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Hackers Exploit Critical Cisco Firewall Flaw to Gain Root Access and Deploy Malware

State-sponsored and ransomware actors actively exploit critical Cisco FMC flaws CVE-2026-20079 (CVSS 10.0) and CVE-2026-20316 to gain root access and deploy ransomware.

Cisco Talos confirmed in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2026-20079 (CVSS 10.0, unauthenticated authentication bypass enabling root command execution) and CVE-2026-20316 (CVSS 5.3, hard-coded static credentials) in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center. Three activity clusters were identified: UAT-12197 dropping a JSP web shell and credential harvester; UAT-11823, assessed as Sandworm, deploying a Cyclops Blink variant; and UAT-11988, a Qilin ransomware affiliate chaining the flaws before deploying ransomware. CISA added both CVEs to the KEV catalog with a September 12 remediation deadline for federal agencies.

Cyber Security News·updated Sep 14, 09:27 UTC · 2d ago·first Sep 10, 13:33 UTC · 6d agoExploit / PoC in the wild 9 sourcesCVE-2026-20079CVE-2026-20316

Cisco Secure Email Gateway Flaw Exploited in the Wild, Enables Root Command Execution

Cisco warns CVE-2026-76461 in Secure Email Gateway AsyncOS is actively exploited, letting unauthenticated attackers run root commands via crafted emails.

Cisco disclosed CVE-2026-76461, a CVSS 9.8 flaw in AsyncOS for Cisco Secure Email Gateway caused by insufficient validation in email parsing, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL statements leading to root command execution. Active exploitation began in September 2026, and CISA added the flaw to its KEV catalog, requiring FCEB agencies to patch by September 17, 2026. Fixes are available in AsyncOS 15.5.5-0141, 16.0.4-302, and 16.5.0-780, with no workarounds. Cisco also contacted Secure Email Cloud customers where malicious activity was detected, and the article separately notes large-scale credential attacks on Fortinet VPN appliances generating tens of millions of authentication failures.

The Hacker News·updated Sep 16, 13:57 UTC · 15h ago·first Sep 15, 06:11 UTC · 1d agoExploit / PoC in the wild 17 sourcesCVE-2026-76461

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.

Cisco Talos·Sep 9, 16:08 UTC · 7d agoExploit / PoC in the wild 2 sourcesCVE-2026-20079CVE-2026-20316

[Webinar] Tales from the Frontlines: An exclusive briefing on Q2 incidents

Cisco Talos·Aug 3, 16:00 UTC · Aug 3, 2026Ransomware

UAT-10147 deploys SPECTRE: A cross-platform implant with Linux rootkit and BYOVD capabilities

Cisco Talos identifies UAT-10147 deploying the SPECTRE implant with cross-platform C2, credential theft, and kernel-level EDR bypass.

Cisco Talos reports that the tracked threat actor UAT-10147 is deploying a newly identified implant named SPECTRE. SPECTRE supports cross-platform command-and-control, process injection, credential theft, and anti-analysis protections. It also includes a Linux rootkit and BYOVD (bring your own vulnerable driver) capability enabling kernel-level EDR bypass, marking an evolution in commodity intrusion tooling.

Cisco Talos·Aug 20, 10:00 UTC · 27d agoThreat actor in the wild

Cisco Talos Intelligence blog

Cisco Talos argues restrictive frontier AI models impose a 'safety penalty' that hampers security teams' real-time incident response.

A featured Cisco Talos post contends that increasingly restrictive frontier AI models create a 'safety penalty' slowing defenders' real-time incident response, and advocates 'operational sovereignty' so defensive AI keeps pace with unconstrained adversaries. The blog index also promotes a Beers with Talos podcast episode on how threat intelligence is gathered. The page is a blog listing rather than a single news story.

Cisco Talos·Sep 10, 01:33 UTC · 7d agoAI safety & security

Cyclops Blink Evolves Into x86-64 Linux Implant With Packet Sniffing and Internal Network Scanning

Sophos uncovers a new x86-64 Cyclops Blink Linux implant with packet sniffing and internal network scanning on compromised Cisco FMC appliances.

Sophos identified a 64-bit Linux Cyclops Blink implant in August on compromised Cisco Firewall Management Center devices, persisting via SysV init scripts and masquerading as the process 'kworker01'. The modular malware runs five child processes for reconnaissance, file transfer, scanning, packet capture, and persistence, and beacons hourly over outbound TLS to hardcoded C2 89.34.96.56 on ports 43856 and 49172. The family was previously tied to Russian-linked Sandworm activity on WatchGuard appliances, though Sophos treats 2026 attribution cautiously. The packet-capture module applies configurable filters to retain credentials, cookies, and authentication tokens from raw Ethernet traffic.

Cyber Security News·Sep 14, 13:33 UTC · 2d agoMalware in the wild

The story behind the intelligence

Cisco Talos newsletter features adversary-engagement podcast, flags AI guardrail 'safety penalty' slowing defenders, and recaps McKesson breach and PaperCut patching headlines.

The Threat Source newsletter spotlights the Beers with Talos podcast, in which researcher Azim Khodjibaev describes maintaining eight dark-web personas to identify prolific cybercriminals and support disruption efforts. Talos also argues frontier AI guardrails impose an AI 'safety penalty', citing a July 2026 incident where Hugging Face's primary cloud LLM refused to analyze forensic breach data and delayed response. Recapped headlines include ShinyHunters claiming theft of 284 million patient records from McKesson via vishing and Okta account takeover, Anthropic warning Claude users about infostealer malware, and PaperCut issuing emergency patches for chained vulnerabilities.

Cisco Talos·Sep 3, 18:00 UTC · 13d agoIndustry

Is Cyber missing the Marque?

Cisco Talos analyzes the White House memorandum on private-sector participation in government-authorized offensive cyber operations.

A new White House memorandum addresses private sector participation in government-authorized offensive cyber operations. Cisco Talos's newsletter, introduced by new author Mick Baccio, explores the operational and security implications of this policy for the cybersecurity industry.

Cisco Talos·Aug 20, 18:00 UTC · 27d agoPolicy & legal

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches Silicon One Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Cisco patches unauthenticated RCE in Nexus 9000 Silicon One switches exposed via TCP ports 43210 and 43211 in the default L3 VRF.

Cisco disclosed and patched a vulnerability in the Silicon One integration for Nexus 9000 Series switches that allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute code with root privileges. The flaw stems from TCP ports 43210 and 43211 being accessible in the default Layer 3 VRF. Exploitation can also crash the S1HAL process and force an affected device to reload. Cisco has released software updates, and workarounds are available to mitigate exposure.

Cisco Security Advisories·Sep 2, 16:00 UTC · 14d agoVulnerability

Cybercriminals Bypass AI Safety Controls by Splitting Malicious Tasks

Infosecurity Magazine·Aug 4, 13:30 UTC · Aug 4, 2026AI safety & security

Hackers Abuse Google CAPTCHA, WebDAV and BNB Smart Chain to Deploy Credential-Stealing Malware

Cisco Talos details ClickFix campaigns abusing fake Google CAPTCHA prompts, WebDAV and BNB Smart Chain to deploy the Amatera infostealer.

Cisco Talos identified a multi-stage campaign, first observed in April 2026 when a Ukrainian government organization executed a disguised DLL named verification.google from a WebDAV path. The chain combines ClearFake JavaScript injected via malicious Cloudflare Workers, EtherHiding payloads stored in BNB Smart Chain contracts, ClickFix social engineering, and WebDAV-hosted DLL loaders to deliver the Amatera (ACR Stealer) infostealer. The Amatera configuration contained over 400 collection entries targeting browsers, messengers, crypto wallets, password managers, FTP and VPN tools, hunting for .kdbx, .p12, .pfx and .pem files. The pf.ch branch deploys ZigCryptoStealer, an EDR-terminating vulnerable driver and Go-based reverse TCP proxies, while the verification.google branch installs NetSupport Manager, supporting moderate-confidence attribution of the UAT-10820 activity to a Russian actor.

GBHackers·Sep 9, 13:27 UTC · 7d agoMalware in the wild

Cisco ASA and FTD Flaw Exploited in the Wild Can Trigger Remote DoS

Cisco warns actively exploited flaw CVE-2026-20349 lets unauthenticated attackers crash ASA and FTD firewalls via SSL VPN; CISA added it to KEV.

Cisco fixed CVE-2026-20349 (CVSS 8.6) in Secure Firewall ASA and FTD software, insufficient error checking in HTTP request processing that lets unauthenticated remote attackers force device reloads via crafted requests to the Remote Access SSL VPN service. Hotfixes cover ASA 9.16 through 9.24 and FTD 7.0 through 10.0, and there are no workarounds; Cisco confirmed active exploitation earlier in August but did not name the actor or targets. The flaw was found during internal security testing. CISA added it to the KEV catalog, requiring federal civilian agencies to patch by August 14, 2026.

The Hacker News·Aug 12, 06:15 UTC · Aug 12, 2026Exploit / PoC in the wildCVE-2026-20349

Cisco Fixed Critical RCE in Nexus 9000 Series Switches

Cisco patched CVE-2026-20212 (CVSS 9.8) in Silicon One-based Nexus 9000 switches, allowing unauthenticated remote root code execution via TCP ports 43210/43211.

Cisco patched CVE-2026-20212 (CVSS 9.8), a flaw in the Silicon One integration for Nexus 9000 Series switches that lets unauthenticated remote attackers execute code with root privileges. TCP ports 43210 and 43211 are exposed through the default Layer 3 VRF, and exploitation can also crash the S1HAL process, forcing device reloads. Cisco TAC discovered the flaw during a support case; PSIRT is not aware of public disclosure or malicious exploitation. Workarounds include infrastructure ACLs or blocking the exposed ports, alongside a Live Protect shield pending fixed NX-OS upgrades.

Security Affairs·Sep 3, 19:49 UTC · 13d agoVulnerabilityCVE-2026-20212

UAT-10147: Chinese-speaking adversary integrates agentic AI into post-compromise operations

Cisco Talos tracks UAT-10147, a Chinese-speaking cybercrime group exploiting vulnerable web servers and using agentic AI in post-compromise operations.

Cisco Talos identified a Chinese-speaking cybercrime group tracked as UAT-10147 that targets a wide range of vulnerable web servers. The report maps affected countries and analyzes the impact of BadIIS infections on compromised servers. It also documents the attack chain and emerging use of agentic AI during post-compromise activities.

Cisco Talos·Aug 20, 10:00 UTC · 27d agoThreat actor in the wild

Dissecting the JWR phishing framework

Cisco Talos uncovered an undocumented phishing framework branded JWR that impersonates checkout and login pages of major payment and shopping platforms.

Cisco Talos researchers identified an undocumented phishing framework internally branded JWR by its developer. The framework is built to convincingly impersonate checkout and login pages across major payment and shopping platforms, likely to harvest credentials and payment details. Talos's analysis details the framework's infrastructure and impersonation capabilities, giving defenders indicators to detect campaigns using it.

Cisco Talos·Aug 13, 10:00 UTC · Aug 13, 2026Phishing & fraud

Cisco BroadWorks CommPilot Application Software Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

Cisco patched a BroadWorks CommPilot authorization bypass letting low-privileged authenticated users alter device configurations via crafted HTTP requests.

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco BroadWorks CommPilot Application Software is caused by missing authorization checks. An authenticated remote attacker with low privileges can send crafted HTTP requests to alter configurations on select pages. Cisco has released software updates and no workarounds are available.

Cisco Security Advisories·Sep 16, 16:00 UTC · 13h agoAdvisory

Parallels Desktop Flaw Lets Unprivileged Mac Users Gain Root Access

JFrog's 'ParaShells' research details CVE-2026-90894, a Parallels Desktop local privilege escalation letting unprivileged macOS users gain root via tar argument injection.

JFrog researcher Yuval Moravchick disclosed CVE-2026-90894 ('ParaShells'), a critical local privilege escalation flaw demonstrated against Parallels Desktop 26.4.0 build 57513 on Apple silicon. The world-writable /var/run/prl_disp_service.socket accepts connections from unsigned clients, and argument injection into a tar extraction command via the --use-compress-program option executes attacker-controlled code with root privileges. The attack needs no administrator permissions, running VM, or Parallels-signed client, and a one-line PoC yielded a root shell. Risk is highest on developer workstations, shared training systems, and enterprise Macs.

GBHackers·updated Sep 16, 13:14 UTC · 15h ago·first Sep 16, 11:29 UTC · 17h agoVulnerability 4 sourcesCVE-2026-90894

Securing the unpatchable in an age of AI-driven vulnerabilities

Cisco Talos argues AI-driven vulnerability discovery leaves unpatchable OT systems exposed, recommending virtual patching via NGFW/IPS and micro-segmentation.

AI-assisted code analysis is uncovering vulnerabilities faster than organizations can patch, leaving certified or end-of-life OT systems with unmitigated known flaws. Talos recommends virtual patching with next-generation firewalls and IPS, micro-segmentation using VLANs and ACLs, and building visibility-based inventories of legacy systems. The article cites WannaCry's impact on the NHS and 2023 exploitation of end-of-life software in government systems, and warns that air gaps and data diodes are routinely circumvented by operational shortcuts.

Cisco Talos·Sep 16, 10:00 UTC · 19h agoResearch

Cisco Patches Nine Crosswork and Secure Workload Flaws, Five Scoring CVSS 10.0

Cisco patches nine Crosswork and Secure Workload flaws, five rated CVSS 10.0, found internally with no exploitation observed.

Cisco released fixes for four Crosswork platform vulnerabilities including CVE-2026-20030 SQL injection and CVE-2026-20357 missing authentication, both scoring CVSS 10.0, affecting Crosswork Release 7.2.1 and earlier. Five additional flaws in Secure Workload, including CVE-2026-20315 and CVE-2026-20317 at CVSS 10.0, affect SaaS and on-premises deployments up to releases 3.10 and 4.0. All issues were found through internal testing and are not known to be actively exploited. The patches follow a broader internal security review that recently addressed 12 Catalyst SD-WAN and IOS XE bugs.

The Hacker News·Aug 21, 10:03 UTC · 26d agoVulnerabilityCVE-2026-20030CVE-2026-20357CVE-2026-20358+7 CVEs

Stealth rootkit targeting F5 BIG-IP could expose enterprise identity gateways

Sophos analyzed a stealth Linux rootkit that hides a web shell in memory on compromised F5 BIG-IP APM identity gateways, evading file-based detection.

Sophos analyzed a second-stage Linux rootkit implant found in compromised F5 BIG-IP APM environments running Apache and PHP, linked to exploitation of CVE-2025-53521, an unauthenticated RCE. The implant hooks Apache's PHP-loading process and serves modified in-memory versions of three legitimate webtop PHP files (apm_css.php3, full_wt.php3, webtop_popup_css.php3), leaving on-disk files untouched so hashes and integrity checks pass. It also establishes access via an authenticated local UNIX socket that can provide an interactive /bin/bash session. Experts warn compromised APM appliances, which handle federated SSO and terminate TLS at enterprise perimeters, could enable SSO token theft and lateral movement to trusted downstream applications.

CSO Online·Sep 10, 11:51 UTC · 6d agoMalware in the wildCVE-2025-53521

ClearFake Deploys Crypto Stealer That Uses Vulnerable Driver to Kill EDR Security Tools

Cisco Talos details ClearFake's fake-CAPTCHA chain deploying ZigCryptoStealer with a BYOVD attack that kills EDR processes, observed at a Ukrainian government organization in April 2026.

ClearFake compromises websites, injects JavaScript via a malicious Cloudflare Worker, retrieves instructions from BNB Smart Chain contracts (EtherHiding), and presents a fake Google CAPTCHA that tricks Windows users into pasting a command that loads a remote library over WebDAV via rundll32. The crypto-stealer branch uses DLL side-loading with a signed Chrome component to launch ZigCryptoStealer, which hijacks clipboard cryptocurrency addresses, alongside a signed but vulnerable Windows driver used in a BYOVD attack to terminate EDR processes. A parallel branch delivers Amatera secondary payloads that install a hidden remote-access client providing operator desktop control, with Cisco Talos tracking the remote-loader activity as UAT-10820. Talos observed unusual remote library execution at a Ukrainian government organization in April 2026 and assesses the attacks are part of a broader theft operation rather than a single targeted campaign.

Cyber Security News·Sep 9, 14:26 UTC · 7d agoMalware in the wild1