ZDI disclosed an integer overflow in VMware Workstation's VMXNET3 TSO code (CVE-2026-59346) enabling local privilege escalation.
Zero Day Initiative published ZDI-26-647, a CVSS 7.5 integer overflow in the VMXNET3 TSO segmentation code of VMware Workstation. A local attacker who has already obtained the ability to execute high-privileged code on the guest system can exploit the flaw to escalate privileges on affected installations. The issue is tracked as CVE-2026-59346. No exploitation is reported in the advisory.
CISA added four actively exploited vulnerabilities to its KEV catalog, headlined by CVE-2026-33824, a Windows IKE Service Extensions remote code execution flaw.
CISA's KEV addition, dated August 18, covers CVE-2026-33824 in Windows IKE Service Extensions, CVE-2026-55040 in on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Server, CVE-2026-59310 in Broadcom VMware vCenter, and CVE-2026-65400 in Apple macOS Screen Sharing. KEV listing confirms observed exploitation in the wild. Three of the four products are frequently deployed as high-value enterprise infrastructure, including remote-access endpoints and collaboration platforms.
New Panzer ransomware-as-a-service operation lists Italian firms Doimo Cucine and NTE Italia as victims, offering encryptors for Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and ESXi.
Panzer, a ransomware-as-a-service operation that surfaced August 5, listed a kitchen manufacturer in Treviso (Doimo Cucine) and a telecommunications engineering firm in Catanzaro (NTE Italia) among alleged victims, claiming 30 GB and 16 GB of stolen data respectively. The group advertises encryptors for Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and VMware ESXi, a Tox-based affiliate recruitment process with screening, an affiliate dashboard, and an 80/20 revenue split. Neither victim had publicly confirmed the incidents when researcher Andrea Fortuna's report was published, and the group's first access method and payload have not been independently analyzed. Panzer posted victims across 11 countries as claimed Italian ransomware incidents reached 212 by September 6, already above 2025's full-year total of 169.
Broadcom removed public downloads of VMware's VDDK, breaking or complicating migration tools like Azure Migrate, Nutanix Move, and virtv2v.
Broadcom pulled the publicly accessible VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK) download pages around August 25, 2026, with no deprecation notice or explanation. Broadcom support told customers the VDDK is 'no longer available for use or download.' The library underpins migration tools including Microsoft Azure Migrate, Red Hat's Migration Toolkit, Nutanix Move, virtv2v, and nbdkit. Microsoft has updated Azure Migrate documentation to warn that Broadcom may restrict VDDK access.
Broadcom patched two VMware Workstation and Fusion flaws, including critical integer overflow CVE-2026-59346 (CVSS 9.3), letting guest admins execute host code; no exploitation seen.
Broadcom released updates fixing CVE-2026-59346 (CVSS 9.3), an integer-overflow vulnerability allowing a malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a VM with a VMXNET3 adapter to execute code on the host, and CVE-2026-59347 (CVSS 8.1), a stack-based buffer overflow in HGFS allowing code execution as the host's VMX process. Both flaws affect VMware Workstation and Fusion 25H2 and 26H1, have no workarounds, and are fixed in Workstation 26H1u1 and Fusion 26H1u1. No in-the-wild exploitation has been observed, though VMware vCenter flaws CVE-2026-59309 and CVE-2026-59310, the latter suspected of China-nexus APT use, have recently breached 361 unique victim IPs across 47 countries.
Broadcom patched critical VMware Workstation and Fusion VM-escape flaws CVE-2026-59346 (CVSS 9.3) and CVE-2026-59347 (CVSS 8.1); update to 26H1u1.
Advisory VMSA-2026-0007 fixes CVE-2026-59346 (CVSS 9.3), an integer overflow in the VMXNET3 virtual network adapter, and CVE-2026-59347 (CVSS 8.1), a stack-based buffer overflow in HGFS. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges inside a VM could execute code on the host in both cases. The flaws affect Workstation and Fusion 25H2 and 26H1 and are fixed in version 26H1u1 with no workarounds available. The bugs were reported independently by researchers working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative and by Tencent Xuanwu Lab.
Vali Cyber released ZeroLock 5 adding CLI-MFA to protect VMware ESX and Linux hypervisors from insider threats and stolen credentials.
ZeroLock 5 introduces CLI-MFA, requiring time-based one-time passwords for file access, program execution, and network operations at the hypervisor command line on ESX and Linux hosts. The release targets ransomware and nation-state actor pivots to virtualization infrastructure, exemplified by ShinyHunters' shinysp1d3r RaaS platform that encrypts VMware ESX environments using stolen credentials and SSH keys. It adds remotely deployable collectors, reusable multi-site deployment blueprints, SIEM forwarding presets, and support for VCF and ESX 6.7+.
China-nexus espionage group Fire Ant compromised Cisco IOS XR routers and TACACS servers to harvest credentials, capture traffic and suppress logs.
Sygnia investigated an intrusion in which Fire Ant expanded beyond VMware hypervisors to Cisco IOS XR routers, TACACS servers and Linux management hosts. The actor deployed purpose-built router implants that hid a GRE tunnel, filtered log messages, captured PCAPs uploaded to external FTP servers, and used TacTap to inject a library into tac_plus and steal TACACS credentials obfuscated with a single-byte XOR key of 0xEF. A Linux backdoor named BridgeAgent masqueraded as a Zabbix agent, persisted via a root systemd unit, disguised itself as /usr/bin/gnome-shell and received commands over TLS on port 443. The group also used Medusa and REPTILE rootkits, SSH backdoors and renamed binaries impersonating SentinelOne and Cybereason agents, while suppressing logs, disabling SELinux and rewriting login history. Sygnia assesses strong overlap with UNC3886 and published IoCs.
Tufin's TOS 5.3 adds AI-powered Segmentation Intelligence and multi-vendor automation for AWS, Palo Alto, VMware NSX-T, and Cisco Meraki to its Unified Control Plane.
Tufin TOS 5.3 extends the Unified Control Plane with enhanced AWS firewall, Palo Alto Strata Cloud Manager, VMware NSX-T, and Cisco Meraki support for automated policy and access-request provisioning. The new AI-powered Segmentation Intelligence solution continuously analyzes segmentation policies to identify gaps, drift, and recommended fixes. Tufin cites research that 49% of organizations manage more than 20 security tools across hybrid environments.
CISA added four critical actively exploited flaws to KEV: macOS Screen Sharing, SharePoint, VMware vCenter, and Microsoft IKE, with APT and ransomware use.
CISA added CVE-2026-65400 (macOS Screen Sharing, CVSS 9.8), CVE-2026-55040 (SharePoint, CVSS 9.1), CVE-2026-59310 (VMware vCenter, CVSS 9.8) and CVE-2026-33824 (Microsoft IKE Service Extensions, CVSS 9.8) to the KEV catalog. The macOS flaw was abused to deliver a Monero miner, while the vCenter bug was exploited by a suspected China-nexus APT to install reverse_ssh backdoors and Babuk-derived ransomware across 361 victim IPs in 47 countries. Unit 42 linked CVE-2026-33824 to a Chinese-speaking actor running an AI-enabled campaign using DeepSeek. FCEB agencies must patch by August 21, 2026 under BOD 26-04.
CISA adds actively exploited flaws in Microsoft IKE, SharePoint, VMware vCenter, and macOS Screen Sharing to KEV catalog, due August 21.
CISA added four vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: CVE-2026-33824 (Windows IKE remote code execution, CVSS 9.8), CVE-2026-55040 (SharePoint JWT authentication bypass, CVSS 9.1), CVE-2026-59310 (VMware vCenter Syslog path traversal, CVSS 9.8), and CVE-2026-65400 (macOS Screen Sharing improper authentication). The SharePoint flaw combines four weaknesses including alg:none JWT forging to impersonate any user, with Defused researchers observing attackers using Rapid7's PoC against honeypots. The Dutch NCSC confirmed active exploitation of the macOS Screen Sharing flaw on August 15, 2026. Federal agencies must patch by August 21, 2026.
Weekly recap: suspected China-nexus APT exploited VMware vCenter CVE-2026-59310, Lazarus used Windows zero-day CVE-2026-68820, and macOS flaw dropped Monero miners.
The week's top stories included a suspected China-nexus APT exploiting VMware vCenter CVE-2026-59310 (CVSS 9.8), a directory-traversal flaw enabling arbitrary code execution, with backdoors, reverse SSH and Babuk-derived ransomware deployed, per QUIRSO. NCSC-NL reported active exploitation of macOS Screen Sharing flaw CVE-2026-65400 (CVSS 9.8) to install Monero miners on systems with port 5900 exposed. Lazarus Group exploited Windows zero-day CVE-2026-68820 (CVSS 7.0) in Operation Dream Job, delivering ForestTiger and Troy backdoors to defense and aerospace targets. GeoServer patched a critical SQL injection flaw exploited within hours of disclosure, and Jamf analyzed the new Amnesia Stealer for macOS with live browser control.
QUIRSO attributes exploitation of VMware vCenter CVE-2026-59310 to a suspected China-nexus actor that hit 361 IPs in 47 countries, deploying backdoors and Babuk.
German incident response firm QUIRSOS assessed with moderate confidence that a suspected China-nexus actor, likely operating in UTC+08:00 hours, exploited VMware vCenter flaw CVE-2026-59310 (CVSS 9.8 directory traversal) beginning five days after Broadcom's July 29 patch. The campaign compromised 361 unique victim IPs across 47 countries, most in Germany, the US, Turkey, Iran, and France. The actor abused cron jobs, a XOR-obfuscated 'linuxFile' WebSocket backdoor with systemd/cron persistence, a JSP web shell, SSH authorized-keys manipulation, and a reverse SSH tool, with one Babuk deployment reported. A separate vCenter 'vcenter_admin' account creation consistent with CVE-2026-59309 exploitation was also observed from August 1.
Attackers actively exploit Spring Framework RCE CVE-2022-22965 (SpringShell, CVSS 9.8) to deploy webshells; patches 5.3.18/5.2.20 shipped March 31, 2022.
CVE-2022-22965 enables unauthenticated remote code execution in the widely used Spring Framework (CVSS 9.8), which Unit 42 has observed being exploited in the wild. The flaw stems from getCachedIntrospectionResults exposing the class object during parameter binding, letting attackers manipulate the class loader to modify Tomcat logging and upload a JSP webshell. Public PoCs require JDK 9+, Tomcat, WAR packaging, and spring-webmvc or spring-webflux dependencies on Spring 5.3.0-5.3.17, 5.2.0-5.2.19, or older. Fixes shipped in Spring Framework 5.3.18 and 5.2.20; the related Spring Cloud Function flaw CVE-2022-22963 was patched March 29, 2022.
Attackers began exploiting critical vCenter flaw CVE-2026-59310 five days after Broadcom's disclosure, putting enterprise VMware deployments at risk.
Attackers exploited a critical-severity flaw in VMware vCenter, tracked as CVE-2026-59310, just five days after Broadcom disclosed it. vCenter is the management platform for large enterprise VMware virtualization estates, so active exploitation exposes a broad installed base. Defenders running vCenter should prioritize applying Broadcom's patch.
Attackers actively exploit critical VMware vCenter flaw CVE-2026-59310, installing reverse_ssh backdoors on 361 hosts across 47 countries.
QUIRSO observed active exploitation of CVE-2026-59310 (CVSS 9.8), a directory-traversal flaw in VMware vCenter allowing arbitrary code execution, patched by Broadcom in late July. Attack chains deploy a malicious cron job running the open-source reverse_ssh tool for persistence, with compromised systems phoning home starting August 3, five days after disclosure. Forensics show 361 unique victim IPs in 47 countries, mostly Germany, the U.S., Turkey, Iran, and France, with the actor suspected to be an APT. Separately, Defused Cyber reports rising scanning indicative of exploitation of related CVE-2026-59309, an unauthenticated auth bypass in vmdir.
Broadcom patches three critical VMware flaws, including vCenter auth bypass CVE-2026-59309 and an ESX VM escape, urging immediate updates.
Broadcom issued emergency updates for VMware ESX, vCenter, Workstation and Fusion, fixing five flaws including CVE-2026-59309 (CVSS 9.8 authentication bypass in vCenter) and CVE-2026-59310 (CVSS 9.8 directory traversal allowing code execution). CVE-2026-47876 (CVSS 9.3) is an out-of-bounds write in the ESX VMXNET3 adapter that permits a virtual machine escape to the host. Broadcom found no evidence of exploitation, but Defused Cyber reported a spike in vCenter scanning on August 11, 2026 consistent with exploitation attempts against CVE-2026-59309 (VMSA-2026-0006). No workarounds are available.
Unauthenticated Path Traversal RCE in Broadcom VMware vCenter Server Syslog
CVE-2026-59310 is a directory traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in the Syslog server component of VMware vCenter Server, rated critical at CVSS 9.8. It can be triggered over the network without authentication or user interaction, allowing a malicious actor with network access to vCenter to achieve arbitrary code execution. An attacker who exploits it gains code execution on the vCenter appliance, and reported campaigns show it has been used to establish persistent remote access and, by a suspected China-nexus actor, to deploy Babuk ransomware. Any organization running an affected version of vCenter Server is exposed, especially where the management interface is reachable from the internet; the available data does not specify affected version ranges. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: CISA added the flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-08-18, it was reportedly exploited just five days after disclosure, and EPSS estimates a 45.9% probability of exploitation within 30 days (99th percentile).
· Broadcom (VMware) vCenter Server KEV ransomwarelarge
Authentication Bypass in Apple macOS Screen Sharing
CVE-2026-65400 is a critical (CVSS 9.8) improper authentication flaw (CWE-287) in Apple macOS's Screen Sharing service, caused by an authentication state-management defect. An attacker who can reach a vulnerable Mac's Screen Sharing service over the network can authenticate without valid credentials, gaining full remote access with high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. All three currently supported macOS branches are affected: Sequoia, Sonoma, and Tahoe, in versions prior to the fixed releases. The flaw is being actively exploited on the internet, with public reporting that attackers use the bypass to deploy Monero cryptominers, and CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-08-18. EPSS estimates a 9.9% probability of exploitation within 30 days (95th percentile).
· Apple macOS (Screen Sharing service) supported macOS releases prior to the fixed builds listed below · Apple macOS Sequoia all versions prior to 15.7.9 KEVmass
VMware vCenter contains an authentication bypass vulnerability in the VMware Directory Service.
VMware vCenter contains an authentication bypass vulnerability in the VMware Directory Service. A malicious actor with network access to vCenter may exploit this issue to bypass authentication and gain unauthorized access to the system.
Unauthenticated Double-Free RCE in Microsoft Windows IKE Extension
A double-free memory-corruption flaw (CWE-415) in the Microsoft Windows Internet Key Exchange (IKE) service extension allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to trigger the bug with crafted network traffic, with no privileges or user interaction required. Successful exploitation yields remote code execution with full system impact, reflected in the critical 9.8 CVSS score (high confidentiality, integrity, and availability). The vulnerable IKE component is present in Windows 10 (1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2), Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1), and Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022 (including 23H2), which ship it as a built-in feature. CISA added the flaw to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-08-18, and security reporting confirms it is being actively exploited in the wild, though ransomware use is not yet confirmed. No public proof-of-concept is known, but the high EPSS score (72.7%, 99th percentile) signals a very strong likelihood of imminent or ongoing exploitation.
· Microsoft Windows 10 1607 · Microsoft Windows 10 1809 KEVmass
Authentication Bypass in Microsoft SharePoint Server
Microsoft SharePoint Server is affected by a weak authentication vulnerability (CWE-1390) that allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network. Per the CVSS vector, exploitation requires no privileges and no user interaction with low attack complexity, so any unauthenticated attacker with network access to a vulnerable server can trigger it remotely. Impact to confidentiality and integrity is rated high (CVSS 9.1, critical), meaning the bypass effectively grants the attacker access that authentication should have prevented, with no direct availability impact. All organizations running on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Server are potentially affected; the source data does not specify affected version ranges or fixed builds, so defenders should consult Microsoft's advisory for those details. The flaw is under active exploitation: a public proof-of-concept is available on GitHub, attackers began exploiting it after the PoC went public, and CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-08-18 (EPSS ~40%, 99th percentile; ransomware association unknown).
Use-After-Free Local Privilege Escalation in Microsoft Windows WinSock AFD Driver
CVE-2026-68820 is a use-after-free (CWE-416) in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (afd.sys), the kernel component that handles Winsock socket operations. A local, authenticated attacker can trigger the memory corruption through crafted socket activity, and the high attack-complexity score (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L) indicates exploitation requires a specific, likely race-sensitive sequence of operations. Successful exploitation elevates privileges to SYSTEM, giving the attacker full control of the host, and public reporting describes deployment of a backdoor after privilege escalation. Virtually every Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server (2012-2022) installation ships this driver, so the affected population is essentially the entire supported Windows installed base. The flaw is being exploited in the wild: CISA added it to the KEV on 2026-08-11, Microsoft fixed it in the August 2026 Patch Tuesday release, and reporting ties active exploitation to North Korea's Lazarus group, who paired the zero-day with fake job-offer lures.
· Microsoft Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (afd.sys) as shipped with the Windows versions listed below · Microsoft Windows 10 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2 KEVmass
VMware ESX contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the VMXNET3 virtual network adapter.
VMware ESX contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the VMXNET3 virtual network adapter. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine with VMXNET3 virtual network adapter may exploit this issue to execute code on the host. Non VMXNET3 virtual adapters are not affected by this issue.
VMware ESX, Workstation, and Fusion contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability.
VMware ESX, Workstation, and Fusion contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability. A malicious actor with VM deployment privileges could trigger an out-of-bounds read, potentially leading to information disclosure or more likely a Denial-of-Service (DoS) condition of the host process. On Workstation and Fusion, the impact of this vulnerability is restricted to information disclosure.
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