Publications

Greetings, Easter is one of Australia’s most popular times for a getaway—whether it’s a beachside escape, a cosy countryside retreat, or an overseas adventure. But while you’re planning a well-earned break, scammers are planning how to steal your holiday and money. As travel bookings surge over the Easter period, so too do reports of travel-related scams. Cyber criminals know many people are on the hunt for last-minute deals and accommodation—and they’re ready to take advantage. Here are some common travel scams to watch out for this holiday season. Fraudulent Listings & Accounts Scammers often create fake accounts and listings on trusted booking platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com, using stunning photos and prices that seem too good to be true. Some go further by hacking legitimate host accounts, changing payment details, or moving communication off-platform to make easier to steal money and harder to trace them. Phishing Scams Phishing is a common tactic where scammers send malicious emails or text messages that appear to be from legitimate sources. These messages often include fake booking confirmations, flight cancellations, or requests to "verify" your information. Travel prize scams are also on the rise—offering fake giveaways or competitions to lure victims in. Fake Passport Schemes A more targeted scam aimed at Australians involves emails impersonating the Australian Passport Office. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) warned last year that these emails may contain malicious links or QR codes designed to steal personal information. DFAT stresses it will never send unsolicited emails or texts asking you to click a link—though it may send one if you request a password reset or other action. Public Wi-Fi Risks Public Wi-Fi in airports, cafes, or hotels might be convenient—but it's often unsecured and can be malicious. Hackers can exploit these networks to steal sensitive data like passwords, credit card numbers, and travel documents. If you need to connect while travelling, use a VPN and avoid accessing personal or financial accounts over public networks. Concerns were raised this week about the future of the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) program due to a lack of certainty of the US government’s funding of the MITRE contract to deliver the service. A last minute reprieve was subsequently announced to extend funding for a further 11 months but doubts remains of the long term future of this critically important program. SonicWall Patches Multiple Vulnerabilities in NetExtender VPN Client For Windows Date: 2025-04-10 Author: Cybersecurity News SonicWall has released security updates addressing three critical vulnerabilities in its NetExtender VPN client for Windows. The flaws, which could potentially allow attackers to escalate privileges and manipulate system files, affect both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the software prior to version 10.3.2. Fortinet Warns Attackers Retain FortiGate Access Post-Patching via SSL-VPN Symlink Exploit Date: 2025-04-11 Author: The Hacker News [Please see AUSCERT's bulletins issued for the 3 CVEs in question- https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2024.0849/, https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2023.3340/, https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2022.6458.2/] [AUSCERT urges its members to consider the mitigation measures listed by the vendor – https://www.fortinet.com/blog/psirt-blogs/analysis-of-threat-actor-activity] Fortinet has revealed that threat actors have found a way to maintain read-only access to vulnerable FortiGate devices even after the initial access vector used to breach the devices was patched. Palo Alto Networks Warns of Brute-Force Attempts Targeting PAN-OS GlobalProtect Gateways Date: 2025-04-11 Author: The Hacker News Palo Alto Networks has revealed that it's observing brute-force login attempts against PAN-OS GlobalProtect gateways, days after threat hunters warned of a surge in suspicious login scanning activity targeting its appliances. "Our teams are observing evidence of activity consistent with password-related attacks, such as brute-force login attempts, which does not indicate exploitation of a vulnerability," a spokesperson for the company told The Hacker News. "We continue to actively monitor this situation and analyze the reported activity to determine its potential impact and identify if mitigations are necessary." Australian Cyber Network releases inaugural State of the Industry 2024 report Date: 2025-04-16 Author: Cyber Daily The Australian Cyber Network (ACN) has released a first-of-its-kind, benchmark report into the state of the nation’s cyber security industry, and while some of the figures paint a picture of a growing and vital sector of the economy, others reveal a far darker truth – Australia needs to do a lot more to keep pace with rising threats. The inaugural State of the Industry 2024 report reveals an industry that contributes $9.99 billion to Australia’s gross value added (GVA) and attracted $348 million in investment in 2024 alone. It’s also home to more than 137,000 cyber security workers and professionals. MITRE's CVE program given last-minute reprieve Date: 2025-04-17 Author: iTNews A last-minute change of plan has lead to US officials extending support for MITRE's Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database for an additional 11months. The database acts as a catalogue for cyber weaknesses and allows IT administrators to quickly flag and triage the different bugs and hacks discovered daily. ESB-2025.2434 – Apple iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1: CVSS (Max): 7.5 Apple released urgent updates to address two security vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-31200 and CVE-2025-31201) that had been exploited in sophisticated attacks against specific iOS targets. The flaws included a code execution issue related to CoreAudio and a mitigation bypass in the RPAC feature. Although the vulnerabilities affect iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Apple reported limited exploitation on iPhones and did not disclose further details on the attacks. ESB-2025.2399 – Mozilla Firefox: CVSS (Max): None Mozilla has released Firefox 137.0.2 to address a high-severity security vulnerability (CVE-2025-3608) in the nsHttpTransaction component that could lead to memory corruption and potential code execution by attackers. Discovered by the Mozilla Fuzzing Team, the flaw involves a race condition that may cause browser instability under specific network conditions. Users are urged to update to the latest version to mitigate risks associated with this vulnerability. ESB-2025.2389 – Google Chrome: CVSS (Max): None Google confirmed two serious Chrome vulnerabilities: CVE-2025-3619, a heap buffer overflow in Codecs, and CVE-2025-3620, a critical use-after-free issue in USB functionality. CVE-2025-3620 poses the greatest risk, as it could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code. Users are urged to update their Chrome browsers to the latest version for protection. ASB-2025.0067 – Oracle Commerce: CVSS (Max): 9.8 Multiple high-risk vulnerabilities have been reported for Oracle Commerce, with a CVSS of 9.8, indicating significant potential for exploitation. These vulnerabilities could be exploited remotely by attackers to compromise the system's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Affected systems include various versions of Oracle Commerce running on Linux, UNIX, and Windows operating systems. Stay safe, stay patched and have a good weekend! The AUSCERT team

Greetings Register now for our upcoming webinar examining the evolving role of cyber security in shaping organisational value propositions, led by AUSCERT general manager Ivano Bongiovanni. Taking place on Tuesday, 6 May, from 12:00pm to 1:00pm AEST, this dynamic panel discussion will feature leading industry experts sharing insights, challenges, and strategies connecting cyber security and business value. Panellists include Charles McDermid (BOQ), Rob Nobilo (Google), Lukasz Gogolkiewicz (Accent Group Ltd), and Dr Jodie Siganto (Privacy108). Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable perspectives from some of the most influential voices in the field—register today to secure your spot. The session will explore the evolution of Cyber Security-as-a-Service (CSaaS), with a spotlight on the rising influence of end-customers as a third market force. While still much smaller than the traditional B2B space, consumer demand is accelerating as individuals become more informed about cyber risks and increasingly value cyber security in their purchasing choices. This shift is evident in the widespread adoption of tools such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and VPNs, as well as in marketing strategies that now frame cyber security as a core value-add. For providers such as MSSPs, this trend presents both opportunities and responsibilities—the need to remain ethical, innovative, and trusted is more important than ever. On the other side, demand-side organisations must navigate vendor complexity and ensure their cyber security investments align with overarching business objectives. Looking ahead, emerging B2B2C models—offering cyber security support not only to employees but also to their families—are opening new market opportunities while encouraging safer digital behaviours across work and home environments. As servitisation, trust, and adaptability continue to shape the future of CSaaS, this timely and thought-provoking discussion is one you won’t want to miss. Register now! Australian pension funds hit by wave of credential stuffing attacks Date: 2025-04-04 Author: Bleeping Computer Over the weekend, a massive wave of credential stuffing attacks hit multiple large Australian super funds, compromising thousands of members’ accounts. The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), Australia's advocacy body for the superannuation industry, said today that "a number of members were affected" even though the "majority of the attempts were repelled." Reuters has learned from a source familiar with the matter that over 20,000 accounts were breached in this massive wave of attacks targeting Australia's superannuation industry, with some members reportedly losing some of their savings. China-backed espionage group hits Ivanti customers again Date: 2025-04-03 Author: CyberScoop [AUSCERT has identified the impacted members (where possible) and contacted them via email] UNC5221 has a knack for exploiting defects in Ivanti products. The group has exploited at least four vulnerabilities in the vendor’s products since 2023, according to Mandiant. Ivanti customers are confronting another string of attacks linked to an actively exploited vulnerability in the company’s VPN products. Mandiant said a nation-state backed espionage group linked to China has been exploiting the critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-22457, since mid-March. CISA Warns of CrushFTP Vulnerability Exploitation in the Wild Date: 2025-04-08 Author: Infosecurity Magazine [AUSCERT contacted the potentially vulnerable members via email on 26 March 2025] The US top cybersecurity agency has confirmed that the critical vulnerability in file transfer solution provider CrushFTP’s product is being exploited in the wild. The authentication bypass vulnerability, CVE-2025-31161, was added to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on April 7. SAP April 2025 Update Fixes Critical Code Injection Vulnerabilities Date: 2025-04-09 Author: gbhackers SAP Security Patch Day has introduced a critical update to address vulnerabilities in SAP products, including high-severity code injection weaknesses. A total of 18 new Security Notes, along with 2 updates to existing notes, were released to tackle serious risks such as unauthorized access, code injection, and directory traversal. SAP recommends customers promptly apply these patches to safeguard their systems and ensure the robustness of their SAP landscapes. Oracle says "obsolete servers" hacked, denies cloud breach Date: 2025-04-09 Author: Bleeping Computer Oracle finally confirmed in email notifications sent to customers that a hacker stole and leaked credentials that were stolen from what it described as "two obsolete servers." However, the company added that its Oracle Cloud servers were not compromised, and this incident did not impact customer data and cloud services. "Oracle would like to state unequivocally that the Oracle Cloud—also known as Oracle Cloud Infrastructure or OCI—has NOT experienced a security breach," Oracle says in a customer notification shared with BleepingComputer. ESB-2025.2224.2 – FortiSwitch: CVSS (Max): 9.3 A recently revealed critical vulnerability in Fortinet’s FortiSwitch product line is sparking serious security concerns. Identified as CVE-2024-48887, the flaw allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to reset administrator passwords without needing prior access—posing a significant risk to organizations that depend on FortiSwitch for their network infrastructure. ESB-2025.2214 – Google Chrome: CVSS (Max): 8.8 Google has released an important security update for its Chrome browser, addressing a serious vulnerability that could potentially allow attackers to execute code remotely. The issue, tracked as CVE-2025-3066, affects Chrome's Site Isolation feature, highlighting the critical role regular browser updates play in defending against cyber threats. The update, rolled out on April 8, 2025, updates the Chrome Stable Channel to version 135.0.7049.84/.85 for Windows and Mac, and 135.0.7049.84 for Linux. ASB-2025.0059 – Microsoft Windows: CVSS (Max): 8.8 Microsoft has released security fixes to address a massive set of 125 flaws affecting its software products, including an active exploitation of a zero-day vulnerability in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver, tracked as CVE-2025-29824. ESB-2025.2191 – Android: CVSS (Max): 8.8* The April 2025 Android Security Bulletin details multiple vulnerabilities affecting Android devices, all addressed by the 2025-04-05 security patch level. The most severe is a critical System vulnerability that allows remote privilege escalation without user interaction or extra permissions, especially dangerous if mitigations are bypassed or disabled. ESB-2025.2242 – Juniper Junos OS: CVSS (Max): 10.0 Juniper Networks' April 2025 Security Bulletin addresses multiple vulnerabilities in Junos Space, Junos OS, and related products including CVE-2024-36971. The Junos Space 24.1R3 release resolves several critical and high-severity vulnerabilities, including remote code execution and denial-of-service issues. Users are advised to upgrade to Junos Space 24.1R3 and Junos OS versions 21.4R3-S10 or later to mitigate these risks. ESB-2025.2317 – Adobe ColdFusion: CVSS (Max): 9.1 Adobe's April 2025 Patch Tuesday release addresses 54 security vulnerabilities, including critical flaws in products like ColdFusion, FrameMaker, Photoshop, and Adobe Commerce. The most urgent fix is for ColdFusion, with 15 vulnerabilities that could allow arbitrary code execution, file system access, and security feature bypasses. Eleven of these vulnerabilities are ranked as critical, with CVSS scores between 7.5 and 9.1. Stay safe, stay patched and have a good weekend! The AUSCERT team

Greetings, We’re excited to introduce two new courses to our training offerings this year, designed to help organisations tackle key cyber security challenges. Due to high demand, we’ve added the Understanding and Implementing the ASD Essential Eight course to help security managers and technical specialists navigate the Essential Eight—a set of critical cyber security strategies published by the Australian Government. By completing this course, participants will gain a solid understanding of the ASD Essential Eight (E8), valuable insights into implementation options, and a clear grasp of the E8 maturity model. The course also covers how to prepare for an E8 assessment by an ASD-certified assessor. The next session for this course is coming up on July 29 &30—register now before it books out! Another course we’ve recently introduced is Managing Third-Party Cyber Security Risk, designed for professionals across various industries. This course focuses on securing organisations against risks posed by third-party suppliers and partners. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of third-party cyber risks, their impact on business operations and data security, and how to effectively identify and assess supplier risks. The course also covers mitigation strategies, industry best practices, and continuous monitoring techniques to strengthen an organisation’s cyber security posture. The next session is on August 5 & 6—register now! Looking for a streamlined approach to staff training? Our in-house training and volume booking options provide flexible, tailored solutions to meet your organisation’s needs. Contact us today to discuss how we can align our training with your organisation’s objectives for maximum impact! Hackers abuse WordPress MU-Plugins to hide malicious code Date: 2025-03-31 Author: Bleeping Computer [AUSCERT has identified the impacted members (where possible) and contacted them via email] Hackers are utilizing the WordPress mu-plugins ("Must-Use Plugins") directory to stealthily run malicious code on every page while evading detection. The technique was first observed by security researchers at Sucuri in February 2025, but adoption rates are on the rise, with threat actors now utilizing the folder to run three distinct types of malicious code. "The fact that we've seen so many infections inside mu-plugins suggests that attackers are actively targeting this directory as a persistent foothold," explains Sucuri's security analyst Puja Srivastava. CISA Analyzes Malware Used in Ivanti Zero-Day Attacks Date: 2025-03-31 Author: Security Week The US cybersecurity agency CISA on Friday published its analysis of the malware used by Chinese hackers in attacks exploiting an Ivanti Connect Secure zero-day patched in January 2025. The issue, tracked as CVE-2025-0282 (CVSS score of 9.0), is described as a stack-based buffer overflow enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely, without authentication. 24,000 unique IP addresses target PAN-OS GlobalProtect gateways Date: 2025-04-01 Author: SC Media A significant surge in scanning activity targeting Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS GlobalProtect gateway portals was observed in which over the last 30 days, nearly 24,000 unique IP addresses have attempted to access the PAN-OS devices. The increased activity suggests a coordinated effort to probe network defenses and identify vulnerable systems, potentially as a precursor to targeted exploitation. GitHub expands security tools after 39 million secrets leaked in 2024 Date: 2025-04-02 Author: Bleeping Computer GitHub announced updates to its Advanced Security platform after it detected over 39 million leaked secrets in repositories during 2024, including API keys and credentials, exposing users and organizations to serious security risks. In a new report by GitHub, the development company says the 39 million secrets were found through its secret scanning service, a security feature that detects API keys, passwords, tokens, and other secrets in repositories. "Secret leaks remain one of the most common—and preventable—causes of security incidents," reads GitHub's announcement. U.S. CISA adds Apache Tomcat flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog Date: 2025-04-02 Author: Security Affairs [See AUSCERT Bulletin https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1669.2] The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added an Apache Tomcat path equivalence vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-24813, to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. The Apache Tomcat vulnerability CVE-2025-24813 was recently disclosed and is being actively exploited just 30 hours after a public PoC was released. The issue is a path equivalence flaw in Apache Tomcat that allows remote code execution or information disclosure if specific conditions are met. ESB-2025.2011 – Apple iOS 15.8.4 and iPadOS 15.8.4: CVSS (Max): 8.8 Apple addressed two zero-day vulnerabilities: CVE-2025-24201 in WebKit, which allows attackers to escape the Web Content sandbox, and CVE-2025-24200, which lets attackers with physical access disable USB Restricted Mode on a locked device. Both were exploited in a sophisticated attack on specific targets. Security updates were released for iOS and iPadOS to fix these issues. ESB-2025.2035 – Google Chrome: CVSS (Max): None Chrome 135 has been released with 14 security fixes, including nine from external researchers. The most severe is a high-risk use-after-free flaw (CVE-2025-3066) in Navigations. The update also addresses medium- and low-severity issues in areas like Custom Tabs, Extensions, and Autofill. ESB-2025.2095 – Jenkins (core) and Jenkins Plugins: CVSS (Max): 8.8 Jenkins released a high-priority security advisory addressing multiple vulnerabilities in its core platform and plugins. The most critical issue, CVE-2025-31722, allows arbitrary code execution via the Templating Engine Plugin, with a CVSSv3 score of 8.8. ESB-2025.2048 – VMware Products: CVSS (Max): 7.8 VMware has released a critical security advisory (VMSA-2025-0006) for a high-severity privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2025-22231) in its Aria Operations platform, affecting multiple products. The flaw, rated 7.8 on the CVSSv3 scale, allows attackers with local admin access to gain root control over the system. Patches are now available for affected VMware platforms. ESB-2025.2045 – Firefox ESR: CVSS (Max): 8.1 Mozilla released Firefox 137 fixing critical vulnerabilities. The update addresses a high-impact use-after-free bug (CVE-2025-3028) and memory safety issues (CVE-2025-3030), which could lead to arbitrary code execution. Users are urged to update immediately to protect against these severe risks. Stay safe, stay patched and have a good weekend! The AUSCERT team

Greetings, This week has been an exciting one with the release of AUSCERT’s 2024 Year in Review! This report provides our members with a valuable snapshot of our efforts behind the scenes, offering insights into the services available and the opportunities they can take advantage of. It also offers valuable insights into industry trends and the ongoing progress across key areas. These milestones highlight our unwavering commitment to equipping members with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to navigate the ever-evolving cyber security landscape with confidence. Read the full report here Oracle has rejected claims that its cloud systems were compromised after a cyber criminal advertised the alleged theft of sensitive data from Oracle Cloud. The attacker claimed to have exploited a vulnerability in Oracle’s Single Sign-On (SSO) login servers, but Oracle denied this, stating no breach occurred and that the leaked credentials were unrelated to Oracle Cloud. The situation intensified when the threat actor released a 10,000-line sample of the purportedly stolen data, apparently to substantiate their claim of exfiltrating 6 million records from Oracle Cloud. Bleeping Computer contacted some of the alleged victim organisations, some of whom reportedly validated the stolen information was theirs. AUSCERT has issued a Critical Member Security Information Notification to potentially impacted members. We are actively monitoring the situation and will continue to update members as it unfolds. Despite these developments, Oracle maintains there has been no breach and is proceeding with its investigation. Critical ‘IngressNightmare’ Vulns Imperil Kubernetes Environments Date: 2025-03-25 Author: Dark Reading The maintainers of Kubernetes have released patches for four critical vulnerabilities in the Ingress NGINX Controller, affecting 6,500, or 41%, of all Internet-facing container orchestration clusters, including those used by several Fortune 500 companies. The vulnerabilities allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands in affected environments and completely take over Kubernetes clusters, according to researchers at Wiz who discovered the flaws. Researchers raise alarm about critical Next.js vulnerability Date: 2025-03-24 Author: CyberScoop [AUSCERT has identified the impacted members (where possible) and contacted them via email] The software defect in the widely used open-source JavaScript framework allows attackers to bypass middleware-based authorization. Researchers warn that attackers could exploit a recently discovered critical vulnerability in the open-source JavaScript framework Next.js to bypass authorization in middleware and gain access to targeted systems. Vercel, the San Francisco-based company that created and maintains Next.js, released a patch for CVE-2025-29927 in Next.js 15.2.3 on March 18 and published a security advisory on March 21. Google Patches Chrome Sandbox Escape Zero-Day Caught by Kaspersky Date: 2025-03-25 Author: Security Week [Please also see AUSCERT bulletin: https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1867/] Google late Tuesday rushed out a patch a sandbox escape in its flagship Chrome browser after researchers at Kaspersky caught a professional hacking operation launching drive-by download exploits. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-2783, was chained with a second exploit for remote code execution in what appears to be a nation-state sponsored cyberespionage campaign targeting organizations in Russia. CrushFTP warns users to patch unauthenticated access flaw immediately Date: 2025-03-25 Author: Bleeping Computer [AUSCERT has identified the impacted members (where possible) and contacted them via email] CrushFTP warned customers of an unauthenticated HTTP(S) port access vulnerability and urged them to patch their servers immediately. As the company also explained in an email sent to customers on Friday (seen by BleepingComputer), the security flaw enables attackers to gain unauthenticated access to unpatched servers if they are exposed on the Internet over HTTP(S). “Please take immediate action to patch ASAP. A vulnerability has been addressed today (March 21st, 2025). All CrushFTP v11 versions were affected. (No earlier versions are affected.) A CVE will be generated soon,” the company warned. VMware Patches Authentication Bypass Flaw in Windows Tools Suite Date: 2025-03-25 Author: Security Week [Please also see AUSCERT bulletin: https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1852/] Virtualization technology giant VMware on Tuesday released an urgent fix for an authentication bypass security defect affecting its VMware Tools for Windows utilities suite. The vulnerability, tagged as CVE-2025-22230, opens the door for a malicious actor with non-administrative privileges on a Windows guest virtual machine to perform certain high-privilege operations within that VM. Oracle customers confirm data stolen in alleged cloud breach is valid Date: 2025-03-26 Author: Bleeping Computer Despite Oracle denying a breach of its Oracle Cloud federated SSO login servers and the theft of account data for 6 million people, BleepingComputer has confirmed with multiple companies that associated data samples shared by the threat actor are valid. Last week, a person named ‘rose87168’ claimed to have breached Oracle Cloud servers and began selling the alleged authentication data and encrypted passwords of 6 million users ASB-2025.0050 – AUSCERT Bulletin Service – Oracle Cloud breach AUSCERT released an advisory regarding an alleged Oracle Cloud breach, where a threat actor claims to have stolen 6 million sensitive records. Oracle has denied the breach despite data samples appearing legitimate. The impact remains unclear, and mitigation measures should be evaluated based on the organisation’s policies. ESB-2025.1921 – GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions: CVSS (Max): 8.7 GitLab issued a security advisory urging users to upgrade to versions 17.10.1, 17.9.3, or 17.8.6 to address multiple vulnerabilities, including two high-severity XSS flaws (CVSS 8.7): CVE-2025-2255, which allows XSS via merge-request error messages, and CVE-2025-0811, caused by improper rendering of certain file types, both affecting versions prior to 17.8.6, 17.9.3, and 17.10.1. ESB-2025.1867 – Google Chrome: CVSS (Max): None Google fixed a high-severity Chrome zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-2783) exploited to escape the browser’s sandbox and deploy malware in espionage attacks targeting Russian media and education organisations. The flaw was related to an incorrect handle in Mojo on Windows. The fix is rolling out globally for Windows users in Chrome version 134.0.6998.178, with automatic updates available. ESB-2025.1852 – VMware Tools: CVSS (Max): 7.8 Broadcom issued security patches for a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in VMware Tools for Windows, tracked as CVE-2025-22230, rated 7.8 CVSS. The flaw allows attackers with non-admin privileges to perform high-privilege operations within a Windows guest VM. The vulnerability affects VMware Tools versions 11.x.x and 12.x.x and is fixed in version 12.5.1. ESB-2025.1840 – F5 Products: CVSS (Max): 9.8 Multiple vulnerabilities were discovered in the Ingress NGINX Controller for Kubernetes, exposing over 6,500 clusters to remote code execution. These vulnerabilities, including CVE-2025-1974 (CVSS 9.8), allow unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code and access all secrets in the Kubernetes cluster. F5 Networks has released an advisory and is actively investigating the issue to assess how these flaws may impact their products. Stay safe, stay patched and have a good weekend! The AUSCERT team

In 2024 AUSCERT has strengthened its position as a trusted ally in cyber security by launching transformative initiatives, refining existing services, and deepening engagement within the global cyber security community. These achievements reflect our unwavering commitment to empowering members with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to navigate the ever-evolving cyber security landscape with confidence. We’re excited to present the 2024 Year in Review—a comprehensive look at our efforts behind the scenes. This report offers valuable insights into our services, the opportunities available to members, and key industry trends shaping the future of cyber security. Click here to read the report : 2024 Year in Review

Greetings, The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has reported a rise in denial-of-service (DoS) attacks targeting critical online services such as banking, healthcare, and e-commerce. This increase is partly driven by insecure “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices, which cybercriminals exploit to overload websites with unsolicited and excessive packet traffic, resulting in subsequent outages. While organisations cannot fully prevent DoS attacks, they can mitigate the impact by following ASD’s Preparing for and Responding to Denial-of-Service Attacks guidance. Individuals can also play a role by securing their internet-connected devices using ASD resources like Internet of Things Devices and Secure Your Wi-Fi and Router. We are honoured to welcome Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness as a keynote speaker for AUSCERT2025. Appointed as Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator in February 2024, LTGEN McGuinness leads national cyber policy, major incident response, and government-wide cyber preparedness. With 30 years of service in the Australian Defence Force, she has held key tactical, operational, and strategic roles, including Deputy Director Commonwealth Integration at the U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency. We look forward to her insights on Australia’s evolving cyber security landscape. Check out the full AUSCERT2025 program now! Ransomware hits record high, Australia among top targets Date: 2025-03-17 Author: Insurance Business Australia Australia was among the 10 most targeted nations in a record-setting month for ransomware attacks, according to a cybersecurity report from Bitdefender. The company’s March 2025 Threat Debrief found that ransomware incidents increased by 126% year-over-year, making last month the highest on record for reported attacks. New Windows zero-day exploited by 11 state hacking groups since 2017 Date: 2025-03-18 Author: Bleeping Computer At least 11 state-backed hacking groups have been exploiting a new Windows vulnerability in data theft and cyber espionage 0-day attacks since 2017. However, as security researchers Peter Girnus and Aliakbar Zahravi with Trend Micro's ZDI reported today, Microsoft tagged it as "not meeting the bar servicing" in late September and said it wouldn't release security updates to address it. "We discovered nearly a thousand Shell Link (.lnk) samples that exploit ZDI-CAN-25373; probably the total number of exploitation attempts are much higher," they said. "Subsequently, we submitted a POC exploit to Microsoft, who declined to address this vulnerability with a security patch." Should we ban DeepSeek AI from all Australian devices? Experts weigh in Date: 2025-03-15 Author: ABC News Cyber security experts say the federal government should consider banning a controversial AI chatbot with Chinese origins on all Australian devices, warning it poses a "unique risk" to national security. DeepSeek AI was banned from all government devices last month, after a directive from Australian National Security and intelligence agencies found the chatbot put the federal "technology estate" at risk. The tech was produced in Hangzhou city in China and runs at a fraction of the price of other AI products. Ramadan Scams on the Rise: Fake Giveaways, Crypto Traps & Fraudulent Donations Date: 2025-03-13 Author: CloudSEK Ramadan is a time of reflection, generosity, and heightened charitable giving. However, cybercriminals are exploiting this sacred period to launch targeted crypto scams, preying on the goodwill of individuals and organizations. From fraudulent donation requests to spreading crypto token investment schemes, these scams leverage social engineering and trust to deceive victims into transferring their digital assets. This report examines the rising trend of Ramadan-related crypto, e-commerce and donation scams, uncovering the techniques used by cybercriminals, their impact on victims, and best practices for staying secure and making awareness and vigilance more crucial than ever. Microsoft 365 Targeted in New Phishing, Account Takeover Attacks Date: 2025-03-17 Author: Security Week Security researchers warn of fresh malicious campaigns that abuse Microsoft 365 for phishing attacks, or target the service’s users to take over accounts. As part of one campaign, attackers are leveraging legitimate Microsoft domains and tenant misconfigurations in BEC attacks likely aimed at stealing credentials and performing account takeover (ATO), Guardz warns. The attackers were seen controlling multiple Microsoft 365 organization tenants (either new or compromised), creating administrative accounts, creating misleading full-text messages mimicking Microsoft transaction notifications, initiating a purchase or trial subscription event to generate a billing email, and then sending phishing emails using Microsoft’s infrastructure. ESB-2025.1767 – Google Chrome: CVSS (Max): None CVE-2025-2476 is a critical use-after-free vulnerability in the Lens component of Chrome. It allows remote attackers to exploit heap corruption through specially crafted HTML, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution. The issue arises when memory is referenced or reused after being freed, and if malicious data is injected before chunk consolidation, it could be exploited to execute arbitrary code. ESB-2025.1731 – Atlassian Products: CVSS (Max): 9.8 The March 2025 Atlassian Security Bulletin reports 13 high-severity vulnerabilities across several products, including Bamboo, Bitbucket, Crowd, Jira, and Jira Service Management. These issues, discovered via bug bounty programs and security scans, involve various vulnerabilities such as denial of service and SQL injection, with fixes available in the latest versions. Users are urged to update to the recommended fixed versions for each affected product. ESB-2025.1719 – Rockwell Automation Lifecycle Services with VMware: CVSS (Max): 9.8 Rockwell Automation products using VMware are vulnerable to critical flaws, including TOCTOU race conditions and out-of-bounds reads. Exploiting these vulnerabilities could allow local attackers to execute code or leak memory. Users are advised to update to fixed versions or implement security best practices to mitigate risks. ESB-2025.1753 – Drupal Core: CVSS (Max): None Drupal core has a moderately critical Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Link field attributes, affecting versions between 8.0.0 and 11.1.4. Exploitation requires edit access via core web services or a custom module, and sites with the Link module disabled are not affected. Users are advised to update to the latest versions (10.3.14, 10.4.5, 11.0.13, or 11.1.5). Stay safe, stay patched and have a good weekend! The AUSCERT team

Greetings, After last week’s whirlwind, it’s a relief to feel a sense of normality returning. However, for many still dealing with the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred, the road to recovery is far from over. Let’s stay mindful, support one another, and remain vigilant—especially as scammers continue to exploit those affected. With AI-generated scams on the rise, this week, we’re focusing on how to recognise them, spot key warning signs, and protect ourselves. Language can be a clear indicator of AI-generated content. Be on the lookout for overly formal phrasing, a lack of personal warmth, or awkward sentence structures. Similarly, when evaluating AI-generated visuals and audio, watch for unnatural movements, features that appear flawless yet artificial, and lighting inconsistencies. Backgrounds that look fabricated or hand gestures that seem stiff and unrealistic are additional warning signs. Voice cloning and scam calls are another growing threat. Watch out for any unusual pacing, voices that sound inhumanly fast or slow, or a lack of natural pauses. Speech that comes across as either too flat or overly dramatic, along with tonal or pronunciation inconsistencies, can also be red flags. To protect yourself from AI-driven scams, always stay cautious and verify unsolicited emails, calls, and messages. If an offer seems too good to be true or a request feels urgent, confirm it independently by reaching out to the person directly via a verified phone number or email. Never click on unknown links or respond without proper validation. Staying informed about the latest AI-driven scams is one of your strongest defences, as awareness helps you spot red flags before falling victim. Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an essential layer of security, making it significantly harder for scammers to access your accounts—even if they attempt to deceive you with AI-generated phishing tactics. Whenever possible, opt for phishing-resistant MFA for maximum protection. While generative AI has allowed cybercriminals to craft more convincing scams, their capabilities are often exaggerated. By staying informed, cautious, and proactive, you can recognise warning signs and stay ahead of evolving threats. Critical PHP Vulnerability Under Mass Exploitation Date: 2025-03-10 Author: Security Week Threat actors have started exploiting en masse a critical vulnerability in PHP that could allow remote code execution on vulnerable servers, threat intelligence firm GreyNoise warns. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2024-4577 (CVSS score of 9.8), can be exploited on Windows servers that are using Apache and PHP-CGI, if they are set to use certain code pages, to inject arguments remotely and execute arbitrary code. Microsoft patches 57 vulnerabilities, including 6 zero-days | CyberScoop Date: 2025-03-11 Author: Cyber Scoop [See AUSCERT Bulletins: https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ASB-2025.0049/, https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ASB-2025.0048/, https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ASB-2025.0047/, https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ASB-2025.0046/, https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ASB-2025.0045/] Microsoft patched 57 vulnerabilities affecting its foundational systems and core products, including six actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities, the company said in its latest security update Tuesday. Four of the six zero-days, which were all added to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s known exploited vulnerabilities catalog, are high-severity on the CVSS scale. Apple fixed the third actively exploited zero-day of 2025 Date: 2025-03-11 Author: Security Affairs [See AUSCERT Bulletins: https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1571/, https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1570/, https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1569/] Apple has released emergency security updates to address a zero-day vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-24201, in the WebKit cross-platform web browser engine. The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write issue that was exploited in “extremely sophisticated” attacks. Mozilla warns users to update Firefox before certificate expires Date: 2025-03-12 Author: Bleeping Computer Mozilla is warning Firefox users to update their browsers to the latest version to avoid facing disruption and security risks caused by the upcoming expiration of one of the company's root certificates. The Mozilla certificate is set to expire this Friday, March 14, 2025, and was used to sign content, including add-ons for various Mozilla projects and Firefox itself. Users need to update their browsers to Firefox 128 (released in July 2024) or later and ESR 115.13 or later for 'Extended Support Release' (ESR) users. The Role of Differential Privacy in Protecting Sensitive Information in the Era of Artificial Intelligence Date: 2025-03-07 Author: Security Affairs Differential privacy (DP) protects data by adding noise to queries, preventing re-identification while maintaining utility, addressing Artificial Intelligence -era privacy challenges. In the era of Artificial Intelligence, confidentiality and security are becoming significant challenges. Traditional anonymization techniques, such as pseudonymization and k-anonymity, have proven inadequate against sophisticated re-identification attacks. Over 400 IPs Exploiting Multiple SSRF Vulnerabilities in Coordinated Cyber Attack Date: 2025-03-12 Author: The Hacker News Threat intelligence firm GreyNoise is warning of a "coordinated surge" in the exploitation of Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerabilities spanning multiple platforms. "At least 400 IPs have been seen actively exploiting multiple SSRF CVEs simultaneously, with notable overlap between attack attempts," the company said, adding it observed the activity on March 9, 2025. The countries which have emerged as the target of SSRF exploitation attempts include the United States, Germany, Singapore, India, Lithuania, and Japan. Another notable country is Israel, which has witnessed a surge on March 11, 2025. ESB-2025.1570 – Apple iOS & iPadOS: CVSS (Max): None Apple released a security update on Tuesday to address a zero-day flaw, CVE-2025-24201, in the WebKit browser engine. The vulnerability, an out-of-bounds write issue, could allow malicious web content to escape the Web Content sandbox. The update improves checks to prevent unauthorized actions. ASB-2025.0049 – Microsoft Windows: CVSS (Max): 8.8* Microsoft latest patch release fixes multiple flaws in Windows products. Several vulnerabilities are under active exploitation, including CVE-2025-26633, a security bypass in Microsoft Management Console allowing code execution through MSC files. CVE-2025-24993 and CVE-2025-24985, remote code execution flaws in NTFS and Fast FAT, are triggered by mounting a crafted VHD. Additionally, CVE-2025-24983 enables privilege escalation, while CVE-2025-24984 and CVE-2025-24991 expose sensitive information, requiring urgent patching. ESB-2025.1552 – VMware Products: CVSS (Max): 9.3 Broadcom released an advisory for three zero-day vulnerabilities in VMware products, including CVE-2025-22224 (heap overflow), CVE-2025-22225 (arbitrary write), and CVE-2025-22226 (information disclosure). These vulnerabilities, impacting ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion, were discovered by Microsoft's MSTIC and are being actively exploited. ESB-2025.1533 – Google Chrome: CVSS (Max): None Google has released a critical update for Chrome, advancing the stable channel to version 134.0.6998.88 for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and 134.0.6998.89 for the Extended Stable channel. The update includes high-priority security fixes to protect users from potential threats. ESB-2025.1628 – Adobe Acrobat Reader: CVSS (Max): 7.8 As part of its regular Patch Tuesday update, Adobe issued a bulletin highlighting a number of security vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat and Reader for both Windows and macOS. The company warned that successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution and memory leaks. Stay safe, stay patched and have a good weekend! The AUSCERT team

Greetings, It’s been a stormy week with Cyclone Alfred brewing off the coast of Brisbane! A timely reminder that scammers love to stir up trouble, preying on those seeking disaster relief, insurance claims, or opportunities to assist others. Stay alert, verify sources, and batten down the hatches against fraud. Read our blog for tips on spotting and avoiding scams before they make landfall! In the latest episode of the ‘Share Today, Save Tomorrow’ podcast, Episode 40: Securing from Insider Threats, host Anthony sits down with Sal Bowman from UQSchoolsNet to discuss one of the most pressing cyber security challenges faced by schools today—insider threats. In the second half of the episode, Bek chats with Mark Carey-Smith from AUSCERT about the exciting yet challenging process of selecting 30 standout conference sessions from nearly 200 submissions. They also dive into the challenges of gaining better representation of women in cyber. Progress is happening, but there’s still a pressing need for greater diversity to drive innovation and inclusivity in the field. With International Women’s Day just around the corner, we’re taking this opportunity to spotlight and celebrate the incredible women shaping the future of cyber security. AUSCERT has always been a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, and we remain committed to fostering a more equitable cyber security landscape. Let’s keep breaking down barriers and driving meaningful change together. Ransomware criminals love CISA's KEV list – and that's a bug, not a feature Date: 2025-02-28 Author: The Register Fresh research suggests attackers are actively monitoring databases of vulnerabilities that are known to be useful in carrying out ransomware attacks. GreyNoise's annual Mass Internet Exploitation Report revealed this week that 28 percent of the bugs logged in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerability (KEV) catalog were also used by ransomware criminals in 2024. It's a logical assumption to make that attackers would see the KEV list as a useful tool to help them plan their attacks. Android security update contains 2 actively exploited vulnerabilities Date: 2025-03-03 Author: Cyberscoop [See AUSCERT Bulletin https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1463] Google addressed 43 vulnerabilities affecting Android devices in its March security update, including a pair of software defects reportedly under active exploitation. Google said the two vulnerabilities — CVE-2024-43093 and CVE-2024-50302 — “may be under limited, targeted exploitation.” The most severe of the flaws under active exploitation, CVE-2024-43093, carries a CVSS score of 7.8 and was added to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s known exploited vulnerabilities catalog in November. CISA tags Windows, Cisco vulnerabilities as actively exploited Date: 2025-03-03 Author: Bleeping Computer [See AUSCERT Bulletins https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2023.0171.3 and https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ASB-2018.0303.2] CISA has warned US federal agencies to secure their systems against attacks exploiting vulnerabilities in Cisco and Windows systems. While the cybersecurity agency has tagged these flaws as actively exploited in the wild, it has yet to provide specific details regarding this malicious activity and who is behind it. VMware Security Flaws Exploited in the Wild—Broadcom Releases Urgent Patches Date: 2025-03-04 Author: The Hacker News Broadcom has released security updates to address three actively exploited security flaws in VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion products that could lead to code execution and information disclosure. The list of vulnerabilities is as follows – CVE-2025-22224 (CVSS score: 9.3) – A Time-of-Check Time-of-Use vulnerability CVE-2025-22225 (CVSS score: 8.2) – An arbitrary write vulnerability CVE-2025-22226 (CVSS score: 7.1) – An information disclosure vulnerability YouTube warns of AI-generated video of its CEO used in phishing attacks Date: 2025-03-05 Author: Bleeping Computer The attackers are sharing it as a private video with targeted users via emails claiming YouTube is changing its monetization policy. "We're aware that phishers have been sharing private videos to send false videos, including an AI generated video of YouTube’s CEO Neal Mohan announcing changes in monetization," the online video sharing platform warned in a pinned post on its official community website. Over 4,000 ISP IPs Targeted in Brute-Force Attacks to Deploy Info Stealers and Cryptominers Date: 2025-03-04 Author: The Hacker News Internet service providers (ISPs) in China and the West Coast of the United States have become the target of a mass exploitation campaign that deploys information stealers and cryptocurrency miners on compromised hosts. The findings come from the Splunk Threat Research Team, which said the activity also led to the delivery of various binaries that facilitate data exfiltration as well as offer ways to establish persistence on the systems. ASB-2025.0044 – AUSCERT Bulletin Service – Cyclone Alfred AUSCERT has issued an advisory to its members about the potential cybersecurity impact of the Alfred Cyclone, highlighting risks and offering mitigation strategies to help prevent falling victim to scammers. ESB-2025.1463 – Android devices: CVSS (Max): 8.2 The Android Security Bulletin for March 2025 addresses critical security vulnerabilities in various components, including the Android Framework, system, and mediaTek components. It includes patches to resolve issues such as privilege escalation and remote code execution risks. The bulletin confirms that CVE-2024-43093 has been under limited, targeted exploitation. Users are encouraged to update their devices to mitigate potential security threats. ESB-2025.1469 – Google Chrome: CVSS (Max): None Google Chrome has released Chrome 134 to the stable channel for Windows , Mac and Linux, bringing with it a critical set of security patches. This update, which will gradually roll out to users over the coming days and weeks, addresses 14 security vulnerabilities, including a high-severity flaw in the V8 JavaScript engine. ESB-2025.1486 – Mozilla Thunderbird: CVSS (Max): 9.8* Mozilla's advisory for Thunderbird 136 addresses multiple security vulnerabilities, including high-impact use-after-free flaws and memory safety issues that could potentially allow arbitrary code execution or sandbox escapes. Key vulnerabilities include issues with AudioIPC, WebTransportChild, and WASM i32 return values on 64-bit CPUs. These flaws were fixed with the release of Thunderbird 136. Mozilla advises that in general, these flaws cannot be exploited through email in the Thunderbird product because scripting is disabled when reading mail, but are potentially risks in browser or browser-like contexts. ESB-2025.1479 – Cisco Webex for BroadWorks: CVSS (Max): None A flaw in Cisco Webex for BroadWorks Release 45.2 allows unauthenticated attackers to access data and credentials due to unsecure transport in SIP communication. Additionally, authenticated users could access credentials in plain text through client and server logs. Cisco has released a configuration update to address the issue and recommends restarting the Webex application to apply the fix. ESB-2025.1484 – Edimax IC-7100 IP Camera: CVSS (Max): 9.8 A vulnerability in Edimax IC-7100 IP Cameras allows remote code execution due to improper neutralization of special elements in OS commands. The flaw, identified as CVE-2025-1316, has a high CVSS score of 9.8, making it critical. Users are advised to take defensive measures to mitigate the risk. Stay safe, stay patched and have a good weekend! The AUSCERT team

As Cyclone Alfred approaches the SE QLD region, AUSCERT wants to remind its members that, in the wake of natural disasters, scammers can often exploit the vulnerability of those affected. Fraudulent activities can range from door-to-door scams to phone, text, mail, and email schemes. These fraudsters take advantage of the chaos and desperation following such events, frequently targeting individuals seeking disaster relief, insurance claims, or opportunities to assist others. To mitigate the risk of fraud during Cyclone Alfred and any post-cyclone recovery efforts, residents and those intending to donate to charities can take several key actions. Be cautious of scams following a disaster. Government agencies, like Services Australia and MyGov, will never ask for any sensitive information over the phone, so hang up and call their official number if in doubt. Phone scams may use caller ID spoofing to appear legitimate, so always verify calls independently. For insurance scams, never provide personal information until you have verified the contact directly with your provider. If contractors claim to be insurance partners, ensure they are licensed and insured by checking with local authorities. When donating to charities, only support trusted charities and verify their legitimacy through official websites. Be cautious with charity phone numbers, emails, or crowdfunding platforms, as scammers may pose as fake charities or misrepresent campaigns. Please see [1] and [2] for further information. Stay safe! REFERENCES [1] Avoid scams and fraud – https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/avoid-scams-and-fraud-when-claiming-natural-disaster-support [2] Avoid fundraising scams after an emergency – https://www.vic.gov.au/avoid-fundraising-scams-after-emergency

LISTEN HERE: AUSCERT “Share Today, Save Tomorrow” Securing from insider threats In this episode, AUSCERT features the following guests: > Sal Bowman, UQSchoolsNet > Mark Carey-Smith, AUSCERT Anthony sits down with Sal Bowman from UQSchoolsNet to discuss how she works with schools who’s biggest threat comes from inside. Sal explains how she helps schools assess and minimise risks through an effective and school appropriate threat assessment process. In the second half of the episode, Bek chats with Mark Carey-Smith from AUSCERT to discuss the process of narrowing almost 200 conference program submissions to just 30 and how representation of minority groups in cyber are starting to become more prominent. This episode was hosted by Anthony Caruana and Bek Cheb

Greetings, The AUSCERT2025 Program is now live! This year’s selection process was one of the most rigorous yet, with the program committee meticulously reviewing more than 200 high-quality submissions to curate a lineup of presentations, workshops, and keynotes that deliver maximum value to conference delegates. With so many outstanding proposals, the selection process was exceptionally challenging. Each submission underwent thorough evaluation and re-evaluation to ensure it met the highest standards of relevance, innovation, and impact. The result is a carefully crafted program that tackles critical security challenges, emerging threats, and industry best practices, making AUSCERT2025 an unmissable event for security professionals. A recent example of the growing sophistication of cyber attacks is the No-Phish PayPal phishing scam, which cleverly exploits PayPal’s payment request feature to bypass traditional security measures. This stealthy tactic makes it significantly harder for users to identify fraudulent activity. In response, PayPal urges users to remain vigilant, avoid interacting with suspicious invoices or payment requests, and report any dubious activity directly to their security team to help mitigate the threat. In addition to this, another PayPal scam leverages the New Address feature to send phishing emails. These emails are designed to compromise users' devices and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. This week, Troy Hunt, frequent speaker at the AUSCERT conference, integrated the ALIEN TXTBASE dataset into Have I Been Pwned (HIBP), adding 1.5TB of stealer logs containing 23 billion rows and impacting 284 million email addresses. The dataset also includes 244 million new passwords and updates for 199 million existing ones. With this update, HIBP now allows domain owners to check for stealer logs and helps website operators identify compromised users. These logs, often sourced from malware infections linked to pirated software, circulate on platforms like Telegram, fuelling cybercrime. By enhancing its search capabilities, HIBP aims to combat these threats, equipping individuals and organisations with actionable security insights. Australia Has More to do Says National Cybersecurity Coordinator Date: 2025-02-21 Author: Australian Cyber Security Magazine In an address at a cybersecurity conference in Sydney, the National Cybersecurity Coordinator Michelle McGuinness outlined Australia’s ambitious plan to become a world leader in cyber security by 2030. The strategy, embedded within the broader 2030 Australian national security framework, recognises that achieving this goal requires not only technical prowess but also a fundamental shift in the nation’s cyber security culture. U.S. CISA adds Adobe ColdFusion and Oracle Agile PLM flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog Date: 2025-02-25 Author: Security Affairs [Please see AUSCERT bulletins: https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2017.1034/ and https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ASB-2024.0032/] U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) adds Adobe ColdFusion and Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added SonicWall SonicOS and Palo Alto PAN-OS vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. The two vulnerabilities are: CVE-2017-3066 Adobe ColdFusion Deserialization Vulnerability CVE-2024-20953 Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Deserialization Vulnerability With millions upon millions of victims, scale of unstoppable info-stealer malware laid bare Date: 2025-02-26 Author: The Register A tip-off from a government agency has resulted in 284 million unique email addresses and plenty of passwords snarfed by credential-stealing malware being added to privacy-breach-notification service Have I Been Pwned (HIBP). HIBP founder Troy Hunt said an un-named agency alerted him to the existence of the trove after he published an analysis of a separate massive collection of info-stealer logs he encountered and incorporated into his site in mid-January. "After loading the aforementioned corpus of data, someone in a government agency reached out and pointed me in the direction of more data by way of two files totaling just over 5GB," Hunt wrote this week. Australia Bans Kaspersky Software Over National Security and Espionage Concerns Date: 2025-02-24 Author: The Hacker News Australia has become the latest country to ban the installation of security software from Russian company Kaspersky, citing national security concerns. "After considering threat and risk analysis, I have determined that the use of Kaspersky Lab, Inc. products and web services by Australian Government entities poses an unacceptable security risk to Australian Government, networks and data, arising from threats of foreign interference, espionage and sabotage," Stephanie Foster PSM, the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, said. Only a Fifth of Ransomware Attacks Now Encrypt Data Date: 2025-02-25 Author: Infosecurity Magazine Ransomware actors are largely eschewing encryption, with at least 80% of attacks last year focusing solely on exfiltrating data, as it is quicker and easier, according to ReliaQuest. The threat intelligence vendor claimed in its Annual Cyber-Threat Report that exfiltration-only ransomware attacks are 34% faster. After initial access, “breakout time” typically takes just 48 minutes, although some groups manage to achieve lateral movement in as little as 27 minutes, giving network defenders little time to react. ESB-2025.1373 – GitLab Community Edition and GitLab Enterprise Edition: CVSS (Max): 8.7 GitLab has released versions 17.9.1, 17.8.4, and 17.7.6 for CE and EE, which include critical bug and security fixes, addressing high-severity vulnerabilities like XSS and authorisation flaws. Users are urged to upgrade their self-managed instances immediately, as GitLab.com has already been patched. The update also resolves medium-severity issues that could expose sensitive data or disrupt functionality. ESB-2025.1345 – Google Chrome: CVSS (Max): 8.8 Google issued a security advisory to address vulnerabilities in the Stable Channel Chrome for Desktop, specifically in versions prior to 133.0.6943.141/142 for Windows and Mac, and 133.0.6943.141 for Linux. Users and administrators are encouraged to review the provided web link and implement the necessary updates to ensure their systems remain secure. ESB-2025.1239 – ABB FLXEON Controllers: CVSS (Max): 10.0 An advisory has been issued regarding critical vulnerabilities in FLXeon controllers, affecting firmware versions 9.3.4 and earlier. These flaws could allow remote code execution, unauthorised access, or information leakage. Affected products include FLXEON Controllers FBXi, FBVi, FBTi, and CBXi. ABB recommends upgrading to firmware version 9.3.5 and applying security measures, such as disconnecting exposed devices and ensuring secure remote access. ESB-2025.1371 – Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series Switches: CVSS (Max): 7.4 Cisco has disclosed a high-severity vulnerability in Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series Switches operating in standalone NX-OS mode, allowing unauthenticated attackers to trigger denial of service conditions. The flaw, rated 7.4 on the CVSS v3.1 scale, affects critical infrastructure and can cause prolonged service disruptions through malicious Ethernet frames. Cisco recommends upgrading to patched software or using ACL-based workarounds to mitigate the risk. Stay safe, stay patched and have a good weekend! The AUSCERT team

Greetings, Join Our Upcoming Webinar: Strengthen Your Security with Maturity Assessments! Don’t miss our upcoming webinar, where we’ll introduce our new Maturity Assessment service—an essential tool for evaluating your organisation’s security posture against critical NIST controls. Learn how to identify gaps and risks across people, processes, and technology, helping you build more resilient cybersecurity practices. Register Now and take the next step in enhancing your organisation’s security! Cyber threats continue to pose significant risks to businesses across all industries, and the healthcare sector is no exception. Genea, a nationwide IVF provider with 21 locations, recently fell victim to a cyber attack, leading to unauthorised data access and system disruptions. While the full extent of the breach is still unfolding, the attack has already caused a phone outage and disrupted the My Genea App, impacting both patients and staff. Many patients remain uninformed, with some yet to receive official communication about the breach. Others, frustrated and anxious, have spent days attempting to contact Genea with urgent clinical inquiries, further highlighting the severe operational and patient care implications of the attack. This incident serves as a stark reminder that no organisation is immune to cyber threats, and the ability to respond quickly and effectively is crucial to minimising damage. A well-structured Cyber Incident Response Plan (CIRP) is the backbone of any organisation’s cyber security strategy. No matter how strong an organisation’s security measures are, breaches can still occur. When they do, a well-written CIRP helps teams to respond swiftly, contain the damage, and recover operations with minimal disruption. Without a clear response strategy, businesses risk prolonged downtime, data loss, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage—all of which can have long-term consequences. At AUSCERT, we provide tailored incident response plans designed to meet your operational needs and regulatory requirements. A strong CIRP not only helps mitigate risks but also enhances resilience against future attacks. Don’t wait for a breach to expose gaps — be prepared. Enquire today about our bespoke Cyber Incident Response Plans and safeguard your organisation. AUSCERT members receive 15% off this essential service! Threat researchers spot ‘device code’ phishing attacks targeting Microsoft accounts Date: 2025-02-14 Author: CyberScoop Suspected Russian nation-state threat groups have duped multiple victims into granting potentially persistent access to networks via authentication requests and valid tokens. Microsoft threat researchers discovered a series of what they are calling “device code” phishing attacks that allowed a suspected Russia-aligned threat group to gain access to and steal data from critical infrastructure organizations, the company said in research released Thursday. New OpenSSH Flaws Enable Man-in-the-Middle and DoS Attacks — Patch Now Date: 2025-02-18 Author: The Hacker News [Please also see AUSCERT bulletins: https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1166/ https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1165/ https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1142] Two security vulnerabilities have been discovered in the OpenSSH secure networking utility suite that, if successfully exploited, could result in an active machine-in-the-middle (MitM) and a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, respectively, under certain conditions. Palo Alto Networks tags new firewall bug as exploited in attacks Date: 2025-02-19 Author: Bleeping Computer [Please also see AUSCERT bulletin: https://portal.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2025.1026.3/] Palo Alto Networks warns that a file read vulnerability (CVE-2025-0111) is now being chained in attacks with two other flaws (CVE-2025-0108 with CVE-2024-9474) to breach PAN-OS firewalls in active attacks. The vendor first disclosed the authentication bypass vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-0108 on February 12, 2025, releasing patches to fix the vulnerability. That same day, Assetnote researchers published a proof-of-concept exploit demonstrating how CVE-2025-0108 and CVE-2024-9474 could be chained together to gain root privileges on unpatched PAN-OS firewalls. Australia Imposes Sanctions On Medibank Private Cyberattack Date: 2025-02-14 Author: The Cyber Express The government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has imposed additional cyber sanctions in response to a major 2022 cyberattack that hit Medibank Private. The breach, which compromised millions of customers’ sensitive medical data, marked a turning point in Australia’s approach to cyber security. The Medibank Private cyberattack not only targeted the personal information of Medibank’s customers but also saw portions of the stolen data published on the dark web. Ransomware-as-a-service actors drive four-times increase in ransomware attacks Date: 2025-02-17 Author: Cyber Daily Every year, Barracuda Networks releases a detailed cyber security report based on its managed extended detection and response business, and while the previous 12 months saw relatively consistent activity across the year, ransomware activity increased dramatically. The numbers that Barracuda can draw on for its analysis are impressive. The company tracked 11 trillion IT events in total and found that more than 1 million of them were potential risks requiring assessment. Microsoft Patches Actively Exploited CVE-2025-21355 RCE Vulnerability in Bing Date: 2025-02-20 Author: The Hacker News Microsoft has released security updates to address two Critical-rated flaws impacting Bing and Power Pages, including one that has come under active exploitation in the wild. The vulnerabilities are listed below – CVE-2025-21355 (CVSS score: 8.6) – Microsoft Bing Remote Code Execution Vulnerability CVE-2025-24989 (CVSS score: 8.2) – Microsoft Power Pages Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability "Missing Authentication for Critical Function in Microsoft Bing allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network," the tech giant said in an advisory for CVE-2025-21355. No customer action is required. ESB-2025.1214 – Linux kernel: CVSS (Max): 9.1* Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel. An attacker could possibly exploit these vulnerabilities to compromise the system. This major update corrects these flaws. ESB-2025.1171 – Atlassian Products: CVSS (Max): 9.8 The vulnerabilities reported in this Security Bulletin include 7 high-severity vulnerabilities and 5 critical-severity vulnerabilities which have been fixed. Atlassian recommends patching your instances to the latest version or one of the Fixed Versions as advised in this Security Bulletin. ESB-2025.1155 – IBM Security QRadar SIEM: CVSS (Max): 9.8 IBM QRadar SIEM includes vulnerable components (e.g. framework libraries) that could be identified and exploited with automated tools. These have been addressed in the update. ESB-2025.1144 – Docker: CVSS (Max): 9.9 Several security issues were fixed in Docker. Docker could unexpectedly forward DNS requests from internal networks in an unexpected manner. An attacker could possibly use this issue to exfiltrate data by encoding information in DNS queries to controlled nameservers. This issue was only addressed in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. ESB-2025.1168 – Citrix NetScaler Console and NetScaler Agent: CVSS (Max): 8.8 A vulnerability has been discovered in NetScaler Console (formerly NetScaler ADM) and NetScaler Agent. Cloud Software Group strongly urges customers of NetScaler Console and NetScaler Agent to install the relevant updated versions as soon as possible. Stay safe, stay patched and have a good weekend! The AUSCERT team