DOJ leadership overruled a Minnesota prosecutor to limit charges against an ICE agent who shot a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis.
Department of Justice leadership in Washington blocked civil rights charges against ICE agent Christian Castro, 52, accused of shooting Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg in January during Operation Metro Surge, despite the objections of Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Evans. Prosecutors were told to prepare for false-statement charges only, which carry far lighter penalties. Castro also faces state felony assault charges in Minnesota, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused extradition requests. The incident was one of three ICE agent shootings in Minneapolis, two of them fatal.
DoD paused CMMC Phase 2 pending a 60-day review while a proposed FAR Council rule would extend NIST 800-171 Rev 3 to all federal contractors.
The Department of Defense suspended CMMC Phase 2 third-party certification requirements, but Phase 1 self-assessments under DFARS 252.204-7021 remain in force since November 2025, and prime contractors are still directing suppliers to proceed. A CMMC Reform Task Force must report recommendations to the DoD CIO within 60 days, likely by September or October 2026. Separately, the FAR Council's proposed CUI rule from June 23 would apply NIST 800-171 Revision 3, 72-hour incident reporting, and flowdown obligations to all FAR-based federal contracts, not just the defense industrial base. False Claims Act exposure grows as DIBCAC assessment teams now cooperate directly with the DOJ.
FBI and Lumen disrupted QTFY's QScan and QTRouter botnet platforms used by Chinese state-sponsored hackers to conceal intrusions into U.S. agencies.
The U.S. DoJ announced court-authorized seizure of domains behind QScan and QTRouter, operated by the Chinese state-sponsored group QTFY and employed by Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company. QTFY has been active since May 2018 and targeted NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Energy, DoJ, HHS, NIH, the U.S. Senate, and academic institutions. QScan exploits vulnerable IoT devices, feeding them into QTRouter, an OpenWrt-based proxy obfuscation network likened to an operational relay box (ORB) that masks attack origins. The group exploited zero-days such as Ivanti CSA flaws CVE-2024-8190, CVE-2024-8963, and CVE-2024-9380, plus numerous N-days, and maintained persistence with RATs, web shells, and legitimate credentials.
Five Venezuelan nationals pleaded guilty to failed ATM jackpotting attempts in Kansas as the FBI reports 700+ US incidents in 2025.
The five defendants traveled from Indiana to Kansas in December 2025 and tried to install malware on ATMs in Wamego and Manhattan, planning to remotely trigger the machines to dispense cash. Both attempts failed — one triggered an alarm — and the men were arrested days later after surveillance captured the thefts. All five pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank larceny; one has received a nine-month prison sentence. The FBI counted more than 700 jackpotting incidents in 2025 with over $20 million in losses, part of 1,900 incidents since 2020.
DoJ corrected its statement to say US federal agencies were targets, not confirmed victims, of China-linked group QTFY's intrusions.
The US Department of Justice revised its press release to list NASA, the Federal Reserve, Department of Energy, DoJ, HHS, NIH and the US Senate as 'among the targets' of QTFY (aka QT AND QTCYBER), rather than victims. QTFY, active since 2018 and linked to Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Co with payments suggesting MSS sponsorship, operates the QScan vulnerability scanning platform and QTRouter obfuscation network, which underpin the Fast Labyrinth encrypted ORB relay network built from infected IoT devices and leased VPSs. The FBI seized qtproxy[.]xyz, qt-proxy[.]org and qt-team[.]com, disrupting QScan and QTRouter, while Lumen Black Lotus Labs reported the actor industrialized ORB networks for China-linked espionage. A 2019 NASA intrusion attempt exploited CVE-2019-11510, a critical Pulse Secure VPN flaw.
Qilin ransomware group claimed breaching the ATF, exposing data on investigation targets; the agency says a standalone system was hit with no mission impact.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed a cyberattack on a standalone system holding information about targets of ATF investigations, designated a major incident, with no impact on case management, lab, or eForms systems. Qilin, a Russian-speaking affiliate-based ransomware group, claimed responsibility, though ATF declined to confirm involvement or the root cause. Qilin has claimed hundreds of victims across 60+ countries since 2022 and partners with Scattered Spider and Moonstone Sleet.
ATF confirmed a cyberattack on a standalone system containing investigation target data, calling it a major incident; Qilin listed ATF on its leak site.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirmed a cyberattack on a standalone computer system containing information about targets of ATF investigations, with no connection to case management, laboratory, or eForms systems. The agency designated the breach a major incident and immediately terminated connections, initiating incident response and forensics. The Qilin ransomware gang added ATF to its leak site without providing stolen data samples. Qilin was the second most active ransomware gang in July 2026 with 127 reported attacks, and has previously hit Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Asahi, and Palau's government.
FBI seized domains disabling QScan and QTRouter malware run by China-linked QTFY group behind intrusions at NASA, DOJ, Senate and other agencies.
The Justice Department and FBI seized domains hard-coded into two malware tools, QScan and QTRouter, operated by a Chinese state-sponsored group called QTFY, tied to a Nanjing-based company that sold hacking services to China's Ministry of State Security and the PLA. QScan infected IoT devices worldwide while QTRouter combined them with commercial proxies and rented servers to build an obfuscation network that masked attack origins. Victims include NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Departments of Energy and Justice, HHS, NIH, and the U.S. Senate. The FBI and NSA published a joint advisory with indicators of compromise, the latest in operations against Mustang Panda, Flax Typhoon, and Volt Typhoon infrastructure.
Israel funds the Hanover Institute, an AI-generated think tank by ad firm Piro, publishing 100+ articles to influence LLM chatbot answers about Israel.
The Hanover Institute for Public Policy, run by American ad firm Piro Inc and paid for by Israel through HAVAS Media and the state ad agency LaPam, has published more than 100 articles in under a month. The AI detection tool Pangram found tested articles entirely AI-written except their bibliographies, and the site includes an llms.txt file to make it easier for LLMs to scrape. FARA filings show a $900,000 project invoice plus a $100,000 payment, and Piro advertises an 'AI Story Optimization' service for shaping chatbot answers.
Kyle Spitze, an early 764 member, was sentenced to 77 years for producing CSAM, the longest sentence for a nihilistic violent extremist.
Kyle William Spitze, an original member of the 764 nihilistic violent extremist network and administrator of the Harm Nation offshoot, was sentenced to 77 years in federal prison. He pleaded guilty in December 2024 to producing child sexual abuse material, possession of CSAM, and distributing animal crush videos, victimizing dozens of girls through coercion, doxing and swatting threats. Investigators found roughly 25 photo albums of abuse imagery on his phone and evidence of animal torture. The Justice Department framed the sentence as a signal in a broader enforcement push against 764, which has seen multiple members arrested or sentenced since 2025.
Trump White House memo directs NCC to build a program within 60 days authorizing vetted U.S. companies to conduct cyber surveillance and effects operations against foreign criminal groups.
A new White House memorandum instructs the National Coordination Center to establish, within 60 days, a program letting vetted private-sector companies, under federal oversight, conduct cyber surveillance operations (accessing sensitive data without authorization) and cyber effects operations (disruption, degradation, or destruction) against foreign Transnational Criminal Organizations. Targets are groups conducting cyber-enabled crime against U.S. government, persons, or interests that are not institutionally part of a foreign government. Companies must stop operations exceeding approved parameters, run minimization procedures, and alert the NCC, which notifies the Department of Justice. The fact sheet cites an estimated $20.8 billion in reported U.S. consumer losses to cyber-enabled crimes, and experts note legal and security risks since existing laws prohibit private companies from offensive cyber without court authorization.
Trump signed a national security memorandum letting vetted private US cybersecurity firms run government-approved offensive cyber operations against transnational criminal organizations.
The August 13 memorandum creates a program managed by the National Coordination Center covering Cyber Surveillance Operations and Cyber Effects Operations against Cyber-Enabled Transnational Criminal Organizations, explicitly excluding entities that are parts of foreign governments. DOJ and DHS executive directors must co-approve every operation in writing, with extra authorization for operations raising laws-of-armed-conflict questions. Participating firms must pass vetting, annual evaluations and hold a $1 million bond or escrow. Operating procedures are due within 60 days, and the unresolved CFAA exemption question is addressed by requiring direct government control.
A White House memo directs DHS to create a program letting vetted private companies conduct US-government-directed offensive cyber operations against cybercrime.
A presidential memo tasks the DHS National Coordination Center with building a program, under DOJ and DHS oversight, through which private-sector companies can conduct offensive cyber operations against large-scale cybercrime organizations. Requirements include secure facilities, vetted personnel, a $1 million escrow for damages, and written approvals co-signed by DHS and DOJ executive directors. The program must launch within 60 days, around October 11, expanding a March executive order targeting scam compounds, ransomware, and other large-scale cybercrime.
JNDI Injection Remote Code Execution in Apache Log4j2 (Log4Shell)
Apache Log4j2, an extremely widely used Java logging library, fails to protect its JNDI lookup feature against attacker-controlled JNDI-related endpoints (CWE-20, CWE-502), so crafted text processed by the logger causes the Java runtime to fetch and load attacker-supplied objects, leading to remote code execution. The flaw is triggered whenever attacker-controlled input reaches the logging API and is parsed for JNDI lookups, a pattern common in web servers and enterprise Java applications that log user-supplied fields such as headers or form values. Successful exploitation yields arbitrary code execution under the privileges of the affected application, giving attackers a foothold for lateral movement, data theft, and ransomware deployment. Any Java application or product that ships or bundles an affected Apache Log4j2 release is exposed, making this one of the most broadly deployed vulnerabilities ever disclosed. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2021-12-10 with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns a 100% probability of exploitation within 30 days.
Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read in Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure VPN
Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure, an enterprise SSL VPN appliance, contains an arbitrary file read vulnerability (CWE-22, path traversal) that requires no authentication. An unauthenticated remote attacker with network access to the appliance over HTTPS can send a specially crafted URI containing traversal sequences to read arbitrary files from the device. The attacker gains access to sensitive appliance files, potentially including configuration or credential material useful for further compromise, and CISA records known ransomware use of this flaw. Any organization running Pulse Connect Secure, especially gateways exposed to the internet for remote access, is affected. Exploitation is established: CISA added the flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2021-11-03 with known ransomware use, EPSS assigns a 100% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, and no public PoC is known.
Unauthenticated RCE via path traversal in F5 BIG-IP TMUI
CVE-2020-5902 is a critical, unauthenticated remote code execution flaw in the F5 BIG-IP Traffic Management User Interface (TMUI), the appliance's web management console, rooted in a directory/path traversal issue (CWE-22) in undisclosed TMUI pages. It is triggered by sending crafted HTTP(S) requests to the management interface — classically path-traversal URLs beneath the TMUI application on the management port — which lets an attacker bypass authentication, read or delete arbitrary files, and execute commands without credentials. Successful exploitation yields full control of the BIG-IP system, which attackers can use to pivot into networks the appliance fronts, maintain persistence, and deploy ransomware. Any organization running an affected F5 BIG-IP appliance or virtual edition whose TMUI is reachable, or whose management network can be reached, is exposed; F5's installed base spans large enterprises and service providers, so the footprint is broad. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: the flaw was mass-scanned and exploited within days of its July 2020 disclosure, it is listed in CISA KEV with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns a ~100% probability of exploitation within 30 days.
Authentication Bypass in CrushFTP File Transfer Servers (CVE-2025-31161)
CrushFTP contains an authentication bypass (CWE-305) in its handling of the HTTP authorization header, allowing crafted header values to grant access without valid credentials. A remote, unauthenticated attacker who can reach the server's HTTP/HTTPS interface can use this flaw to authenticate as any known or guessable account, such as the built-in crushadmin user. With administrative access, the attacker can typically achieve full compromise of the file-transfer server, including access to hosted files and user accounts. Any organization running CrushFTP is affected, with internet-exposed instances at the highest risk. The flaw is being actively exploited: it was added to CISA's KEV on 2025-04-07 with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns it a 100% probability of exploitation within 30 days.
Unauthenticated Path Traversal in Fortinet FortiOS SSL VPN
CVE-2018-13379 is a path traversal flaw (CWE-22) in the Fortinet FortiOS SSL VPN web portal that allows an unauthenticated attacker to download FortiOS system files via specially crafted HTTP resource requests. By traversing directories through crafted requests to the exposed web portal, the attacker can retrieve sensitive files, a technique publicly documented as yielding the SSL VPN session file containing usernames and passwords in plaintext. Any organization running the SSL VPN web portal on a FortiGate appliance is affected, and risk is highest where the portal is directly reachable from the internet. The flaw is confirmed in the wild: it was added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2021-11-03 with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns it a 100% probability of exploitation within 30 days. No public PoC is listed in the provided data, but credential theft tied to this bug has been widely reused by threat actors.
Unauthenticated SSRF/RCE in Microsoft Exchange Server (ProxyLogon)
CVE-2021-26855 is a server-side request forgery flaw (CWE-918) in Microsoft Exchange Server that allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to send specially crafted HTTP requests and have the Exchange server process them as itself, disclosing sensitive session information. When chained with sibling Exchange flaws (the 'ProxyLogon' chain), it yields authentication bypass and arbitrary file write, escalating to full remote code execution with SYSTEM-level privileges on the on-premises Exchange server. Any organization running an affected on-premises Exchange server reachable over HTTP/HTTPS (typically outbound webmail) is exposed; Exchange Online was not affected. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild at large scale: the flaw was mass-exploited beginning in early 2021 (notably by the HAFNIUM group), is on the CISA KEV with documented ransomware use, and has a maximum EPSS score of 100% (100th percentile), despite no public PoC listing.
· Microsoft Exchange Server On-premises Exchange Server editions supported in the vendor's March 2021 guidance (Exchange Server 2013, 2016, and 2019), prior to the March 2021 security upda KEV ransomware PoC ×4mass
Unauthenticated Path Traversal in Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance
CVE-2024-8963 is a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) in the Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance (CSA), a virtual appliance used to remotely manage Ivanti Endpoint Manager environments. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can send crafted requests containing directory traversal sequences to reach restricted functionality without any credentials. Successful exploitation grants access to restricted (including administrative) functions on the appliance, and public reporting indicates it has been chained with other CSA zero-day flaws by nation-state attackers to infiltrate networks. All CSA 4.6.x releases before Patch 519 are affected, and the 4.6.x product line has reached end-of-life, meaning future 4.6.x vulnerabilities will not receive fixes. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-09-19, and multiple outlets report Chinese-linked actors exploiting CSA zero-days against French government, telecom and other critical-infrastructure targets.
Information Disclosure in Internet-Facing Check Point Quantum Security Gateways
Check Point Quantum Security Gateways contain an information disclosure flaw (CWE-200) that can expose information stored on the appliance to unauthorized parties. It is triggered when an attacker targets a gateway connected to the internet with IPSec VPN, Remote Access VPN, or Mobile Access enabled, sending crafted requests to the exposed VPN services. A successful attacker gains unauthorized access to information on the gateway, and CISA notes known use of this flaw in ransomware campaigns. The issue spans multiple Check Point product lines: CloudGuard Network, Quantum Scalable Chassis, Quantum Security Gateways, and Quantum Spark Appliances. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: the flaw was added to CISA's KEV catalog on 2024-05-30 with ransomware use listed, and EPSS assigns a 100% probability of exploitation within 30 days, though no public proof-of-concept is known.
· Check Point Quantum Security Gateways · Check Point CloudGuard Network KEV ransomwarelarge
OS Command Injection RCE in Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance Admin Console
CVE-2024-9380 is an OS command injection flaw (CWE-77/CWE-78) in the admin web console of Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance (CSA), fixed in version 5.0.2. A remote attacker who is already authenticated with administrative privileges can inject arbitrary operating system commands through the console, which the appliance then executes. Successful exploitation yields remote code execution with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CVSS 3.1: 7.2). All CSA releases before 5.0.2 are affected, and the widely deployed 4.6.x line has reached End-of-Life, so EOL users must remove it from service or move to 5.0.x or later. The flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-10-09, and contemporaneous reporting describes Chinese nation-state actors exploiting Ivanti CSA zero-days against French government and telecom targets, with a 63.2% EPSS probability of exploitation in the next 30 days (99th percentile).
· Ivanti Endpoint Manager Cloud Services Appliance (CSA) all versions before 5.0.2, including the End-of-Life 4.6.x line KEVmoderate
OS Command Injection RCE in Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance 4.6
Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance versions 4.6 Patch 518 and before contain an OS command injection flaw (CWE-78) that allows a remote, authenticated attacker to achieve remote code execution. The attacker must already hold administrator-level privileges on the appliance, and exploitation is triggered by sending crafted input to the appliance over the network. Successful exploitation yields arbitrary command execution on the CSA, and related reporting indicates nation-state actors have been exploiting Ivanti CSA flaws for network infiltration, including attacks on French government and telecom targets. Only organizations still running CSA 4.6.x are affected, and that product line has reached end-of-life and will not receive further security updates. The vulnerability was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-09-13 and carries a very high EPSS score (88.5%, 100th percentile), signaling confirmed and likely ongoing exploitation in the wild.
· Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance 4.6 through Patch 518 (versions 4.6 Patch 518 and before) KEVmoderate
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