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.
Critical ArangoDB Bugs Expose Entire Databases and Enable Remote Code Execution as Root
Two critical ArangoDB flaws (CVSS 9.8/9.9) allow unauthenticated API access and root-level code execution; fixed in 3.12.11.
Remedio researchers reported two critical ArangoDB flaws on August 23, 2026: an authentication bypass via URL-encoded underscores (%5f) in path parsing (GHSA-rrgq-978q-36mq, CVSS 9.8) and a task-execution flaw where a client-controlled isSystem flag lets JavaScript run in the internal context (GHSA-rvhw-4hpw-9vrx, CVSS 9.9). Chained, they allow unauthenticated database access, theft of root password hashes, and root-level code execution when arangod runs as root, such as in the official container image. Patches shipped August 31 in ArangoDB 3.12.11, with GitHub Security Advisories published September 6; CVE identifiers were pending at disclosure time.