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Showing posts with label Security Patch. Show all posts

Chrome WebView Flaw Lets Hackers Bypass Security, Update Urgently Advised

 

Google has rolled out an urgent security fix for the Chrome browser to address a high severity flaw in the browser’s WebView tag. According to the tech firm, the flaw allows hackers to evade major browser security features to gain access to user data. Identified as CVE-2026-0628, the vulnerability in the browser occurs due to inadequate policy enforcement in the browser’s WebView tag. 

WebView is a very common feature in applications, and its primary purpose is to display web pages within those applications without having to launch a web browser. Therefore, it becomes a major entry point for hackers if not handled appropriately. This weakness in WebView has a high potential to cause malicious web content to transcend its security boundaries and compromise any sensitive data that applications within those security boundaries are processing. 

To fix the issue, Google has released Chrome version 143.0.7499.192/.193, targeting Windows and Mac users, as well as Linux users, through the stable channel, denoted as version 143.0.7499.192. However, users should not expect to get the update immediately, as it will be rolled out over the next few days and weeks. Instead, users should manually check and install the update as quickly as possible. Until a majority of users have installed the patch, Google will not release detailed information regarding the vulnerability, as this will prevent hackers from exploiting the problem.

End users are strongly advised to update Chrome by navigating to Settings > Help > About Google Chrome, where the browser will automatically look for and install the latest security fixes. Organizations managing fleets of Chrome installations should prioritize rapid deployment of this patch across their infrastructure to minimize exposure in WebView‑dependent applications. Failing to update promptly could leave both consumer and enterprise applications open to targeted attacks leveraging this vulnerability. 

Additionally, Google credits external security researchers who reported the bug and points to its continued investment in high-fidelity detectors such as AddressSanitizer, MemorySanitizer, UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer, Control Flow Integrity, libFuzzer, AFL to find bugs in early stages. The company also reiterates the importance of its bug bounty program, and invites the security community to responsibly disclose vulnerabilities to help make Chrome more secure for billions of users. This event goes to show that continual collaboration between vendors and researchers is the key to keeping pace with emerging threats.

Cisco Firewall Vulnerabilities Leave 50,000 Devices Exposed Worldwide

 

Nearly 50,000 Cisco firewall devices worldwide are currently exposed to significant security risks following the disclosure of three critical vulnerabilities in Cisco’s Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) products.

Statistics from the Shadowserver Foundation have highlighted the scale of this problem, revealing that thousands of these devices remain directly accessible via the internet and have yet to receive urgent security patches. 

The vulnerabilities, which were publicly announced on September 25, prompted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to issue a rare emergency patching directive, reflecting the severity and potential impact of these flaws.

The United States leads in terms of exposure, with more than 19,000 vulnerable devices identified, outpacing every other country. The United Kingdom follows with over 2,700 exposed units, while Japan, Germany, and Russia also have substantial numbers. 

Across Europe, other countries report fewer than 1,000 vulnerable devices each, but the cumulative risk remains global in scope. Shadowserver’s ongoing data collection will track mitigation efforts over the coming weeks, providing insights into how organizations respond to these urgent warnings.

Central to the threat are two particular vulnerabilities, CVE-2025-20362 and CVE-2025-20333, which have already been exploited by a highly sophisticated threat actor. This campaign has successfully targeted and breached several federal agencies along with organizations worldwide.

The nature of these vulnerabilities makes them especially dangerous: both relate to improper validation of HTTPS requests by the affected Cisco firewalls. This weakness could allow attackers to submit malicious requests that effectively bypass authentication controls, leaving affected systems open to compromise.

Specifically, CVE-2025-20362 enables attackers to access restricted VPN-related URLs that should otherwise require strong authentication, while CVE-2025-20333 allows malicious actors to execute arbitrary code with root privileges, dramatically increasing the potential for damaging network intrusions. 

In light of these dangers, U.S. federal agencies have been given until the end of Thursday to confirm with CISA that all vulnerable devices have been patched or otherwise mitigated against potential exploitation.

The urgency surrounding these vulnerabilities is underscored by the demonstrated capability of attackers and the ongoing risks to national and organizational cybersecurity worldwide. As real-time data continues to be collected, the response from security teams will be crucial in minimizing exposure and preventing future incidents related to these Cisco firewall flaws.

Researchers Advise Caution as Veeam Releases Patch to Fix Critical Vulnerability

 

Following Veeam Backup & Replication's Tuesday patch release to patch a critical remote code execution vulnerability, researchers are advising customers to ensure their systems are completely upgraded to the latest version

An authorised domain user can execute code on a backup server thanks to the vulnerability, which is tagged as CVE-2025-23121. It was previously revealed by watchTowr and Code White GmbH researchers that a fix for an earlier vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-23120, could be circumvented. As a result of the disclosure, a new patch was prepared. 

Benjamin Harris, CEO of watchTowr, claims that Veeam is essentially updating a blacklist of "dangerous deserialisation gadgets" once they have been identified. Harris said that throughout the deployment of multiple patches for the Backup & Replication product, researchers have observed this occur repeatedly.

"This blacklisting approach will never be sufficient, as we advocated in March," Harris wrote in an email to Cybersecurity Dive, further stating that his team "demonstrated [this] once again in March when we reported further gadgets to Veeam that they have released patches for [on Tuesday] to address.” 

Veeam stated that the patch fixes the issue, and automatic updates have been enabled for all backup versions.

“When a vulnerability is identified and disclosed, attackers will still try to exploit and reverse-engineer the patches to use the vulnerability on an unpatched version of Veeam software in their exploitation attempts,” a Veeam spokesperson told Cybersecurity Dive via email. “This underlines the importance of ensuring customers are using the latest versions of all software and patches are installed in a timely manner.”

In the case of a ransomware attack or other malicious infiltration, Veeam Backup & Replication is a solution that assists in backing up, replicating, and restoring enterprise data. Domain-joined backup servers, which Veeam has previously recommended against deploying, are at risk of being abused. However, it seems that the risky method is frequently employed for efficiency.

Harris noted that Veeam employs a function to handle data that is known to be intrinsically insecure, and that rather than eliminating this function, they will try to maintain a list of bad "gadgets" that should not be processed within this function. 

Veeam has around 550,000 customers, and ransomware gangs often exploit the product's flaws. Rapid7 researchers revealed on Tuesday that more than 20% of the firm's incident response cases in 2024 involved Veeam being accessed or abused.

Over 16,000 Fortinet Devices Infected With the Symlink Backdoor

 

Over 16,000 internet-connected Fortinet devices have been identified as having a new symlink backdoor that permits read-only access to sensitive data on previously compromised systems. 

The Shadowserver Foundation, a threat monitoring platform, has stated that 14,000 machines were exposed. Earlier this week, Shadowserver's Piotr Kijewski told a local media source that the cybersecurity firm now recognises 16,620 devices affected by the newly discovered persistence method. 

Last week, Fortinet notified customers that they had found a new persistence mechanism employed by a threat actor to maintain read-only remote access to files in the root filesystem of previously hacked but now patched FortiGate devices. 

Fortinet stated that this was not due to the exploitation of new vulnerabilities, but rather to attacks beginning in 2023 and continuing into 2024, in which a threat actor used zero days to compromise FortiOS devices. 

After gaining access to the devices, they made symbolic connections to the root file system on SSL-VPN-enabled devices in the language files folder. Even after the initial vulnerabilities were fixed, the threat actor could still access the root file system by browsing to the language files, which are publically available on FortiGate devices with SSL-VPN enabled. 

"A threat actor used a known vulnerability to implement read-only access to vulnerable FortiGate devices. This was achieved via creating a symbolic link connecting the user filesystem and the root filesystem in a folder used to serve language files for the SSL-VPN. This modification took place in the user filesystem and avoided detection," Fortinet stated. 

"Therefore, even if the customer device was updated with FortiOS versions that addressed the original vulnerabilities, this symbolic link may have been left behind, allowing the threat actor to maintain read-only access to files on the device's file system, which may include configurations.” 

Earlier this month, Fortinet began discreetly notifying customers via email about FortiGate devices that FortiGuard discovered as being infected with this symlink backdoor. In order to identify and eliminate this malicious symbolic link from compromised devices, Fortinet has released an improved AV/IPS signature.

Additionally, the firmware has been updated to the most recent version in order to detect and remove the link. The upgrade also stops the integrated web server from serving unrecognised files and folders. Finally, if a device was identified as hacked, it is probable that the threat actors had access to the latest configuration files, including credentials.

Apple Patches Zero-Day Flaw allowing Third-Party Access to Locked Devices

 

Tech giant Apple fixed a vulnerability that "may have been leveraged in a highly sophisticated campaign against specific targeted individuals" in its iOS and iPadOS mobile operating system updates earlier this week.

According to the company's release notes for iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1, the vulnerability made it possible to disable USB Restricted Mode "on a locked device." A security feature known as USB Restricted Mode was first introduced in 2018 and prevents an iPhone or iPad from sending data via a USB connection if the device hasn't been unlocked for seven days. 

In order to make it more challenging for law enforcement or criminals employing forensic tools to access data on those devices, Apple announced a new security feature last year which triggers devices to reboot if they are not unlocked for 72 hours. 

Based on the language used in its security update, Apple suggests that the attacks were most likely carried out with physical control of a person's device, implying that whoever exploited this vulnerability had to connect to the person's Apple devices using a forensics device such as Cellebrite or Graykey, two systems that allow law enforcement to unlock and access data stored on iPhones and other devices. Bill Marczak, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab, a University of Toronto group that studies cyberattacks on civil society, uncovered the flaw.

However, it remains unclear who was responsible for exploiting this vulnerability and against whom it was used. However, there have been reported instances in the past in which law enforcement agencies employed forensic tools, which often exploit zero-day flaws in devices such as the iPhone, to unlock them and access the data inside.

Amnesty International published a report in December 2024 detailing a string of assaults by Serbian authorities in which they utilised Cellebrite to unlock the phones of journalists and activists in the nation before infecting them with malware. According to security experts, the Cellebrite forensic tools were probably used "widely" on members of civil society, Amnesty stated.

Thousands of SonicWall Devices Vulnerable to Critical Security Threats

 


Thousands of SonicWall network security devices are currently exposed to severe vulnerabilities, with over 20,000 running outdated firmware that no longer receives vendor support. This puts countless organizations at risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches.

Key Findings of the Study

  • A Bishop Fox study identified more than 25,000 SonicWall SSLVPN devices exposed to the internet, making them easy targets for cybercriminals.
  • The research analyzed over 430,000 SonicWall devices globally and found that 39% of the exposed devices were running Series 7 firewalls, many of which lacked the latest security patches.
  • Over 20,000 devices were found to be running software versions no longer supported by SonicWall, with older Series 5 and Series 6 devices being the most at risk.

Impact of Vulnerabilities

The study highlighted that many of these devices remain susceptible to exploits, including authentication bypasses and heap overflow bugs disclosed earlier this year. Attackers could use these flaws to gain unauthorized access to networks, particularly when both SSL VPN and administration interfaces are exposed online.

Bishop Fox employed advanced fingerprinting techniques to reverse-engineer the encryption securing the SonicOSX firmware, allowing researchers to pinpoint the vulnerabilities specific to each device version.

Risks Posed by Unsupported Firmware

  • Many Series 5 devices, which are largely unsupported, continue to be exposed to the internet, leaving them highly vulnerable to attacks.
  • Series 6 devices, while better maintained, still include a significant number that have not applied the latest patches.
  • Approximately 28% of evaluated devices were found to have critical or high-severity vulnerabilities.

Recommendations for Companies

Organizations using SonicWall devices must take immediate steps to mitigate these risks:

  • Ensure all firmware is updated to the latest version to address known vulnerabilities.
  • Disable public exposure of SSL VPN and administration interfaces to reduce attack surfaces.
  • Regularly audit network security practices and implement robust patch management protocols.

The findings underscore the urgent need for companies to prioritize cybersecurity measures. Neglecting to update firmware and secure network devices can have severe consequences, leaving systems and sensitive data vulnerable to exploitation.

With threats growing increasingly sophisticated, staying proactive about network security is no longer optional—it’s essential.

Active Exploitation of Cleo Communications' File Transfer Software Exposes Critical Vulnerabilities

 

Cleo Communications' file transfer software is under active attack, with security researchers from Huntress revealing that a recently issued patch fails to address the critical flaws being exploited. This ongoing vulnerability poses a significant threat to sectors relying on Cleo's software for logistics and supply chain operations.

The Vulnerabilities: Autorun Directory and CVE-2024-50623

Hackers are leveraging two key vulnerabilities in Cleo's software:

  • A feature that automatically executes files in the autorun directory.
  • An arbitrary file-write flaw identified as CVE-2024-50623.

On December 3, Huntress reported that Cleo's LexiCom, VLTransfer, and Harmony software solutions are affected by these issues. Despite the company issuing a patch on the same day, Huntress stated that it "does not mitigate the software flaw." This leaves users vulnerable until a new, effective patch is developed.

Cleo’s Response and Planned Mitigations

During a Zoom session with cybersecurity researchers, Cleo's team acknowledged the flaws and committed to designing a second patch. Earlier in the week, Cleo identified an unauthenticated malicious host vulnerability that could lead to remote code execution, although its CVE identifier is still pending.

In a statement, a Cleo spokesperson said the company had launched an investigation with the assistance of external cybersecurity experts. Cleo also informed customers about the issue and provided interim mitigation steps while working on a patch. The spokesperson emphasized that "the investigation is ongoing."

Recommendations for Cleo Users

Until an effective patch is released, Huntress has advised Cleo users to take immediate actions:

  • Erase items from the autorun directory to disrupt attack pathways.
  • Understand that this measure does not address the arbitrary file-write vulnerability, which remains exploitable.

Impacts on Businesses

The exploitation of Cleo's software has significant repercussions, particularly for industries dependent on large-scale logistics and supply chain operations. Researchers reported that:

  • At least 10 businesses have experienced breaches involving Cleo servers.
  • There was a "notable uptick in exploitation" on December 8 around 07:00 UTC.
  • Most incidents have targeted sectors such as consumer products, the food industry, and shipping.

A search on Shodan revealed 436 vulnerable servers, with the majority located in the United States. This underscores the scale of potential exposure and the urgent need for mitigation.

The Attack Chain: From Autorun to Persistent Access

Attackers exploit the autorun directory feature by inserting malicious files that execute automatically. These files allow them to:

  • Run PowerShell commands.
  • Establish persistent access using webshells retrieved from remote servers.

Examples of malicious autorun files include:

  • healthchecktemplate.txt
  • healthcheck.txt

Conclusion: Urgent Need for Robust Security Measures

The active exploitation of Cleo Communications' software highlights the evolving nature of cybersecurity threats and the critical importance of timely, effective patching. Businesses using Cleo's solutions must remain vigilant and implement recommended mitigations to minimize risk until a comprehensive fix is released.

This incident serves as a reminder for all organizations to prioritize cybersecurity, particularly in industries that handle sensitive data and depend on seamless file transfer operations.

New Flaws in Fortinet, SonicWall, and Grafana Pose Significant Threats

 

Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs (CRIL) has discovered new IT vulnerabilities that affect Fortinet, SonicWall, Grafana Labs, and CyberPanel, among others. 

The report for the week of October 23-29 identifies seven security flaws that require immediate attention from security teams, especially given the large number of exposed devices. The most recent discoveries show that vulnerabilities in Fortinet, SonicWall, and Grafana Labs affect over 1 million web-facing assets.

Notably, two critical vulnerabilities in CyberPanel have already been exploited in huge ransomware assaults. Organisations are recommended to quickly investigate their environments for these vulnerabilities and apply the relevant fixes and mitigations. 

Cyble's researchers have detailed the following top vulnerabilities, emphasising their potential impact on IT security: 

CVE-2024-40766: SonicWall SonicOS 

CVE-2024-40766 indicates an improper access control flaw within the administrative interface of SonicWall's SonicOS, with a severity rating of 9.8. This vulnerability has piqued the interest of managed security organisations such as Arctic Wolf, who report that ransomware gangs such as Fog and Akira are exploiting it in SSL VPN setups to breach networks. 

CVE-2024-9264: Grafana labs 

The 9.4-rated vulnerability, CVE-2024-9264, affects Grafana Labs' open-source analytics and monitoring platform's SQL Expressions capability. This flaw allows for command injection and local file inclusion since user input in 'duckdb' queries is not properly sanitised. 

CVE-2024-46483: Xlight FTP server

This critical integer overflow bug impacts the Xlight FTP Server, allowing hackers to exploit packet parsing logic and cause heap overflows. With the accessibility of public Proof of Concepts (PoCs), this vulnerability could be used in a variety of attack tactics. 

Prevention tips 

  • Ensure that all software and hardware systems receive the most recent patches from official vendors. 
  • Use an organised approach to inventory management, patch assessment, testing, deployment, and verification. 
  • To reduce the attack surface, isolate key assets with firewalls, VLANs, and access controls. 
  • Establish and maintain an incident response strategy, which should be evaluated on a regular basis to respond to emerging threats. 
  • Employ complete monitoring technologies to discover and analyse suspicious actions in real time. Keep up with vendor, CERT, and other sources' alerts to promptly fix issues.