Week in review: F5 data breach, Microsoft patches three actively exploited zero-days
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2025-20352 | SNMP Stack Buffer Overflow in Cisco IOS and IOS XE Enables DoS and Root RCE Cisco IOS and IOS XE contain a stack-based buffer overflow (CWE-121) in the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) subsystem. An attacker who can reach the device's SNMP service can send crafted SNMP requests: with a low-privileged SNMP account the attacker can crash the device and force a reload (denial of service), while with a high-privileged SNMP account the attacker can execute arbitrary code as root and take full control of the device. Any organization running Cisco IOS or IOS XE on routers, switches, or controllers is potentially affected, especially where SNMP is enabled or reachable from untrusted networks. The vulnerability was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-09-29, confirming exploitation in the wild, and EPSS assigns it a 39.4% probability of exploitation within 30 days (99th percentile). CVSS scoring is not yet available and no public proof-of-concept is known, but defenders should treat the flaw as actively exploited. Do: Upgrade IOS and IOS XE devices to fixed software releases as specified in Cisco's security advisory; given the KEV listing, federal agencies should follow BOD 22-01 timelines or apply vendor-directed mitigations. As interim mitigation, restrict SNMP access to trusted management hosts using ACLs (and management VRFs where supported), disable SNMP on devices that do not need it, and audit existing SNMP community strings and SNMPv3 users to identify accounts with high privilege levels, which expose the root code-execution path. | 7.7 | 39% | KEV |
| massmillions of installed IOS/IOS XE devices worldwide, with likely hundreds of thousands internet-exposed where SNMP is reachable | |
| CVE-2025-24990 +1 in the same advisory: …59230 | Untrusted Pointer Dereference in Windows Agere Modem Driver (ltmdm64.sys) CVE-2025-24990 is an untrusted pointer dereference (CWE-822) in the third-party Agere modem driver (ltmdm64.sys) that Microsoft ships natively with supported Windows client and server operating systems. Exploitation requires local access with limited privileges, and successful attacks yield high impact to the system's confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CVSS 3.1 7.8), a scoring pattern consistent with local privilege escalation. Because the driver is present by default, every supported Windows 10 build, Windows 11 build, and Windows Server 2008/2012/2016 installation listed by Microsoft is affected until patched. The flaw is being actively exploited in the wild — it was added to CISA's KEV on 2025-10-14 — although no public proof-of-concept is known. Microsoft remediated it in the October 2025 cumulative updates by removing ltmdm64.sys entirely, which means fax modem hardware that depends on this driver will stop working after patching. Do: Apply the October 2025 (or later) Windows cumulative update, which remediates the flaw by removing ltmdm64.sys, and prioritize systems where untrusted or low-privileged users can run code (RDS/VDI hosts, shared workstations, jump servers). After patching, check for Agere-based fax modem dependencies tied to ltmdm64.sys, as that hardware will no longer function and will need replacement or an alternative. Federal agencies must apply mitigations per vendor instructions or follow BOD 22-01 timelines for cloud services. | 7.8 | 6% | KEV |
| masshundreds of millions of Windows installs (driver ships natively on all listed Windows 10/11 and Server builds) | |
| CVE-2025-47827 | Secure Boot Bypass via Expired Key in IGEL OS Before 11 (CVE-2025-47827) CVE-2025-47827 is a Secure Boot bypass in IGEL OS before version 11, caused by improper verification of a cryptographic signature (CWE-347) in the igel-flash-driver module, which improperly validates a signature using a key past its expiration date. An attacker with physical access (CVSS vector AV:P) can boot a crafted root filesystem from an unverified SquashFS image, defeating the platform's Secure Boot guarantee and loading attacker-controlled code at boot time; the CVSS scoring assigns high availability impact. Deployments running IGEL OS 10 or earlier are affected; CISA's affected-product list names IGEL OS only, while the CPE data additionally tags Windows 10 (1507, 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2), Windows 11 (22H2-25H2) and Windows Server 2012/2016 releases, reflecting the shared Microsoft Secure Boot key ecosystem rather than a CISA-listed Microsoft impact. The flaw was added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-10-14, indicating confirmed in-the-wild exploitation, with ransomware use unknown and EPSS estimating a 4.9% (92nd percentile) probability of exploitation within 30 days. A public proof-of-concept is available (github.com/Zedeldi/CVE-2025-47827), and vendors/CISA have required mitigation per BOD 22-01 guidance. Do: Inventory all IGEL endpoints and upgrade any running OS 10 or earlier to IGEL OS 11 (current 11.x) per vendor instructions, which is the required KEV/BOD 22-01 remediation path. Because the attack requires physical access (AV:P), restrict physical and console access to thin clients in exposed locations such as lobbies, clinical areas and production floors, and inspect any device that may have been accessed for signs of root-filesystem tampering or unexpected boot behavior. The public PoC (Zedeldi/CVE-2025-47827) can be used to verify whether devices still boot an unverified SquashFS image. | 4.6 | 5% | KEV PoC |
| largeon the order of 100,000-1,000,000 IGEL endpoints (residual pre-v11 share of IGEL's multi-million-device installed base) - estimate | |
| CVE-2025-54253 | Pre-Auth RCE in Adobe Experience Manager Forms via Struts DevMode Misconfiguration CVE-2025-54253 is a critical (CVSS 3.1: 10.0) misconfiguration vulnerability — classified as incorrect authorization (CWE-863) — in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms versions 6.5.23 and earlier, which the referenced public research ties to Apache Struts DevMode being exposed on AEM Forms deployments. It is triggerable over the network without authentication or user interaction by sending crafted requests to the exposed dev-mode functionality, allowing an attacker to bypass security mechanisms and execute arbitrary code. Because the exploitation scope is changed, a successful compromise can impact components beyond the vulnerable service, with high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Any organization running AEM Forms 6.5.23 or earlier — particularly internet-facing Forms servers at enterprises and government agencies — is affected. The flaw is being actively exploited in the wild: CISA added it to the KEV catalog on 2025-10-15, a public proof-of-concept is available, and EPSS assigns an 87.5% probability of exploitation within 30 days (100th percentile). Do: Upgrade AEM Forms to a release newer than 6.5.23 using the patched service pack/security update in Adobe's security bulletin, and apply vendor-recommended mitigations (e.g., disabling or restricting access to the exposed Struts DevMode endpoints) where patching is delayed. Audit internet-facing AEM Forms instances for exposed dev-mode endpoints and review logs for signs of exploitation. Federal agencies under BOD 22-01 must apply the required mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product by the KEV due date. | 10.0 | 88% | KEV PoC |
| largelikely tens of thousands of AEM Forms servers/deployments (thousands of them internet-exposed); order-of-magnitude estimate, no official install counts | |
| CVE-2025-61884 | Unauthenticated SSRF in Oracle E-Business Suite Configurator Oracle Configurator, a component of Oracle E-Business Suite, is affected by a server-side request forgery (SSRF) flaw in its Runtime UI component (CVE-2025-61884). The flaw is easily exploitable: an unauthenticated attacker with network access over HTTP can trigger the server to make attacker-controlled requests, compromising Oracle Configurator and gaining unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all data accessible to Oracle Configurator. The CVSS 3.1 score is 7.5 (high) with confidentiality-only impact, meaning the flaw primarily exposes sensitive data rather than altering or destroying it. All supported Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2.x releases from 12.2.3 through 12.2.14 are affected, and Oracle has issued an emergency security update in response. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: the flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-10-20 with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns a 97.8% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days (100th percentile). Do: Apply the fixes from Oracle's emergency security update for CVE-2025-61884 across all E-Business Suite 12.2.3-12.2.14 environments, prioritizing internet-exposed instances; U.S. federal agencies must remediate per BOD 22-01 or follow applicable cloud-service guidance by the KEV due date. Until patched, restrict untrusted network access to the Configurator Runtime UI (HTTP) and monitor EBS logs and outbound server-side requests for signs of exploitation. Given the confirmed ransomware association, hunt for follow-on activity such as unusual data access or lateral movement originating from EBS servers. | 7.5 | 96% | KEV ransomware PoC |
| largetens of thousands of enterprise deployments overall; several thousand Oracle E-Business Suite instances exposed to the internet |
Full article1,520 words · extracted from helpnetsecurity.com · click to collapse
Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, articles, interviews and videos:
Building a healthcare cybersecurity strategy that works
In this Help Net Security interview, Wayman Cummings, CISO at Ochsner Health, talks about building a healthcare cybersecurity strategy, even when resources are tight. He explains how focusing on areas like vulnerability management and network segmentation can make the biggest difference.
What Chat Control means for your privacy
In this Help Net Security interview, Benjamin Schilz, CEO at Wire, discusses the Chat Control cybersecurity and privacy risks. He explains that mandated scanning mechanisms are incompatible with end-to-end encryption and would create liability and compliance challenges for service providers.
What if your privacy tools could learn as they go?
A new academic study proposes a way to design privacy mechanisms that can make use of prior knowledge about how data is distributed, even when that information is incomplete. The method allows privacy guarantees to stay mathematically sound while improving how much useful information can be shared.
A safer way to break industrial systems (on purpose)
Cybersecurity teams often struggle to test defenses for industrial control systems without risking disruption. A group of researchers from Curtin University has developed a way to make that easier. Their work introduces a container-based framework that lets researchers and practitioners simulate real control system environments and run cyberattacks on them safely.
When trusted AI connections turn hostile
Researchers have revealed a new security blind spot in how LLM applications connect to external systems. Their study shows that malicious Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers can quietly take control of hosts, manipulate LLM behavior, and deceive users, all while staying undetected by existing tools.
A new approach to blockchain spam: Local reputation over global rules
Spam has long been a nuisance in blockchain networks, clogging transaction queues and driving up fees. A new research paper from Delft University of Technology introduces a decentralized solution called STARVESPAM that could help nodes in permissionless blockchains block spam without relying on central control or costly fee mechanisms.
Another remotely exploitable Oracle EBS vulnerability requires your attention (CVE-2025-61884)
Oracle has revealed the existence of yet another remotely exploitable Oracle E-Business Suite vulnerability (CVE-2025-61884).
Microsoft patches three zero-days actively exploited by attackers
On October 2025 Patch Tuesday, Microsoft released fixes for 175+ vulnerabilities, including three zero-days under active attack: CVE-2025-24990, CVE-2025-59230, and CVE-2025-47827.
F5 data breach: “Nation-state attackers” stole BIG-IP source code, vulnerability info
US tech company F5 has suffered a breach, and the attackers made off with source code of and vulnerability information related to its BIG-IP family of networking and security products, the company confirmed.
“Perfect” Adobe Experience Manager vulnerability is being exploited (CVE-2025-54253)
CISA has added CVE-2025-54253, a misconfiguration vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms on Java Enterprise Edition (JEE), to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, thus warning of detected in-the-wild exploitation.
Microsoft revokes 200 certs used to sign malicious Teams installers
By revoking 200 software-signing certificates, Microsoft has hampered the activities of Vanilla Tempest, a ransomware-wielding threat actor that has been targeting organizations with malware posing as Microsoft Teams.
Hackers used Cisco zero-day to plant rootkits on network switches (CVE-2025-20352)
Threat actors have leveraged a recently patched IOS/IOS XE vulnerability (CVE-2025-20352) to deploy Linux rootkits on vulnerable Cisco network devices.
Security validation: The key to maximizing ROI from security investments
Every sizable organization invests heavily in firewalls, SIEMs, EDRs, and countless other technologies that form the backbone of a modern enterprise’s cyber defenses. Yet despite these significant investments, attackers continue to exploit misconfigurations, untested rules, and hidden dependencies that slip through even the most mature and technically sophisticated environments.
Identifying risky candidates: Practical steps for security leaders
Effective insider threat defense begins with candidate vetting. Background checks and reference calls can confirm elements of an applicant’s history, but they rarely surface the deeper risks that can turn into costly problems down the line. Identity verification, credential validation, and digital risk assessments need to be layered into the hiring process.
AI-generated images have a problem of credibility, not creativity
GenAI simplifies image creation, yet it creates hard problems around intellectual property, authenticity, and accountability. Researchers at Queen’s University in Canada examined watermarking as a way to tag AI images so origin and integrity can be checked.
The solar power boom opened a backdoor for cybercriminals
Solar isn’t low risk anymore. Adoption has turned inverters, aggregators, and control software into attack surfaces capable of disrupting service and undermining confidence in the transition.
The diagnosis is in: Mobile health apps are bad for your privacy
Sensitive data is moving through Android healthcare apps without adequate protection. Researchers found that many transmit information without encryption, store files without safeguards, or share it through third-party components.
Maltrail: Open-source malicious traffic detection system
Maltrail is an open-source network traffic detection system designed to spot malicious or suspicious activity. It works by checking traffic against publicly available blacklists, as well as static lists compiled from antivirus reports and user-defined sources. These “trails” can include domain names, URLs, IP addresses, or even HTTP User-Agent values. On top of that, Maltrail can use optional heuristic methods to identify new or unknown threats, such as emerging malware.
U.S. seizes $15 billion in Bitcoin linked to massive forced-labor crypto scam
The U.S. government has seized about $15 billion worth of Bitcoin connected to what prosecutors call one of the largest cryptocurrency fraud and human trafficking operations ever uncovered.
Humanoid robot found vulnerable to Bluetooth hack, data leaks to China
Alias Robotics has published an analysis of the Unitree G1 humanoid robot, concluding that the device can be exploited as a tool for espionage and cyber attacks.
The five-minute guide to OT cyber resilience
In this Help Net Security video, Rob Demain, CEO of e2e-assure, explains the essentials of OT cybersecurity resilience. He discusses the importance of understanding remote access points, supply chain connections, and the need for specialized sensors to monitor OT networks that differ from traditional IT systems.
Building trust in AI-powered security operations
In this Help Net Security video, James Hodge, VP, Global Specialist Organisation at Splunk, explores the transformative role of AI in cybersecurity threat detection. He explains how AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data and detect anomalies faster than humans is reshaping how organizations identify and respond to threats.
SAP zero-day wake-up call: Why ERP systems need a unified defense
In this Help Net Security video, Paul Laudanski, Director of Research at Onapsis, discusses key lessons from the SAP zero-day vulnerability. He explains why business-critical systems like ERP and CRM remain top targets for attackers, since they hold valuable data that directly affects revenue, operations, and reputation.
Attackers don’t linger, they strike and move on
Cyber attacks are happening faster than ever. Intrusions that once took weeks or months now unfold in minutes, leaving little time to react. Attackers move quickly once they gain access, aiming to run their payloads and get results before defenders can respond, according to Elastic.
When hackers hit, patient safety takes the fall
93% of U.S. healthcare organizations experienced at least one cyberattack in the past year, with an average of 43 incidents per organization, according to Proofpoint. The study found that most of these attacks involved cloud account compromises, ransomware, supply chain intrusions, and business email compromise. 72% of respondents said at least one incident disrupted patient care.
The power grid is getting old, and so is the cybersecurity protecting it
Critical infrastructure is getting older, and the cost of that decay is starting to show. The Arthur D. Little Built to Last? report says that the systems powering energy, water, and transport are reaching the end of their design life.
The password problem we keep pretending to fix
Experts across industries say they are still losing ground against identity-related breaches, even after years of investment in stronger access controls, according to RSA.
Everyone wants AI, but few are ready to defend it
The rush to deploy AI is reshaping how companies think about risk, according to Cisco. A global study finds that while most organizations are moving quickly to adopt AI, many are not ready for the pressure it puts on their systems and security.
Everyone’s adopting AI, few are managing the risk
AI is spreading across enterprise risk functions, but confidence in those systems remains uneven, according to AuditBoard. More than half of organizations report implementing AI-specific tools, and many are training teams in machine learning skills. Yet, few feel prepared for the governance requirements that will come with new AI regulations.
Inside healthcare’s quiet cybersecurity breakdown
Hospitals, clinics, and care networks continue to treat cybersecurity as a back-office issue, according to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report from Omega Systems.
Cybersecurity jobs available right now: October 14, 2025
We’ve scoured the market to bring you a selection of roles that span various skill levels within the cybersecurity field. Check out this weekly selection of cybersecurity jobs available right now.
New infosec products of the week: October 17, 2025
Here’s a look at the most interesting products from the past week, featuring releases from Aura, Bitsight, Blumira, Cayosoft, Corelight, Netcraft, and Picus Security.
Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/10/19/week-in-review-f5-data-breach-microsoft-patches-three-actively-exploited-zero-days/