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5 stories in the last 30d

GeoServer Zero-Day Targeted in Active Exploitation Attempts, Can Lead to RCE

A CVSS 9.8 SQL injection zero-day in GeoServer's PostGIS datastore enables RCE and drew active exploitation; fixes shipped in versions 3.0.1, 2.28.5, 2.27.6.

A SQL injection flaw in GeoServer's jsonArrayContains function within the GeoTools PostGIS datastore (GHSA-mqjf-5f49-2fjh, CVSS 9.8) was disclosed August 12, 2026, and saw hundreds of exploitation attempts within hours per watchTowr. An attacker-controlled value is interpolated into a PostgreSQL jsonb_path_exists() expression without escaping; with superuser or pg_execute_server_program privileges it escalates to OS command execution via WFS 1.0. GeoServer released versions 3.0.1, 2.28.5, and 2.27.6, and the flaw is a regression of CVE-2023-25158. GeoServer has a history of mass exploitation, including CVE-2024-36401 used for botnets and proxies.

GeoNetwork Fixes Unauthenticated RCE Chain Affecting Government Geoportal Backends

GeoNetwork patched two chained flaws (CVE-2026-63219, CVE-2026-58400) enabling unauthenticated RCE in government geospatial metadata catalogs.

Two flaws in the open-source GeoNetwork catalog chain into unauthenticated RCE: a missing authorization check on the formatter upload endpoint (CVE-2026-63219, CVSS 8.6) and an unsafe Saxon XSLT processor configuration allowing Java execution (CVE-2026-58400, CVSS 9.1). Fixes shipped in versions 4.4.12 and 4.2.17 on July 8, 2026, with details published August 31. Ethiack fingerprinted 121 internet-exposed vulnerable deployments across 39 countries, 89% tied to government or military agencies. No exploitation in the wild or KEV listing was reported at disclosure.

⚡ 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.

Fake CVE-2023

A fake PoC for WinRAR RCE CVE-2023-40477 posted on GitHub actually deploys VenomRAT through a multi-step infection chain targeting researchers.

Four days after Zero Day Initiative publicly disclosed the WinRAR RCE vulnerability CVE-2023-40477 on August 17, 2023, an actor using the alias whalersplonk published a fake proof-of-concept on GitHub. The Python script actually repurposed public PoC code for GeoServer SQL injection CVE-2023-25157 and triggered an infection chain ending in VenomRAT. The README and an accompanying video lured users into running the script; the video drew over 100 plays. Unit 42 assesses the actor was opportunistic, targeting other miscreants adopting new vulnerabilities rather than researchers specifically.

H1 2026 Malware Vulnerability Trends

Recorded Future's H1 2026 report finds 215 actively exploited CVEs, RAT dominance, NFC payment fraud, and AI-augmented but not autonomous tradecraft.

Recorded Future's Insikt Group identified 215 actively exploited CVEs in H1 2026, up 34% from 161 in H1 2025, with the most impactful flaws combining network reachability, no authentication, and code execution. AsyncRAT was the top malware family, with AsyncRAT, Cobalt Strike, XWorm, Stealc, and REMCOS remaining top-ten staples; Android NFC malware like NFCShare and NGate enabled payment card theft and ATM cash-outs. AI-enabled attacks remained additive to established tradecraft, concentrated in Levels 1-3 of Recorded Future's AIM3 maturity model, with AI-assisted vulnerability research (e.g., Claude Mythos fixing 271 Firefox bugs in Firefox 150) inflating NVD disclosure volumes 43% above the prior six-month average. The report urges defenders to prioritize remotely exploitable RCE flaws, behavioral detection, developer credential security, and third-party oversight.

Recorded Future · 13d agoThreat actor in the wild1