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Cisco has alerted users to a maximum-severity zero-day flaw in Cisco AsyncOS software that has been actively exploited by a China-nexus advanced persistent threat (APT) actor codenamed UAT-9686 in attacks targeting Cisco Secure Email Gateway and Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager. The networking equipment major said it became aware of the intrusion campaign on December 10, 2025, and that it has singled out a "limited subset of appliances" with certain ports open to the internet. It's currently not known how many customers are affected. "This attack allows the threat actors to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the underlying operating system of an affected appliance," Cisco said in an advisory. "The ongoing investigation has revealed evidence of a persistence mechanism planted by the threat actors to maintain a degree of control over compromised appliances." The as-yet-unpatched vulnerability is being tracked as CVE-2025-20393 , ...

The threat actor linked to Operation ForumTroll has been attributed to a fresh set of phishing attacks targeting individuals within Russia, according to Kaspersky. The Russian cybersecurity vendor said it detected the new activity in October 2025. The origins of the threat actor are presently unknown. "While the spring cyberattacks focused on organizations, the fall campaign honed in on specific individuals: scholars in the field of political science, international relations, and global economics, working at major Russian universities and research institutions," security researcher Georgy Kucherin said . Operation ForumTroll refers to a series of sophisticated phishing attacks exploiting a then-zero-day vulnerability in Google Chrome (CVE-2025-2783) to deliver the LeetAgent backdoor and a spyware implant known as Dante. The latest attack wave also commences with emails that claimed to be from eLibrary, a Russian scientific electronic library, with the messages sent f...

If you use a smartphone, browse the web, or unzip files on your computer, you are in the crosshairs this week. Hackers are currently exploiting critical flaws in the daily software we all rely on—and in some cases, they started attacking before a fix was even ready. Below, we list the urgent updates you need to install right now to stop these active threats. ⚡ Threat of the Week Apple and Google Release Fixes for Actively Exploited Flaws — Apple released security updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, visionOS, and Safari web browser to address two zero-days that the company said have been exploited in highly targeted attacks. CVE-2025-14174 has been described as a memory corruption issue, while the second, CVE-2025-43529, is a use-after-free bug. They can both be exploited using maliciously crafted web content to execute arbitrary code. CVE-2025-14174 was also addressed by Google in its Chrome browser since it resides in its open-source Almost Native Graphics Layer Engi...

Apple on Friday released security updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, visionOS, and its Safari web browser to address two security flaws that it said have been exploited in the wild, one of which is the same flaw that was patched by Google in Chrome earlier this week. The vulnerabilities are listed below - CVE-2025-43529 (CVSS score: N/A) - A use-after-free vulnerability in WebKit that may lead to arbitrary code execution when processing maliciously crafted web content CVE-2025-14174 (CVSS score: 8.8) - A memory corruption issue in WebKit that may lead to memory corruption when processing maliciously crafted web content Apple said it's aware that the shortcomings "may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 26." It's worth noting that CVE-2025-14174 is the same vulnerability that Google issued patches for in its Chrome browser on December 10, 2025. It's been...

A high-severity unpatched security vulnerability in Gogs has come under active exploitation, with more than 700 compromised instances accessible over the internet, according to new findings from Wiz. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-8110 (CVSS score: 8.7), is a case of file overwrite in the file update API of the Go-based self-hosted Git service. A fix for the issue is said to be currently in the works. The company said it accidentally discovered the zero-day flaw in July 2025 while investigating a malware infection on a customer's machine. "Improper symbolic link handling in the PutContents API in Gogs allows local execution of code," according to a description of the vulnerability in CVE.org. The cloud security company said CVE-2025-8110 is a bypass for a previously patched remote code execution flaw ( CVE-2024-55947 , CVSS score: 8.7) that allows an attacker to write a file to an arbitrary path on the server and gain SSH access to the server. CVE-2024-55947 was add...

Google on Wednesday shipped security updates for its Chrome browser to address three security flaws, including one it said has come under active exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability, rated high in severity, is being tracked under the Chromium issue tracker ID " 466192044 ." Unlike other disclosures, Google has opted to keep information about the CVE identifier, the affected component, and the nature of the flaw under wraps. However, a GitHub commit for the Chromium bug ID has revealed that the issue resides in Google's open-source Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine ( ANGLE ) library, with the commit message stating "Metal: Don't use pixelsDepthPitch to size buffers. pixelsDepthPitch is based on GL_UNPACK_IMAGE_HEIGHT, which can be smaller than the image height." This indicates the problem is likely a buffer overflow vulnerability in ANGLE's Metal renderer triggered by improper buffer sizing, which could lead to memory corruption, program cra...

Microsoft closed out 2025 with patches for 56 security flaws in various products across the Windows platform, including one vulnerability that has been actively exploited in the wild. Of the 56 flaws, three are rated Critical, and 53 are rated Important in severity. Two other defects are listed as publicly known at the time of the release. These include 29 privilege escalation, 18 remote code execution, four information disclosure, three denial-of-service, and two spoofing vulnerabilities. In total, Microsoft has addressed a total of 1,275 CVEs in 2025, according to data compiled by Fortra. Tenable's Satnam Narang said 2025 also marks the second consecutive year where the Windows maker has patched over 1,000 CVEs. It's the third time it has done so since Patch Tuesday's inception. The update is in addition to 17 shortcomings the tech giant patched in its Chromium-based Edge browser since the release of the November 2025 Patch Tuesday update . This also consists of a s...

It's been a week of chaos in code and calm in headlines. A bug that broke the internet's favorite framework, hackers chasing AI tools, fake apps stealing cash, and record-breaking cyberattacks — all within days. If you blink, you'll miss how fast the threat map is changing. New flaws are being found, published, and exploited in hours instead of weeks. AI-powered tools meant to help developers are quickly becoming new attack surfaces. Criminal groups are recycling old tricks with fresh disguises — fake apps, fake alerts, and fake trust. Meanwhile, defenders are racing to patch systems, block massive DDoS waves, and uncover spy campaigns hiding quietly inside networks. The fight is constant, the pace relentless. For a deeper look at these stories, plus new cybersecurity tools and upcoming expert webinars, check out the full ThreatsDay Bulletin. ⚡ Threat of the Week Max Severity React Flaw Comes Under Attack — A critical security flaw impacting React Server Components (RSC) has ...

A human rights lawyer from Pakistan's Balochistan province received a suspicious link on WhatsApp from an unknown number, marking the first time a civil society member in the country was targeted by Intellexa's Predator spyware, Amnesty International said in a report. The link, the non-profit organization said, is a "Predator attack attempt based on the technical behaviour of the infection server, and on specific characteristics of the one-time infection link which were consistent with previously observed Predator 1-click links." Pakistan has dismissed the allegations, stating "there is not an iota of truth in it." The findings come from a new joint investigation published in collaboration with Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Greek news site Inside Story, and Swiss tech site Inside IT. It's based on documents and other materials leaked from the company, including internal documents, sales and marketing material, and training videos. Intellexa is the mak...

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Thursday released details of a backdoor named BRICKSTORM that has been put to use by state-sponsored threat actors from the People's Republic of China (PRC) to maintain long-term persistence on compromised systems. "BRICKSTORM is a sophisticated backdoor for VMware vSphere and Windows environments," the agency said . "BRICKSTORM enables cyber threat actors to maintain stealthy access and provides capabilities for initiation, persistence, and secure command-and-control." Written in Golang, the custom implant essentially gives bad actors interactive shell access on the system and allows them to browse, upload, download, create, delete, and manipulate files The malware, mainly used in attacks targeting governments and information technology (IT) sectors, also supports multiple protocols, such as HTTPS, WebSockets, and nested Transport Layer Security (TLS), for command-and-control (C2), DNS-o...

Microsoft has silently plugged a security flaw that has been exploited by several threat actors since 2017 as part of the company's November 2025 Patch Tuesday updates , according to ACROS Security's 0patch . The vulnerability in question is CVE-2025-9491 (CVSS score: 7.8/7.0), which has been described as a Windows Shortcut (LNK) file UI misinterpretation vulnerability that could lead to remote code execution. "The specific flaw exists within the handling of .LNK files," according to a description in the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD). "Crafted data in an .LNK file can cause hazardous content in the file to be invisible to a user who inspects the file via the Windows-provided user interface. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current user." In other words, these shortcut files are crafted such that viewing their properties in Windows conceals the malicious commands executed by them out of the u...

Hackers aren't kicking down the door anymore. They just use the same tools we use every day — code packages, cloud accounts, email, chat, phones, and "trusted" partners — and turn them against us. One bad download can leak your keys. One weak vendor can expose many customers at once. One guest invite, one link on a phone, one bug in a common tool, and suddenly your mail, chats, repos, and servers are in play. Every story below is a reminder that your "safe" tools might be the real weak spot. ⚡ Threat of the Week Shai-Hulud Returns with More Aggression — The npm registry was targeted a second time by a self-replicating worm that went by the moniker "Sha1-Hulud: The Second Coming," affecting over 800 packages and 27,000 GitHub repositories. Like in the previous iteration, the main objective was to steal sensitive data like API keys, cloud credentials, and npm and GitHub authentication information, and facilitate deeper supply chain compromise in a worm-like fashion. Th...

This week saw a lot of new cyber trouble. Hackers hit Fortinet and Chrome with new 0-day bugs. They also broke into supply chains and SaaS tools. Many hid inside trusted apps, browser alerts, and software updates. Big firms like Microsoft, Salesforce, and Google had to react fast — stopping DDoS attacks, blocking bad links, and fixing live flaws. Reports also showed how fast fake news, AI risks, and attacks on developers are growing. Here's what mattered most in security this week. ⚡ Threat of the Week Fortinet Warns of Another Silently Patched and Actively Exploited FortiWeb Flaw — Fortinet has warned that a new security flaw in FortiWeb has been exploited in the wild. The medium-severity vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-58034, carries a CVSS score of 6.7 out of a maximum of 10.0. It has been addressed in version 8.0.2. "An Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability [CWE-78] in FortiWeb may allow an a...

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Friday added a critical security flaw impacting Oracle Identity Manager to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities ( KEV ) catalog, citing evidence of active exploitation. The vulnerability in question is CVE-2025-61757 (CVSS score: 9.8), a case of missing authentication for a critical function that can result in pre-authenticated remote code execution. The vulnerability affects versions 12.2.1.4.0 and 14.1.2.1.0. It was addressed by Oracle as part of its quarterly updates released last month. "Oracle Fusion Middleware contains a missing authentication for a critical function vulnerability, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to take over Identity Manager," CISA said. Searchlight Cyber researchers Adam Kues and Shubham Shah, who discovered the flaw, said it can permit an attacker to access API endpoints that, in turn, can allow them "to manipulate authentication flows, escalate privileges, and ...

Google on Monday released security updates for its Chrome browser to address two security flaws, including one that has come under active exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability in question is CVE-2025-13223 (CVSS score: 8.8), a type confusion vulnerability in the V8 JavaScript and WebAssembly engine that could be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution or program crashes. "Type Confusion in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 142.0.7444.175 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page," according to a description of the flaw in the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD). Clément Lecigne of Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has been credited with discovering and reporting the flaw on November 12, 2025. Google has not shared any details on who is behind the attacks, who may have been targeted, or the scale of such efforts. However, the tech giant acknowledged that an "exploit for CVE-2025-13223 exists in the...

This week showed just how fast things can go wrong when no one's watching. Some attacks were silent and sneaky. Others used tools we trust every day — like AI, VPNs, or app stores — to cause damage without setting off alarms. It's not just about hacking anymore. Criminals are building systems to make money, spy, or spread malware like it's a business. And in some cases, they're using the same apps and services that businesses rely on — flipping the script without anyone noticing at first. The scary part? Some threats weren't even bugs — just clever use of features we all take for granted. And by the time people figured it out, the damage was done. Let's look at what really happened, why it matters, and what we should all be thinking about now. ⚡ Threat of the Week Silently Patched Fortinet Flaw Comes Under Attack — A vulnerability that was patched by Fortinet in FortiWeb Web Application Firewall (WAF) has been exploited in the wild since early October 2025 by threat actors to c...

Cybersecurity researchers are sounding the alert about an authentication bypass vulnerability in Fortinet FortiWeb Web Application Firewall (WAF) that could allow an attacker to take over admin accounts and completely compromise a device. "The watchTowr team is seeing active, indiscriminate in-the-wild exploitation of what appears to be a silently patched vulnerability in Fortinet's FortiWeb product," Benjamin Harris, watchTowr CEO and founder, said in a statement. "Patched in version 8.0.2 , the vulnerability allows attackers to perform actions as a privileged user - with in-the-wild exploitation focusing on adding a new administrator account as a basic persistence mechanism for the attackers." The cybersecurity company said it was able to successfully reproduce the vulnerability and create a working proof-of-concept (Poc). It has also released an artifact generator tool for the authentication bypass to help identify susceptible devices. According to d...

Amazon's threat intelligence team on Wednesday disclosed that it observed an advanced threat actor exploiting two then-zero-day security flaws in Cisco Identity Service Engine (ISE) and Citrix NetScaler ADC products as part of attacks designed to deliver custom malware. "This discovery highlights the trend of threat actors focusing on critical identity and network access control infrastructure – the systems enterprises rely on to enforce security policies and manage authentication across their networks," CJ Moses, CISO of Amazon Integrated Security, said in a report shared with The Hacker News. The attacks were flagged by its MadPot honeypot network, with the activity weaponizing the following two vulnerabilities - CVE-2025-5777 or Citrix Bleed 2 (CVSS score: 9.3) - An insufficient input validation vulnerability in Citrix NetScaler ADC and Gateway that could be exploited by an attacker to bypass authentication. (Fixed by Citrix in June 2025 ) CVE-2025-20337 (CV...

Microsoft on Tuesday released patches for 63 new security vulnerabilities identified in its software, including one that has come under active exploitation in the wild. Of the 63 flaws, four are rated Critical and 59 are rated Important in severity. Twenty-nine of these vulnerabilities are related to privilege escalation, followed by 16 remote code execution, 11 information disclosure, three denial-of-service (DoS), two security feature bypass, and two spoofing bugs. The patches are in addition to the 27 vulnerabilities the Windows maker addressed in its Chromium-based Edge browser since the release of October 2025's Patch Tuesday update. The zero-day vulnerability that has been listed as exploited in Tuesday's update is CVE-2025-62215 (CVSS score: 7.0), a privilege escalation flaw in Windows Kernel. The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) and Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) have been credited with discovering and reporting the issue. "Concurre...

Cyber threats didn't slow down last week—and attackers are getting smarter. We're seeing malware hidden in virtual machines, side-channel leaks exposing AI chats, and spyware quietly targeting Android devices in the wild. But that's just the surface. From sleeper logic bombs to a fresh alliance between major threat groups, this week's roundup highlights a clear shift: cybercrime is evolving fast, and the lines between technical stealth and strategic coordination are blurring. It's worth your time. Every story here is about real risks that your team needs to know about right now. Read the whole recap. ⚡ Threat of the Week Curly COMrades Abuses Hyper-V to Hide Malware in Linux VMs — Curly COMrades, a threat actor supporting Russia's geopolitical interests, has been observed abusing Microsoft's Hyper-V hypervisor in compromised Windows machines to create a hidden Alpine Linux-based virtual machine and deploy malicious payloads. This method allows the malware to run completel...