Author: Gargi

Security Advisory

3 Zero-Day Vulnerabilities backported & fixed in Apple Devices

Summary 

3 Zero-Day Vulnerabilities backported & fixed in Apple Devices

Apple backported fixes for three vulnerabilities that have come under active exploitation in the wild to older models and previous versions of the operating systems.

OEM Apple 
Severity High 
CVSS Score 8.8 
CVEs CVE-2025-24201, CVE-2025-24085, and CVE-2025-24200. 
No. of Vulnerabilities Patched 03 
Actively Exploited Yes 
Exploited in Wild Yes 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

Apple has released an urgent security advisory concerning three zero-day vulnerabilities currently being actively exploited: CVE-2025-24200, CVE-2025-24201, and CVE-2025-24085. These vulnerabilities affect a range of Apple devices, such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other platforms. Users are strongly urged to update to the latest patched versions to reduce security risks. 

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity CVSS Score 
WebKit Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability  CVE-2025-24201 iOS, macOS, visionOS, Safari  High  8.8 
Use-After-Free Vulnerability  CVE-2025-24085 iOS, iPasOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS  High  7.8 
Incorrect Authorization Vulnerability  CVE-2025-24200  iOS, iPadOS  Medium  6.1 

Technical Summary 

Apple’s latest security update patches three Zero-Day vulnerabilities that hackers were actively exploiting. These vulnerabilities could allow attackers to bypass security protections, making devices more vulnerable. One of the vulnerabilities enables remote code execution, letting attackers run malicious programs. Another flaw allows privilege escalation, giving attackers higher-level access to system functions. 

CVE ID System Affected Vulnerability Details Impact 
  CVE-2025-24201  iOS 18.3.2, iPadOS 18.3.2, macOS Sequoia 15.3.2, visionOS 2.3.2, Safari 18.3  Out-of-bounds write issue allowing malicious websites to escape the Web Content sandbox   Remote Code Execution 
 CVE-2025-24085 iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, watchOS 11.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3 Use-after-free vulnerability in CoreMedia allowing privilege escalation via malicious apps.  Privilege escalation via CoreMedia 
 CVE-2025-24200  iOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 17.7.5 (iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch, etc.) Authorization bypass vulnerability allowing attackers to disable USB Restricted Mode on locked devices.  Security Bypass USB Restricted Mode 

Remediation: 

Apply Patches Promptly: Apple has released security updates to address these vulnerabilities. Users should update their devices immediately to mitigate risks 

  • iPhones and iPads: Update to iOS 18.3/iPadOS 18.3 or later. 
  • Macs: Install macOS Sequoia 15.3 or later. 
  • Apple Watch: Upgrade to watchOS 11.3. 
  • Apple TV: Apply tvOS 18.3 updates. 
  • Vision Pro: Install visionOS 2.3 updates. 

General Recommendations: 

  • Prioritize Zero-Day Fixes: Focus on patching actively exploited vulnerabilities, especially those affecting USB Restricted Mode, WebKit, and CoreMedia.  
  • Enable Lockdown Mode: On supported devices, Lockdown Mode can provide additional security against targeted attacks.  
  • Be Cautious with USB Devices: Avoid connecting untrusted accessories to Apple devices to mitigate USB-based attack vectors. 
  • Stay Alert for Malicious Websites: Since WebKit vulnerabilities are actively exploited, avoid suspicious links and untrusted web content. 
  • Monitor for Exploitation: Continuously monitor systems for any signs of exploitation or suspicious activity. 

Conclusion: 

The discovery and active exploitation of these zero-day vulnerabilities underscore the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks targeting Apple’s ecosystem.

While Apple has responded swiftly with patches, users must remain vigilant by keeping their devices updated and adhering to cybersecurity best practices, such as avoiding untrusted applications and enabling Lockdown Mode where applicable. 

Apple fixed all the vulnerability with improved state management.

References: 


 

Blogs

Android Malware Crocodilus; Threat for cryptocurrency wallet Users

Crocodilus is a new banking malware that evades detection from Google’s play protect.

The Android malware has been specifically targeting to steal sensitive cryptocurrency wallet credentials through social engineering. Its convincing overlay screen warns users to back up their wallet key within 12 hours or risk losing access says security researchers.

Why threat researchers call this trojan ?

Crocodilus includes all the necessary features of modern banking malware: overlay attacks, keylogging, remote access, and “hidden” remote control capabilities. Also the malware is distributed via a proprietary dropper that bypasses Android 13 (and later) security protections as per researchers of Threat fabric.

Unlike any banking trojan which takes over devices, Crocodilus is similar in pattern and uses tactics to load a fake overlay on top of the real app to intercept the victim’s account credentials. These are targeted mostly for banking or cryptocurrency app users.

Another data theft feature of Crocodilus is a keylogger and the malware monitors all Accessibility events and captures all the elements displayed on the screen, i.e. it is an accessibility Logger.

Intricacies of Crocodilus Malware

The modus operandi of the malware makes it easier to preform task to gains access to accessibility service, to unlock access to screen content, perform navigation gestures, monitor for app launches.

The malware also offers remote access Trojan (RAT) functionality, which enables its operators to tap on the screen, navigate the user interface, perform swipe actions.

The malware is fitted with dedicated RAT command to take a screenshot of the Google Authenticator application and capture one-time password codes used for two-factor authentication account protection.

Android users are advised to avoid downloading APKs from outside Google Play and to ensure that Play Protect is always active on their devices.

Researchers discovered source code of malware revealing debug messages left by the developer(s), reveal Turkish speaking.

The Expanding Threat landscape with evolving Modern Malware’s

The Crocodilus malware designed to go after high valued assets that targets cryptocurrency wallets and Banks. These malware can make the defense line up of banking system weak and researchers advise to adopt a layered security approach that includes thorough device and behavior-based risk analysis on their customers’ devices.

Modern malware has the capability to break the security defenses of organization even if they are protected by cutting edge solutions to defend. As the threat landscape expand so are sophisticated attacks rising.

Modern malware can bypass most security solutions, including email filtering, anti-virus applications, sandboxing, and even IPS/IDS and sometime few file-less malware leaves no footprint on your computer and is executed exclusively in run-time memory.

In this sophisticated war against threat criminals enterprise security requires is taking services for active threat hunting and be diligent in scanning files meant for downloads.

To improve enterprise security the important aspects needs to be covered increase usage of multi-layer defenses. Protecting against modern malware is an ongoing effort, and rarely it is “set and forget.” Utilize multiple layers of security, including anti-virus software, network layer protection, secure web gateways, and other tools for best results.

Keep improving your security posture against modern malware is an ongoing effort and includes multiple layers of security. With anti-virus software, advanced network layer protection, secure web gateways, and other tools the security posture at enterprise level increases.

Remember your best defenses can be in trouble, so continue monitoring, adapt and train employees, while using comprehensive multi-layer approach to security.

Source: https://www.threatfabric.com/blogs/exposing-crocodilus-new-device-takeover-malware-targeting-android-devices

Blogs

Security software to represent 60% of worldwide security market; IDC

Worldwide Security Spending to Increase by 12.2% in 2025 as Global Cyberthreats Rise, Says IDC

As we witness complex and more frequent more frequent and complex cyber attacks, a rising concern for global security the spending from worldwide data projects a steady growth. The amount is staggering $377 billion by 2028 says the IDC report. This is an yr on increase of 12.2% year-on-year increase in security spending in 2025.

“Growing digital transformation and hiking emerging technology adoption across the Middle East & Africa (MEA) region — especially countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — have pushed the demand significantly for security solutions to face the evolving threat landscapes,” said Eman Elshewy, senior research manager with IDC Data and Analytics.

The security software market growth will be driven especially by cloud native application protection platform (CNAPP).

This also includes Identity and access management software

security analytics software growth, reflecting the special focus that companies will put on integrated cyberthreats detection and response around their whole organizational perimeter.

Key points on security software market growth

  • Security services will be the second fastest growing technology group in 2025,
  • This is driven by the continuous expansion of managed security services and growths of organizations of all size are included in it. Security hardware will rank third, achieving single-digit but steady growth in 2025.
  • This also include the Banking, federal/central government, telecommunications, capital markets, and healthcare provider will be the industries spending the most at the global level on security in 2025.

 While the fastest-growing will be capital markets, media and entertainment, and life sciences with an expected year-on-year growth rate of 19.4%, 17.1%, and 16.9%, respectively in 2025.

Organisations developing software’s will develop their strategies based on  national and international regulations that still play an important role in guiding organizations’ security strategies — especially in regulated industries .

Cause of rise in the market demand .

The rising malware including virus and Trojan horses are increasing the capacity of cyber criminal and their sophistication in attacks. Cybercriminals deploy attack and employ malware that can take control of devices. With BOYD things are more complicated.

We cannot deny how AI is giving companies a competitive edge and help to fuel more sustainable growth. Forrester predicted that IT services and software will account for nearly two-thirds of global tech spending and, in Europe and North America, this share will be even higher. 

A greater drive for, and increased investment in, cybersecurity will underpin the rise in software spend, says Forrester.

In particular, this includes the updating and modernization of legacy and outdated enterprise systems to better protect organisations in the rapidly evolving threat landscape. 

While large and very large businesses account for the majority of security spending across all regions, small and medium-sized businesses will continue to increase their investments in security throughout the forecast period to address security gaps and protect their assets and processes as their digital transformation accelerates.

Fig 1 Represent the state of security spending 2025

Organizations still lack the internal expertise, to properly assess or address the security implications of this shift. Cyber criminals are making these threats more sophisticated, which is adding to the urgency. IDC says this steady climb in spending will continue through 2028, hitting $377 billion by then.

Now with IDC research finding  reveal investments in security throughout the forecast period to address security gaps and protect organizational assets and processes as their digital transformation accelerates.

Organisations are moving from being secure to being cyber resilient

Right now, business of every models are almost uniformly reliant on digital technology and any disruption here seriously impacts operations and revenue. Cyber criminals are on look out for every scope to launch stealthies attack.

Almost all security strategies often focus on proactively identifying and mitigating threats. Now at this hour as we stand in 2025 we need greater focus on cyber resilience.

Adopting a holistic approach in cyber security is walking the path of cyber resilience and we at Intruceptlabs working in tandem to weave the fabric of security in every workflow that supports this agility.

Recently IntruceptLabs won the Elevate 2024 Program, founded with the mission of “Making applications & digital space safer for businesses,” is encouraging for us as an organization for a cyber resilient future.

Sources: https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prEUR253264525

Security Advisory

Critical Chrome Vulnerability (CVE-2025-2783) Exploited in Cyber-Espionage Campaign

OEMGoogle Chrome
SeverityHigh
CVSS8.3
CVEsCVE-2025-2783
Exploited in WildYes
Patch/Remediation AvailableYes
Advisory Version1.0

Overview

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued an urgent advisory regarding the critical zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2025-2783, in Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers on Windows. This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and has been added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, urged immediate patching to prevent security breaches and unauthorized system access.

Vulnerability NameCVE IDProduct AffectedSeverityFixed Version
  Google Chromium Mojo Sandbox Escape Vulnerability  CVE-2025-2783  Google Chrome  High  134.0.6998.117/.118

Technical Summary

This high-severity vulnerability found in the Mojo framework of Chromium-based browsers including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera, Brave etc. The vulnerability originates from a logic error that results in an incorrect handle being provided under certain conditions. This flaw allows attackers to bypass Chrome’s sandbox protections and potentially execute arbitrary code on the affected system.

Security researchers from Kaspersky discovered this zero-day vulnerability as part of an advanced cyber-espionage campaign dubbed “Operation ForumTroll.” The attack campaign targeted media outlets, educational institutions, and government organizations in Russia through highly personalized phishing emails.

The exploit chain is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction. Victims only need to click on a malicious link in a phishing email, after which the attack executes automatically without any additional action from the user. Once triggered, the exploit allows attackers to escape Chrome’s sandbox environment, leading to remote code execution and possible system compromise.

CVE IDSystem AffectedVulnerability DetailsImpact
    CVE-2025-2783    Google Chrome (Windows)    Incorrect handle provided in Mojo, allowing sandbox escape  Remote code execution, System Compromise

Remediation:

  • Google Chrome Patch Released: Google has released security updates in Chrome versions 134.0.6998.177/.178 to address this vulnerability. Users should update immediately.

General Recommendations:

  • Enable Automatic Updates: Ensure automatic updates are enabled in Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers to receive future security patches promptly.
  • Phishing Awareness Training: Organizations should educate employees on identifying and avoiding phishing emails to prevent exploitation.
  • Endpoint Security Measures: Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor and mitigate potential threats.
  • CISA Compliance for Federal Agencies: Federal agencies must adhere to CISA’s Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01 to address known exploited vulnerabilities promptly.

Conclusion:

The exploitation of CVE-2025-2783 demonstrates the ongoing threat posed by sophisticated cyber-espionage activities.  Google has responded swiftly with a patch, and users are strongly advised to update their browsers immediately. Organizations should remain vigilant against phishing attempts and enhance their cybersecurity posture to mitigate similar threats in the future.

References:

Security Advisory

Windows Zero-Day Exploit NTLM Hash Disclosure via Malicious Files

Summary

OEMMicrosoft
SeverityHigh
CVEsNot Yet Assigned
Exploited in WildNo
Patch/Remediation AvailableNo
Advisory Version1.0
Vulnerability Zero-Day

Overview

A newly discovered NTLM vulnerability in Windows, allows attackers to obtain login credentials when a user view a malicious file in Windows Explorer. This issue affects all Windows versions, from Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 to the most recent Windows 11 v24H2 and Server 2025.

Attackers can exploit this flaw by using shared network folders, USB drives, or previously downloaded malicious files, making credential theft easy and difficult to detect.

Vulnerability NameCVE IDProduct AffectedSeverityFix
             NTLM Hash Disclosure Vulnerability      Not Yet Assigned    Windows OS and Windows Server         High  Unofficial micropatch available via 0patch

Technical Summary

This vulnerability enables attackers to steal NTLM authentication credentials simply by having users view a malicious file in Windows Explorer. Unlike previous NTLM relay attack techniques that required users to execute files, this exploit works just by rendering the malicious file’s metadata in the Windows Explorer preview pane. Attackers can leverage this method in various ways:

  • Hosting a shared network folder containing the malicious file.
  • Distributing infected USB drives that trigger the attack when inserted.
  • Tricking users into downloading the malicious file from a compromised or attacker-controlled website.

Once the credentials are captured, attackers can use NTLM relay attacks to gain unauthorized access to internal systems, escalate privileges, and move laterally across the network.

CVE IDSystem AffectedVulnerability Technical DetailsImpact
  Not Assigned Yet  Windows 7 – Windows 11 v24H2, Server 2008 R2 – Server 2025Attackers can capture NTLM credentials when users view malicious files in Windows Explorer. Exploitation methods include shared folders, USB drives, or downloads.Credential theft, network compromise, and potential lateral movement.  

Recommendations

  • Microsoft Patch Awaited: The vulnerability has been reported to Microsoft, and an official security update is expected in the near future.
  • Unofficial Micropatch Available: Security researchers at 0patch have released an unofficial micropatch that mitigates this issue. The micropatch is available for all affected Windows versions and will remain free until an official fix is provided by Microsoft.

Steps to Apply 0patch Micropatch:

  1. Create a free account on 0patch Central.
  2. Install and register the 0patch Agent on affected systems.
  3. The micropatch is applied automatically without requiring a system reboot.

Security Best Practices

  • Disable NTLM authentication where possible.
  • Implement SMB signing to prevent relay attacks.
  • Restrict access to public-facing servers like Exchange to limit credential relaying risks.
  • Educate users to avoid interacting with unknown or suspicious files in shared folders and USB drives.

Conclusion

Although not classified as critical, this NTLM credential theft vulnerability is extremely harmful due to its ease of exploitation. Attackers can exploit NTLM hashes in relay attacks to compromise internal network resources.

Security researchers confirm that comparable flaws have been actively exploited in real-world assaults. Until an official Microsoft patch is available, organizations should prioritize applying the 0patch micropatch and following NTLM security best practices to reduce potential risks.

References:

Security Advisory

Critical NGINX Ingress Vulnerabilities Expose Kubernetes Clusters to Compromise 

Security Advisory

Summary:

The Kubernetes Ingress NGINX Admission Controller has detected 5 significant security vulnerabilities affecting all versions of the ingress-nginx controller prior to v1.12.1 and v1.11.5. Here are the cve ids CVE-2025-1974, CVE-2025-1098, CVE-2025-1097, CVE-2025-24514, and CVE-2025-24513.

Maintainer Kubernetes ingress community 
Severity Critical 
CVSS Score 9.8 
No. of Vulnerabilities Patched 05 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Patch Available Yes 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

Admission Controllers frequently don’t require authentication and essentially function as web servers, introducing an additional internal network-accessible endpoint in the cluster. This architecture allows attackers to access them directly from any pod in the network, significantly increasing the attack surface.

The most critical of these, CVE-2025-1974, allows attackers on the pod network to remotely execute code and gain full control of the cluster without authentication. 

Although there has not been any active exploitation in the wild, this vulnerability poses a serious risk as it could enable attackers to take complete control of a cluster.

The issue was publicly disclosed on March 24, 2025, and security patches have been released. 

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity CVSS Score 
Admission Controller Remote Code Execution (RCE) Vulnerability  CVE-2025-1974      Ingress NGINX Admission Controller   Critical 9.8 
Configuration Injection via Unsanitized auth-tls-match-cn annotation  CVE-2025-1097 High 8.8 
Configuration Injection via Unsanitized Mirror Annotations  CVE-2025-1098 High 8.8 
Unsanitized auth-URL Injection Vulnerability  CVE-2025-24514 High 8.8 
Auth Secret File Path Traversal Vulnerability  CVE-2025-24513 Medium 4.8 

Technical Summary 

CVE ID System Affected Vulnerability Details Impact 
  CVE-2025-1974         Ingress NGINX Controller v1.12.0 & v1.11.4 and below versions The Validating Admission Controller does not properly check incoming annotations, allowing attackers on the Pod network to inject configurations and potentially execute arbitrary code across the entire cluster.   Full Kubernetes cluster compromise 
  CVE-2025-1097 Improper validation of the auth-tls-match-cn annotation allows malicious annotation values to override controller configurations.  Remote code execution 
  CVE-2025-1098 Unsafe input handling in mirror annotations could result in unauthorized configuration manipulation.  Config injection, security bypass 
  CVE-2025-24514 Unsanitized input from auth-URL annotations can allow malicious URLs to modify ingress-controller behavior.  Remote code execution 
  CVE-2025-24513 A path traversal issue in handling auth secret files could let attackers access sensitive information.   Information disclosure 

Remediation: 

  • Apply Patches Promptly: Immediately upgrade to ingress-nginx v1.12.1, v1.11.5 or latest versions to mitigate the vulnerabilities. 
  • Temporarily Disable the Validating Admission Controller: It is mandatory to upgrade. If upgrading is not immediately possible, you can temporarily disable the Validating Admission Controller. 

General Recommendations: 

  • Set strict RBAC rules to control who can change ingress and webhook settings. 
  • Disable dynamic admission controllers if they aren’t needed. 
  • Monitor cluster audit logs for unusual ingress creation activities and suspicious annotations. 
  • Conduct security reviews and scans for clusters that have not recently been updated. 
  • Regularly check ingredients for weak or unsafe configurations. 

Conclusion: 

The Kubernetes ingress-nginx vulnerabilities disclosed in March 2025 are among the most severe to date, with CVE-2025-1974 posing a real threat of full cluster compromise. All organizations running affected versions must apply patches or mitigation steps immediately.

The vulnerabilities found are affecting the admission controller component of Ingress NGINX Controller for Kubernetes and highlight the importance of strict configuration validation and access control in Kubernetes environments. 

Security researchers from Wiz found that 43% of cloud environments are vulnerable to these vulnerabilities. They uncovered over 6,500 clusters, including Fortune 500 companies, that publicly expose vulnerable Kubernetes ingress controllers’ admission controllers to the public internet—putting them at immediate critical risk. 

References: 

Security Advisory

Update Google Chrome to Fix Critical Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Lens 

OEM Google Chrome 
Severity High 
CVSS 8.8 
CVEs CVE-2025-2476 
Exploited in Wild No 
Patch/Remediation Available Yes 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

Google Chrome’s Lens component has been found to have a critical use-after-free vulnerability (CVE-2025-2476) that impacts Linux, Mac, and Windows. 

This vulnerability might compromise user systems by enabling remote attackers to run arbitrary code.  To lessen the danger, Google has issued security patches. 

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
 Use after free Vulnerability  CVE-2025-2476  Google Chrome  High  134.0.6998.117/.118 

Technical Summary 

The vulnerability exists due to a use-after-free (UAF) condition in Chrome’s Lens component. This occurs when a program continues to use memory after it has been freed, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system compromise. Attackers can exploit this flaw using specially crafted HTML pages that trigger heap corruption. 

CVE ID System Affected Vulnerability Details Impact 
  CVE-2025-2476   Windows, Mac, Linux   Use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome’s Lens component, leading to heap corruption and potential arbitrary code execution.  Remote code execution 

Remediation: 

  1. Open Google Chrome. 
  1. Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner. 
  1. Navigate to Help > About Google Chrome. 
  1. Allow Chrome to automatically check for and install the latest update. 
  1. Restart the browser to complete the update process. 
  • The update will roll out over the coming days and weeks, However, due to the critical nature of this security issue, users should not rely on automatic updates and should manually confirm they are running the latest version. 

Google has restricted detailed vulnerability information until a majority of users have applied the fix to prevent potential exploitation. 

A vulnerability has been discovered in Google Chrome, which could allow for arbitrary code execution. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow for arbitrary code execution in the context of the logged-on user.

Depending on the privileges associated with the user an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

Manage default accounts on enterprise assets and software, such as root, administrator, and other pre-configured vendor accounts.

Threat Intelligence :

There are currently no reports of the vulnerability being exploited in the wild.

Conclusion: 

The possibility of remote code execution makes CVE-2025-2476 a serious security risk. It is highly recommended that users upgrade their Chrome browsers ASAP.

This vulnerability emphasizes how crucial it is to keep up with security patches on time and to be vigilant about new online threats. 

References: 

Image 

Blogs

Coinbase Identified as Primary Target in GitHub Action supply chain attack

Recently the attack on Coinbase by bad actors and targeting their agentkit project revealed that attackers are active in crypto community. The attackers gained right to access to the repository after obtaining a GitHub token with sufficient permissions.

As per researchers from at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 and Wiz, attackers compromised continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines of thousands of repositories, putting them at risk.

The attack failed and highlighted the constant threats against crypto projects happening and in this case the aim was on the Coinbase project, get access to exchange ecosystem and steal crypto assets. On time Coinbase took handle of the incident that could have led attacker to change approach to a large-scale attack and compromise many projects.

As per Reuters, 2025 the crypto industry has suffered a series of thefts, prompting questions about the security of customer funds, with hacking amount more than $2 billion in 2024 – the fourth straight year where proceeds have topped more than $1 billion.

Details of the attack methodology

According to cybersecurity firm Wiz, its analysis of GitHub identities used in the attack shows that the attacker is active in the crypto community and likely operates from Europe or Africa.

The attack exploited vulnerabilities in popular GitHub Actions, leading to the potential exposure of sensitive CI/CD secrets across numerous projects.

The attack involved the compromise of the review dog/action-setup@v1 GitHub Action.

A total of 218 repositories were confirmed to have exposed secrets, despite over 23,000 using the affected action. The payload was focused on exploiting the public CI/CD flow of one of their open source projects – agentkit, probably with the purpose of leveraging it for further compromises. However, the attacker was not able to use Coinbase secrets or publish packages.

  • After this initial attack, threat actor believed to have moved to the larger attack scenario that has since gained widespread attention globally.
  • As per researchers the attacker began preparing several days before reports surfaced, eventually affecting specific versions of tj-actions/changed-files and putting a significant number of repositories at risk.
  • The incident reflects how attackers can abuse third-party actions or dependencies to compromise software supply chains, potentially resulting in unauthorized access, data breaches and code tampering.
  • Attackers actions confirmed what was initially highly focused on Coinbase and expanded to all projects utilizing tj-actions/changed-files once their initial attempt failed.

The exposed secrets included GitHub tokens and other sensitive information, with some being short-lived.

“The attacker took significant measures to conceal their tracks using various techniques, such as leveraging dangling commits, creating multiple temporary GitHub user accounts, and obfuscating their activities in workflow logs (especially in the initial Coinbase attack),” Gil, Senior Research Manager at Palo Alto Networks, told The Hacker News. “These findings indicate that the attacker is highly skilled and has a deep understanding of CI/CD security threats and attack tactics.”

Overview of attack:

The attack affected only 218 were confirmed to have leaked secrets. The majority of these secrets were short-lived tokens that expire after a single workflow run. However, some repositories also exposed more sensitive credentials, including those for DockerHub, npm, and AWS.

tj-actions and reviewdog

During March 10 and March 14, 2025, an attacker successfully pushed a malicious commit to the tj-actions/changed-files GitHub repository. This commit contained a Base64-encoded payload shown in Figure 1, which prints all of the credentials that were present in the CI runner’s memory to the workflow’s log.

(Image: unit42.paloaltonetworks)

Figure 1. The malicious snippet that was introduced to tj-actions/changed-files.

The company stated that their security measures prevented any successful exploitation of the exposed secrets.

While Coinbase managed to avert significant damage, the incident serves as a reminder for organizations to strengthen their security protocols and remain vigilant against potential threats in the software supply chain.

The attacker was able to add the malicious commit (0e58ed8) to the repository by using a GitHub token with write permissions that they obtained previously. The attacker disguised the commit to look as if it was created by renovate[bot] — a legitimate user.

The commit was then added to a legitimate pull request that was opened by the real renovate[bot] and automatically merged, as configured for this workflow.

These steps enabled the attacker to infect the repository, without the activity being detected. Once the commit was merged, the attacker pushed new git tags to the repository to override its existing tags, making them all point to the malicious commit in the repository.

Coinbase as a soft target for attackers

Cryptocurrency platforms are frequent targets for cybercriminals due to their high-value assets and financial data.

Coinbase’s agentkit repository is used for blockchain AI agents, meaning any compromise could potentially be used for manipulating transactions, altering AI behavior, or gaining unauthorized access to blockchain-related systems. Researchers have witnessed a systemic risks of software supply chains, particularly in open-source ecosystems.

When a single dependency is compromised, it can have far-reaching consequences across thousands of projects. The reliance on shared libraries and GitHub Actions makes modern development more efficient but also inherently vulnerable to such cascading attacks.

The GitHub Actions supply chain attack highlights the vulnerabilities inherent in widely used automation tools.


Sources:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/coinbase-was-primary-target-of-recent-github-actions-breaches/

https://undercodenews.com

 


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Security Advisory

WordPress Age Gate Plugin Critical Vulnerability (CVE-2025-2505) Affects Over 40,000 Websites 

The Age Gate plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local PHP File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 3.5.3 via the ‘lang’ parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to include and execute arbitrary PHP files on the server, allowing the execution of code in those files.

OEM WordPress 
Severity Critical 
CVSS score 9.8 
CVEs CVE-2025-2505 
Exploited in Wild No 
Patch/Remediation Available Yes 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

A critical vulnerability (CVE-2025-2505) in the Age Gate plugin for WordPress allows unauthenticated Local PHP File Inclusion (LFI), potentially enabling remote code execution. This flaw affects all versions up to 3.5.3 and has been patched in version 3.5.4. Over 40,000 websites are affected by this vulnerability. 

This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where images and other “safe” file types can be uploaded and included.

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory  CVE-2025-2505  Age Gate WordPress Plugin  Critical  v3.5.4  

Technical Summary 

The vulnerability exists due to improper limitation of pathname input, leading to an unauthenticated Local PHP File Inclusion (LFI) attack through the lang parameter. This flaw can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary PHP files, bypass access controls, and compromise server security. 

CVE ID System Affected Vulnerability Details Impact 
 CVE-2025-2505  WordPress websites using Age Gate Plugin (<=3.5.3)  Local PHP File Inclusion via ‘lang’ parameter allows execution of arbitrary PHP files.  Unauthorized code execution, data exfiltration, privilege escalation, potential full server compromise. 

Remediation: 

  • Update Age Gate plugin to version 3.5.4 or later as soon as possible. 

Conclusion: 

Attackers can potentially: – Include and execute arbitrary PHP files on the server – Bypass access controls – Obtain sensitive site data – Achieve remote code execution – Compromise the entire WordPress site’s integrity and availability

This vulnerability poses a severe risk to WordPress websites utilizing the Age Gate plugin. Prompt patching and proactive security measures are crucial to mitigating potential attacks.

Users are strongly advised to update to the latest version without delay to protect their websites from unauthorized code execution. 

CVE-2025-2505 affects all versions of the Age Gate plugin for WordPress up to and including version 3.5.3.

References: 

Security Advisory

New Exploit Allows Remote Code Execution in Apache Tomcat 

Patch Without Delay

OEM Apache 
Severity Critical 
CVSS 9.8 
CVEs CVE-2025-24813 
Exploited in Wild Yes 
POC Available Yes 
Patch/Remediation Available Yes 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

The CVE-2025-24813 is recently identified Apache Tomcat vulnerability that is being actively exploited in the wild.  Under certain circumstances, this vulnerability permits information disclosure and remote code execution (RCE). 

A two-step exploit procedure can be used by attackers to take over compromised systems.  Patching became more urgent after a proof-of-concept (PoC) vulnerability was made public within 30 hours of disclosure. 

Depending on the privileges associated with the system, an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data.

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity 
 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability  CVE-2025-24813  Apache Tomcat  Critical 

Technical Summary 

The vulnerability arises from Tomcat’s handling of PUT and GET requests in environments where specific configurations are enabled. Exploitation requires: 

  • Writes enabled for the default servlet 
  • Partial PUT support enabled 
  • Security-sensitive files stored in a sub-directory of public uploads 
  • Attacker knowledge of the file names 
  • Use of file-based session persistence 

Successful exploitation allows attackers to upload malicious Java session files via a PUT request and trigger deserialization through a GET request, leading to RCE. A PoC exploit has been publicly released, making detection and mitigation critical. 

CVE ID System Affected Vulnerability Details Impact 
  CVE-2025-24813  Apache Tomcat  11.0.0-M1 to 11.0.2, 10.1.0-M1 to 10.1.34,  9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.98  Exploits PUT and GET request handling, allowing arbitrary file injection and execution.  Remote Code Execution, Information Disclosure. 

Remediation: 

  • Update the Apache Tomcat versions to the latest one v11.0.3, v10.1.35,  v9.0.99 to mitigate the vulnerability. 

General Recommendations: 

  • Disable partial PUT support: Prevent attackers from leveraging the exploit by disabling this feature if not required. 
  • Restrict access to sensitive files: Ensure security-sensitive files are not stored in publicly accessible directories. 
  • Implement authentication controls: Strengthen authentication and authorization for file upload operations. 
  • Enhance API security: Deploy real-time API security solutions to detect and block malicious PUT requests. 

Conclusion: 

CVE-2025-24813 represents a significant security risk, with active exploitation already observed. The availability of a public PoC exploit further increases the likelihood of widespread attacks. The ease of exploitation and the potential for severe consequences make it critical for affected organizations to apply the latest patches immediately. Additionally, security teams should enhance monitoring for suspicious PUT and GET request patterns to mitigate this attack technique. 

References: 

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