My information Resource (blog.mir.net) – A users view of technology by Jay Ferron

Feedback Requested – NIST Ransomware Risk Management CSF Community Profile

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking public feedback on NIST Interagency Report (NIST IR) 8374 Revision 1, Ransomware Risk Management: A Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 Community Profile, a crucial document that can help organizations bolster their defenses against ransomware threats. With the public comment period open until September 11, 2025, this is your opportunity to contribute to a resource that can significantly enhance your organization’s resilience to cyberattacks.

Originally developed based on NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 1.1, the draft Community Profile has been updated to align with the latest NIST CSF 2.0, ensuring it provides the most current guidelines on managing ransomware risk. Ransomware attacks can devastate organizations of any size across all sectors, making it imperative to assess and improve readiness to counter these threats and mitigate their impact.

By reviewing and commenting on NIST IR 8374 Revision 1, you can play a role in shaping a publication that will help organizations gauge their preparedness and strengthen their resilience against ransomware. Your input is invaluable in refining this document to better serve the cybersecurity community.

Don’t miss this chance to make your voice heard. Send your comments on the draft publication to ransomware@nist.gov before the deadline on September 11, 2025.

View the Publication

Critical Patches Issued for Microsoft Products, September 09, 2025 – PATCH NOW

Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Microsoft products, the most severe of which could allow for remote code execution. Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could result in an attacker gaining the same privileges as 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.

THREAT INTELLIGENCE:
There are currently no reports of these vulnerabilities being exploited in the wild.

SYSTEMS AFFECTED:

SQL Server
Azure Windows Virtual Machine Agent
Windows PowerShell
Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based)
Windows Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS)
Windows Imaging Component
Microsoft Graphics Component
Windows DWM
Windows Bluetooth Service
Windows Kernel
Windows Internet Information Services
Windows Defender Firewall Service
Windows Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS)
Role: Windows Hyper-V
Windows TCP/IP
Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock
Windows SMBv3 Client
Windows Connected Devices Platform Service
Windows Management Services
Microsoft Brokering File System
Windows MapUrlToZone
Capability Access Management Service (camsvc)
Windows UI XAML Phone DatePickerFlyout
Microsoft Virtual Hard Drive
Windows MultiPoint Services
Windows SPNEGO Extended Negotiation
Microsoft Office Excel
Microsoft Office SharePoint
Microsoft Office Word
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office Visio
Microsoft Office PowerPoint
Windows BitLocker
Windows UI XAML Maps MapControlSettings
Windows NTFS
Windows NTLM
Windows Win32K – GRFX
Graphics Kernel
Microsoft High Performance Compute Pack (HPC)
Windows SMB

RISK:
Government:

Large and medium government entities: High
Small government entities: Medium

Businesses:

Large and medium business entities: High
Small business entities: Medium

Home users: Low

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:
Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Microsoft products, the most severe of which could allow for remote code execution.

A full list of all vulnerabilities can be found in the Microsoft link in the Reference section.

Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could result in an attacker gaining the same privileges as 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.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

We recommend the following actions be taken:

Apply appropriate updates provided by Microsoft to vulnerable systems immediately after appropriate testing. (M1051: Update Software)
- Safeguard 7.1: Establish and Maintain a Vulnerability Management Process: Establish and maintain a documented vulnerability management process for enterprise assets. Review and update documentation annually, or when significant enterprise changes occur that could impact this Safeguard.
- Safeguard 7.2: Establish and Maintain a Remediation Process: Establish and maintain a risk-based remediation strategy documented in a remediation process, with monthly, or more frequent, reviews.
- Safeguard 7.4: Perform Automated Application Patch Management: Perform application updates on enterprise assets through automated patch management on a monthly, or more frequent, basis.
- Safeguard 7.5: Perform Automated Vulnerability Scans of Internal Enterprise Assets: Perform automated vulnerability scans of internal enterprise assets on a quarterly, or more frequent, basis. Conduct both authenticated and unauthenticated scans, using a SCAP-compliant vulnerability scanning tool.
- Safeguard 7.7: Remediate Detected Vulnerabilities: Remediate detected vulnerabilities in software through processes and tooling on a monthly, or more frequent, basis, based on the remediation process.
- Safeguard 12.1: Ensure Network Infrastructure is Up-to-Date: Ensure network infrastructure is kept up-to-date. Example implementations include running the latest stable release of software and/or using currently supported network-as-a-service (NaaS) offerings. Review software versions monthly, or more frequently, to verify software support.
- Safeguard 18.1: Establish and Maintain a Penetration Testing Program: Establish and maintain a penetration testing program appropriate to the size, complexity, and maturity of the enterprise. Penetration testing program characteristics include scope, such as network, web application, Application Programming Interface (API), hosted services, and physical premise controls; frequency; limitations, such as acceptable hours, and excluded attack types; point of contact information; remediation, such as how findings will be routed internally; and retrospective requirements.
- Safeguard 18.2: Perform Periodic External Penetration Tests: Perform periodic external penetration tests based on program requirements, no less than annually. External penetration testing must include enterprise and environmental reconnaissance to detect exploitable information. Penetration testing requires specialized skills and experience and must be conducted through a qualified party. The testing may be clear box or opaque box.
- Safeguard 18.3: Remediate Penetration Test Findings: Remediate penetration test findings based on the enterprise’s policy for remediation scope and prioritization.
Apply the Principle of Least Privilege to all systems and services. Run all software as a non-privileged user (one without administrative privileges) to diminish the effects of a successful attack. (M1026: Privileged Account Management)
- Safeguard 4.7: Manage Default Accounts on Enterprise Assets and Software: Manage default accounts on enterprise assets and software, such as root, administrator, and other pre-configured vendor accounts. Example implementations can include: disabling default accounts or making them unusable.
- Safeguard 5.5: Establish and Maintain an Inventory of Service Accounts: Establish and maintain an inventory of service accounts. The inventory, at a minimum, must contain department owner, review date, and purpose. Perform service account reviews to validate that all active accounts are authorized, on a recurring schedule at a minimum quarterly, or more frequently.
Vulnerability scanning is used to find potentially exploitable software vulnerabilities to remediate them. (M1016: Vulnerability Scanning)
- Safeguard 16.13: Conduct Application Penetration Testing: Conduct application penetration testing. For critical applications, authenticated penetration testing is better suited to finding business logic vulnerabilities than code scanning and automated security testing. Penetration testing relies on the skill of the tester to manually manipulate an application as an authenticated and unauthenticated user.
Architect sections of the network to isolate critical systems, functions, or resources. Use physical and logical segmentation to prevent access to potentially sensitive systems and information. Use a DMZ to contain any internet-facing services that should not be exposed from the internal network. Configure separate virtual private cloud (VPC) instances to isolate critical cloud systems. (M1030: Network Segmentation)
- Safeguard 12.2: Establish and Maintain a Secure Network Architecture: Establish and maintain a secure network architecture. A secure network architecture must address segmentation, least privilege, and availability, at a minimum.
Use capabilities to detect and block conditions that may lead to or be indicative of a software exploit occurring. (M1050: Exploit Protection)
- Safeguard 10.5: Enable Anti-Exploitation Features: Enable anti-exploitation features on enterprise assets and software, where possible, such as Microsoft® Data Execution Prevention (DEP), Windows® Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG), or Apple® System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Gatekeeper™.

REFERENCES:

Microsoft:
https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-us
https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2025-Sep

Multiple Vulnerabilities in Adobe Products Could Allow for Arbitrary Code Execution – PATCH: NOW

Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Adobe products, the most severe of which could allow for arbitrary code execution.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free software for viewing, printing, and annotating PDF files.
Adobe After Effects is a digital software program used to create and composite visual effects, motion graphics, and animations for film, television, web video, and social media.
Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional video editing software that allows users to create and edit a wide range of video content, from social media clips to feature films.
Adobe Commerce is an enterprise-grade eCommerce platform that provides tools for creating and managing online stores for both B2B and B2C businesses.
Adobe Substance 3D Viewer is a free, standalone desktop application (currently in beta) designed to help designers and artists visualize and work with 3D models, textures, and materials.
Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is a comprehensive content management and digital asset management system.
Adobe Dreamweaver is a powerful, all-in-one web design and development software that combines a visual design surface with a code editor, allowing users to create, code, and manage websites.
Adobe 3D Substance Modeler is a sculpting and 3D modeling application within Adobe’s Substance 3D suite that combines virtual reality (VR) and desktop experiences for natural, gestural creation of 3D models.
Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web-application development platform that includes a server-side scripting language (CFML) and an application server designed for fast development of dynamic web pages and robust business applications.

Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities 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

THREAT INTELLIGENCE:
There are currently no reports of these vulnerabilities being exploited in the wild.

SYSTEMS AFFECTED:

Acrobat DC Win – 25.001.20672 and earlier versions
Acrobat DCMac – 25.001.20668 and earlier versions
Acrobat Reader DC Win – 25.001.20672 and earlier versions
Acrobat Reader DC Mac – 25.001.20668 and earlier versions
Acrobat 2024 Win & Mac – 24.001.30254 and earlier versions
Acrobat 2020 Win & Mac – 20.005.30774 and earlier versions
Acrobat Reader 2020 Win & Mac – 20.005.30774 and earlier versions
Adobe After Effects 24.6.7 and earlier versions
Adobe After Effects 25.3 and earlier versions
Adobe Premiere Pro 25.3 and earlier versions
Adobe Premiere Pro 24.6.5 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce 2.4.9-alpha2 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce 2.4.8-p2 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce 2.4.7-p7 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce 2.4.6-p12 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce 2.4.5-p14 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce 2.4.4-p15 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce B2B 1.5.3-alpha2 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce B2B 1.5.2-p2 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce B2B 1.4.2-p7 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce B2B 1.3.4-p14 and earlier versions
Adobe Commerce B2B 1.3.3-p15 and earlier versions
Magento Open Source 2.4.9-alpha2 and earlier versions
Magento Open Source 2.4.8-p2 and earlier versions
Magento Open Source 2.4.7-p7 and earlier versions
Magento Open Source 2.4.6-p12 and earlier versions
Magento Open Source 2.4.5-p14 and earlier versions
Adobe Substance 3D Viewer 0.25.1 and earlier versions
AEM Cloud Service (CS) 6.5 LTS SP1 and earlier versions
AEM Cloud Service (CS) 6.5.23 and earlier versions
Adobe Dreamweaver 21.5 and earlier versions
Adobe Substance 3D Modeler 1.22.2 and earlier versions
ColdFusion 2025 Update 3 and earlier versions
ColdFusion 2023 Update 15 and earlier versions
ColdFusion 2021 Update 21 and earlier versions

RISK:
Government:

Large and medium government entities: High
Small government entities: Medium

Businesses:

Large and medium business entities: High
Small business entities: Medium

Home users: Low

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:

Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Adobe products, the most severe of which could allow for arbitrary code execution. Details of these vulnerabilities are as follows

Tactic: Execution (TA0002)

Technique: Exploitation for Client Execution (T1203):

Adobe Acrobat and Reader:

Use After Free (CVE-2025-54257)
Violation of Secure Design Principles (CVE-2025-54255)

Adobe After Effects:

Out-of-bounds Read (CVE-2025-54239, CVE-2025-54240, CVE-2025-54241)

Adobe Premiere Pro:

Use After Free (CVE-2025-54242)

Adobe Commerce:

Improper Input Validation (CVE-2025-54236)

Substance 3D Viewer:

Out-of-bounds Write (CVE-2025-54243, CVE-2025-54245)
Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CVE-2025-54244)

Adobe Experience Manager:

Improper Input Validation (CVE-2025-54248, CVE-2025-54247, CVE-2025-54250)
Incorrect Authorization (CVE-2025-54246)
Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) (CVE-2025-54249)
XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection) (CVE-2025-54251)
Cross-site Scripting (Stored XSS) (CVE-2025-54252)

Adobe Dreamweaver:

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) (CVE-2025-54256)

Substance 3D Modeler:

Use After Free (CVE-2025-54258)
Integer Overflow or Wraparound (CVE-2025-54259)
Out-of-bounds Read (CVE-2025-54260)

Adobe ColdFusion:

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory (‘Path Traversal’) (CVE-2025-54261)

RECOMMENDATIONS:
We recommend the following actions be taken:

Apply the stable channel update provided by Adobe to vulnerable systems immediately after appropriate testing. (M1051: Update Software)
- Safeguard 7.1: Establish and Maintain a Vulnerability Management Process: Establish and maintain a documented vulnerability management process for enterprise assets. Review and update documentation annually, or when significant enterprise changes occur that could impact this Safeguard.
- Safeguard 7.2: Establish and Maintain a Remediation Process: Establish and maintain a risk-based remediation strategy documented in a remediation process, with monthly, or more frequent, reviews.
- Safeguard 7.6: Perform Automated Vulnerability Scans of Externally-Exposed Enterprise Assets: Perform automated vulnerability scans of externally-exposed enterprise assets using a SCAP-compliant vulnerability scanning tool. Perform scans on a monthly, or more frequent, basis.
- Safeguard 7.7: Remediate Detected Vulnerabilities: Remediate detected vulnerabilities in software through processes and tooling on a monthly, or more frequent, basis, based on the remediation process.
- Safeguard 16.13: Conduct Application Penetration Testing: Conduct application penetration testing. For critical applications, authenticated penetration testing is better suited to finding business logic vulnerabilities than code scanning and automated security testing. Penetration testing relies on the skill of the tester to manually manipulate an application as an authenticated and unauthenticated user.
- Safeguard 18.1: Establish and Maintain a Penetration Testing Program: Establish and maintain a penetration testing program appropriate to the size, complexity, and maturity of the enterprise. Penetration testing program characteristics include scope, such as network, web application, Application Programming Interface (API), hosted services, and physical premise controls; frequency; limitations, such as acceptable hours, and excluded attack types; point of contact information; remediation, such as how findings will be routed internally; and retrospective requirements.
- Safeguard 18.2: Perform Periodic External Penetration Tests: Perform periodic external penetration tests based on program requirements, no less than annually. External penetration testing must include enterprise and environmental reconnaissance to detect exploitable information. Penetration testing requires specialized skills and experience and must be conducted through a qualified party. The testing may be clear box or opaque box.
- Safeguard 18.3: Remediate Penetration Test Findings: Remediate penetration test findings based on the enterprise’s policy for remediation scope and prioritization.
Apply the Principle of Least Privilege to all systems and services. Run all software as a non-privileged user (one without administrative privileges) to diminish the effects of a successful attack. (M1026: Privileged Account Management)
- Safeguard 4.7: Manage Default Accounts on Enterprise Assets and Software: Manage default accounts on enterprise assets and software, such as root, administrator, and other pre-configured vendor accounts. Example implementations can include: disabling default accounts or making them unusable.
- Safeguard 5.4: Restrict Administrator Privileges to Dedicated Administrator Accounts: Restrict administrator privileges to dedicated administrator accounts on enterprise assets. Conduct general computing activities, such as internet browsing, email, and productivity suite use, from the user’s primary, non-privileged account.
Restrict use of certain websites, block downloads/attachments, block Javascript, restrict browser extensions, etc. (M1021: Restrict Web-Based Content)
- Safeguard 2.3: Address Unauthorized Software: Ensure that unauthorized software is either removed from use on enterprise assets or receives a documented exception. Review monthly, or more frequently.
- Safeguard 2.7: Allowlist Authorized Scripts: Use technical controls, such as digital signatures and version control, to ensure that only authorized scripts, such as specific .ps1, .py, etc., files, are allowed to execute. Block unauthorized scripts from executing. Reassess bi-annually, or more frequently.
- Safeguard 9.3: Maintain and Enforce Network-Based URL Filters: Enforce and update network-based URL filters to limit an enterprise asset from connecting to potentially malicious or unapproved websites. Example implementations include category-based filtering, reputation-based filtering, or through the use of block lists. Enforce filters for all enterprise assets.
- Safeguard 9.6: Block Unnecessary File Types: Block unnecessary file types attempting to enter the enterprise’s email gateway.
Use capabilities to detect and block conditions that may lead to or be indicative of a software exploit occurring. (M1050: Exploit Protection)
- Safeguard 10.5: Enable Anti-Exploitation Features: Enable anti-exploitation features on enterprise assets and software, where possible, such as Microsoft® Data Execution Prevention (DEP), Windows® Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG), or Apple® System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Gatekeeper™.
Block execution of code on a system through application control, and/or script blocking. (M1038:Execution Prevention)
- Safeguard 2.5: Allowlist Authorized Software: Use technical controls, such as application allowlisting, to ensure that only authorized software can execute or be accessed. Reassess bi-annually, or more frequently.
- Safeguard 2.6: Allowlist Authorized Libraries: Use technical controls to ensure that only authorized software libraries, such as specific .dll, .ocx, .so, etc., files, are allowed to load into a system process. Block unauthorized libraries from loading into a system process. Reassess bi-annually, or more frequently.
- Safeguard 2.7: Allowlist Authorized Scripts: Use technical controls, such as digital signatures and version control, to ensure that only authorized scripts, such as specific .ps1, .py, etc., files, are allowed to execute. Block unauthorized scripts from executing. Reassess bi-annually, or more frequently.
Use capabilities to prevent suspicious behavior patterns from occurring on endpoint systems. This could include suspicious process, file, API call, etc. behavior. (M1040: Behavior Prevention on Endpoint)
- Safeguard 13.2: Deploy a Host-Based Intrusion Detection Solution: Deploy a host-based intrusion detection solution on enterprise assets, where appropriate and/or supported.
- Safeguard 13.7: Deploy a Host-Based Intrusion Prevention Solution: Deploy a host-based intrusion prevention solution on enterprise assets, where appropriate and/or supported. Example implementations include use of an Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) client or host-based IPS agent.

REFERENCES:

Multiple Vulnerabilities in Ivanti Products Could Allow for Remote Code Execution – PATCH NOW

Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Ivanti products, the most severe of which could allow for remote code execution.

Ivanti Endpoint Manager is a client-based unified endpoint management software
Ivanti Connect Secure is an SSL VPN solution for remote and mobile users.
Ivanti Policy Secure (IPS) is a network access control (NAC) solution which provides network access only to authorized and secured users and devices.
Ivanti Neurons for Zero Trust Access (ZTA) Gateways securely connects devices to web applications, whether on-premises or in the cloud, using Zero Trust principles.

Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow for remote code execution in the context of the system. Depending on the privileges associated with the system, an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data. 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.

THREAT INTELLIGENCE:
Ivanti is not aware of any customers being exploited by these vulnerabilities at the time of disclosure.

SYSTEMS AFFECTED:

Ivanti Endpoint Manager 2022 SU8 Security Update 1 and prior
Ivanti Endpoint Manager 2024 SU3 and prior
Ivanti Connect Secure 22.7R2.8 and prior
Ivanti Policy Secure 22.7R1.4 and prior
ZTA Gateways 22.8R2.2
Neurons for Secure Access 22.8R1.3 and prior

RISK:
Government:

Large and medium government entities: High
Small government entities: Medium

Businesses:

Large and medium business entities: High
Small business entities: Medium

Home users: Low

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:
Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Ivanti products, the most severe of which could allow for remote code execution. Details of these vulnerabilities are as follows:

Tactic: Initial Access (TA0001):
Technique: Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190):

Insufficient filename validation in Ivanti Endpoint Manager before 2024 SU3 Security Update 1 and 2022 SU8 Security Update 2 allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to achieve remote code execution. User interaction is required. (CVE-2025-9712, CVE-2025-9872)

Details of lower severity vulnerabilities:

Missing authorization in Ivanti Connect Secure before 22.7R2.9 or 22.8R2, Ivanti Policy Secure before 22.7R1.6, Ivanti ZTA Gateway before 22.8R2.3-723 and Ivanti Neurons for Secure Access before 22.8R1.4 (Fix deployed on 02-Aug-2025) allows a remote authenticated attacker with read-only admin privileges to configure restricted settings (CVE-2025-8712, CVE-2025-55148, CVE-2025-55144)
CSRF in Ivanti Connect Secure before 22.7R2.9 or 22.8R2, Ivanti Policy Secure before 22.7R1.6, Ivanti ZTA Gateway before 2.8R2.3-723 and Ivanti Neurons for Secure Access before 22.8R1.4 (Fix deployed on 02-Aug-2025) allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute limited actions on behalf of the victim user. User interaction is required. (CVE-2025-8711)
Missing authorization in Ivanti Connect Secure before 22.7R2.9 or 22.8R2, Ivanti Policy Secure before 22.7R1.6, Ivanti ZTA Gateway before 2.8R2.3-723 and Ivanti Neurons for Secure Access before 22.8R1.4 (Fix deployed on 02-Aug-2025) allows a remote authenticated attacker to hijack existing HTML5 connections. (CVE-2025-55145)
An unchecked return value in Ivanti Connect Secure before 22.7R2.9 or 22.8R2, Ivanti Policy Secure before 22.7R1.6, Ivanti ZTA Gateway before 2.8R2.3-723 and Ivanti Neurons for Secure Access before 22.8R1.4 (Fix deployed on 02-Aug-2025) allows a remote authenticated attacker with admin privileges to trigger a denial of service. (CVE-2025-55146)
CSRF in Ivanti Connect Secure before 22.7R2.9 or 22.8R2, Ivanti Policy Secure before 22.7R1.6, Ivanti ZTA Gateway before 2.8R2.3-723 and Ivanti Neurons for Secure Access before 22.8R1.4 (Fix deployed on 02-Aug-2025) allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute sensitive actions on behalf of the victim user. User interaction is required. (CVE-2025-55147)
SSRF in Ivanti Connect Secure before 22.7R2.9 or 22.8R2, Ivanti Policy Secure before 22.7R1.6, Ivanti ZTA Gateway before 2.8R2.3-723 and Ivanti Neurons for Secure Access before 22.8R1.4 (Fix deployed on 02-Aug-2025) allows a remote authenticated attacker with admin privileges to enumerate internal services. (CVE-2025-55139)
Missing authorization in Ivanti Connect Secure before 22.7R2.9 or 22.8R2, Ivanti Policy Secure before 22.7R1.6, Ivanti ZTA Gateway before 2.8R2.3-723 and Ivanti Neurons for Secure Access before 22.8R1.4 (Fix deployed on 02-Aug-2025) allows a remote authenticated attacker with read-only admin privileges to configure authentication related settings. (CVE-2025-55141, CVE-2025-55142)
Reflected text injection in Ivanti Connect Secure before 22.7R2.9 or 22.8R2, Ivanti Policy Secure before 22.7R1.6, Ivanti ZTA Gateway before 2.8R2.3-723 and Ivanti Neurons for Secure Access before 22.8R1.4 (Fix deployed on 02-Aug-2025) allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to inject arbitrary text into a crafted HTTP response. User interaction is required. (CVE-2025-55143)

RECOMMENDATIONS:
We recommend the following actions be taken:

Apply appropriate updates provided by Ivanti to vulnerable systems immediately after appropriate testing. (M1051: Update Software)
- Safeguard 7.1 : Establish and Maintain a Vulnerability Management Process: Establish and maintain a documented vulnerability management process for enterprise assets. Review and update documentation annually, or when significant enterprise changes occur that could impact this Safeguard.
- Safeguard 7.2: Establish and Maintain a Remediation Process: Establish and maintain a risk-based remediation strategy documented in a remediation process, with monthly, or more frequent, reviews.
- Safeguard 7.4: Perform Automated Application Patch Management: Perform application updates on enterprise assets through automated patch management on a monthly, or more frequent, basis.
- Safeguard 7.5 : Perform Automated Vulnerability Scans of Internal Enterprise Assets: Perform automated vulnerability scans of internal enterprise assets on a quarterly, or more frequent, basis. Conduct both authenticated and unauthenticated scans, using a SCAP-compliant vulnerability scanning tool.
- Safeguard 7.7: Remediate Detected Vulnerabilities: Remediate detected vulnerabilities in software through processes and tooling on a monthly, or more frequent, basis, based on the remediation process.
- Safeguard 12.1: Ensure Network Infrastructure is Up-to-Date: Ensure network infrastructure is kept up-to-date. Example implementations include running the latest stable release of software and/or using currently supported network-as-a-service (NaaS) offerings. Review software versions monthly, or more frequently, to verify software support.
- Safeguard 18.1: Establish and Maintain a Penetration Testing Program: Establish and maintain a penetration testing program appropriate to the size, complexity, and maturity of the enterprise. Penetration testing program characteristics include scope, such as network, web application, Application Programming Interface (API), hosted services, and physical premise controls; frequency; limitations, such as acceptable hours, and excluded attack types; point of contact information; remediation, such as how findings will be routed internally; and retrospective requirements.
- Safeguard 18.2: Perform Periodic External Penetration Tests: Perform periodic external penetration tests based on program requirements, no less than annually. External penetration testing must include enterprise and environmental reconnaissance to detect exploitable information. Penetration testing requires specialized skills and experience and must be conducted through a qualified party. The testing may be clear box or opaque box.
- Safeguard 18.3: Remediate Penetration Test Findings: Remediate penetration test findings based on the enterprise’s policy for remediation scope and prioritization.
Apply the Principle of Least Privilege to all systems and services. Run all software as a non-privileged user (one without administrative privileges) to diminish the effects of a successful attack. (M1026: Privileged Account Management)
- Safeguard 4.7: Manage Default Accounts on Enterprise Assets and Software: Manage default accounts on enterprise assets and software, such as root, administrator, and other pre-configured vendor accounts. Example implementations can include: disabling default accounts or making them unusable.
- Safeguard 5.5: Establish and Maintain an Inventory of Service Accounts: Establish and maintain an inventory of service accounts. The inventory, at a minimum, must contain department owner, review date, and purpose. Perform service account reviews to validate that all active accounts are authorized, on a recurring schedule at a minimum quarterly, or more frequently.
Vulnerability scanning is used to find potentially exploitable software vulnerabilities to remediate them. (M1016: Vulnerability Scanning)
- Safeguard 16.13: Conduct Application Penetration Testing: Conduct application penetration testing. For critical applications, authenticated penetration testing is better suited to finding business logic vulnerabilities than code scanning and automated security testing. Penetration testing relies on the skill of the tester to manually manipulate an application as an authenticated and unauthenticated user.
Architect sections of the network to isolate critical systems, functions, or resources. Use physical and logical segmentation to prevent access to potentially sensitive systems and information. Use a DMZ to contain any internet-facing services that should not be exposed from the internal network. Configure separate virtual private cloud (VPC) instances to isolate critical cloud systems. (M1030: Network Segmentation)
- Safeguard 12.2: Establish and Maintain a Secure Network Architecture: Establish and maintain a secure network architecture. A secure network architecture must address segmentation, least privilege, and availability, at a minimum.
Use capabilities to detect and block conditions that may lead to or be indicative of a software exploit occurring. (M1050: Exploit Protection)
- Safeguard 10.5: Enable Anti-Exploitation Features: Enable anti-exploitation features on enterprise assets and software, where possible, such as Microsoft® Data Execution Prevention (DEP), Windows® Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG), or Apple® System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Gatekeeper™.

REFERENCES:

NIST Publishes Report on Digital Product Cybersecurity Education and Awareness for Design-A-Thon Event

NIST has published Internal Report (IR) 8558, Report on the Design-A-Thon: Designing Effective and Accessible Approaches for Digital Product Cybersecurity Education and Awareness. The Design-A-Thon event was organized by NIST and hosted by the Symposium in Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS) on August 11th, 2024. For the project, three teams developed cybersecurity education and awareness strategies based on mock Internet of Things (IoT) products described in the Design-A-Thon materials.

This report describes the project’s background, planning, execution, participants, and lessons learned.

Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information: A NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Webinar

Date: November 4, 2025

Time: 2:00PM – 3:00PM EST

Location: Virtual

Description:

Recently, NIST published a Small Business Primer for NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-171, Revision 3, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Nonfederal Systems, to help small and medium-sized businesses understand and implement security requirements for protecting CUI. During this webinar, NIST will provide attendees with an overview of the new primer, including:

A foundational overview of SP 800-171.
Key differences between SP 800-171 Revision 2 and Revision 3.
An overview of the relationship between SP 800-171 and SP 800-171A.
Considerations to be mindful of as small organizations begin implementing the requirements in SP 800-171.
Answers to frequently asked questions.

Time will be reserved to answer audience questions. Please bring your ideas. The speakers will want to hear from attendees to inform follow-on resource development in the form of other guides, webinar topics, etc., to support the small business community’s efforts to protect CUI.

Event Speakers:

Victoria Pillitteri, Co-Author of NIST SP 800-171, NIST
Daniel Eliot, Lead for Small Business Engagement, NIST

Multiple Vulnerabilities in Google Android OS Could Allow for Remote Code Execution – PATCH: NOW

Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Google Android OS, the most severe of which could allow for remote code execution. Android is an operating system developed by Google for mobile devices, including, but not limited to, smartphones, tablets, and watches. Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow for remote code execution. Depending on the privileges associated with the exploited component, an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full rights.

THREAT INTELLIGENCE:
Google reports targeted exploitation of CVE-2025-38352 and CVE-2025-48543 in the wild.

SYSTEMS AFFECTED:

Android OS patch levels prior to 2025-09-05

RISK:
Government:

Large and medium government entities: High
Small government entities: Medium

Businesses:

Large and medium business entities: High
Small business entities: Medium

Home users: Low

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:
Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Google Android OS, the most severe of which could allow for remote code execution in the context of the affected component. Following the MITRE ATT&CK framework, exploitation of these vulnerabilities can be classified as follows:

Tactic: Execution (TA0002)

Technique: Exploitation for Client Execution (T1203):

A vulnerability in System that could allow for remote code execution. (CVE-2025-48539)

Details of lower-severity vulnerabilities are as follows:

A vulnerability in Android Runtime that could allow for elevation of privilege. (CVE-2025-48543)
Multiple vulnerabilities in Framework that could allow for elevation of privilege. (CVE-2025-0089, CVE-2025-32324, CVE-2025-32325, CVE-2025-32331, CVE-2025-32349, CVE-2025-32350, CVE-2025-48522, CVE-2025-48528, CVE-2025-48540, CVE-2025-48546, CVE-2025-48548, CVE-2025-48549, CVE-2025-48552, CVE-2025-48553, CVE-2025-48556, CVE-2025-48558, CVE-2025-48563)
Multiple vulnerabilities in Framework that could allow for information disclosure. (CVE-2025-0076, CVE-2025-32330, CVE-2025-48529, CVE-2025-48537, CVE-2025-48545, CVE-2025-48561, CVE-2025-48562)
Multiple vulnerabilities in Framework that could allow for denial of service. (CVE-2025-48538, CVE-2025-48542, CVE-2025-48550, CVE-2025-48554, CVE-2025-48559)
Multiple vulnerabilities in System that could allow for elevation of privilege. (CVE-2021-39810, CVE-2023-24023, CVE-2024-49714, CVE-2025-26454, CVE-2025-26464, CVE-2025-32321, CVE-2025-32323, CVE-2025-32326, CVE-2025-32327, CVE-2025-32333, CVE-2025-32345, CVE-2025-32346, CVE-2025-32347, CVE-2025-48523, CVE-2025-48526, CVE-2025-48531, CVE-2025-48532, CVE-2025-48535, CVE-2025-48541, CVE-2025-48544, CVE-2025-48547, CVE-2025-48581)
Multiple vulnerabilities in System that could allow for information disclosure. (CVE-2025-48527, CVE-2025-48551, CVE-2025-48560)
Multiple vulnerabilities in System that could allow for denial of service. (CVE-2025-48524, CVE-2025-48534)
Multiple vulnerabilities in Kernel could allow for elevation of privileges. (CVE-2025-21755, CVE-2025-38352)
A vulnerability in Widevine DRM. (CVE-2025-32332)
Multiple vulnerabilities in Arm components. (CVE-2024-7881, CVE-2025-1246, CVE-2025-3212)
Multiple vulnerabilities in Imagination Technologies. (CVE-2024-47898, CVE-2024-47899, CVE-2025-0467, CVE-2025-1706, CVE-2025-8109, CVE-2025-25179, CVE-2025-25180, CVE-2025-46707, CVE-2025-46708, CVE-2025-46710)
Multiple vulnerabilities in MediaTek components. (CVE-2025-20696, CVE-2025-20704, CVE-2025-20708, CVE-2025-20703)
Multiple vulnerabilities in Qualcomm components. (CVE-2025-27042, CVE-2025-27043, CVE-2025-27056, CVE-2025-27057, CVE-2025-27061)
Multiple vulnerabilities in Qualcomm closed-source components. (CVE-2025-21450, CVE-2025-21483, CVE-2025-27034, CVE-2025-21427, CVE-2025-21432, CVE-2025-21433, CVE-2025-21446, CVE-2025-21449, CVE-2025-21454, CVE-2025-21464, CVE-2025-21465, CVE-2025-21477, CVE-2025-21481, CVE-2025-21482, CVE-2025-21484, CVE-2025-21487, CVE-2025-21488, CVE-2025-27032, CVE-2025-27052, CVE-2025-27065, CVE-2025-27066, CVE-2025-27073, CVE-2025-47317, CVE-2025-47318, CVE-2025-47326, CVE-2025-47328, CVE-2025-47329)

Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow for remote code execution. Depending on the privileges associated with the exploited component, an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full rights.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
We recommend the following actions be taken:

Apply appropriate patches provided by Google to vulnerable systems, immediately after appropriate testing. (M1051: Update Software)
- Safeguard 7.1: Establish and Maintain a Vulnerability Management Process: Establish and maintain a documented vulnerability management process for enterprise assets. Review and update documentation annually, or when significant enterprise changes occur that could impact this Safeguard.
- Safeguard 7.4: Perform Automated Application Patch Management: Perform application updates on enterprise assets through automated patch management on a monthly, or more frequent, basis.
- Safeguard 7.5: Perform Automated Vulnerability Scans of Internal Enterprise Assets: Perform automated vulnerability scans of internal enterprise assets on a quarterly, or more frequent, basis. Conduct both authenticated and unauthenticated scans, using a SCAP-compliant vulnerability scanning tool.
Remind users not to visit un-trusted websites or follow links provided by unknown or un-trusted sources. Inform and educate users regarding threats posed by hypertext links contained in emails or attachments, especially from un-trusted sources. (M1017: User Training)
Use capabilities to detect and block conditions that may lead to or be indicative of a software exploit occurring. (M1050: Exploit Protection)
- Safeguard 10.5: Enable Anti-Exploitation Features: Enable anti-exploitation features on enterprise assets and software, where possible, such as Apple® System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Gatekeeper™.

REFERENCES:

APT29 Threat Analysis Report

APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, Midnight Blizzard, The Dukes, Dark Halo, and NobleBaron, is a Russian state-sponsored cyber group linked to the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). APT29 has recently advanced its tradecraft by leveraging legitimate cloud services and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms to conduct covert, highly targeted cyber espionage campaigns. Their operations have primarily focused on Western governments, diplomatic entities, and critical infrastructure. This shift toward cloud-native techniques allows their activity to blend into normal network traffic, significantly reducing the effectiveness of traditional security tools.

This evolution is part of a broader trend among nation-state actors using “living off the land” techniques to evade detection and maintain long-term access to compromised environments.

As geopolitical tensions continue to rise, organizations in targeted sectors must reassess their cloud security posture and detection strategies to defend against increasingly stealthy and persistent threats like APT29.
Continue reading…

Local Municipality Impersonation to Steal Data and Funds

The NJCCIC received reports of threat actors impersonating multiple New Jersey local municipalities to steal sensitive data and funds and exploit public trust. Threat actors take advantage of residents who interact with their local municipalities regularly and are more likely to trust communications appearing to be official. They pose as local officials and contact residents through unsolicited communications to demand information or money using threats and deceptive tactics such as stolen branding and logos, unofficial or spoofed email addresses and phone numbers, and fake documents.

In the above example, threat actors impersonate a local municipality in an unsolicited email to create urgency and legitimacy by demanding additional payment to avoid delays in the bulk variance application approval process. The sender’s display name is “Planning Commission [local municipality name].” In the sender’s email address, the username is “planning-commission.[local municipality name]nj” with a “usa” domain name and .com top-level domain (TLD), unlike the official local municipality. The subject line displays “Settlement of Application Review and Approval Fee Invoice” and includes an attached Adobe PDF file.

The attached Adobe PDF file appears to be an official and legitimate invoice, but it contains stolen branding and logos in the watermark in the background and on the letterhead. The fraudulent invoice itemizes various fees due upon receipt. Unlike typical payment methods of checks or official portals, the remittance instructions in the invoice indicate payment is only through wire transfer, and the threat actors will provide those instructions upon request. If requested, the bank account information provided is not affiliated with the local municipality and may be linked to an out-of-state bank account. The threat actors further instruct their target to email them a signed copy of the invoice and the wire transfer payment receipt for confirmation. The invoice also states that this fee supports the administrative processing, legal evaluation, zoning compliance verification, and public notification procedures directly tied to the recipient’s application. If this fraudulent scheme is successful, the threat actors steal the funds and use the victim’s sensitive information and signature to commit identity theft, financial fraud, and other malicious activity.

Threat Actors Want Your Remote…Access

The NJCCIC has observed threat actors continuing to exploit remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools such as PDQ Connect, ScreenConnect, ITarian, and Atera to remotely access target environments. The use of RMM software enables threat actors to gain initial access, often without triggering security alerts due to the legitimate nature of these programs. Once installed, RMM tools can be used similarly to remote access trojans (RATs), enabling threat actors to exfiltrate data, maintain persistent access, move laterally, and even download malware.

In these types of campaigns, threat actors use social engineering to persuade their targets to download and install their software. They often employ urgency or scare tactics to prompt quick action before the victim realizes they are being targeted. In the above campaign, users receive a phishing email that appears to be from the Social Security Administration.

Upon clicking the URL in the phishing email, users are directed to a website with instructions that claim certain software must be installed before they can access their secure files. After installing the software and running it as an administrator, threat actors can gain full remote control of the victim’s system. The NJCCIC has also recently reported on campaigns distributing PDQ Connect, Microsoft Quick Assist , and ScreenConnect.