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Microsoft on Thursday released out-of-band security updates to patch a critical-severity Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) vulnerability with a proof-of-concept (Poc) exploit publicly available and has 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. Three security researchers, MEOW, f7d8c52bec79e42795cf15888b85cbad, and Markus Wulftange with CODE WHITE GmbH, have been acknowledged for discovering and reporting the bug. The shortcoming concerns a case of deserialization of untrusted data in WSUS that allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network. It's worth noting that the vulnerability does not impact Windows servers that do not have the WSUS Server Role enabled. In a hypothetical attack scenario, a remote, unauthenticated attacker could send a crafted eve...

The recently disclosed critical Microsoft SharePoint vulnerability has been under exploitation as early as July 7, 2025, according to findings from Check Point Research. The cybersecurity company said it observed first exploitation attempts targeting an unnamed major Western government, with the activity intensifying on July 18 and 19, spanning government, telecommunications, and software sectors in North America and Western Europe. Check Point also said the exploitation efforts originated from three different IP addresses – 104.238.159[.]149, 107.191.58[.]76, and 96.9.125[.]147 – one of which was previously tied to the weaponization of security flaws in Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) appliances ( CVE-2025-4427 and CVE-2025-4428 ). "We're witnessing an urgent and active threat: a critical zero-day in SharePoint on-prem is being exploited in the wild, putting thousands of global organizations at risk," Lotem Finkelstein, Director of Threat Intelligence at Chec...

A critical security vulnerability in Microsoft SharePoint Server has been weaponized as part of an "active, large-scale" exploitation campaign. The zero-day flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-53770 (CVSS score: 9.8), has been described as a variant of CVE-2025-49704 (CVSS score: 8.8), a code injection and remote code execution bug in Microsoft SharePoint Server that was addressed by the tech giant as part of its July 2025 Patch Tuesday updates. "Deserialization of untrusted data in on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Server allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network," Microsoft said in an advisory released on July 19, 2025. The Windows maker further noted that it's preparing and fully testing a comprehensive update to resolve the issue. It credited Viettel Cyber Security for discovering and reporting the flaw through Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative (ZDI). In a separate alert issued Saturday, Redmond said it's aware of active attacks ta...

A privilege escalation flaw has been demonstrated in Windows Server 2025 that makes it possible for attackers to compromise any user in Active Directory (AD). "The attack exploits the delegated Managed Service Account (dMSA) feature that was introduced in Windows Server 2025, works with the default configuration, and is trivial to implement," Akamai security researcher Yuval Gordon said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "This issue likely affects most organizations that rely on AD. In 91% of the environments we examined, we found users outside the domain admins group that had the required permissions to perform this attack." What makes the attack pathway notable is that it leverages a new feature called Delegated Managed Service Accounts ( dMSA ) that allows migration from an existing legacy service account. It was introduced in Windows Server 2025 as a mitigation to Kerberoasting attacks. The attack technique has been codenamed BadSuccessor by the w...

Microsoft has released an advisory for a high-severity security flaw affecting on-premise versions of Exchange Server that could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges under certain conditions. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-53786 , carries a CVSS score of 8.0. Dirk-jan Mollema with Outsider Security has been acknowledged for reporting the bug. "In an Exchange hybrid deployment, an attacker who first gains administrative access to an on-premises Exchange server could potentially escalate privileges within the organization's connected cloud environment without leaving easily detectable and auditable traces," the tech giant said in the alert. "This risk arises because Exchange Server and Exchange Online share the same service principal in hybrid configurations." Successful exploitation of the flaw could allow an attacker to escalate privileges within the organization's connected cloud environment without leaving easily detectable and audit...

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...

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...

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and National Security Agency (NSA), along with international partners from Australia and Canada, have released guidance to harden on-premise Microsoft Exchange Server instances from potential exploitation. "By restricting administrative access, implementing multi-factor authentication, enforcing strict transport security configurations, and adopting zero trust (ZT) security model principles, organizations can significantly bolster their defenses against potential cyber attacks," CISA said . The agencies said malicious activity aimed at Microsoft Exchange Server continues to take place, with unprotected and misconfigured instances facing the brunt of the attacks. Organizations are advised to decommission end-of-life on-premises or hybrid Exchange servers after transitioning to Microsoft 365. Some of the best practices outlined are listed below - Maintain security updates and patching cadence Migrate end-o...

The threat actor known as EncryptHub is continuing to exploit a now-patched security flaw impacting Microsoft Windows to deliver malicious payloads. Trustwave SpiderLabs said it recently observed an EncryptHub campaign that brings together social engineering and the exploitation of a vulnerability in the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) framework (CVE-2025-26633, aka MSC EvilTwin ) to trigger the infection routine via a rogue Microsoft Console (MSC) file. "These activities are part of a broad, ongoing wave of malicious activity that blends social engineering with technical exploitation to bypass security defenses and gain control over internal environments," Trustwave researchers Nathaniel Morales and Nikita Kazymirskyi said . EncryptHub, also tracked as LARVA-208 and Water Gamayun, is a Russian hacking group that first gained prominence in mid-2024. Operating at a high tempo, the financially motivated crew is known for leveraging several methods, including fake job of...

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), on July 22, 2025, added two Microsoft SharePoint flaws, CVE-2025-49704 and CVE-2025-49706, to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities ( KEV ) catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation. To that end, Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies are required to remediate identified vulnerabilities by July 23, 2025. "CISA is aware of active exploitation of a spoofing and RCE vulnerability chain involving CVE-2025-49706 and CVE-2025-49704, enabling unauthorized access to on-premise SharePoint servers," the agency said in an updated advisory. The inclusion of the two shortcomings, a spoofing vulnerability and a remote code execution vulnerability collectively tracked as ToolShell, to the KEV catalog comes after Microsoft revealed that Chinese hacking groups like Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon leveraged these flaws to breach on-premises SharePoint servers since July 7, 2025. As of writing, the tech...

Some of the biggest security problems start quietly. No alerts. No warnings. Just small actions that seem normal but aren't. Attackers now know how to stay hidden by blending in, and that makes it hard to tell when something’s wrong. This week’s stories aren’t just about what was attacked—but how easily it happened. If we’re only looking for the obvious signs, what are we missing right in front of us? Here’s a look at the tactics and mistakes that show how much can go unnoticed. ⚡ Threat of the Week Apple Zero-Click Flaw in Messages Exploited to Deliver Paragon Spyware — Apple disclosed that a security flaw in its Messages app was actively exploited in the wild to target civil society members in sophisticated cyber attacks. The vulnerability, CVE-2025-43200, was addressed by the company in February as part of iOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 17.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.3.1, macOS Sonoma 14.7.4, macOS Ventura 13.7.4, watchOS 11.3.1, and visionOS 2.3.1. The Citizen Lab said it u...

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 Russian advanced persistent threat (APT) group known as COLDRIVER has been attributed to a fresh round of ClickFix-style attacks designed to deliver two new "lightweight" malware families tracked as BAITSWITCH and SIMPLEFIX. Zscaler ThreatLabz, which detected the new multi-stage ClickFix campaign earlier this month, described BAITSWITCH as a downloader that ultimately drops SIMPLEFIX, a PowerShell backdoor. COLDRIVER , also tracked as Callisto, Star Blizzard, and UNC4057, is the moniker assigned to a Russia-linked threat actor that's known to target a wide range of sectors since 2019. While early campaign waves were observed using spear-phishing lures to direct targets to credential harvesting pages, the group has been fleshing out its arsenal with custom tools like SPICA and LOSTKEYS , which underscores its technical sophistication. The adversary's use of ClickFix tactics was previously documented by the Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) back in May 2...

Even in well-secured environments, attackers are getting in—not with flashy exploits, but by quietly taking advantage of weak settings, outdated encryption, and trusted tools left unprotected. These attacks don’t depend on zero-days. They work by staying unnoticed—slipping through the cracks in what we monitor and what we assume is safe. What once looked suspicious now blends in, thanks to modular techniques and automation that copy normal behavior. The real concern? Control isn’t just being challenged—it’s being quietly taken. This week’s updates highlight how default settings, blurred trust boundaries, and exposed infrastructure are turning everyday systems into entry points. ⚡ Threat of the Week Critical SharePoint Zero-Day Actively Exploited (Patch Released Today) — Microsoft has released fixes to address two security flaws in SharePoint Server that have come under active exploitation in the wild to breach dozens of organizations across the world. Details of exploitation emer...

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a previously undocumented threat actor called TA585 that has been observed delivering an off-the-shelf malware called MonsterV2 via phishing campaigns. The Proofpoint Threat Research Team described the threat activity cluster as sophisticated, leveraging web injections and filtering checks as part of its attack chains. "TA585 is notable because it appears to own its entire attack chain with multiple delivery techniques," researchers Kyle Cucci, Tommy Madjar, and Selena Larson said . "Instead of leveraging other threat actors – like paying for distribution, buying access from initial access brokers, or using a third-party traffic delivery system – TA585 manages its own infrastructure, delivery, and malware installation." MonsterV2 is a remote access trojan (RAT), stealer, and loader, which Proofpoint first observed being advertised on criminal forums in February 2025. It's worth noting that MonsterV2 is also calle...

Microsoft has revealed that it observed a multi‑stage intrusion that involved the threat actors exploiting internet‑exposed SolarWinds Web Help Desk (WHD) instances to obtain initial access and move laterally across the organization's network to other high-value assets. That said, the Microsoft Defender Security Research Team said it's not clear whether the activity weaponized recently disclosed flaws (CVE-2025-40551, CVSS score: 9.8, and CVE-2025-40536, CVSS score: 8.1), or a previously patched vulnerability (CVE-2025-26399, CVSS score: 9.8). "Since the attacks occurred in December 2025 and on machines vulnerable to both the old and new set of CVEs at the same time, we cannot reliably confirm the exact CVE used to gain an initial foothold," the company said in a report published last week. While CVE-2025-40536 is a security control bypass vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated attacker to gain access to certain restricted functionality, CVE-2025-...

Threat actors with ties to North Korea have been observed targeting Web3 and cryptocurrency-related businesses with malware written in the Nim programming language, underscoring a constant evolution of their tactics. "Unusually for macOS malware, the threat actors employ a process injection technique and remote communications via wss, the TLS-encrypted version of the WebSocket protocol," SentinelOne researchers Phil Stokes and Raffaele Sabato said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "A novel persistence mechanism takes advantage of SIGINT/SIGTERM signal handlers to install persistence when the malware is terminated or the system rebooted." The cybersecurity company is tracking the malware components collectively under the name NimDoor. It's worth noting that some aspects of the campaign were previously documented by Huntabil.IT and later by Huntress and Validin , but with differences in the payloads deployed. The attack chains involve social enginee...

A China-aligned threat actor codenamed UTA0388 has been attributed to a series of spear-phishing campaigns targeting North America, Asia, and Europe that are designed to deliver a Go-based implant known as GOVERSHELL . "The initially observed campaigns were tailored to the targets, and the messages purported to be sent by senior researchers and analysts from legitimate-sounding, completely fabricated organizations," Volexity said in a Wednesday report. "The goal of these spear phishing campaigns was to socially engineer targets into clicking links that led to a remotely hosted archive containing a malicious payload." Since then, the threat actor behind the attacks is said to have leveraged different lures and fictional identities, spanning several languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, French, and German. Early iterations of the campaigns have been found to embed links to phishing content either hosted on a cloud-based service or their own infrastruc...