PostgreSQL Fixes 12-Year-Old Logical Decoding Flaw Enabling Replication-Role Code Execution
PostgreSQL fixed CVE-2026-6471 (CVSS 7.2), a 12-year-old logical decoding flaw letting replication-role accounts execute arbitrary code as the database OS user.
PostgreSQL patched CVE-2026-6471 (CVSS 7.2), a flaw present since logical decoding shipped in 9.4 (2014) that lets an account with the REPLICATION attribute run arbitrary code as the database server's OS user when wal_level is logical. Versions before 18.6, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24 are affected; exploitation requires such an account, which backup, CDC, and monitoring tooling routinely holds. The fix adds an output_plugin_libraries whitelist, so administrators using non-default plugins such as wal2json and decoderbufs must add them and reload configuration after updating. Cyera Research, whose write-up names the flaw PostGREShell, demonstrated escalating a replication user to superuser with persistence; no PoC or KEV entry existed as of September 4.
DPRK APTs: Ted backdoor and curlRAT target South Korean media and automotive sectors
Rapid7 uncovered a DPRK-linked Linux toolkit using a HAProxy-embedded ted backdoor, SSH keylogger, and curlRAT against South Korean media and automotive firms.
Rapid7 Labs identified a previously undocumented framework attributed with medium confidence to DPRK actors, targeting South Korean automotive and media organizations likely since early 2025. The toolkit embeds a backdoor compiled into HAProxy 2.8.12 using its filter API, plus trojanized crond, agetty, atd, sshd, and polkitd, an SSH keylogger storing credentials under /var/lib/sshd/, and a curl-based RAT with a watchdog thread. It enables remote command execution, malicious script injection into served webpages (a watering-hole loop), credential harvesting, and long-term surveillance. Hardcoded C2s are associated with APT37 via ThreatFox, and exposed groupware portals and mail servers align with Kimsuky tradecraft; the initial access vector and any CVE remain unconfirmed.
Active exploitation of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center vulnerabilities
Cisco Talos reports in-the-wild exploitation of critical FMC flaw CVE-2026-20079 by three clusters including a Sandworm-linked APT and Qilin ransomware affiliates.
Cisco Talos is tracking active exploitation of CVE-2026-20079 (CVSS 10.0), an authentication bypass in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center that lets unauthenticated remote attackers execute scripts and obtain root access, and CVE-2026-20316 (CVSS 5.3), which permits low-privileged logins and can be chained for privilege escalation. Talos identified three post-compromise clusters: UAT-12197 deploying JSP web shells and a JAR command executor for credential theft; UAT-11823, an APT overlapping with Sandworm, deploying a Netcat reverse shell and Cyclops Blink malware; and UAT-11988, assessed as a ransomware operator with TTPs consistent with Qilin affiliates. Hotfixes are available, with a comprehensive hardening release due the week of September 14, 2026.
Threat Assessment: Ryuk Ransomware
Unit 42 assesses Ryuk ransomware amid a CISA/FBI/HHS alert on threats to U.S. healthcare, including the UHS attack that disrupted hospital operations.
A joint CISA, FBI, and HHS alert on October 28, 2020 warned of an imminent threat to U.S. healthcare from operators deploying Trickbot and Ryuk ransomware. Universal Health Services reported a Ryuk attack that disrupted all U.S. UHS sites for weeks, with similar incidents at hospitals in Oregon and New York. Ryuk typically arrives after Trickbot or BazaLoader infections delivered via malicious email, and operators enumerate networks with PowerShell and WMI before encryption. The Trickbot Anchor_DNS module performs DNS tunneling for C2, using connectivity checks to benign domains like ipinfo.io and checkip.amazonaws.com.
PostgreSQL Hit by 12-Year-Old Vulnerability Allowing Server Takeover
PostgreSQL flaw CVE-2026-6471, present since 2014, lets low-privilege replication accounts execute code and take over database servers; patches released.
Cyera researchers disclosed PostGREShell (CVE-2026-6471, CVSS 7.2), a missing-authorization bug in PostgreSQL logical decoding that lets users with REPLICATION privilege dlopen arbitrary files and execute code as the server account. The flaw affects PostgreSQL 9.4 through 18 and can yield privilege escalation, permanent superuser access and persistent backdoors on Windows, Linux and macOS. Fixes are available in versions 18.6, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19 and 14.24. Defenders should update and remove unnecessary Replication privileges.
Rogue ScreenConnect Installations Across Unrelated Hosts Suggest Worm-Like Activity
Huntress observed rogue ScreenConnect deployments with worm-like VBScript propagation across unrelated organizations, prompting a ConnectWise advisory on file transfer behavior.
Huntress identified multiple incidents in late August 2026 where social engineering led to rogue ScreenConnect remote access clients deployed on victim machines, which then spawned wscript.exe to run four VBScript payloads (1.vbs through 4.vbs) for profiling, telemetry collection, and persistence via a WindowsServiceHost Run key. Modified ScreenConnect clients propagated the VBScript chain to connected endpoints, creating worm-like spread. ConnectWise published an advisory on September 3, 2026, confirming an issue affecting file transfer behavior in both cloud and on-premises ScreenConnect deployments, with a CVE and fix expected within the week; partners were advised to review and disable TransferFiles permissions in the interim.
CVE-2026-86206, CVE-2026-86207: N-able N-central Authentication Bypass (FIXED)
Rapid7 disclosed two chained N-able N-central flaws, CVE-2026-86206 and CVE-2026-86207, enabling unauthenticated admin account creation; patched in 2026.3 Hotfix 3.
Rapid7 researchers found CVE-2026-86206 (semicolon/Forwarded access-control bypass, CWE-791, CVSSv4 6.9) and CVE-2026-86207 (UserTwoFactorLogin authentication bypass, CWE-305, CVSSv4 7.7) in the latest N-able N-central. Chained, they let a remote unauthenticated attacker create an attacker-controlled System administrator account. The bugs stem from Envoy and Jetty disagreeing on the requested path and whether the client is local. N-able patched both in N-central 2026.3 Hotfix 3, following the earlier CVE-2026-18577 authentication bypass.
Another Apache Log4j Vulnerability Is Actively Exploited in the Wild (CVE-2021
Apache Log4j 2 RCE CVE-2021-44228 is actively exploited via crafted JNDI lookups; Palo Alto Unit 42 urges upgrading to Log4j 2.17.1.
Unit 42 details CVE-2021-44228, an easily exploited remote code execution flaw in Apache Log4j 2 where attacker-supplied JNDI lookups in logged user input cause payload download and execution. Massive internet-wide scanning for unpatched systems has begun, with observed follow-on activity including information stealing, Cobalt Strike delivery, and coinmining. The recommended fix is Log4j 2.17.1, which also patches CVE-2021-45046, CVE-2021-45105, and CVE-2021-44832. Widely used Java software including Apache Struts, Solr, Druid, Flink, ElasticSearch, and Spring Boot is affected.
Stately Taurus Activity in Southeast Asia Links to Bookworm Malware
Unit 42 links Stately Taurus APT activity in ASEAN region and Myanmar to the decade-old Bookworm malware family via infrastructure overlaps.
Unit 42 connected Stately Taurus (aka Mustang Panda) espionage activity targeting ASEAN-affiliated organizations and Myanmar to the Bookworm malware family, first published in 2015. Earlier attacks delivered the PubLoad stager via DLL sideloading, with a PubLoad variant communicating with C2 at 123.253.32[.]15 while mimicking Windows Update URLs. Three previously unreported loader samples from 2021-2022 used UUID-decoded shellcode loaded via heap allocation and API callbacks, ultimately decrypting and loading Bookworm DLLs. A ToneShell backdoor variant shared debug paths with Bookworm loaders, and the January 2024 CSIRT CTI post corroborated the Myanmar attacks.