Patch management

Security Advisory

Microsoft Patch Tuesday August Patches 119 Vulnerabilities; Publicly Disclosed Kerberos Zero‑Day

Microsoft Patch Tuesday : Key points:

119 vulnerabilities discovered & 13 are classified as Critical rating meaning as per Microsoft’ they could be abused by malware or malcontents to gain remote access to a Windows system with little or no help from users.

CVE-2025-53779 is Windows Kerberos Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

The vulnerabilities fall into multiple categories, including Remote Code Execution (RCE), Elevation of Privilege (EoP), Information Disclosure, Spoofing, Denial of Service (DoS), and Tampering. Below is a detailed breakdown of the vulnerabilities by category, along with key insights for organizations to prioritize their patching efforts.

OEM Microsoft 
Severity Critical 
Date of Announcement 2025-08-12 
No. of Patches  119 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

Microsoft has released security updates addressing 119 vulnerabilities in the August 2025 Patch Tuesday cycle, including one publicly disclosed zero-day in Windows Kerberos. Of these, 13 are classified as Critical, covering a wide range of products such as Windows components, Office, Azure, Exchange and SharePoint. 

  • 111 Microsoft CVEs addressed 
  • 8 non-Microsoft CVEs addressed 

Breakdown of August 2025 Vulnerabilities 

  • 44 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerabilities 
  • 35 Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities 
  • 18 Information Disclosure Vulnerabilities 
  • 9 Spoofing Vulnerabilities 
  • 4 Denial of Service Vulnerabilities 
  • 1 Tampering vulnerabilities 
Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity CVSS Score 
Windows Kerberos Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability CVE-2025-53779 Windows Server 2025 High 7.2 

Technical Summary 

The August 2025 Patch Tuesday addresses a publicly disclosed zero-day vulnerability CVE-2025-53779 in Windows Kerberos.

This elevation of privilege flaw, related to improper path handling in domain-managed service accounts (dMSA), could allow a local attacker to gain domain administrator privileges.

Microsoft also patched several critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilities across Windows Graphics, GDI+, Office, DirectX, and Hyper-V. Many of these vulnerabilities require minimal or no user interaction, such as simply opening a file in the preview pane or processing crafted image or network messages, making them high-risk for enterprise environments. 

CVE ID System Affected Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025-53779 Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Relative path traversal in Windows Kerberos allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network. Privilege escalation 

Source: Microsoft and NVD 

In addition to the publicly disclosed vulnerability, several other critical and high-severity issues were addressed: 

  • CVE‑2025‑50165 and CVE‑2025‑53766: Graphics-related RCEs, particularly vulnerable due to their ability to execute code without user interaction and potential wormable behavior. 
  • CVE‑2025‑53792: Azure Portal, privilege escalation vulnerability, critical impact on cloud administration surface. 
  • CVE‑2025‑50171: Remote Desktop Server, allows remote code execution over RDP. 
  • CVE‑2025‑53778: Windows NTLM, elevation of privilege exploitation includes lateral movement across enterprise networks. 
  • CVE‑2025‑53786: Microsoft Exchange Server, hybrid environment vulnerability with potential for cloud environment hijacking. 

Key Affected Products and Services 

The vulnerabilities addressed in August 2025 impact a wide range of Microsoft products and services, including: 

  • Windows Core and Authentication Systems 

Includes fixes in Windows Server (Kerberos), Windows Graphics Component, GDI+, DirectX Graphics Kernel, NTLM, Hyper‑V, MSMQ, Remote Desktop and more. 

  • Microsoft Office Suite and Productivity Tools 

Microsoft Office and Word, notably through Preview Pane RCE flaws, as well as SharePoint (RCE and EoP), Exchange Server (Privilege Escalation in hybrid setups) and Teams. 

  • Cloud and Azure Ecosystem 

Critical issues in Azure Virtual Machines (spoofing and info disclosure), Azure Stack Hub and potentially Azure Portal. 

  • Virtualization and Hypervisor Technologies 

Updates include vulnerabilities in Hyper‑V (RCE and privilege escalation) and DirectX graphics kernel components relevant to virtualization. 

  • Development Tools 

Fixes include vulnerabilities affecting Visual Studio and GitHub Copilot, reinforcing development environments. 

  • Messaging and Queuing Services 

Includes a critical RCE in Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ). 

  • Browsers: 
    Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based). 

Remediation: 

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

Conclusion: 

Microsoft’s August 2025 Patch Tuesday, disclosed zero-day CVE-2025-53779 is another privilege escalation flaw in Windows Kerberos that stems from a case of relative path traversal. Akamai researcher Yuval Gordon has been credited with discovering and reporting the bug.

Aside from the vulnerabilities patched and disclosed in the regular monthly patch release for August, it is worth noting that one week ahead of the monthly update, Microsoft disclosed 4 vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft cloud services.

References: 

Security Advisory

7-Zip Security Flaw Allows Malicious File Writes and Potential Exploits 

Summary Security Advisory: 7-Zip Security Flaw

A vulnerability in 7-Zip (versions before 25.01) allows attackers to abuse symbolic links in archive files to write files outside the intended extraction directory.

Severity Low 
CVSS Score 3.6 
CVEs CVE-2025-55188 
POC Available No 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

This can lead to overwriting sensitive files, potentially enabling code execution or privilege escalation. The flaw is primarily exploitable on Linux systems due to common file permission models but can also impact Windows under specific conditions. Affected archive formats include ZIP, TAR, 7Z and RAR. 

The security flaw was  reported and discoverd by security researcher lunbun, who identified that 7-Zip fails to properly validate symbolic links when extracting certain archive formats.

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
​ 7-Zip Arbitrary File Write via Symbolic Link Flaw  CVE-2025-55188 7-Zip  Low  25.01 and later. 

Technical Summary 

Cause: Improper validation of symbolic links during archive extraction. 

Attack Vector: Malicious archives can contain symlinks pointing outside the extraction directory. 

Impact: Overwrites arbitrary files on the system. On Linux, this can replace startup scripts, configuration files, or binaries to gain elevated privileges. On Windows, exploitation requires write access to target paths. 

Affected Formats: ZIP, TAR, 7Z, RAR. 

CVE ID CVSS Score System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025-55188 3.6 Linux, Windows 7-Zip versions 7-Zip mishandles symbolic links in archives, letting attackers write files anywhere on the system during extraction. Code execution, Privilege escalation 

Recommendations: 

Here are some recommendations below 

  • Update 7-Zip to version 25.01 or latest one.  
  • Avoid extracting archives from untrusted sources. 
  • Always consider using sandboxed environments for unknown files extraction. 

Conclusion: 
While CVE-2025-55188 carries a low CVSS score, the real-world impact can be severe in certain environments, especially on Linux systems with high-privilege extraction processes.

Immediate patching to 7-Zip 25.01 or later is strongly advised to mitigate the risk of arbitrary file overwrite attacks. 

The researcher has submitted a request for reevaluation of the CVSS score and offered to provide proof-of-concept demonstrations to package repository maintainers who require additional verification.

References: 

Security Advisory

Zero-Day Exploitation in SonicWall Targeted by Akira Ransomware 

Summary 

A critical zero-day vulnerability is suspected in SonicWall SSL VPN appliances, which are currently being actively exploited by threat actors linked to the Akira ransomware group. These attacks began last month and exploit even fully patched devices and systems with multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled. In many cases, attackers move quickly, encrypting victim systems within hours of gaining access. 

Detailed Observation 

The ongoing attacks targeting SonicWall SSL VPN appliances suggest the presence of a zero-day vulnerability that allows threat actors to gain unauthorized access to enterprise networks.

This exploitation may be limited to TZ and NSa-series SonicWall firewalls with SSLVPN enabled. The attack patterns indicate that the attackers may be exploiting a flaw in the VPN’s authentication or session management mechanisms which they can be able to bypass the MFA.

Security researchers also observed that the threat actors often used legitimate credentials, including recently rotated passwords, implying either credential theft or session hijacking.

These login attempts were traced back to Virtual Private Servers (VPS), a common tactic to obscure the attacker’s origin. Once threat actors on the network, they abuse the privileged accounts, then start establishing C2 and move laterally in the network, then at the last stage before deploying the ransomware they are disabling the defenses to smooth deploy.

The ransomware group suggests Akira, has been seen deploying malware and encrypting data within hours, showcasing a high level of automation and operational efficiency.

The pattern and speed of these attacks point to a well-orchestrated campaign that likely began months earlier (as early as October 2024) but surged in mid-July 2025. This level of sophistication, combined with the failure of traditional defenses, strongly supports the theory that attackers are leveraging an undisclosed vulnerability in SonicWall’s SSL VPN stack. 

Remediation: 

Until an official SonicWall patch is released, organizations should take the following immediate actions: 

  • Disable SonicWall SSL VPN if possible, especially for external access. 
  • Enforce network segmentation to limit the radius of any potential breach. 
  • Monitor access logs for suspicious login attempts (especially from VPS-hosting IP ranges). 
  • Block known malicious IPs and ASNs used in previous attacks. 
  • Rotate all VPN credentials, especially for admin or privileged users. 
  • Harden MFA configuration (though current evidence shows bypasses are possible). 
  • Enable IP reputation and botnet protection features in SonicWall firewalls. 
  • Audit all VPN user accounts, removing any inactive or unnecessary ones. 

IOCs 

Attacker IP Threat Actors used tools ASN/CIDR hosting adversary infrastructure User & Password created  
42.252.99[.]59 w.exe AS24863 – LINK-NET – 45.242.96.0/22 backupSQL (U) 
45.86.208[.]240 win.exe AS62240 – Clouvider – 45.86.208.0/22 lockadmin (U) 
77.247.126[.]239 C:\ProgramData\winrar.exe AS62240 – Clouvider – 77.247.126.0/24 Password123$ (P) 
104.238.205[.]105 C:\ProgramData\OpenSSHa.msi AS23470 – ReliableSite LLC – 104.238.204.0/22 Msnc?42da (P) 
104.238.220[.]216 C:\Program Files\OpenSSH\sshd.exe AS23470 – ReliableSite LLC – 104.238.220.0/22 VRT83g$%ce (P) 
181.215.182[.]64 C:\programdata\ssh\cloudflared.exe AS174 – COGENT-174 – 181.215.182.0/24  
193.163.194[.]7 C:\Program Files\FileZilla FTP Client\fzsftp.exe AS62240 – Clouvider – 193.163.194.0/24  
193.239.236[.]149 C:\ProgramData\1.bat AS62240 – Clouvider – 193.239.236.0/23  
194.33.45[.]155 C:\ProgramData\2.bat AS62240 – Clouvider – 194.33.45.0/24  
  • Source: huntress.com 

Conclusion: 
The exploitation of a suspected zero-day in SonicWall SSL VPN poses an immediate and critical threat to enterprise environments.

The ability of attackers to bypass authentication and deploy ransomware within hours is highly dangerous and points to a sophisticated, active campaign.

Organizations using SonicWall VPNs must take preemptive steps now, including disabling VPN access if feasible and aggressively monitoring for anomalies, until SonicWall releases a formal patch or mitigation advisory 

References: 

Security Advisory

Critical Vulnerability identified in tj-actions/branch-names’ GitHub Action workflow

Security advisory:  Patch Now! Critical Command Injection in GitHub Action tj-actions/branch-names Affects 5,000+ public repositories. 

Summary:

A critical vulnerability has been identified in the tj-actions/branch-names’ GitHub Action workflow which allows arbitrary command execution in downstream workflows. This issue arises due to inconsistent input sanitization and unescaped output, enabling malicious actors to exploit specially crafted branch names or tags.

Severity Critical 
CVSS Score 9.1 
CVEs CVE-2025-54416 
POC Available Yes 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 
This issue arises due to inconsistent input sanitization and unescaped output, enabling malicious actors to exploit specially crafted branch names or tags. While internal sanitization mechanisms have been implemented, the action outputs remain vulnerable, exposing consuming workflows to significant security risks. This is fixed in version 9.0.0

The flaw allows attackers to run any command during GitHub Actions workflows by creating specially crafted branch names or tags.  

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
Command Injection in branch-names GitHub Action  CVE-2025-54416   tj-actions/branch-names GitHub Action <v8.2.1 9.1  v9.0.0 or later 

Technical Summary 

This Vulnerability puts many CI/CD pipelines at serious risk, including the possibility of stealing secrets or injecting malicious code into releases.

The vulnerability exists due to unsafe usage of the eval command in the action’s script. Although some escaping was done using printf “%q”, developers later used eval printf “%s” to unescaped values, which reintroduced command injection risks.

Any branch name containing malicious shell code can trigger execution during workflows. 

The vulnerability affects GitHub Action workflows that use tj-actions/branch-names. It allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary shell commands by creating a branch with malicious content. The issue is caused by the unsafe use of eval when handling branch names and tags in output generation. 

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025-54416 GitHub repositories using tj-actions/branch-names < v8.2.1 Unsafe use of eval leads to command injection Attacker can run arbitrary commands, steal secrets, alter source code, or compromise workflows 

Proof of Concept (POC) 


 
Remediation: 

  • Update immediately to tj-actions/branch-names version v9.0.0 or higher. 
  • The vulnerable eval code has been replaced with safe printf usage. 
  • Review your workflows to ensure no malicious activity has occurred. 
  • Check logs for strange branch names or unexpected shell activity. 

Conclusion: 
This command injection flaw is extremely dangerous due to its simplicity and the number of projects it affects. GitHub Actions workflows that use branch names or tags from pull requests are especially at risk. Attackers don’t need access to the code just the ability to open a pull request.

All developers and security teams should act now by updating to the latest version and reviewing usage of GitHub Actions in their workflows. 

References: 

Security Advisory

Pre-Auth Remote Code Execution Flaws Patched in Sophos Firewall 

Summary : Sophos has resolved several critical security vulnerabilities in its Firewall products, the most severe vulnerability could allow remote code execution without authentication, potentially giving attackers full control over impacted systems.

OEM Sophos 
Severity Critical 
CVSS Score 9.8 
CVEs CVE-2025-6704, CVE-2025-7624 
POC Available No 
Actively Exploited Yes 
Exploited in Wild Yes 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

To address the issue, the Sophos has issued hotfixes for five separate vulnerabilities. Two of these are rated as critical and present a serious threat to enterprise networks around the globe. 

                Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
Arbitrary file writing vulnerability in Secure PDF eXchange (SPX) feature  CVE-2025-6704 Sophos Firewall Critical   SFOS 21.0 MR2 (21.0.2) and later 
SQL injection vulnerability in legacy SMTP proxy CVE-2025-7624 Sophos Firewall Critical SFOS 21.0 MR2 (21.0.2) and later 

Technical Summary 

The CVE-2025-6704 and CVE-2025-7624 are identified in Sophos Firewall versions prior to 21.0 MR2 (21.0.2), both with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8, indicating critical severity.  

The CVE-2025-6704 involves an arbitrary file writing vulnerability within the Secure PDF eXchange (SPX) feature.

SPX is enabled and the firewall operates in High Availability (HA) mode, attackers can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code remotely without authentication. This pre-authentication remote code execution can lead to full system compromise, affecting confidentiality, integrity and availability. 

CVE-2025-7624 pertains to an SQL injection vulnerability in the legacy (transparent) SMTP proxy of Sophos Firewall. If a quarantining policy is active for email and the system was upgraded from a version older than 21.0 GA, this weakness could potentially allow remote code execution.

Exploitation of this flaw can lead to unauthorized access, manipulation of firewall configurations, and potential lateral movement within the network. 

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
 CVE-2025-6704 v21.5 GA and older A rare SPX feature flaw in HA mode can allow pre-auth remote code execution, affecting 0.05% of devices.  Pre-auth remote code execution (RCE) in Sophos Firewall SPX feature 
CVE-2025-7624 v21.5 GA and older An SQL injection in the legacy SMTP proxy can enable remote code execution if email quarantine is active and SFOS was upgraded from pre-21.0 GA. It affects up to 0.73% of devices. Remote code execution via SMTP proxy 

In addition to the Critical Severity vulnerabilities, two other High and one medium severity issues were addressed. 

CVE-2025-7382 – Command Injection in WebAdmin Interface (CVSS 8.8) 

A WebAdmin command injection flaw allows adjacent pre-auth code execution on HA auxiliary devices if admin OTP is enabled.  

CVE-2024-13974 – Business Logic Vulnerability in Up2Date Component (CVSS 8.1) 

 A business logic flaw in Up2Date lets attackers control firewall DNS to enable remote code execution. 

CVE-2024-13973 – Post-Auth SQLi Vulnerability in WebAdmin (CVSS 6.8) 

A post-auth SQL injection in WebAdmin allows admins to execute arbitrary code. 

Remediation: 

Users should immediately update Sophos Firewall to the latest patched version: 

  • For CVE-2025-6704, CVE-2025-7624, CVE-2025-7382: Upgrade to Sophos Firewall 21.0 MR2 (21.0.2) or later. 
  • For CVE-2024-13974 and CVE-2024-13973: Upgrade to Sophos Firewall 21.0 MR1 (20.0.1) or later. 

If you are not using the Secure PDF eXchange (SPX) feature or legacy SMTP proxy, consider disabling them until they are patched. 

Users operating legacy versions prior to the supported range must upgrade their systems to receive these critical security protections and maintain adequate defense against potential exploitation attempts.

Conclusion: 
In Sophos Firewalls that allow attackers to execute code remotely without logging in. Although only a small percentage of devices are affected, the flaws are serious.

Fortunately, Sophos quickly pushed automatic fixes, and no attacks have been seen so far. Users should verify their firewalls are fully updated and have auto update enabled to stay protected. 

The impact scope for this vulnerability reaches up to 0.73% of deployed devices. Both critical vulnerabilities were discovered and responsibly disclosed through Sophos’ bug bounty program by external security researchers.

References: 

Security Advisory

Critical Remote Code Execution in Nokia WaveSuite NOC 

Summary : Security Advisory: Two command injection vulnerabilities have been found in Nokia’s WaveSuite Network Operations Center (WS-NOC), a key tool used to manage telecom and enterprise networks.

OEM Nokia 
Severity Critical 
CVSS Score 9.0 
CVEs CVE-2025-24936, CVE-2025-24938   
POC Available No 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

These vulnerabilities allow attackers with limited access to run malicious commands on the system’s operating system. The vulnerabilities affect WS-NOC versions 23.6, 23.12, and 24.6. Nokia has released fixes in version 24.6 FP3 and newer. 

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
​ Command Injection Vulnerability  CVE-2025-24936 Nokia WS-NOC  Critical  v24.6 FP3 & later 
​ Command Injection Vulnerability  CVE-2025-24938 Nokia WS-NOC  High  v24.6 FP3 & later 

Technical Summary 

The first vulnerability, CVE-2025-24936, CVSS- 9.0 due to the system doesn’t properly check parts of a web address (URL). The attacker with low privileged access can trick the system into running malicious commands, as if they were part of the system itself. As this flaw has been published, attackers can remotely target exposed or inadequately secured administrative pages. 

The second issue, with the CVE-2025-24938, CVSS- 8.4 affects to new user accounts are created through the web interface. In this case, with high privileged access – administrators can intentionally enter harmful commands because their input isn’t being filtered properly. 

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025- 24936 WS-NOC 23.6, 23.12, 24.6 Unfiltered URL input enables command injection by low-privileged users. Remote code execution 
CVE-2025- 24938 WS-NOC 23.6, 23.12, 24.6 Insufficient input validation during account creation enables command injection. Privilege escalation, Remote code execution 

Remediation: 

  • Immediate Action: Upgrade WS-NOC to version 24.6 FP3 or latest one to mitigate both vulnerabilities. 

Recommendations: 

  • Configuration Check: Restrict admin panel and WS-NOC access to trusted, internal networks only. 
  • Environment Hardening: Regularly audit user privileges, conduct input validation reviews, and deploy security monitoring for unusual command executions originating from the WS-NOC application. 

Conclusion: 

CVE-2025-24936 and CVE-2025-24938 are critical command injection vulnerabilities in Nokia WaveSuite NOC, which is used in telecom systems around the world. These vulnerabilities allow attackers to execute malicious commands with limited access. As these systems are part of critical infrastructure, prompt patching is essential to prevent potential remote attacks and network disruption. 

References: 

Security Advisory

ToolShell Zero-Day Exploits in Microsoft SharePoint Enable Full Remote Takeover 

Summary : Security Advisory


Two newly discovered zero-day vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-53770 and CVE-2025-53771) in Microsoft SharePoint Server are being actively exploited in the wild.

There is currently no patch available to plug this security hole, but Microsoft says that customers running on-premises SharePoint Servers can stop attackers from exploiting the vulnerability by configuring Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) integration in SharePoint and deploying Defender AV on all SharePoint servers.

OEM Microsoft 
Severity Critical 
CVSS Score 9.8 
CVEs CVE-2025-53770, CVE-2025-53771 
Actively Exploited Yes 
Exploited in Wild Yes 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

These flaws allow unauthenticated remote code execution on on-premises servers, bypassing authentication and gaining full control over affected systems. Microsoft has released urgent security updates for supported SharePoint versions to address this issue. 

                   Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity CVSS Score 
SharePoint Server Remote Code CVE-2025-53770 SharePoint Server (on-prem) Critical 9.8 
Execution Vulnerability CVE-2025-53771 SharePoint Server (on-prem) Medium 6.3 

Technical Summary 

The vulnerabilities CVE-2025-53770 and CVE-2025-53771 stem from insecure handling of cryptographic key material and deserialization logic in on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Servers. These flaws enable a chained remote code execution attack dubbed ToolShell, where an unauthenticated attacker can gain full control of vulnerable servers. 

ToolShell is a sophisticated evolution of vulnerabilities CVE-2025-49704 and CVE-2025-49706, which were disclosed and patched in early July 2025 following demonstrations at Pwn2Own Berlin. Within days, attackers had bypassed these initial patches, forcing Microsoft to issue updated patches with new CVEs (53770, 53771). These latest variants are actively exploited in the wild. 

The exploit begins with a crafted request to the SharePoint endpoint /ToolPane.aspx, which exposes the internal configuration mechanism. By exploiting deserialization weaknesses, attackers extract cryptographic secrets, specifically the ValidationKey and DecryptionKey  which are used to sign the VIEWSTATE payloads. 

With these secrets, an attacker can generate malicious, signed payloads that are trusted by SharePoint’s security model, allowing arbitrary code execution without any authentication. This effectively turns SharePoint’s trust mechanism into a delivery vector for persistent compromise. 

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025-53770 SharePoint 2016, 2019 Exploits deserialization in /ToolPane.aspx to steal crypto keys and craft signed __VIEWSTATE payloads Remote Code Execution, full system compromise 
CVE-2025-53771 SharePoint 2016, 2019 Variant of CVE-2025-49706; bypasses earlier fixes using enhanced payload injection techniques Persistent access without credentials 

Remediation: To mitigate potential attacks customers should follow:

Organizations running on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Servers must take the following steps immediately: 

  1. Apply Security Updates: 
  • SharePoint Subscription Edition: KB5002768 
  1. Enable AMSI Protection: 
  • Enable Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) in Full Mode for SharePoint. 
  • AMSI was turned on by default in Sept 2023 updates for 2016/2019. 
  1. Rotate Cryptographic Keys: 
  • Use Update-SPMachineKey (PowerShell) or Central Admin. 
  • Restart IIS using iisreset.exe after key rotation. 
  1. Deploy Endpoint Protection: 
  • Use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or equivalent XDR tools. 

CISA Alert and Advisory Inclusion: 

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added CVE-2025-53770 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Federal agencies and private-sector partners are required to apply mitigations immediately due to confirmed active exploitation. CISA emphasized that such vulnerabilities pose an unacceptable risk to federal systems and critical infrastructure. 

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs): 

Type Value (Obfuscated/Generalized) Description 
IP Address 107.191.58[.]76, 104.238.159[.]149 Observed in initial and second attack waves 
User-Agent Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:120.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/120.0 User-Agent string seen in exploitation requests 
URL Path POST /_layouts/15/ToolPane.aspx?DisplayMode=Edit&a=/ToolPane.aspx Exploit entry point targeting ToolPane 

Conclusion: 
The ToolShell exploit chain represents a critical security threat to organizations using on-premises SharePoint Servers.

The vulnerabilities are not theoretical, attackers are actively exploiting them to gain full control of systems, exfiltrate cryptographic secrets and establish long-term persistence. With official patches now available, immediate action is required to prevent compromise, contain exposure and ensure ongoing system integrity. 

References: 

Security Advisory

Critical Zero-Day Vulnerabilities in VMware Exploited at Pwn2Own 2025 – Patch Immediately  

Summary : VMware fixed four vulnerabilities in VMware ESXi, Workstation, Fusion and VMware Tools that were exploited as zero-days during the Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 hacking contest in May 2025.

OEM Broadcom 
Severity Critical 
CVSS Score 9.3 
CVEs CVE-2025-41236, CVE-2025-41237, CVE-2025-41238, CVE-2025-41239 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 
These vulnerabilities, now tracked as CVE-2025-41236, CVE-2025-41237, CVE-2025-41238 and CVE-2025-41239, could allow attackers with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine to execute arbitrary code on the host system or leak sensitive memory content.

VMware has released critical patches for affected products, including ESXi 7/8, Workstation Pro 17.x, Fusion 13.x and VMware Tools. 

                   Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
VMXNET3 Integer Overflow CVE-2025-41236 ESXi, Workstation, Fusion Critical (CVSS 9.3) ESXi80U3f-24784735, ESXi70U3w-24784741, ESXi80U2e24789317, 
Workstation 17.6.4, Fusion 13.6.4 
VMCI Integer Underflow CVE-2025-41237 ESXi, Workstation, Fusion Critical (CVSS 9.3) Same as above 
PVSCSI Heap Overflow CVE-2025-41238 ESXi, Workstation, Fusion Critical (CVSS 9.3) Same as above 
vSockets Info Disclosure CVE-2025-41239 ESXi, Workstation, Fusion,  VMware Tools High (CVSS 7.1) VMware Tools 13.0.1.0, same ESXi/Workstation/Fusion versions 

Technical Summary 

These vulnerabilities impact key virtualization components, potentially enabling virtual machine breakout or data leakage from the host system.

The exploitation requires local admin privileges on the guest VM and varies in impact depending on the platform (ESXi, Workstation, or Fusion). 

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025-41236 ESXi 7/8, Workstation 17.x, Fusion 13.x Integer overflow in VMXNET3 adapter allows arbitrary code execution on the host via specially crafted network packets from a guest VM. Host code execution from guest VM 
CVE-2025-41237 Same as above Integer underflow in VMCI component can lead to out-of-bounds write and code execution in the VMX process on the host. VM breakout; Host compromise (Workstation/Fusion) 
CVE-2025-41238 Same as above Heap overflow in the PVSCSI controller allows out-of-bounds write more severe on Workstation/Fusion than ESXi due to sandbox restrictions. Host compromise (desktop platforms); limited on ESXi 
CVE-2025-41239 ESXi 7/8, Workstation 17.x, Fusion 13.x,  VMware Tools Use of uninitialized memory in vSockets allows information disclosure to attackers with local VM admin rights. Memory leak from host to guest 

Remediation: 

Users and administrators are strongly advised to immediately apply the following patches to mitigate the vulnerabilities: 

  • VMware ESXi users must update to ESXi80U3f-24784735, ESXi80U2e-24789317 for 8.x and ESXi70U3w-24784741 for 7.x versions. 
  • VMware Workstation Pro users should update to version 17.6.4 or later. 
  • VMware Fusion users to version 13.6.4 or later. 
  • For VMware Tools, apply the 13.0.1.0 or later, especially for Windows guests where the vSockets vulnerability (CVE-2025-41239) is relevant. 

Conclusion: 


These vulnerabilities pose a serious threat to virtualization security, especially in environments using VMware Workstation and Fusion. A successful exploit could enable attackers to escape the virtual machine and compromise the host system.

Administrators should prioritize patching to avoid exposure and reduce the risk of virtual infrastructure compromise. Regular audits of virtual networking components and least-privilege access controls within guest VMs are also recommended. 

References: 

Security Advisory

Google Addresses Actively Exploited Zero-Day Vulnerability CVE-2025-6558 in Chrome 

Google has issued a critical emergency update for the Chrome browser to address CVE-2025-6558, a zero-day vulnerability that is actively being exploited in the wild. This high-severity flaw exists in Chrome’s ANGLE and GPU components, which are responsible for rendering graphics in the browser.

Summary 

OEM Google 
Severity High 
CVSS Score 8.8 
CVEs CVE-2025-6558 
POC Available No 
Actively Exploited Yes 
Exploited in Wild Yes 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

Exploitation of this vulnerability could allow attackers to execute malicious code or gain unauthorized access to user systems. The update is being rolled out for Windows, macOS and Linux platforms. 

                Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity Fixed Version 
​Improper Input Validation in ANGLE/GPU Stack vulnerability  CVE-2025-6558 Google Chrome  High (Zero-day)  138.0.7204.157/.158 (Windows/macOS), 138.0.7204.157 (Linux) 

Technical Summary 

CVE-2025-6558 is a high-severity vulnerability caused by improper validation of untrusted input in Chrome’s ANGLE (Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine) and GPU components. These components translate graphics instructions and interact closely with the system’s native APIs.

The flaw was discovered by Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) and is being actively exploited in real-world attacks. If left unpatched, it could enable attackers to compromise the browser rendering process and potentially execute arbitrary code on the user’s device. 

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025-6558 Chrome on Windows, macOS, Linux Untrusted input is incorrectly validated, allowing malicious manipulation of graphics rendering Remote code execution through active exploitation 

Additional Vulnerabilities Patched in This Update 

In addition to the zero-day CVE-2025-6558, Google also addressed two other high-severity vulnerabilities as part of this update: 

  • CVE-2025-7656 – An integer overflow vulnerability in Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine, which could be exploited to corrupt memory and potentially achieve remote code execution. This flaw was reported by security researcher Shaheen Fazim.  
  • CVE-2025-7657 – A use-after-free vulnerability in the WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) component. Improper memory handling in real-time communication features could allow attackers to crash the browser or execute arbitrary code remotely. This issue was reported by researcher jakebiles. 

Remediation: 

  • Users should immediately update Google Chrome to the latest patched version: 
  • Windows & Mac: 138.0.7204.157/.158 
  • Linux: 138.0.7204.157 

Conclusion: 
CVE-2025-6558 highlights the growing complexity of securing browser components such as ANGLE and GPU. With confirmed active exploitation, users and administrators must prioritize this update to prevent potential remote code execution attacks.

Timely patching remains one of the most effective defenses against modern browser-based threats. 

References: 

Security Advisory

CVE-2025-34067: Critical RCE in HikCentral Puts Global Surveillance at Risk, PoC Available 

Summary:  A critical RCE vulnerability has been found in the Hikvision HikCentral security management system, mainly in the apply CT component.

OEM Hikvision 
Severity Critical 
CVSS Score 10.0 
CVEs CVE-2025-34067 
POC Available Yes 
Actively Exploited No 
Exploited in Wild No 
Advisory Version 1.0 

Overview 

It helps attackers to take full control of servers that manage security cameras and building systems without user interaction and authentication. The issue comes from a weakness in an old part of the software – Fastjson, a Java library.

Hackers can use this flaw to run harmful code remotely over the network. A PoC to exploit this vulnerability has been published already. 

Vulnerability Name CVE ID Product Affected Severity 
​ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability CVE-2025-34067 HikCentral (applyCT) Critical 

Technical Summary 

CVE ID System Affected  Vulnerability Details Impact 
CVE-2025-34067 HikCentral  The /bic/ssoService/v1/applyCT endpoint is vulnerable due to the use of an outdated Fastjson library with unsafe auto-type deserialization enabled. Attackers can send malicious JSON payloads containing LDAP references to attacker-controlled Java classes. Remote code execution  

A security flaw exists in the “/bic/ssoService/v1/applyCT” endpoint, which accepts JSON input. This allows attackers to send specially designed data that tricks the system into loading malicious code from an attacker-controlled server.

Since the system processes this data before checking if the user is logged in, even someone without any login credentials can exploit it. If successful, the attacker can run harmful code under the HikCentral service’s permissions. This helped them move through the network, access or control camera feeds, DVRs/NVRs, and other connected systems across the enterprise.Proof of Concept (PoC): 

(Source: PeiQi0 )

Remediation: 

  • Apply Patches: Users should contact HIKVISION support for immediate remediation guidance and apply any security updates or hotfixes provided by the vendor. 
  • Update Fastjson Library: Ensure the Fastjson library is updated to a secure patched version. 

Recommendations: 

  • Configuration Check: If patching isn’t possible, block or redirect all traffic to the “/bic/ssoService/” endpoints – especially on systems that are accessible from the internet. 
  • Network Segmentation: Isolate surveillance and physical security networks from business-critical systems. 
  • Monitoring: Check logs for outbound LDAP traffic, suspicious Java class loads, or unexpected command execution from the HikCentral host. 

Conclusion: 
This vulnerability helps attackers to take full control of the system, Publicly available code makes it easy for attackers to exploit this flaw. Because of the critical risk, it has received the maximum severity score (CVSS 10.0).  

If not fixed, attackers could turn off security cameras, change alarm settings, delete important evidence, and even watch staff movements live. To protect against this threat, it’s urgent to install the latest patch, isolate the system from the internet and closely monitor for suspicious activity. 

References: 

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