Amazon warns that Russia’s Sandworm has shifted its tactics
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2021-26084 | Atlassian Confluence Server and Data Center Object-Graph Navigation Language (OGNL) Injection Vulnerability CVE-2021-26084 is an OGNL injection vulnerability (CWE-917) in Atlassian Confluence Server and Data Center that may allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code. Any organization running Confluence Server or Data Center is potentially affected. It is significant because it is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns a 100.0% probability of exploitation within 30 days (100th percentile). Do: Apply updates to Confluence Server and Data Center per Atlassian's instructions, which is the required action in the CISA KEV listing. Prioritize remediation given confirmed in-the-wild exploitation and known ransomware use. | 9.8 | 100% | KEV ransomware PoC |
| — | |
| CVE-2022-26318 | Unauthenticated RCE in WatchGuard Firebox and XTM Fireware OS CVE-2022-26318 (vendor tracker FBX-22786) is a critical (CVSS 9.8) unauthenticated arbitrary code execution vulnerability in Fireware OS running on WatchGuard Firebox and XTM security appliances. An unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger it by sending crafted requests to network-facing services on an affected appliance, requiring no credentials or user interaction. Successful exploitation allows execution of arbitrary code with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, typically yielding full control of the perimeter device and a foothold into the internal network behind it. Any organization running Fireware OS in the affected ranges — before 12.7.2_U2, 12.x before 12.1.3_U8, or 12.2.x through 12.5.x before 12.5.9_U2 — is exposed, a population dominated by SMB and mid-market perimeter firewall/VPN deployments. The flaw is confirmed exploited in the wild: CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog on 2022-03-25, and press reporting of the period links Russian GRU (Sandworm) activity to exploitation of network edge devices of this kind. Do: Apply the vendor's updates per branch guidance: upgrade Fireware OS to 12.7.2_U2, 12.1.3_U8, or 12.5.9_U2 (or later) as applicable to your release train. Because the flaw is on CISA's KEV list, check whether the appliance's management or other interfaces are internet-exposed, review logs and configuration for signs of compromise, and consider a factory reset or re-image for appliances showing evidence of intrusion, since patching alone may not remove attacker persistence. Organizations in energy and other targeted sectors should prioritize remediation given reported GRU activity against edge devices. | 9.8 | 78% | KEV |
| mass~100,000-300,000 internet-exposed Firebox/XTM appliances per public scan counts; vendor-reported install base of 1M+ appliances | |
| CVE-2023-22518 | Improper Authorization in Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server contain an improper authorization flaw (CWE-863) that can be triggered by an unauthenticated attacker sending crafted requests to a vulnerable instance. Successful exploitation gives the attacker control over the instance and can cause significant data loss, such as wiping or resetting the Confluence site, but there is no confidentiality impact because no data can be exfiltrated. Any organization running a self-managed Confluence Data Center or Server deployment is in scope. Exploitation is active: the flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-11-07 with ransomware use noted, and EPSS assigns it a 100% probability of exploitation within 30 days. No public proof-of-concept is known, but ransomware operators are already using the flaw in the wild. Do: Upgrade every Confluence Data Center and Server instance to the patched release for your branch listed in Atlassian's advisory, per the CISA KEV required action (apply vendor mitigations or discontinue use). In the interim, restrict internet access to Confluence and check for signs of compromise such as unexpected instance resets, missing data, or ransom notes; restore from backups if data loss is detected. | 9.8 | 100% | KEV ransomware PoC |
| large≈70,000+ internet-exposed Confluence instances per public scans, likely 100k+ total self-managed installations | |
| CVE-2023-27532 | Missing Authentication in Veeam Backup & Replication Exposes Stored Credentials Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) contains a missing-authentication flaw (CWE-306) in its Cloud Connect component that lets an unauthenticated network attacker obtain encrypted credentials stored in VBR's configuration database. It is triggered simply by connecting to the exposed service, because the function that serves credential material performs no authentication check; no privileges or user interaction are required (CVSS 3.1: 7.5, network vector). With the recovered credentials, an attacker can gain access to backup infrastructure hosts, which has been used as an entry point and pivot for ransomware operations. Any organization running Veeam Backup & Replication is potentially affected, with the greatest risk where the VBR/Cloud Connect service is reachable from the internet. Exploitation is confirmed: CISA added the bug to its KEV catalog on 2023-08-22 with known ransomware use, the Cuba ransomware group has been observed stealing credentials through this exploit, and EPSS assigns a 77.6% near-term exploitation probability (100th percentile). Do: Apply the fixes Veeam provides in its security advisory immediately — per CISA's KEV listing, patch per vendor instructions or discontinue use — prioritizing internet-facing Cloud Connect servers. After patching, rotate all credentials stored in the configuration database, since they should be considered exposed, and review those accounts for signs of misuse. Restrict network access to the VBR service from untrusted networks and check servers for exploitation indicators such as unexpected connections to the service or anomalous logins with stored credentials. | 7.5 | 78% | KEV ransomware |
| largetens of thousands of deployments, of which thousands are internet-exposed (estimate) |
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Researchers said attackers linked to Russia’s military intelligence agency have moved from vulnerability exploits to focus on poorly configured network edge devices to keep its access to target networks.
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Attackers associated with Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) have targeted Western-based critical infrastructure with a special focus on the energy sector as part of an ongoing campaign dating back to 2021, Amazon Threat Intelligence said in a report Monday.
The threat group simplified operations earlier this year by shifting away from vulnerability exploitation to focus on misconfigured network edge devices hosted on Amazon Web Services as the primary initial access vector, CJ Moses, chief information security officer of Amazon Integrated Security, said in a blog post.
Researchers said malicious infrastructure used by the attackers overlaps with operations linked to Sandworm, also known as APT44 and Seashell Blizzard, a detail that gives them confidence the activity is associated with Russia’s GRU.
Amazon did not say how many attacks it’s attributed to the campaign, nor how the pace of activity has changed since the first wave of attacks occurred in 2021. The company said it has notified customers affected by the intrusions, remediated compromised EC2 instances and shared intelligence with partners and affected vendors to aid further investigations.
The Russia state-sponsored threat group has continued to target multiple Western-based organizations in the energy sector including electric utilities, energy providers and managed security service providers specializing in the industry, according to Amazon.
Researchers said the threat group has also targeted collaboration platforms, source code repositories, organizations with cloud-based network infrastructure, critical infrastructure providers in North America and Europe, and telecom providers across multiple regions.
Attacks typically begin with a compromised customer network edge device hosted on AWS, followed by attempts to capture data traversing the network in a bid to steal credentials and reuse those credentials against victim organizations’ other services and infrastructure to maintain access, according to Amazon.
Moses insists the compromise of network edge devices hosted on AWS is not due to a weakness in its infrastructure, but rather improper device setup from customers. Attackers associated with Russia’s GRU have targeted enterprise routers and routing infrastructure, virtual private networks for large organizations, remote-access gateways and network-management appliances.
The campaign initially relied on vulnerability exploitation from 2021 to 2024, including CVE-2022-26318 affecting WatchGuard, CVE-2021-26084 and CVE-2023-22518 affecting Confluence and CVE-2023-27532 affecting Veeam, researchers said.
Yet, targeting shifted to misconfigured network edge devices this year, which allowed attackers to achieve the same strategic goals at a lower cost.
“While customer misconfiguration targeting has been ongoing since at least 2022, the actor maintained sustained focus on this activity in 2025 while reducing investment in zero-day and N-day exploitation,” Moses said in the blog post. “The actor accomplishes this while significantly reducing the risk of exposing their operations through more detectable vulnerability exploitation activity.”
Sandworm is one of the most notorious state-sponsored threat groups of the past decade. The group primarily targets government, defense, transportation, energy, media and civil society organizations in Russia’s near abroad. It has repeatedly targeted Western electoral systems and institutions, including in NATO member countries. On three separate occasions, the group has succeeded in using a cyberattack to disrupt electricity distribution in Ukraine.
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