CISO

Blogs

Jaguar Land Rover Data Hack reveal Significance of Security & Privacy by Design

Jaguar Land Rover announced suffering they hit by a cyberattack in August that severely disrupted its production and retail activities. Cyber criminals stole data, held by the carmaker, it has said, as its factories in the UK and abroad face prolonged closure. This massive data hack reveal that every stakeholder in the supply chain must be embed and lazed with security and privacy by design.

Principle of security by design

So the ever evolving automotive industry and modern vehicles are more of software, which means more coding which goes upto 100 million codes and this is growing in numbers and run more applications then ever before.

So the more coding and software, the more lucrative it is for attackers to target systems and codes and if security flaws exist then its a heaven for cyber criminal as it is now easy target for data privacy leaks etc.

Best practices for Securing by Design principles and software development are enough to address the emerging risk to automotive systems and other systems within the vehicle.

According to the BBC, three plants were affected: the ones in Solihull, Halewood and Wolverhampton. Also the cyberattack forced the company to disconnect some systems, which led to factories in China, Slovakia and India getting shut down and workers being instructed to stay at home. 

As per the company suppliers and retailers for JLR are also affected, some operating without computer systems and databases normally used for sourcing spare parts for garages or registering vehicles.

Scattered Spider group behind the cyber attack

As per reports the notorious Scattered Spider  the hackers group is credited for the attack on JLR. The threat actor was also linked to recent attacks against major UK retailers, as well as several other industries worldwide. 

This is the second cyberattack that hit JLR this year. In March, the Hellcat ransomware group claimed to data theft which were in hundreds of gigabytes of data from the carmaker.

July we witnessed how Scattered spider group targeted the aviation and retail sector

https://intruceptlabs.com/2025/07/scattered-spider-group-target-aviation-sector-third-party-providers-to-vendors-are-at-risk-solutions-that-will-improve-security-posture/

Addressing cyber security challenges in Automotive security

Organization addressing such cyber incident in near future will require dedication that will extend to all levels. This includes data layer, connection layer, authentication layer and more.

If organizations are proactive enough in establishing comprehensive protective measures and ensuring reliable systems that wont fail and in place, ultimately will create safe environment for entire ecosystem more resilient against cyber disruptions.

Cybersecurity challenges in automotive innovation

The integration of advanced technology has brought the automotive industry face-to-face with complex cybersecurity challenges. Vehicle technology, now deeply intertwined with software, exposes both consumers and manufacturers to varied threats.

The challenge for manufacturers is finding the right balance between advancing connected features and securing those very connections against evolving threats.

Transformation in Automotive industry while navigating cautiously in the midst of cyber attack

The year 2025 is transformative for automotive industry as the industry witnessing many groundbreaking technological advancements that is lazed with challenges in cybersecurity and supply chain resilience.

Navigate cyber challenges

For automotive industry as a whole, opportunities are huge for the industry as a whole but will take concrete shape when fitted with with robust architecture, zero-trust security frameworks and being transparent. There is a need to have more collaborative mindset and approaches among manufacturers, suppliers and leaders in technology of which cyber security is now important part.

Intercept offers Mirage Cloak

Mirage Cloak the Deception Technology, offers various deception methods to detect and stop threats before they cause damage.

These methods include adding decoys to the network, deploying breadcrumbs on current enterprise assets, using baits as tripwires on endpoints, and setting up lures with intentionally misconfigured or vulnerable services or applications. The flexible framework also lets customers add new deception methods as needed.

Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/sep/10/jaguar-land-rover-says-cyber-attack-has-affected-some-data

Security Advisory

Microsoft Patch Tuesday has 86 Fixes, 2-0Day Vulnerabilities

September 2025 Patch Tuesday update, addressing 86 security issues in products like Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office etc.

This includes two publicly known zero-day bugs in the Windows SMB Server and another in Newtonsoft.Json. Here are the CVE addressed for Microsoft & non-Microsoft.

Organizations are strongly encouraged to prioritize patching of systems tied to network services, virtualization and productivity tools to mitigate risks of exploitation. 

OEM Microsoft 
Severity Critical 
Date of Announcement 2025-09-09 
No. of Patches 86 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

Here are the CVE addressed for Microsoft & non-Microsoft 

  • 81 Microsoft CVEs addressed 
  • 5 non-Microsoft CVEs addressed 

Breakdown of September 2025 Vulnerabilities 

  • 41 Elevation of Privilege (EoP) 
  • 22 Remote Code Execution (RCE) 
  • 16 Information Disclosure 
  • 4 Denial of Service (DoS) 
  • 2 Security Feature Bypass 
  • 1 Spoofing  
Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity CVSS Score 
Windows SMB Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability  CVE-2025-55234 Windows Server, Windows 10, 11  High 8.8 
Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions in Newtonsoft.Json CVE-2024-21907 Microsoft SQL Server High 7.5 

Technical Summary 

September 2025 Patch Tuesday includes security updates addressing denial-of-service and privilege escalation vulnerabilities in commonly used libraries and services.

One of the publicly disclosed zero-day CVE-2024-21907 affects the popular .NET library Newtonsoft.Json, where deserialization of crafted JSON can lead to application crashes.

Additionally, CVE-2025-55234 highlights a potential for relay attacks in SMB Server configurations that lack hardening measures such as signing and Extended Protection for Authentication (EPA). Microsoft advises assessing current SMB deployments using new audit capabilities introduced in this month’s updates. 

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
 CVE-2025-55234 Microsoft SMB Server Lack of hardening (signing & EPA) in SMB Server can allow attackers to perform relay attacks, potentially resulting in elevation of privilege. Privilege Escalation 
CVE-2024-21907 Newtonsoft.Json < 13.0.1 Improper handling of crafted input to JsonConvert.DeserializeObject may trigger a StackOverflowException, leading to a denial-of-service condition. Denial of Service 

Source: Microsoft and NVD 

In addition to the publicly disclosed zero day vulnerability, several other Critical & High severity issues were addressed 

  • CVE‑2025‑55232: Microsoft High Performance Compute Pack (HPC), deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability enabling unauthorized remote code execution over a network interface. 
  • CVE‑2025‑54918: Windows NTLM, improper authentication vulnerability that enables elevation of privilege over a network, with potential for lateral movement across enterprise systems. 
  • CVE‑2025‑54110: Windows Kernel, integer overflow vulnerability allowing local privilege escalation through exploitation of kernel memory operations. 
  • CVE‑2025‑54098: Windows Hyper-V, improper access control flaw permitting local privilege escalation from guest to host in virtualized environments. 
  • CVE‑2025‑54916: Windows NTFS, stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability enabling local attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. 

Key Affected Products and Services 

The September 2025 security updates address critical and important vulnerabilities across a broad range of Microsoft products and services: 

  • Windows Core and Security Components 

Includes updates for Windows Kernel, NTFS, TCP/IP, Defender Firewall, LSASS, BitLocker, NTLM, Win32K, and RRAS (Routing and Remote Access Service), with several vulnerabilities rated CVSS 8.8 or higher. 

  • Microsoft Office Suite 

Patches released for Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio, and SharePoint addressing RCE and information disclosure issues, especially through Preview Pane vectors. 

  • Azure and Cloud Services 

Fixes affect Azure Virtual Machine Agent, Azure Arc, and High-Performance Compute Pack (HPC). 

  • Virtualization and Hyper-V 

Multiple vulnerabilities in Hyper‑V and Virtual Hard Drive components, including privilege escalation and denial-of-service risks. 

  • Developer and Management Tools 

Patches applied to PowerShell, AutoZone, Windows Management Services and Capability Access Management, addressing local privilege escalation. 

  • Communication & File Services 

Updates cover SMB, SMBv3, MSMQ and Connected Devices Platform, with critical RCE and lateral movement vectors in enterprise environments. 

  • Browsers and Web Technologies 

Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) updates, along with republished Chrome CVEs for continued coverage of known browser threats. 

Remediation: 

Apply Patches Promptly: Install the September 2025 security updates immediately to mitigate risks. 

Conclusion: 
Microsoft’s September 2025 Patch Tuesday addresses 86 vulnerabilities, including several critical and high rated issues across Windows, Office, Hyper-V and Azure components etc.

Notably, multiple flaws affect Windows Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS), SQL Server, and Microsoft High Performance Compute Pack (HPC), with potential for remote code execution (RCE) and privilege escalation.

Microsoft fixed an elevation of privileges flaw in SMB Server that is exploited through relay attacks.

“SMB Server might be susceptible to relay attacks depending on the configuration. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could perform relay attacks and make the users subject to elevation of privilege attacks,” explains Microsoft.

References: 

Blogs

Tenable & More Cyber Vendor’s Impacted by Third Party Salesforce Breach

Proofpoint, Tenable, CyberArk are other Third-Party vendors impacted by Salesforce Breach.

In an advisory released Tenable disclosed that it “was among the many organizations impacted” in the Salesloft Drift attacks, during which “an unauthorized user had access to a portion of some of our customers’ information stored in our Salesforce instance.”

Impacted data includes “subject lines and initial descriptions provided by our customers when opening a Tenable support case” as well as standard contact information such as name, business email address, phone number and location reference.

Tenable products and data stored in the vendor’s products, were not affected, the company said. CRN has reached out to Tenable for further comment.

Tenable stated that standard business contact information, such as customer names, email addresses, phone numbers and location details, was also accessed. At this point, the company stated there is no evidence that this information has been misused.

The information accessed by the unauthorized party was limited to data within Tenable’s Salesforce environment. This included:

  • Commonly available business contact information, such as customer names, business email addresses, and phone numbers.
  • Regional and location references associated with customer accounts.
  • Subject lines and initial descriptions that customers provided when opening a support case.

Third party vendor’s prime target of cyber attack increase Enterprise Cyber Risk

Targeting vendors indicate how critical it is to maintain third-party risk and be cautious while managing security risks associated with these external partners, focal point of target and critical for any organization’s data security.

The Tenable and other vendors being targeted increase the responsibility of enterprise based Third-party cyber risk associated as vendors can be targets for cyberattacks.

If their security measures are weak, your company’s data could be compromised. Ensuring vendors have strong cybersecurity protocols is essential to protecting sensitive information.

Enterprise security posture indicate how third-party security is a set of practices that can identify these risks and protect your organization from security threats associated with any third-party entity.

Risks arising from third-party vendors, contractors and business partners who have access to your data and systems is more then critical.

Three more well-known cybersecurity vendors have joined the lengthy list of companies impacted in the recent breach of a third-party Salesforce application, with Proofpoint, Tenable and CyberArk disclosing they were affected in the widespread Salesloft Drift attacks.

CyberArk, a publicly traded identity security vendor that Palo Alto Networks has a deal to acquire for $25 billion.

In similar pattern an unauthorized actor accessed Proofpoint’s Salesforce tenant through the compromised Drift integration and viewed certain information stored in our Salesforce instance,” the company said.

Attack module

The attacks involved stolen authentication tokens for Salesloft-owned workflow automation app Drift, which threat actors have used to steal data from Salesforce CRM systems. It’s unclear how threat actors obtained the tokens.

As per researchers, breach at Tenable was not an isolated attack but is linked to a wider, sophisticated campaign that security experts have been tracking. This campaign specifically exploits a vulnerability in the integration between Salesforce and Salesloft Drift, a popular sales engagement platform.

Security Advisory

Vulnerability in Spring Cloud Gateway Server WebFlux Discovered; Target of Ease by Attackers

Security Advisory: CVE-2025-41243, A critical vulnerability has been disclosed in Spring Cloud Gateway Server WebFlux. This vulnerability allows attackers to modify sensitive Spring Environment properties under specific configurations.

Severity Critical 
CVSS Score 10.0 
CVEs CVE-2025-41243 
POC Available No 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

The vulnerability has been assigned the maximum CVSS score of 10.0. It arises when actuator endpoints are exposed without proper security controls, potentially allowing attackers to compromise application behavior. Organizations and users of affected versions are strongly urged to upgrade to the fixed releases. 

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
Spring Expression Language Property Modification  CVE-2025-41243  Spring Cloud Gateway WebFlux  Critical   v4.3.1,  
v4.2.5, v4.1.11, v3.1.11  

Technical Summary 

CVE-2025-41243 is a critical vulnerability occurs when the Spring Boot actuator is included as a dependency and the gateway actuator endpoint is explicitly exposed via the “management.endpoints.web.exposure.include=gateway” configuration.

In such cases, if actuator endpoints are unsecured or exposed to public networks, an attacker could exploit them to modify Spring Environment properties at runtime. This could cause unauthorized access, configuration tampering, and potential application compromise. 

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025-41243    4.3.0 – 4.3.x 4.2.0 – 4.2.x 4.1.0 – 4.1.x 4.0.0 – 4.0.x 3.1.0 – 3.1.x Older, unsupported versions   Improperly secured actuator endpoints in Spring Cloud Gateway WebFlux allow unauthorized modification of Spring Environment properties. Unauthorized access potential privilege escalation 

Remediation – 

Upgrade Immediately patch to fixed versions: 

Affected Version Range Upgrade To 
4.3.x 4.3.1 
4.2.x 4.2.5 
4.1.x and 4.0.x 4.1.11 
3.1.x 3.1.11 
Unsupported versions Migrate to a supported release 

If you are unable to upgrade right now, here are the recommendations below 

  • Remove gateway from the “management.endpoints.web.exposure.include” property or secure the actuator endpoints. 
  • Secure actuator endpoints with proper authentication and access controls. 
  • Regularly audit and harden application configuration files. 
  • Monitor application and network logs for suspicious activity or unauthorized access attempts. 
  • Implement firewall rules or reverse proxies to restrict access to sensitive endpoints. 
  • Ensure all systems follow patch management and update policies. 

Conclusion 
CVE-2025-41243 is a critical vulnerability affecting Spring Cloud Gateway WebFlux, allowing remote attackers to modify environment properties when actuator endpoints are misconfigured and exposed.

While no active exploitation has been observed in the wild, vulnerability poses a high risk to application integrity and security due to its CVSS score of 10.0 and ease of exploitation in exposed systems.

Organizations are strongly advised to upgrade to the fixed versions, secure actuator endpoints, and follow best practices to reduce attack surface and prevent future exploitation. 

References 

Blogs

Adversarial Prompt Engineering can bypass Robust Safety Mechanisms; GPT-5 Jailbreak reveal’s the bypass Security strategy

OpenAI’s Advance AI system revealed Critical Vulnerabilities as attack vectors like storytelling and echo chamber module being used by GPT-5.

The breakthrough demonstrates how adversarial prompt engineering can bypass even the most robust safety mechanisms, This raised serious concerns about enterprise deployment readiness and the effectiveness of current AI alignment strategies discovered in august.

What is to Jailbreak in GPT-5

GPT-5 Jailbroken, in two parts by researchers who bypassed safety protocol using echo chamber and storytelling attacks.

As Storytelling attacks are highly effective and traditional methods. This kind of attacks requires additional security before deployment.

When researchers of NeuralTrust reported, the echo chamber attack leverages GPT-5’s enhanced reasoning capabilities against itself by creating recursive validation loops that gradually remove all safety protocols.

So the researchers’ employed a technique called contextual anchoring, where malicious prompts are embedded within seemingly legitimate conversation threads that establish false consensus.

The interesting part is the latest attack aimed at GPT-5, researchers found that it’s possible to infect harmful procedural content by framing it in the context of a story by feeding as input to the AI system.

Using a set of keywords and creating sentences using those words and subsequently expanding on those themes.

The attack modelled in form of a “persuasion” loop within a conversational context, while slowly-but-steadily taking the model on a path that minimizes refusal triggers and allows the “story” to move forward without issuing explicit malicious prompts.

These jailbreaks can be executed with nearly identical prompts across platforms, allowing attackers to bypass built-in content moderation and security protocols. Result is generating illicit or dangerous content.

Enterprise environment exposed to risk

If a malicious user deliberately inputs a crafted prompt into a customer service chatbot that instructs the LLM to ignore safety rules, query confidential databases. This could trigger more actions like emailing internal content.

Similarly in the context of GPT -5, what happened the attackers constructed elaborate fictional frameworks that gradually introduce prohibited elements while maintaining plausible deniability. 

The outcome as per researchers is storytelling attacks can achieve 95% success rates against unprotected GPT-5 instances, compared to traditional jailbreaking methods that achieve only 30-40% effectiveness. 

Once successfully exploited both echo chamber and storytelling attack vectors demonstrates that unless enterprises are ready with their baseline safety measures, deploying any kind of enterprise-grade applications is useless.

Enterprises who are ready to implement a comprehensive AI security strategy, that include prompt hardening, real-time monitoring and automated threat detection systems before production deployment will be better secured.

Sources: Researchers Uncover GPT-5 Jailbreak and Zero-Click AI Agent Attacks Exposing Cloud and IoT Systems

Security Advisory

Critical WhatsApp Zero-Day Vulnerability Allows Remote Code Execution  

Summary 

OEM WhatsApp 
Severity Medium 
CVSS Score 5.4 
CVEs CVE-2025-55177 
POC Available No 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

A security vulnerability recently discovered in WhatsApp’s linked device feature that allows users to access WhatsApp across multiple devices, such as phones and computers.

CISA has added this flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog, highlighting its significance. The flaw allows attackers to send crafted messages that forced WhatsApp to load malicious content from a rogue website without any user interaction. WhatsApp and Apple already patched the issue and users are urged to update their apps immediately to stay protected.

                Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
WhatsApp Incorrect Authorization Vulnerability  CVE-2025-55177 WhatsApp  Medium 2.25.21.73 and later. 
 
WB iOS 2.25.21.78 and later.  
WhatsApp Desktop for Mac 2.25.21.78 and later. 

Technical Summary 

The vulnerability was due to incomplete authorization of synchronization messages in WhatsApp’s linked device feature. This flaw allowed an attacker to send crafted sync messages that could trick WhatsApp into processing content from an arbitrary URL, even if the message came from an untrusted source.

This could result in WhatsApp loading and executing malicious content on the target device without any user interaction. The impact of the attack was significantly increased when combined with a separate Apple OS vulnerability (CVE-2025-43300), making it suitable for sophisticated, targeted exploitation.

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025-55177 WhatsApp for iOS (v2.22.25.2 to v2.25.21.72) 
 WhatsApp Business for iOS (v2.22.25.2 to v2.25.21.77) 
 WhatsApp Desktop for Mac (v2.22.25.2 to v2.25.21.77		Incomplete authorization in the linked device sync feature allowed attackers to send crafted sync messages that caused WhatsApp to load content from an arbitrary URL without user interaction. This could be used to execute malicious code on the device. Remote code execution,.  Potential full device compromise.  

Remediation: 

Update the WhatsApp in iOS and mac devices to the latest version 

  • WhatsApp for iOS: Update to v2.25.21.73 or latest version 
  • WhatsApp Business for iOS: Update to v2.25.21.78 or latest version  
  • WhatsApp Desktop for Mac: Update to v2.25.21.78 or latest version 

Conclusion: 
The WhatsApp vulnerability highlights the growing risks of zero-click attacks, where devices can be compromised without any user interaction. This flaw has been exploited in targeted attacks and poses a serious threat to user security and privacy. It is important for all users to keep their apps and operating systems up to date and follow trusted security recommendations

References: 

Security Advisory

Chrome Update Released, Fixes RCE & Multiple Vulnerabilities

Summary 

OEM Google Chrome 
Severity High 
CVSS Score 8.8 
CVEs CVE-2025-9864, CVE-2025-9865, CVE-2025-9866, CVE-2025-9867 
POC Available No 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

Several security vulnerabilities were recently identified in Chromium-based browsers, affecting components such as the V8 JavaScript engine, Toolbar, Extensions and Downloads. The high severity vulnerability, use-after-free issue, could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code.

Additional medium-severity bugs were found in the Toolbar, Extensions, and Downloads components. The Chrome team has started rolling out Chrome 140 to the stable channel, and users are urged to update their browsers to stay protected. 

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
​Use-after-free vulnerability in V8  CVE-2025-9864 Chrome  High  v140.0.7339.80/81 
​Inappropriate implementation vulnerability in Toolbar  CVE-2025-9865 Chrome  Medium  v140.0.7339.80/81 
Inappropriate implementation vulnerability in Extensions  CVE-2025-9866 Chrome  Medium  v140.0.7339.80/81 
Inappropriate implementation vulnerability in Downloads  CVE-2025-9867 Chrome  Medium  v140.0.7339.80/81 

Technical Summary 

Multiple vulnerabilities were addressed in Google Chrome prior to version 140.0.7339.80. The most critical, CVE-2025-9864, is a use-after-free issue in the V8 JavaScript engine that allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.

Other medium-severity issues include a Toolbar vulnerability on Android that could be exploited via specific user gestures to spoof domains, a security gap in Extensions allowing attackers to bypass content security policies, and a Downloads flaw on Android that enabled UI spoofing through manipulated web pages.

These could allow attackers to misuse Chrome’s features or gain higher system privileges.  

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
 CVE-2025-9864  Chrome v139 and prior Use-after-free in V8 engine could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code via malicious webpage  Remote Code Execution 
 CVE-2025-9865  Chrome v139 and prior Improper handling Chrome’s Toolbar component could allow attackers misuse browser functions or gain privilege access  Domain Spoofing / UI Spoofing
 CVE-2025-9866  Chrome v139 and prior Inappropriate implementation in Chrome’s Extensions system, could allow attackers misuse or bypass content security policy  Content Security Policy Bypass
 CVE-2025-9867  Chrome v139 and prior Improper validation in Chrome’s Downloads could allow attackers to perform UI spoofing via crafted HTML   UI Spoofing 

Remediation: 

References: 

  • https://gbhackers.com/chrome-140-release/

Security Advisory

Fake Govt & Banking Apps Spreading Android Droppers Evolved as Malware

Security Advisory:  

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a major shift in how Android malware is being delivered. Dropper apps, which were earlier used mainly to distribute banking trojans.

The Malware’s being used to deliver simpler threats like SMS stealers and basic spyware as official government or banking apps, primarily targeting users in India, Southeast Asia, and some parts of Europe. 

ThreatFabric researchers warn of a shift in Android malware: dropper apps now deliver not just banking trojans, but also SMS stealers and spyware, mainly in Asia.

Vulnerability Details 

The recent surge in Android dropper apps introduces a critical security vulnerability affecting mobile users globally. These droppers are impersonating as banking apps, government services, or trading platforms,, bypass Google Play

Pilot Program by initially requesting minimal permissions to avoid detection, making them appear as legitimate applications.

Once installed, they fetch malicious payloads like spyware, SMS stealers, cryptocurrency miners, and banking trojans from remote servers. Attackers also exploit malvertising campaigns on social media to spread fake apps widely. This evolving tactic enables cybercriminals to switch payloads dynamically, making traditional security measures less effective and increasing the risk of data theft and device compromise. 

Source: cybersecuritynews 

Attack Flow 

Step Description 
1. Craft Attackers create malicious dropper apps disguised as government schemes, banking apps, or trading tools. These apps are designed to look harmless and request only minimal permissions initially. 
2. Send The droppers are distributed through third-party APK sites, malicious ads (e.g., Facebook), or fake update prompts, bypassing initial detection. 
3. Trigger The victim downloads and installs the dropper app, often believing it’s legitimate due to its official-looking design and branding. 
4. Execution When the user clicks “Update” or interacts with the app, the dropper fetches the real malicious payload (spyware, SMS stealer, or banking trojan) from a remote server. 
5. Exploit The installed malware requests high-risk permissions, such as SMS access or notification access, allowing attackers to steal data, track activities, or control the device remotely. 

Proof-of-Concept 

Once the user interacts, the dropper initiates an HTTPS request to a remote server 

Source: cybersecurity news 

Why It’s Effective 

Dynamic Payload Delivery – Attackers hide the real malicious file inside a harmless-looking dropper app. The payload is only downloaded after user interaction, making it harder to detect. 

Permission Evasion – Droppers initially request minimal or safe permissions and only ask for high-risk permissions (like SMS or accessibility access) after installation, bypassing Google Play Protest’sProtects initial scans. 

Fake Update Screens – Many droppers display legitimate looking “Update Required” prompts to trick users into downloading malware, increasing their success rate. 

Recommendations: 

Download Apps Safely  

  • Install apps only from trusted sources like Google Play Store, Apple store etc. 
  • Avoid third-party APKs, unknown links, or apps promoted through social media ads. 

Check Permissions Carefully  

  • Do not grant unnecessary permissions like SMS, notifications, or accessibility dependent on the app services. 
  • Always review requested permissions before installing or updating an app. 

Keep Devices Secure  

  • Enable Google Play Protect and keep your Android security patches up to date. 
  • Use a reliable mobile security solution for real-time malware detection. 

Stay Alert and Aware  

  • Be aware of fake update prompts; apps, and malicious sites. 
  • Stay updated on the latest tactics used by Android malware 

Conclusion: 

  • Android droppers are evolving fast, making them more flexible and harder to detect, increasing risks for both individuals and organizations.
  • Droppers started as tools for advanced banking malware, but now they’re used to install all kinds of harmful apps and sneak past local security.  
  • It is always recommended to stay vigilant, keep your phone and software updated from the original source  and avoid unverified apps installation to minimize the risk of infection. 

References: 

Blogs

Azure AD configuration file for ASP.NET Core apps credentials leaked by Cybercriminals

A critical flaw in AzureD supported cyber criminals to get access to the digital keys in Azure cloud environment and discovered by Resecurity researchers .

The action enabled unauthorized token requests against Microsoft’s OAuth 2.0 endpoints and giving adversaries a direct path to Microsoft Graph and Microsoft 365 data.

A small critical cloud misconfiguration can give access to cyber attackers to infiltrate and this happened to Azure D when their Cloud native application configuration file for ASP.NET Core applications has been leaking credentials for Azure ActiveDirectory (AD).

Cloud application are not merely hosted in the cloud instead they are built to thrive in a cloud environment, providing unprecedented scalability, resilience and flexibility making them game changer.

Recently the publicly accessible configuration file for ASP.NET Core applications has been leaking credentials for Azure ActiveDirectory (AD). This potentially led attackers to authenticate directly via Microsoft’s OAuth 2.0 endpoints and infiltrate Azure cloud environments.

This issue cannot be overlooked by enterprise as the discovery by Resecurity’s HUNTER team exposed Azure AD credentials  ClientId and ClientSecret — exposed in an Application Settings (appsettings.json) file on the public Internet.

Once the credentials lands up in hackers domain any malicious activates can be conducted and compromise an organization’s Azure-based cloud deployment simultaneously retrieve sensitive data from SharePoint or Exchange Online etc. Further abuse of Graph API for privilege escalation or persistence; and the deployment of malicious applications under the organization’s tenant.

Exploiting AzureD Flaw The attack flow

To exploit the flaw, an attacker can first use the leaked ClientId and ClientSecret to authenticate against Azure AD using the Client Credentials from OAuth2 flow to acquire an access token.

Once this is acquired, the attacker then can send a GET request to the Microsoft Graph API to enumerate users within the tenant.

This allows them to collect usernames and emails; build a list for password spraying or phishing; and/or identify naming conventions and internal accounts, according to the post.

Cyber attacker also can query the Microsoft Graph API to copy OAuth2 to take permission grants within the tenant, revealing which applications have been authorized for further permissions, they hold.

Once acquired token allows an attacker to use group information to identify privilege clusters and business-critical teams.

Protecting Enterprise from getting Azure secrets exposed.

Enterprise failing to practice regular scanning, penetration tests, or code reviews, exposed cloud files can remain unnoticed until attackers discover them and exploit them, according to the post.

Further for better security posture enterprise can restricting file access; removing secrets from code and configuration files; rotating exposed credentials immediately; enforcing least privilege principles and setting up monitoring and alerts on credential use, according to the post.

Importance of automation in cloud native application

Implement continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to automate building, deploying, and testing cloud native applications. Manage and provision cloud infrastructure using code, allowing for version control and repeatability. 

Several benefits of following best practices when developing cloud native apps, like increased scalability, fewer occurrences of critical failures, and high efficiency

Enterprises having product based focus will go for cloud-first approach and ask questions on how to go about cloud computing etc.

What could have happened or will happen if not looked into Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) flaw?

Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) termed as high impact in terms of vulnerability.

Once authenticated, attackers can:

  • Retrieve sensitive SharePoint, OneDrive, or Exchange Online data via Graph API calls.
  • Enumerate users, groups, and roles, mapping out the tenant’s privilege model.
  • Abuse permission grants to escalate privileges or install malicious service principals.
  • Deploy rogue applications under the compromised tenant, creating persistence and backdoors.

Enterprises must perform compliance checks to ensure that application designed meets industry standards and regulatory requirements. Once robust auditing and reporting mechanisms is on track that changes any access to sensitive data. 

Source: JSON Config File Leaks Azure AD Credentials

Critical Flaw in Azure AD Lets Attackers Steal Credentials and Install Malicious Apps

Security Advisory

MediaTek Patches Critical Modem Vulnerabilities  

Security Advisory: MediaTek disclosed critical vulnerabilities along with remediation for its modem and system components. Since the vulnerabilities affected thousands of devices, amounting to both multiple high- and medium vulnerabilities that affected, 60 chipsets used in smartphones, routers and IoT devices.

OEM MediaTek 
Severity High 
CVSS Score 8.3 (NOA) 
CVEs CVE-2025-20708, CVE-2025-20703, CVE-2025-20704, CVE-2025-20705, CVE-2025-20706, CVE-2025-20707 
POC Available No 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

MediaTek issued a critical security update in September 2025 and key issues include modem-related flaws such as remote code execution, denial of service via rogue base stations and local privilege escalation.

Other vulnerabilities include WLAN buffer overflows, bootloader logic flaws and keymaster information leaks impacting Android devices and OpenWRT/Yocto platforms. There has been no active exploitation noticed and MediaTek began distributing patches to OEMs from July 2025 and urges immediate firmware updates to mitigate the issues. 

                Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity 
​Out-of-bounds write in Modem  CVE-2025-20708 Affected chipsets – 60 chipsets 
Modem NR15,16,17,17R software versions. 		 High 
Out-of-bounds read in Modem CVE-2025-20703 Affected chipsets – 57 chipsets 
Modem NR15,16,17,17R software versions. 		High 
Out-of-bounds write in Modem CVE-2025-20704 Affected chipsets – 14 chipsets 
Modem NR17,17R software versions. 		High 
Use after free in monitor_hang CVE-2025-20705 Affected chipsets – 39 chipsets 
Android 13 – 16,   openWRT 19.07, 21.02 / Yocto 2.6 software versions. 		Medium 
Use after free in mbrain CVE-2025-20706 Affected chipsets – 5 chipsets 
Android 14 – 15 software versions. 		Medium 
Use after free in geniezone CVE-2025-20707 Affected chipsets – 60 chipsets 
Android 13 – 15 software versions. 		Medium 

Technical Summary 

These vulnerabilities primarily include out-of-bounds read and write errors (CWE-125, CWE-787) and use-after-free issues (CWE-416), resulting from improper bounds checking and memory management flaws. 

An attacker controlling a rogue base station can exploit these flaws remotely without requiring user interaction, potentially causing remote denial of service, unauthorized privilege escalation, or local privilege escalation if system privileges are already obtained. The exploitation of these vulnerabilities could compromise device stability, security and confidentiality by corrupting memory or executing arbitrary code. Affected devices use modem firmware versions NR15 through NR17R, and a wide spectrum of chipsets, highlighting the broad attack surface. 

CVE ID Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025-20708 An out-of-bounds write flaw exists in the Modem due to incorrect bounds checking. This vulnerability allows remote escalation of privilege when a UE connects to a rogue base station, without requiring additional execution privileges or user interaction. Unauthorized access, data interception, disruption of cellular services 
CVE-2025-20703 The Modem is affected by an out-of-bounds read issue caused by improper bounds validation. This can result in remote denial of service if connected to a malicious base station, and exploitation requires no user interaction or extra privileges. Denial of Service (DoS), modem or device crash, freeze, unresponsiveness 
CVE-2025-20704 Due to a missing bounds check, the Modem is vulnerable to an out-of-bounds write. Exploiting this flaw can lead to remote escalation of privilege when connected to a rogue base station, though user interaction is necessary. Remote privilege escalation, unauthorized elevated access 
CVE-2025-20705 A use-after-free condition in the monitor_hang module can cause memory corruption, potentially leading to local escalation of privilege if the attacker already has System-level access. Exploitation does not require user interaction. Local privilege escalation, memory corruption 
CVE-2025-20706 The mbrain component suffers from a use-after-free vulnerability that can result in memory corruption. This may allow local privilege escalation for an attacker with System privileges, without needing user interaction. Local privilege escalation, memory corruption 
CVE-2025-20707 In the geniezone module, a use-after-free vulnerability can cause memory corruption and permit local privilege escalation if the attacker has System privileges, with no user interaction needed. Local privilege escalation, memory corruption 

Recommendations: 

Here are some recommendations below 

  • Once OEM updates are available, make sure to update your device promptly to apply the latest security patches addressing these vulnerabilities. 
  • Avoid connecting to unknown networks to reduce the risk of remote exploitation. 
  • Keep your device’s operating system and apps updated to the latest version. 

Conclusion: 
MediaTek’s recent security update addresses critical vulnerabilities, especially in modem firmware, that could allow remote attacks without user interaction. Although no active exploits have been found, the severity and scope of these flaws make it vital for manufacturers and users to promptly apply patches to protect devices and data. 

The company reassures end users that proactive notification and remediation precede public disclosure, underscoring MediaTek’s commitment to chipset and product security.

References: 

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