation, timeline verification, and scope assessment upfront. Attack automation has increased the urgency, as malicious actions can now produce effects faster than human analysis can complete. The agents collect artifacts, review asset history, check for repeated behavior, and determine the real impact, redistributing analyst workload without removing the need for human judgment on business impact and response decisions.

Critical ASUS Control Center Enterprise Flaw Allows Remote Root Access via CVE-2026-75754

A critical vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-75754 in ASUS Control Center Enterprise (ACC) carries a maximum CVSS score of 10.0 and enables unauthenticated remote attackers to gain full control of the management server and all connected devices. The flaw stems from a combination of missing authentication on a critical function, a server-side request forgery (SSRF) issue, and hardcoded credentials embedded directly in the software. Attackers can craft a malicious HTTP request to extract the system’s encryption key, activate an SSH service on TCP port 2222, and use fixed credentials to obtain a root shell without any user interaction. Once inside, the attacker can read, modify, or delete data stored in the ACC platform and propagate the compromise across managed servers, PCs, and workstations. All versions of ASUS Control Center Enterprise through 4.0.0.2 are affected. ASUS released a security advisory on September 4, 2026, urging immediate updates to mitigate the risk.

Critical Zero-Day 'StyleSmuggler' Vulnerability Exploited in Adobe Commerce and Magento

A zero-day vulnerability dubbed StyleSmuggler is being actively exploited in Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce to achieve unauthenticated remote code execution and install backdoors on e-commerce servers. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious PHP code into files generated by the platform and then force the template system to process it, with the attack chain triggered during the generation of default transaction failure emails. Exploitation has been observed since September 4 and works even if the email is not successfully sent. Researchers have reproduced the attack on clean installations of versions 2.4.7, 2.4.8, and 2.4.9, as well as on a fully patched Magento 2.4.6-p15 system. After compromise, a Rust-based implant is deployed outside the store directory, masquerading as the process [kworker/u:8:0] and maintained via a cron job that restarts it every five minutes. As of September 6, Adobe had not released a CVE, official patch, or specific workaround, though the next scheduled security update is set for September 8.

Pegasus Spyware Returns in Serbian Surveillance Campaign via Zero-Click iMessage Exploit

A Serbian student activist's iPhone was infected with the Pegasus spyware through a zero-click exploit in iMessage, allowing silent installation without any user interaction. The infection, confirmed by Citizen Lab in collaboration with the SHARE Foundation, showed indicators of compromise between December 2025 and January 2026. Apple later sent the target a notification warning of a mercenary spyware attack attempt. The exploit granted full access to photos, messages, files, and enabled covert microphone and camera activation. The vulnerability was addressed in the iOS 18.4.1 update released on April 16, 2025. The incident forms part of a wider surveillance wave in Serbia, with at least 14 individuals including students, activists, a parliament member, and a local political representative receiving similar Apple alerts. Additional targets were hit with Android spyware variants linked to NoviSpy.

Attackers Abuse Legitimate Node.js Runtime to Deploy Persistent Malware in Targeted Operations

Cybercriminals are increasingly misusing the legitimate Node.js runtime to execute malicious JavaScript scripts and maintain persistence on corporate networks. The technique has been observed since February 2026 against governments, technology firms, hotels, and financial organizations. Attackers favor the signed node.exe binary to evade signature-based detections after initial access via ClickFix social engineering. In one case against an Asian technology company, Node.js was deployed following blocked attempts to install AdaptixC2 and Cobalt Strike. The resulting implant establishes registry persistence and communicates with Ethereum blockchain gateways to retrieve commands hidden in smart contracts. The approach has been linked to multiple tools including ModeloRAT, Mistic, EtherRAT, and a variant of AsukaStealer, with some campaigns attributed to the initial-access broker Woodgnat, also known as KongTuke.

Dropbox Lenovo ID Integration Flaw Exposes Thousands of Accounts Without Passwords

A flaw in the federated authentication process between Dropbox and Lenovo ID allowed attackers to compromise approximately 5,000 accounts between August 4 and August 21, 2026. Attackers registered a Lenovo ID using the email address tied to an existing Dropbox account due to missing email verification checks. They then logged in via the Lenovo ID option, and Dropbox automatically associated the identity with the existing account without requiring the original Dropbox password. Only accounts linked to the Lenovo ID integration and lacking two-factor authentication were affected. In fewer than one-third of the compromised accounts, attackers viewed or downloaded stored files. Dropbox responded by terminating all Lenovo ID sessions, removing existing associations, and updating the login flow to require the Dropbox password. Lenovo described the issue as stemming from a legacy integration and stated that its own customers were not directly impacted.

Ransomware Operators Linked to The Gentlemen Deploy TukTuk C2 Framework for Espionage and Credential Theft

Operators associated with the ransomware group The Gentlemen have adopted a new command-and-control framework called TukTuk to steal credentials, monitor compromised systems, and prepare environments for ransomware deployment. The framework was discovered on a server that also hosted tools for disabling EDR solutions, research on vulnerable drivers, and data apparently stolen from two large organizations. TukTuk includes agents for both Windows and Linux, along with its own backend and management panel that allows remote command execution, file transfers, screen capture, and device tracking through a single interface. One notable feature displays a fake Windows Security window on the victim's machine to capture entered credentials and send them directly to the attackers' panel. Researchers identified a DLL sideloading technique that abuses the legitimate Greenshot.exe executable to load a malicious log4net.dll library and launch the TukTuk agent. The server also contained EDRKiller, WarsawKiller, and UnknownKiller tools, plus materials on BYOVD attacks that leverage vulnerable legitimate drivers to gain kernel access and interfere with security products.

Password Spraying Campaign Targets AWS Root Accounts in Over 150 Organizations

A password spraying campaign targeted AWS root accounts across more than 150 organizations between July 24 and August 23, 2026. Attackers performed repeated login attempts against identities holding maximum privileges in the cloud environment. The root account is created with every AWS account and grants full access to resources, configurations, billing, and sensitive administrative functions. Researchers observed a median of two attempts per organization, with some targets receiving up to eight attempts. No successful authentications linked to the campaign have been identified so far. The attacks leveraged distributed proxies across multiple countries and networks, including hosting infrastructure and residential proxies, while using user agents that mimicked older versions of Microsoft Edge and Firefox. Since June 2025, AWS has required MFA for root users, significantly raising the bar for account takeover even if a password is discovered.

Brazilian Malware BraZetsu Uses AI to Map and Sell Compromised Corporate Networks

Researchers have identified a new Windows malware called BraZetsu developed by the Brazilian actor Exilware. The tool maps compromised corporate networks, identifies high-value systems, and prepares access for sale to other criminals. The operation primarily targets Brazil and other countries in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. BraZetsu is written in Python with a modular architecture and maintains WebSocket communication with its command-and-control server. It searches for banking software, ERPs, e-commerce platforms, industrial environments, development tools, backup systems, and security solutions. The malware also looks for Brazilian CNAB financial files, digital certificates, and browser history. Evidence suggests heavy use of generative AI during development, with an AI component on the server that may classify stolen files and prioritize valuable machines.

Android 17 Adds Local Network Protection and Strengthens Wi-Fi Privacy Controls

Android 17 introduces Local Network Protection, requiring apps to obtain explicit permission before scanning or connecting to devices on the same Wi-Fi network. The feature limits unauthorized discovery of TVs, cameras, printers, consoles and other local equipment that could previously be used to build detailed user profiles. The update also enables Encrypted Client Hello by default to hide domain names during HTTPS handshakes from network observers. Certificate Transparency is now activated by default to detect fraudulent or mis-issued certificates that could enable interception attacks. Additional safeguards block forced downgrades to insecure 2G networks often exploited by fake base stations for SMS-based fraud. These changes collectively reduce passive tracking and man-in-the-middle risks without disrupting legitimate local network functions such as media casting.

Secure AI-Assisted Development: Five Critical Practices for Vibe Coding

AI has become the default path for quickly turning ideas into working applications, yet most security flaws in these projects stem not from model errors but from developer assumptions. The AI simply implements what is requested, and security requirements are rarely included in prompts. Five key areas account for the majority of issues: explicitly defining what an application must not do, distinguishing authentication from authorization, reviewing AI-suggested dependencies, removing secrets from commit history, and validating business logic rules that automated scans cannot detect. Applications built this way are already attracting cybercriminals because the resulting vulnerabilities can be identified and exploited at scale. The HackerSec Pentest Platform is positioned as an accessible option for vibe coders seeking quality security testing before production deployment.

Ransomware Group TITAN Deploys Local AI on AMD EPYC Servers to Accelerate Stolen Data Analysis

The TITAN ransomware group has announced the integration of an on-premises artificial intelligence platform designed to process up to 700 GB of exfiltrated data per hour. Operating as a ransomware-as-a-service model since May 2026, TITAN combines file encryption with data theft and has already published 24 victims across 10 countries. Manufacturing and professional services firms account for 29 percent of the targeted organizations. The AI system runs locally on AMD EPYC servers with GPU acceleration and automatically classifies financial documents, legal records, personal data, trade secrets, and intellectual property. It further identifies information with high reputational or regulatory impact, maps corporate and personal relationships, and estimates potential penalties under data-protection laws. The group also claims the platform can generate automated notifications to regulators and media outlets to intensify extortion pressure.

APT28 Expands Espionage with New HOOKEDGE Backdoor Targeting European Organizations

The Russian-linked APT28 group, also known as BlueDelta, has deployed a new lightweight backdoor called HOOKEDGE as part of a cyber-espionage campaign against strategic European entities. The attacks, assessed with moderate confidence, targeted government, diplomatic, and defense manufacturing organizations in Romania, Spain, and Turkey between September 2025 and April 2026. Infection begins with spear-phishing emails delivering Microsoft Word documents containing malicious macros that mimic official Spanish government materials. Upon execution, the macros drop files, establish persistence via scheduled tasks, and deploy the HOOKEDGE backdoor written in batch scripts. The malware uses hidden Microsoft Edge instances and the legitimate webhook.site service to blend command-and-control traffic with normal web activity. In high-value victims, operators installed a second HOOKEDGE instance with five-minute check-ins for faster control and data collection. The backdoor shows strong code similarities to the older HEADLACE implant previously attributed to the same group.

Iran-Linked Cyber Attack Leaves Small UK Power Plant Offline for Four Days

A cyber attack attributed to hackers with suspected ties to Iran took a small-scale UK power generation facility offline for approximately four days in July 2026. The incident affected a roughly 15 MW generator used to support peak demand periods, yet caused no customer outages or disruption to the national electricity grid. British authorities have not issued an official attribution, and investigators have not publicly identified the malware, vulnerability, or initial access vector used in the operation. Recovery required four days of extensive validation across controllers, configurations, security systems, and remote access points to ensure no residual risks remained. The case highlights the operational challenges of restoring industrial control environments after suspected nation-state activity. In response, UK authorities have strengthened guidance for the energy sector and are considering additional protective measures for critical infrastructure suppliers.

Critical Veeam ONE Flaw Allows Remote Attackers to Expose Service Account Credentials via Forced SMB Authentication

Veeam has patched a critical vulnerability in Veeam ONE that enables a remote unauthenticated attacker to force SMB authentication attempts using the platform's service account. Identified as CVE-2026-65641 with a CVSS score of 9.3, the flaw impacts version 13.1.0.7034 and all prior builds of the 13.x line, while 12.x installations remain unaffected. Exploitation allows an attacker to redirect SMB authentication to a controlled server, exposing Net-NTLM material that can be used for offline password cracking or NTLM relay attacks against other services. The severity depends on the privileges of the compromised account, with elevated risk in environments where Veeam ONE runs with high privileges or broad access to Active Directory, backup servers, and hypervisors. Patches are available in Veeam ONE 13.1 Patch 0 (build 13.1.0.7233) and Veeam ONE 13.0.2 Patch 1 (build 13.0.2.7159), and organizations are urged to apply updates immediately.

TeamViewer Patches High-Severity Flaws Allowing Remote Command Execution and Unauthorized File Writes

TeamViewer has addressed two high-severity vulnerabilities in its remote access clients that could enable attackers to execute commands and write files to unauthorized locations. The more critical issue, tracked as CVE-2026-19042 with a CVSS score of 8.8, affects Full Client and Host versions on Linux prior to 15.81.5 and permits command execution with the privileges of the logged-in user. Exploitation requires the attacker to be on the victim's contact list or for the victim to accept messages from external users. The second flaw, CVE-2026-16444 rated at CVSS 7.5, stems from improper file path validation and impacts Windows, macOS, and Linux clients before version 15.81.5, allowing path traversal sequences in transferred files or clipboard content during remote sessions. Legacy versions of TeamViewer 13, 14, and editions for Windows 7 and 8 also received targeted fixes. No active exploitation was observed at the time of disclosure, and the vendor urges immediate migration to the latest release.

Aurora Ransomware Affiliate Uses AI Assistant Cursor to Compromise Active Directory and VMware ESXi Servers

An affiliate of the Aurora ransomware group employed the AI-powered coding assistant Cursor to plan and execute targeted attacks against corporate environments, focusing on Active Directory and VMware ESXi servers. The campaign impacted more than 20 organizations between April and July 2026. The operator used Cursor to generate commands, refine exploitation techniques, and build attack sequences aimed at Windows infrastructure, particularly Active Directory Certificate Services (ADCS). Techniques included noPac exploitation combined with NTLM relay attacks leveraging PetitPotam, PrinterBug, and DFSCoerce to escalate privileges up to domain administrator level. After gaining access, the attackers collected and compressed large volumes of data for exfiltration before deploying the Aurora ransomware on Windows, Linux, and ESXi systems. The ESXi variant stops virtual machines prior to encryption to maximize impact on virtualized environments.

Next.js Patches Two Critical RCE Vulnerabilities in Versions 15.5.24 and 16.3.3

Next.js has released security updates to address two critical vulnerabilities that could allow unauthenticated remote code execution. The fixes are available in versions 15.5.24 and 16.3.3. The first issue, tracked as CVE-2026-75604 with a CVSS score of 9.0, affects applications hosted on Windows servers using Pages Router or App Router without Cache Components and stems from a path traversal flaw. The second vulnerability impacts the Image Optimization API when processing malicious AVIF files, enabling code execution through crafted image inputs. Both flaws affect a wide range of versions from 10.0.0 and 13.4 onward. Administrators are advised to update immediately, rebuild containers, and verify production environments run the patched releases, especially on Windows systems and those handling user-uploaded images.

Iran-Linked Tortoiseshell Group Deploys Malicious wtsapi32.dll Backdoor for Persistent Windows Access

Researchers have uncovered new tools deployed by the Tortoiseshell group, an Iranian-linked threat actor also tracked as Mirage Kitten, UNC1549, and Nimbus Manticore. The campaign features a Windows backdoor disguised as the legitimate wtsapi32.dll library that silently establishes reverse SSH tunnels over port 443 to maintain access to compromised networks. Active since at least 2018, the group has targeted defense, aerospace, technology, IT services, and military organizations primarily in the Middle East and the United States. The malware preserves expected Windows API functions while enabling command execution, file exfiltration, in-memory DLL loading, directory listing, and system reconnaissance. Associated infrastructure spans the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Australia, and Japan.

SonicWall Patches Critical Path Traversal and Update Flaws in NetExtender for Linux

SonicWall has released fixes for two high-severity vulnerabilities in its NetExtender client for Linux that could allow remote attackers to write arbitrary files with root privileges and manipulate the automatic update process. The flaws impact versions 10.3.5 and earlier, while the Windows version remains unaffected. CVE-2026-66152 carries a CVSS score of 8.8 and stems from improper handling of tar archives containing OPSWAT data, enabling path traversal that lets attackers escape the intended extraction directory. CVE-2026-66153 scores 7.0 and arises from inadequate symlink and temporary file handling in the NEService update mechanism. Both issues require user interaction to exploit, and no in-the-wild attacks have been observed so far. Administrators are urged to upgrade immediately to version 10.3.6 or later, as no workarounds exist.

Zscaler Fixes Multiple Critical Flaws in Client Connector Enabling RCE and Authentication Bypass

Zscaler has released patches for several vulnerabilities in its Client Connector agent that could lead to remote code execution, authentication bypass, local privilege escalation, and denial of service. The most severe issue, tracked as CVE-2026-59568 with a CVSS score of 9.1, allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the Zscaler Client Connector process. A second critical flaw, CVE-2026-59564 also rated CVSS 9.1, affects communication between the connector and its management portal, enabling attackers to circumvent authentication mechanisms. Additional vulnerabilities include a local buffer overflow on Android and ChromeOS tracked as CVE-2026-59566 with CVSS 8.4, as well as issues that could result in privilege escalation or service disruption. The flaws impact Client Connector versions across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS, with varying affected builds depending on the platform. Updated builds for lines 4.6 through 4.9 on Windows and equivalent fixes for other operating systems are now available.

WhatsApp Adds Support for Multiple Passkeys on Single Account

WhatsApp has expanded its account protection features by allowing users to register more than one passkey on the same profile. The update particularly benefits users who switch between Android and iOS devices while maintaining phishing-resistant login methods. Passkeys replace traditional codes and passwords with biometric authentication, facial recognition, or device lock mechanisms. Meta reports that more than one billion people already use the feature on WhatsApp, with Android support introduced in 2023 and iOS support added in 2024. The change reduces reliance on a single device during authentication by associating multiple keys with one account. Users can manage keys through Settings > Account > Passkeys. WhatsApp has also strengthened two-factor verification by allowing replacement of the six-digit PIN with longer passwords containing letters, numbers, and special characters.

AmnesiaStealer Malware for macOS Hijacks Authenticated Browser Sessions via ClickFix and Chromium

A new macOS malware strain named AmnesiaStealer has emerged that combines infostealing, persistence mechanisms, and the ability to silently take over already authenticated browser sessions. The infection chain begins with a fake GitHub page that tricks victims into copying a malicious command into Terminal using the ClickFix social engineering technique. Once executed, the Rust-based payload collects system data, displays a fake installer window to capture the user password, and attempts to unlock the Keychain for protected credentials. Targeted data includes browser cookies, history, extensions, documents, Apple Notes, Telegram sessions, and cryptocurrency wallet information. A secondary module copies the browser profile and launches a hidden Chromium instance controlled through the Chrome DevTools Protocol, allowing attackers to interact with active sessions that have already passed multi-factor authentication. Persistence is achieved via a disguised LaunchDaemon, and the malware attempts to remove installation artifacts afterward.

HackerSec's Yaga Pentest Agent Reaches 98.8% Effectiveness in White Box Testing

The offensive cybersecurity firm HackerSec announced that its Yaga pentest agent achieved a record 98.8% effectiveness in white box scenarios on the latest YagaBench evaluation. The agent also recorded 96.2% success in black box and 97% in gray box testing, marking the highest results since measurements began. These figures indicate that Yaga identified more than 98% of existing vulnerabilities across tested environments. The benchmark specifically highlights the performance gap between standalone AI models and the same models integrated into HackerSec's specialized pentest harness. Without the harness, models such as Opus 5 reached only 61% in white box testing, while GPT 5.6 SOL scored 60.9% in white box and 39.5% in black box. Yaga orchestrates four models during a single run, preserving context across phases and chaining findings to confirm exploitability while keeping false positives below 1%. CEO Andrew Martinez stated the company aims to reach 99% effectiveness across all pentest modalities by year end.