Search results for Cisco SSL VPN vulnerabilities | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

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 , ...

Cisco has patched multiple critical  security vulnerabilities  impacting its RV Series routers that could be weaponized to elevate privileges and execute arbitrary code on affected systems, while also warning of the existence of proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit code targeting some of these bugs. Three of the 15 flaws, tracked as CVE-2022-20699, CVE-2022-20700, and CVE-2022-20707, carry the highest CVSS rating of 10.0, and affect its Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series routers. Additionally, the flaws could be exploited to bypass authentication and authorization protections, retrieve and run unsigned software, and even cause denial-of-service (DoS) conditions. The networking equipment maker acknowledged that it's "aware that proof-of-concept exploit code is available for several of the vulnerabilities" but didn't share any further specifics on the nature of the exploit or the identity of the threat actors that may be exploiting them. CVE-2022-20699...

Cisco has released security updates to address a maximum-severity security flaw in Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability, assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2025-20265 (CVSS score: 10.0), affects the RADIUS subsystem implementation that could permit an unauthenticated, remote attacker to inject arbitrary shell commands that are executed by the device. The networking equipment major said the issue stems from a lack of proper handling of user input during the authentication phase, as a result of which an attacker could send specially crafted input when entering credentials that get authenticated at the configured RADIUS server. "A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute commands at a high privilege level," the company said in a Thursday advisory. "For this vulnerability to be exploited, Cisco Secure FMC Software must be configured for RADIUS authentica...

Recently disclosed security flaws impacting Juniper firewalls, Openfire, and Apache RocketMQ servers have come under active exploitation in the wild, according to multiple reports. The Shadowserver Foundation  said  that it's "seeing exploitation attempts from multiple IPs for Juniper J-Web CVE-2023-36844 (& friends) targeting /webauth_operation.php endpoint," the same day a proof-of-concept (PoC) became available. The  issues , tracked as CVE-2023-36844, CVE-2023-36845, CVE-2023-36846, and CVE-2023-36847, reside in the J-Web component of Junos OS on Juniper SRX and EX Series. They could be chained by an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to execute arbitrary code on susceptible installations. Patches for the flaw were released on August 17, 2023, a week after which watchTowr Labs published a proof-of-concept (PoC) by combining CVE-2023-36846 and CVE-2023-36845 to execute a PHP file containing malicious shellcode. Currently, there are  more than 8,200 ...

Fortinet has disclosed a new critical security flaw in FortiOS SSL VPN that it said is likely being exploited in the wild. The vulnerability,  CVE-2024-21762  (CVSS score: 9.6), allows for the execution of arbitrary code and commands. "An out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] in FortiOS may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code or command via specially crafted HTTP requests," the company  said  in a bulletin released Thursday. It further acknowledged that the issue is "potentially being exploited in the wild," without giving additional specifics about how it's being weaponized and by whom. The following versions are impacted by the vulnerability. It's worth noting that FortiOS 7.6 is not affected. FortiOS 7.4 (versions 7.4.0 through 7.4.2) - Upgrade to 7.4.3 or above FortiOS 7.2 (versions 7.2.0 through 7.2.6) - Upgrade to 7.2.7 or above FortiOS 7.0 (versions 7.0.0 through 7.0.13) - Upgrade to 7.0.14 or above Forti...

Remember OpenSSL Heartbleed vulnerability ? Several weeks ago, the exposure of this security bug chilled the Internet, revealed that millions of websites were vulnerable to a flaw in the OpenSSL code which they used to encrypt their communications. Now once again the OpenSSL Foundation has issued software updates to patch six new vulnerabilities, and two of them are critical. MAN-IN-THE-MIDDLE ATTACK (CVE-2014-0224) First critical vulnerability (CVE-2014-0224) in OpenSSL is " CCS Injection " - resides in ChangeCipherSpec (CCS) request sent during the handshake that could allow an attacker to perform a man-in-the-middle attack against the encrypted connection servers and clients.  By exploiting this vulnerability an attacker could intercept an encrypted connection which allows him to decrypt, read or manipulate the data. But the reported flaw is exploitable only if both server and client are vulnerable to this issue. According to the OpenSSL advisory , " An attacker...

Cybersecurity today is less about single attacks and more about chains of small weaknesses that connect into big risks. One overlooked update, one misused account, or one hidden tool in the wrong hands can be enough to open the door. The news this week shows how attackers are mixing methods—combining stolen access, unpatched software, and clever tricks to move from small entry points to large consequences.  For defenders, the lesson is clear: the real danger often comes not from one major flaw, but from how different small flaws interact together. ⚡ Threat of the Week WhatsApp Patches Actively Exploited Flaw — WhatsApp addressed a security vulnerability in its messaging apps for Apple iOS and macOS that it said may have been exploited in the wild in conjunction with a recently disclosed Apple flaw in targeted zero-day attacks. The vulnerability, CVE-2025-55177 relates to a case of insufficient authorization of linked device synchronization messages. The Meta-owned company ...

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Thursday  added  a now-patched security flaw impacting Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) software to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities ( KEV ) catalog, following reports that it's being likely exploited in Akira ransomware attacks. The vulnerability in question is  CVE-2020-3259  (CVSS score: 7.5), a high-severity information disclosure issue that could allow an attacker to retrieve memory contents on an affected device. It was  patched  by Cisco as part of updates released in May 2020. Late last month, cybersecurity firm Truesec said it found evidence suggesting that it has been weaponized by Akira ransomware actors to compromise multiple susceptible Cisco Anyconnect SSL VPN appliances over the past year. "There is no publicly available exploit code for [...] CVE-2020-3259, meaning that a threat actor, such as Akira, exploiting that vulnerabi...

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a Linux variant of a relatively new ransomware strain called Helldown, suggesting that the threat actors are broadening their attack focus. "Helldown deploys Windows ransomware derived from the LockBit 3.0 code," Sekoia said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "Given the recent development of ransomware targeting ESX, it appears that the group could be evolving its current operations to target virtualized infrastructures via VMware." Helldown was first publicly documented by Halcyon in mid-August 2024, describing it as an "aggressive ransomware group" that infiltrates target networks by exploiting security vulnerabilities. Some of the prominent sectors targeted by the cybercrime group include IT services, telecommunications, manufacturing, and healthcare. Like other ransomware crews, Helldown is known for leveraging data leak sites to pressure victims into paying ransoms by threatening to publish s...

Fortinet has released patches to address a critical security flaw in its FortiGate firewalls that could be abused by a threat actor to achieve remote code execution. The vulnerability, tracked as  CVE-2023-27997 , is "reachable pre-authentication, on every SSL VPN appliance," Lexfo Security researcher Charles Fol, who discovered and reported the flaw alongside Dany Bach,  said  in a tweet over the weekend. Details about the security flaw are currently withheld and Fortinet is yet to release an advisory, although the network security company is expected to publish more details in the coming days. French cybersecurity company Olympe Cyberdefense, in an independent alert,  said  the issue has been patched in versions 6.2.15, 6.4.13, 7.0.12, and 7.2.5. "The flaw would allow a hostile agent to interfere via the VPN, even if the MFA is activated," the firm noted. With Fortinet flaws  emerging  as a  lucrative   attack vector  for threat...

Security, trust, and stability — once the pillars of our digital world — are now the tools attackers turn against us. From stolen accounts to fake job offers, cybercriminals keep finding new ways to exploit both system flaws and human behavior. Each new breach proves a harsh truth: in cybersecurity, feeling safe can be far more dangerous than being alert. Here’s how that false sense of security was broken again this week. ⚡ Threat of the Week Newly Patched Critical Microsoft WSUS Flaw Comes Under Attack — Microsoft released out-of-band security updates to patch a critical-severity Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) vulnerability that has since come under active exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability in question is CVE-2025-59287 (CVSS score: 9.8), a remote code execution flaw in WSUS that was originally fixed by the tech giant as part of its Patch Tuesday update published last week. According to Eye Security and Huntress, the security flaw is being weaponized to drop a .N...

It’s easy to think your defenses are solid — until you realize attackers have been inside them the whole time. The latest incidents show that long-term, silent breaches are becoming the norm. The best defense now isn’t just patching fast, but watching smarter and staying alert for what you don’t expect. Here’s a quick look at this week’s top threats, new tactics, and security stories shaping the landscape. ⚡ Threat of the Week F5 Exposed to Nation-State Breach — F5 disclosed that unidentified threat actors broke into its systems and stole files containing some of BIG-IP's source code and information related to undisclosed vulnerabilities in the product. The company said it learned of the incident on August 9, 2025, although it's believed that the attackers were in its network for at least 12 months. The attackers are said to have used a malware family called BRICKSTORM, which is attributed to a China-nexus espionage group dubbed UNC5221. GreyNoise said it observed elevat...

Power doesn’t just disappear in one big breach. It slips away in the small stuff—a patch that’s missed, a setting that’s wrong, a system no one is watching. Security usually doesn’t fail all at once; it breaks slowly, then suddenly. Staying safe isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about acting fast and clear before problems pile up. Clarity keeps control. Hesitation creates risk. Here are this week’s signals—each one pointing to where action matters most. ⚡ Threat of the Week Ghost Tap NFC-Based Mobile Fraud Takes Off — A new Android trojan called PhantomCard has become the latest malware to abuse near-field communication (NFC) to conduct relay attacks for facilitating fraudulent transactions in attacks targeting banking customers in Brazil. In these attacks, users who end up installing the malicious apps are instructed to place their credit/debit card on the back of the phone to begin the verification process, only for the card data to be sent to an attacker-controlled NFC relay...

Cybersecurity never stops—and neither do hackers. While you wrapped up last week, new attacks were already underway. From hidden software bugs to massive DDoS attacks and new ransomware tricks, this week’s roundup gives you the biggest security moves to know. Whether you’re protecting key systems or locking down cloud apps, these are the updates you need before making your next security decision. Take a quick look to start your week informed and one step ahead. ⚡ Threat of the Week Cisco 0-Day Flaws Under Attack — Cybersecurity agencies warned that threat actors have exploited two security flaws affecting Cisco firewalls as part of zero-day attacks to deliver previously undocumented malware families like RayInitiator and LINE VIPER. The RayInitiator and LINE VIPER malware represent a significant evolution on that used in the previous campaign, both in sophistication and its ability to evade detection. The activity involves the exploitation of CVE-2025-20362 (CVSS score: 6.5) a...