Nozomi Networks identified KATARU, a new Mirai-style IoT botnet delivered via Telnet brute force that uses Linux privilege-escalation exploits and encrypted C2 for DDoS floods.
Nozomi Networks identified KATARU in August after a Telnet password-guessing attack against a honeypot retrieved an ARM payload. The malware attempts exploits for CVE-2026-46300 (Fragnesia), CVE-2026-43284 (DirtyFrag), and CVE-2026-31431 (Copy Fail), plus a cgroup v1 release_agent escape, and persists via systemd services, cron tasks, rc scripts, OpenWrt hooks, and Android boot locations. Its C2 uses X25519 key exchange with ChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption and supports TCP, UDP, ICMP, HTTP, QUIC, and DNS floods, plus SSH brute forcing and command execution; embedded exploit shellcode in the ARM build targeted x86, suggesting untested copied code.
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.
Unit 42 analyzes multilayer IoT supply chain risks across hardware, firmware, and software, citing counterfeit Cisco switches and OpenWrt attacks.
Unit 42 examines weaknesses in the IoT supply chain ecosystem across hardware, firmware, operation, and vulnerability layers, noting that 89% of IT decision-makers reported IoT device growth and IDC forecast 41.6 billion connected IoT devices by 2025. Examples include counterfeit Cisco Catalyst 2960-X switches with possible backdoor access (F-Secure, July 2020), a March 2020 OpenWrt flaw enabling malicious update impersonation, and threat actor interest in TeamViewer remote support software. The report stresses that untracked third-party components and missing device inventories make it hard to assess vulnerability impact across vendors.
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 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
Linux kernel ESP-in-UDP decrypts in place over shared splice pages (CWE-123)
CVE-2026-43284 is a write-what-where memory-safety flaw (CWE-123) in the Linux kernel's xfrm/ESP (IPsec) code: the IPv4/IPv6 UDP datagram send paths fail to mark pages spliced into a UDP skb with SKBFL_SHARED_FRAG when MSG_SPLICE_PAGES attaches pipe pages, so the ESP input path wrongly treats the packet as privately owned and decrypts it in place over memory the skb does not exclusively own. It is triggered when locally generated UDP traffic built from spliced pipe pages is processed by the ESP decryption path, typically in IPsec NAT-traversal (ESP-in-UDP, UDP port 4500) configurations; the in-place decrypt can corrupt or expose data still referenced by the pipe or other owners of those shared pages. A local, low-privileged attacker can thereby cause high-severity confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact that extends beyond the packet itself (CVSS 3.1: 8.8, scope changed); no remote or unauthenticated trigger is described. Any Linux system running a kernel with the vulnerable UDP splice and ESP-in-UDP paths is affected, most importantly IPsec VPN gateways and clients; the advisory lists no affected version ranges. No public proof-of-concept or confirmed in-the-wild exploitation is known (not on CISA KEV), but EPSS assigns a 93.2% probability of exploitation within 30 days (100th percentile), so patching should not be deferred.
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