Threats
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2024-4577 | OS Command Injection in Windows PHP-CGI Allows Remote Code Execution CVE-2024-4577 is an OS command injection flaw (CWE-78) in Windows-based PHP when it runs in CGI mode, allowing arbitrary code execution on the server. It is triggered when attacker-supplied characters in HTTP requests are mishandled by Windows' character-encoding conversion as the OS invokes php-cgi, letting attackers inject command-line arguments to the PHP interpreter; this bypasses the decade-old fix for CVE-2012-1823. A successful attacker gains the ability to run arbitrary commands and code in the context of the web server. Affected systems are PHP running on Windows through the CGI interface; deployments that do not use PHP-CGI on Windows are not described as affected in the source data. Exploitation is active: the flaw was added to CISA KEV on 2024-06-12 with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns roughly 100% probability of exploitation within 30 days. Do: Per the CISA KEV required action, apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use: upgrade Windows PHP-CGI deployments to a PHP release that fixes CVE-2024-4577 per PHP Group advisories, or stop using CGI mode on Windows (e.g., switch to FastCGI) and apply any vendor-recommended workarounds. Given known ransomware abuse, review web server access logs for exploitation attempts (notably %AD-encoded soft hyphens and injected -d/-s arguments in php-cgi query strings) and prioritize patching internet-facing Windows hosts. | 9.8 | 100% | KEV ransomware PoC ×11 |
| large≈10,000–100,000 internet-exposed Windows PHP-CGI systems | |
| CVE-2025-20333 +1 in the same advisory: …20362 | Authenticated Buffer Overflow RCE in Cisco ASA/FTD VPN Web Server CVE-2025-20333 is a buffer overflow (CWE-120) in the VPN web server of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) software, caused by improper validation of user-supplied input in HTTP(S) requests. An attacker who already holds valid VPN user credentials can trigger it by sending crafted HTTP(S) requests to the device's VPN web interface; the flaw is remotely exploitable over the network with low attack complexity and no user interaction. A successful exploit allows arbitrary code execution as root, possibly resulting in complete compromise of the firewall or VPN gateway. Any organization running Cisco ASA or FTD software with the VPN web server enabled is affected. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: the CVE was added to CISA's KEV on 2025-09-25, EPSS assigns a 70.7% probability of exploitation within 30 days (99th percentile), and Cisco and the UK NCSC have warned of real-world attacks (including RayInitiator and LINE VIPER malware deployment) that chain this flaw with at least one companion Cisco vulnerability. Do: Inventory all ASA/FTD devices with the VPN web server reachable by users (especially internet-exposed ones) and upgrade to the fixed releases listed in the Cisco PSIRT advisory; where patching is delayed, apply Cisco's recommended mitigations and hunt for indicators of the reported attack chain (RayInitiator/LINE VIPER). Because exploitation requires valid VPN credentials, treat VPN user credentials on affected gateways as potentially compromised and force resets. US federal agencies must follow the mitigation steps in CISA Emergency Directive 25-03 and BOD 22-01 timelines for this KEV entry. | 9.9 group max | 71% | KEV |
| mass≈100,000–300,000 internet-exposed ASA/FTD VPN web servers (order of magnitude), within a multi-million-device installed base serving large VPN user populations |
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June 25, 2026 06:00
Introduction to COM usage by Windows threats
Component Object Model (COM) is a fundamental Windows technology used by legitimate applications for object activation, inter-process communication, automation and language-independent component reuse. Those same qualities make it useful to threat actors.
April 23, 2026 11:10
UAT-4356's Targeting of Cisco Firepower Devices
Cisco Talos is aware of UAT-4356's continued active targeting of Cisco Firepower devices’ Firepower eXtensible Operating System (FXOS). UAT-4356 exploited n-day vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-20333 and CVE-2025-20362) to gain unauthorized access to vulnerable devices.
November 13, 2025 06:00
Unleashing the Kraken ransomware group
In August 2025, Cisco Talos observed big-game hunting and double extortion attacks carried out by Kraken, a Russian-speaking group that has emerged from the remnants of the HelloKitty ransomware cartel.
October 26, 2025 22:00
Uncovering Qilin attack methods exposed through multiple cases
Cisco Talos investigated the Qilin ransomware group, uncovering its frequent attacks on the manufacturing sector, use of legitimate tools for credential theft and data exfiltration, and sophisticated methods for lateral movement, evasion, and persistence.
May 23, 2025 06:00
Scarcity signals: Are rare activities red flags?
Talos analyzed six months of PowerShell network telemetry and found that rare domains are over three times more likely to be malicious compared to frequently contacted ones.
March 6, 2025 06:00
Unmasking the new persistent attacks on Japan
Cisco Talos has discovered an active exploitation of CVE-2024-4577 by an attacker in order to gain access to the victim's machines and carry out post-exploitation activities.
January 24, 2025 08:37
Seasoning email threats with hidden text salting
Hidden text salting is a simple yet effective technique for bypassing email parsers, confusing spam filters, and evading detection engines that rely on keywords. Cisco Talos has observed an increase in the number of email threats leveraging hidden text salting.
December 19, 2024 06:04
Exploring vulnerable Windows drivers
This post is the result of research into the real-world application of the Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) technique along with Cisco Talos’ series of posts about malicious Windows drivers.
April 4, 2024 08:00
CoralRaider targets victims’ data and social media accounts
Cisco Talos discovered a new threat actor we’re calling “CoralRaider” that we believe is of Vietnamese origin and financially motivated. CoralRaider has been operating since at least 2023, targeting victims in several Asian and Southeast Asian countries.
February 22, 2024 08:00
TinyTurla-NG in-depth tooling and command and control analysis
Cisco Talos, in cooperation with CERT.NGO, has discovered new malicious components used by the Turla APT. New findings from Talos illustrate the inner workings of the command and control (C2) scripts deployed on the compromised WordPress servers utilized in the compromise we previously disclosed.
February 14, 2024 08:00
How are attackers using QR codes in phishing emails and lure documents?
QR code attacks are particularly dangerous because they move the attack vector off a protected computer and onto the target’s personal mobile device, which usually has fewer security protections in place and ultimately has the sensitive information that attackers are after.
June 13, 2023 08:03
".Zip" top-level domains draw potential for information leaks
As a result of user applications increasingly registering actual “.zip” files as URLs, these filenames may trigger unintended DNS queries or web requests, thereby revealing possibly sensitive or internal company data in a file’s name to any actor monitoring the associated DNS server
June 1, 2023 08:00
New Horabot campaign targets the Americas
Cisco Talos has observed a threat actor deploying a previously unidentified botnet program Talos is calling “Horabot,” which delivers a known banking trojan and spam tool onto victim machines in a campaign that has been ongoing since at least November 2020.
May 25, 2023 08:02
Mercenary mayhem: A technical analysis of Intellexa's PREDATOR spyware
Commercial spyware use is on the rise, with actors leveraging these sophisticated tools to conduct surveillance operations against a growing number of targets. Cisco Talos has new details of a commercial spyware product sold by the spyware firm Intellexa (formerly known as Cytrox).
January 19, 2023 08:00
Following the LNK metadata trail
While tracking some prevalent commodity malware threat actors, Talos observed the popularization of malicious LNK files as their initial access method to download and execute payloads. A closer look at the LNK files illustrates how their metadata could be used to identify and track new campaigns.
November 17, 2022 08:01
Get a Loda This: LodaRAT meets new friends
* LodaRAT samples were deployed alongside other malware families, including RedLine and Neshta. * Cisco Talos identified several variants and altered versions of LodaRAT with updated functionality have been seen in the wild. * Changes in these LodaRAT variants include new f
August 18, 2022 08:00
Ukraine war spotlights agriculture sector's vulnerability to cyber attack
The war in Ukraine has caused massive problems for global food supplies, underscoring the high impact of disruptive events to agriculture entities and related organizations. * The challenges to the Ukrainian agriculture sector imposed by the war--and global ripple effects--have
August 8, 2022 08:42
Small-time cybercrime is about to explode — We aren't ready
The cybersecurity industry tends to focus on extremely large-scale or sophisticated, state-sponsored attacks. Rightfully so, as it can be the most interesting, technically speaking. When most people think of cybercrime they think of large-scale breaches because that's what d
June 21, 2022 07:58
Avos ransomware group expands with new attack arsenal
By Flavio Costa, * In a recent customer engagement, we observed a month-long AvosLocker campaign. * The attackers utilized several different tools, including Cobalt Strike, Sliver and multiple commercial network scanners. * The initial ingress point in this incident was a pa
May 18, 2022 02:00
The BlackByte ransomware group is striking users all over the globe
News summary * Cisco Talos has been monitoring the BlackByte Ransomware Group for several months, infecting victims all over the world, from North America to Colombia, Netherlands, China, Mexico and Vietnam. * The FBI released a joint cybersecurity advisory in February 2022 wa
January 7, 2022 16:41
Threat Roundup for December 31 to January 7
Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we've observed between Dec. 31 and Jan. 7. As with previous roundups, this post isn't meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we've observed by highlighting ke
December 3, 2021 15:02
Threat Roundup for November 26 to December 3
Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we've observed between Nov. 26 and Dec. 3. As with previous roundups, this post isn't meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we've observed by highlighting ke
November 19, 2021 14:31
Threat Roundup for November 12 to November 19
Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we've observed between Nov. 12 and Nov. 19. As with previous roundups, this post isn't meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we've observed by highlighting k
November 5, 2021 13:47
Threat Roundup for October 29 to November 5
Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we've observed between Oct. 29 and Nov. 5. As with previous roundups, this post isn't meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we've observed by highlighting ke
October 28, 2021 08:00
Quarterly Report: Incident Response trends from Q3 2021
Ransomware again dominated the threat landscape, while BEC grew By David Liebenberg and Caitlin Huey. Once again, ransomware was the most dominant threat observed in Cisco Talos Incident Response (CTIR) engagements this quarter. CTIR helped resolve several significant ransomwa
October 26, 2021 08:00
SQUIRRELWAFFLE Leverages malspam to deliver Qakbot, Cobalt Strike
By Edmund Brumaghin, Mariano Graziano and Nick Mavis. Executive summary Recently, a new threat, referred to as "SQUIRRELWAFFLE" is being spread more widely via spam campaigns, infecting systems with a new malware loader. This is a malware family that's been spre
October 22, 2021 16:33
Threat Roundup for October 15 to October 22
Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we've observed between Oct. 15 and Oct. 22. As with previous roundups, this post isn't meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we've observed by highlighting k
October 15, 2021 17:08
Threat Roundup for October 8 to October 15
Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we've observed between Oct. 8 and Oct. 15. As with previous roundups, this post isn't meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we've observed by highlighting ke
August 27, 2021 14:44
Threat Roundup for August 20 to August 27
Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we've observed between Aug. 20 and Aug. 27. As with previous roundups, this post isn't meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we've observed by highlighting k
August 20, 2021 14:23
Threat Roundup for August 13 to August 20
Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we've observed between Aug. 13 and Aug. 20. As with previous roundups, this post isn't meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we've observed by highlighting k
August 17, 2021 08:01
Neurevt trojan takes aim at Mexican users
By Chetan Raghuprasad, with contributions from Vanja Svajcer. News summary * Cisco Talos discovered a new version of the Neurevt trojan with spyware and backdoor capabilities in June 2021 using Cisco Secure Endpoint product telemetry. * This version of Neurevt appears to tar
August 13, 2021 13:12
Threat Roundup for August 6 to August 13
Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we've observed between Aug. 6 and Aug. 13. As with previous roundups, this post isn't meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we've observed by highlighting ke
August 12, 2021 18:33
Vice Society leverages PrintNightmare in ransomware attacks
Executive Summary Another threat actor is actively exploiting the so-called PrintNightmarevulnerability (CVE-2021-1675 / CVE-2021-34527) in Windows' print spooler service to spread laterally across a victim's network as part of a recent ransomware attack, according to Ci
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