Hackers Actively Exploit Critical WooCommerce Plugin Vulnerability to Upload PHP Backdoors
Attackers actively exploit CVE-2026-27540 (CVSS 9.8) in WooCommerce Wholesale Lead Capture plugin to upload PHP webshells; patch shipped in version 2.0.3.2.
CVE-2026-27540 (CVSS 9.8) in the WooCommerce Wholesale Lead Capture plugin affects versions 2.0.3.1 and earlier across roughly 6,000 active installations. The unauthenticated AJAX handler wwlc_file_upload_handler trusts a client-supplied file_settings allowlist, letting attackers upload shell.php for remote code execution. Wordfence has blocked more than 100,000 exploit attempts since disclosure, with spikes in June, July, and August 2026. The vendor fixed the flaw in version 2.0.3.2.
China-Linked Hackers Chain Chrome Zero-Day With Windows Kernel Flaw in Attacks
Volexity reports China-linked UTA0560 and JungleBamboo chained Chrome zero-day CVE-2026-85046 with kernel flaws to spy on NGOs.
Volexity documented campaigns detected on September 1, 2026, in which China-linked actors UTA0560 and JungleBamboo (APT31) chained CVE-2026-85046 (V8 type confusion), CVE-2026-87491 (WebAssembly sandbox escape), and CVE-2026-85880 (Windows kernel privilege escalation in RtlpCreateServerAcl). Victims were lured via links on legitimate U.S. university sites vulnerable to reflected XSS, then served hidden exploit iframes behind a donation-form image. Although a V8 fix had landed in Chromium's source after private August reporting, Chrome had not yet shipped it, creating a patch gap the actors exploited. The two groups installed distinct payloads: UTA0560 delivered the GRIMWEDGE JScript backdoor via DLL side-loading, while JungleBamboo used the SUPERSTOMP loader to install the LONGTALE credential-stealing Chrome extension disguised as Google Gemini.
Acronis Patches Exploited Vulnerability in cPanel Backup Plugin
Acronis urgently patched CVE-2026-87886 (CVSS 7.8), insecure file permissions enabling privilege escalation, exploited in targeted attacks on cPanel & WHM backups.
Acronis released urgent patches for CVE-2026-87886 (CVSS 7.8), insecure file permissions in the Backup plugin for cPanel & WHM and the Backup extension for Plesk that allow attackers to gain elevated privileges. Exploitation has been detected in the wild in limited, targeted attacks against the cPanel & WHM plugin, but not against the Plesk extension. All Linux versions of the plugin before build 1.9.3.1021 and the Plesk extension before build 1.8.11.638 are affected; Acronis urges immediate updates and has not shared technical details.
U.S. CISA adds Apple macOS, Microsoft SharePoint, Broadcom VMware vCenter, and Microsoft IKE flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
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: VMware Exploits, Windows 0-Day, MCP Attacks, Browser Hijacks and More
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.
Exposed Vite servers are being probed for AWS and Azure credentials
F5 honeypots logged 32,000+ probes against Vite file-access bypass CVE-2026-39364, hunting AWS and Azure credentials on exposed dev servers.
F5 Labs reported 32,000+ scan attempts (807 attack sessions) against exposed Vite servers in August, up from 1,732 attempts over the prior three months. Attackers exploited CVE-2026-39364 (CVSS 8.2), which bypasses Vite's server.fs.deny protection via parameters like ?raw and ?import&raw, affecting Vite 7.1.0 to before 7.3.2 and Vite 8 before 8.0.5. Scanners cycled wordlists for environment files, AWS keys, Azure tokens and IaC state files, also combining older Vite CVEs (2025-30208, 2025-31125, 2024-45811) and probing a Next.js middleware bypass. Only CVE-2025-31125 is currently in CISA's KEV catalog.
Hackers target exposed Vite dev servers to steal AWS, Azure secrets
Mass scanning campaign exploits CVE-2026-39364 in exposed Vite dev servers to steal AWS, Azure, and Terraform credentials.
F5 honeypots detected over 800 attacks and roughly 32,000 events in a month against internet-exposed Vite development servers, abusing CVE-2026-39364 (file access control bypass in Vite 7.1.0-7.3.2 and 8.x before 8.0.5) via parameters like ?raw and ?import&raw. Attackers used extensive wordlists to harvest .env files, AWS/Azure credentials, Terraform state, and /proc/self/environ, with double-encoded traversal to bypass WAFs. The same IPs also leveraged older Vite flaws CVE-2025-30208, actively-exploited CVE-2025-31125, and CVE-2024-45811, primarily from US, Belgium, and Netherlands using Google Cloud ranges.
Fortinet Code Execution Flaw Exploited in PivotC2 RAT Attacks
Threat actors exploit Fortinet heap-based buffer overflow CVE-2025-25249 to deploy PivotC2 RAT, infecting 178 devices and exfiltrating data from US targets.
SOCRadar reports exploitation of an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability, CVE-2025-25249 (CVSS 7.4), patched in January in FortiOS and FortiSwitchManager. Attackers scanned over 30,000 IP addresses, infected 178 devices with PivotC2 RAT, and at least two intrusions resulted in data exfiltration, primarily targeting US entities. SOCRadar attributes attacks to a likely Russian-speaking cybercrime actor and suggests the RAT was AI-assisted, in use since July 2026. CISA added the CVE to the KEV catalog with a three-day BOD 26-04 patch deadline for federal agencies.
Multiple Chinese hacking groups seen using identical Chrome zero-day exploit
Four China-linked espionage groups share identical BlueMoon Chrome zero-day exploit kit targeting US defense contractors and Asian government agencies.
Proofpoint identified at least four Chinese-aligned espionage groups (TA412/RedBravo, UNK_LateNight, UNK_DoubleCheck, UNK_QuietRacket) using an identical Chrome zero-day exploit kit dubbed BlueMoon in late August through this week. Targets include US defense contractors, NGOs, mining companies, and Southeast Asian government agencies. The exploit chains a Chromium patch-gap vulnerability with a Windows flaw, delivering malware such as ShadowPad and a fake Gemini browser extension backdoor, with possible AI-assisted exploit development.
Google Chrome 153 Released With 230 Security Fixes and Zero-Day Exploited in the Wild
Google released Chrome 153 with 230 security fixes, patching CVE-2026-87491, a V8 out-of-bounds write zero-day actively exploited in the wild.
Google shipped Chrome 153 (153.0.8010.36/.37) for Windows, macOS, and Linux with 230 security fixes, including CVE-2026-87491, a medium-severity V8 out-of-bounds write being exploited in the wild. The release also fixes five critical vulnerabilities: four in WebGL (two use-after-frees, an out-of-bounds write, a buffer overflow) and one use-after-free in Cast. High-severity V8 use-after-free and type-confusion defects are among the fixes, and Google has restricted technical details until most users are patched. Administrators should verify deployed versions on managed endpoints, as Chrome-derived browsers may follow different patch schedules.
Over 440,000 Exploit Attempts Target Super Forms and Elementor Pro RCE Flaws
Wordfence blocked 440,000+ exploit attempts against critical unauthenticated RCE flaws in WordPress plugins Super Forms and Elementor Pro.
Wordfence reports mass exploitation of two unauthenticated arbitrary file upload RCE flaws: CVE-2026-14894 in Super Forms (CVSS 9.8, fixed in 6.3.314) and CVE-2026-32475 in Elementor Pro (CVSS 9.0/9.8, fixed in 4.2.2), with over 250,000 and 190,000 blocked exploit attempts respectively. Attackers upload Base64-encoded PHP web shells such as Mushr00w_upl.php to execute code, create administrator accounts, exfiltrate data, or seize sites. Super Forms exploitation began July 14, 2026 and peaked above 40,000 requests on August 18; Elementor Pro attacks started August 19. Successful Elementor Pro exploitation requires a published page with a Form widget containing a File Upload field.
Langflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability Exploited in Attacks (CVE-2026-0768)
Critical CVSS 9.8 RCE CVE-2026-0768 in Langflow is under active exploitation, with attackers probing for credentials and secrets.
CVE-2026-0768, a critical (CVSS 9.8) remote code execution flaw in Langflow's code validator, lets attackers execute Python code with root privileges via the validate endpoint's code parameter. VulnCheck honeypots in the UK detected Russian-origin exploitation performing reconnaissance and credential harvesting, querying environment variables like LANGFLOW_SUPERUSER and AWS keys and reading Langflow's secret key. Versions before 1.4.2 are affected; no vendor advisory or public PoC was available at reporting time.