Security & IT News

Researchers are warning about the risks posed by a low-cost device that can give insiders and hackers unusually broad powers in compromising networks. The devices, which typically sell for $30 to $100, are known as IP KVMs. Administrators often use them to remotely access machines on networks. The devices, not much bigger than a deck of cards, allow the machines to be accessed at the BIOS/UEFI level, the firmware that runs before the loading of the operating system. This provides power and convenience to admins, but in the wrong hands, the capabilities can often torpedo what might otherwise be a secure network. Risks are posed when the devices—which are exposed to the Internet—are deployed with weak security configurations or surreptitiously connected to by insiders. Firmware vulnerabilities also leave them open to remote takeover. Read full article Comments

The cybersecurity channel is evolving fast. Buying behaviors are shifting and customers are rethinking how they evaluate solutions. And partners are rethinking how they deliver value at scale. In this environment, vendor partner programs can’t stay static. Most partner programs are built around what works for the vendor. We continue to choose a different path, asking our partners where we could evolve and improve. The result? Meaningful updates to the Rapid7 PACT Partner Program for 2026. Carefully designed to deliver stronger economics, simpler engagement, and clearer paths to growth. Rapid7 PACT: Built with partner feedback in mind Over the past year, we had ongoing conversations with partners across our global ecosystem. Those discussions were grounded in trust, candor, and a shared ambition to win together. Partners told us where friction existed. They told us where our economics needed to be more competitive. They told us where clarity and simplicity would make it easier to go to market. The 2026 PACT updates are our response to that feedback. What is the Rapid7 'PACT' partner program? PACT is the framework that defines how Rapid7 works with our global network of resellers, managed security service providers (MSSPs), and distributors. But PACT is more than a framework. It reflects our commitment to transparency, consistency, and accountability in every partner interaction. These aren’t aspirational values, they are operational principles that guide how we build trust across our channel ecosystem. What’s new in PACT for 2026 This year’s updates focus on four core areas, each directly shaped by partner input. Stronger Economics: Expanded program discounts, rebates and incentives drive greater margin, predictability, and MDR competitiveness. Simpler Engagement: We are operating with two clear motions; Deal Registration and Co-Sell. Resulting in less friction and faster execution. Platinum Partner Tier: A new top tier recognizes and accelerates our highest-performing, most strategic partners. Tech Champion Program: Exclusive recognition and access for partner Systems Engineers to deepen technical collaboration and influence. Why this matters now The vendors who will earn (and retain) partner mindshare are those who combine in-demand cybersecurity solutions with a partner experience that is simple, profitable, and built for scale. We know technology leadership alone isn’t enough. The experience of working with us has to be just as strong as the solutions we deliver. The 2026 PACT updates reflect that commitment. Ready to grow with us? The updated 2026 PACT Partner Program is now live. Whether you’re an existing partner exploring what’s changed, or an organization considering a partnership with Rapid7, you can find everything you need at rapid7.com/partners . We’re excited about what’s ahead, and we’re building it together with our partners.

An expensive mistake : Someone jumped at the opportunity to steal $4.4 million in crypto assets after South Korea’s National Tax Service exposed publicly the mnemonic recovery phrase of a seized cryptocurrency wallet. The funds were stored in a Ledger cold wallet seized in law enforcement raids at 124 high-value tax evaders that resulted in confiscating digital assets worth 8.1 billion won (currently approximately $5.6 million). When announcing the success of the operation, the agency released photos of a Ledger device, a popular hardware wallet for crypto storage and management. However, the images also showed a handwritten note of the wallet recovery phrase, which serves as the master key that allows restoring the assets to another device. The authorities failed to redact that info, allowing anyone to transfer into their account the assets in the cold wallet. Reportedly, shortly after the press release was published, 4 million Pre-Retogeum (PRTG) tokens, worth approximately $4.8 million at the time, were transferred out of the confiscated wallet to a new address.

As organizations adopt AI, security and governance remain core primitives for safe AI transformation and acceleration. After all, data leaders are aware of the notion that: Your AI is only as good as your data. Organizations are skeptical about AI transformation due to concerns of sensitive data oversharing and poor data quality. In fact, 86% of organizations lack visibility into AI data flows, operating in darkness about what information employees share with AI systems [1] . Compounding on this challenge, about 67% of executives are uncomfortable using data for AI due to quality concerns [2]. The challenges of data oversharing and poor data quality requires organizations to solve these issues seamlessly for the safe usage of AI. Microsoft Purview offers a modern, unified approach to help organizations secure and govern data across their entire data estate, in particular best in class integrations with M365, Microsoft Fabric, and Azure data estates, streamlining oversight and reducing complexity across the estate. At FabCon Atlanta, we’re announcing new Microsoft Purview innovations for Fabric to help seamlessly secure and confidently activate your data for AI transformation. These updates span data security and data governance, granting Fabric users to both Discover risks and prevent data oversharing in Fabric Improve governance processes and data quality across their data estate 1. Discover risks and prevent data oversharing in Fabric As data volume increases with AI usage, Microsoft Purview secures your data with capabilities such as Information Protection, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Insider Risk Management (IRM), and Data Security Posture Management (DSPM). These capabilities work together to secure data throughout its lifecycle and now specifically for your Fabric data estate. Here are a few new Purview innovations for your Fabric estate: Microsoft Purview DLP policies to prevent data leakage for Fabric Warehouse and KQL/SQL DBs Now generally available, Microsoft Purview DLP policies allow Fabric admins to prevent data oversharing in Fabric through policy tip triggering when sensitive data is detected in assets uploaded to Warehouses. Additionally, in preview, Purview DLP enables Fabric admins to restrict access to assets with sensitive data in KQL/SQL DBs and Fabric Warehouses to prevent data oversharing. This helps admins limit access to sensitive data detected in these data sources and data stores to just asset owners and allowed collaborators. These DLP innovations expand upon the depth and breadth of existing DLP policies to ensure sensitive data in Fabric is protected. Figure 1. DLP restrict access preventing data oversharing of customer information stored in a KQL database. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management (IRM) indicators for Lakehouse, IRM data theft quick policy for Fabric, and IRM pay-as-you-go usage report for Fabric Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is now generally available for Microsoft Fabric extending its

The Rapid7 MDR team is currently monitoring an increase in phishing campaigns where threat actors (TAs) impersonate internal IT departments via Microsoft Teams. The primary objective is to persuade users to launch Quick Assist, granting the TA remote access to deploy malware, exfiltrate data, or facilitate lateral movement across the network. Social engineering via IT Support impersonation is not a new threat, but the recent surge in Teams-based delivery highlights a critical vulnerability in how organizations manage external access. Teams often allows any external user to message internal staff. This is the functional equivalent of operating an email server without a gateway filter. While a cautious user might notice an "External" tag on the chat, the inherent trust placed in collaboration tools often overrides standard security instincts, granting TAs a direct, high-trust channel to your end users. Threat overview The attack we’ve observed typically follows a specific sequence of events: Initial contact: The threat actor sends spoofed Microsoft Teams chat requests to multiple users within an environment, simultaneously. These often appear to come from "IT Support," "System Admin," or other spoofed internal aliases. Engagement: Once a user accepts the chat request, the threat actor initiates a conversation under the pretext of IT support offering computer support, such as "fixing a technical issue" or "performing a security update." Exploitation: The threat actor requests the user to launch Quick Assist. Once the connection is established, the TA gains remote access to the machine, allowing them to deploy malware, exfiltrate data, or move laterally through the network. What you should do now To protect your environment from this activity, Rapid7 recommends the following technical controls: Harden Microsoft Teams settings In the Teams Admin Center, limit external communications to "Only allowed domains." This prevents random external tenants from messaging your employees unless they are on an approved allowlist. In addition, Rapid7 recommends disabling the ability for users to communicate with external Teams users who are not managed by an organization. If your business doesn't require cold outreach from external vendors, toggle off "Allow External Users to Start Conversations" to ensure only your users can initiate outside chats. If your business does require this functionality more broadly, consider implementing Spoof Intelligence. Implement automatic blocking of spoofed Teams messages Enable Spoof Intelligence within your Microsoft 365 security settings. This feature automatically detects and blocks senders who are not who they claim to be. This feature works by identifying and managing senders that fail SPF/DKIM/DMARC. If you have known senders who don’t have these configured, ensure you set the appropriate exceptions. Disable/harden Quick Assist Rapid7 recommends removing or disabling Microsoft Quick Assist if it is not required within your

Detection and response are under pressure. Expanding attack surfaces, identity misuse, cloud sprawl, and AI-accelerated threats have changed what “ready” looks like for a SOC. That’s why this year’s Global Cybersecurity Summit places continuous threat defense at the center of the conversation. The focus is clear: this is what modern MDR looks like when it’s designed to disrupt attackers earlier, not just react to them faster. 2026 MDR sessions: A sneak peek Throughout the summit, several sessions will explore how detection and response are evolving in practice. In this year’s “ Inside the Modern SOC” , we’ll look at how response actually unfolds when pressure is high and decisions matter. It’s a close examination of ownership, escalation, and how teams coordinate across endpoint, identity, and cloud telemetry. In “ Using Red Teaming to Power Preemptive MDR” , the conversation shifts upstream. Rather than treating red teaming as a compliance exercise, this session examines how continuous testing strengthens detection coverage and validates response workflows before a real attacker forces the issue. For the executive leaders “A CISO’s Guide to MDR Accountability and Outcomes” will examine MDR through a leadership lens, describing how leaders can best evaluate performance, define success, and ensure response strategies hold up under scrutiny. As detection models grow more complex, clarity around accountability can become just as important as technical capability. For hands-on practitioners, “ Hunt or Be Hunted: Frontline Tales of Detection” offers a scenario-driven walkthrough of how SOC analysts triage signals, manage handoffs, and make decisions under real operational pressure. Meanwhile, "IR in Practice: Tools, Tradecraft, and Adversary-Informed Investigation” provides a deeper look at investigative workflows – including practical use cases and adversary-informed response approaches. What preemptive MDR really means Together, these sessions represent part of a broader theme: Preemptive security operations is not about adding more tools or generating more alerts. It is about reducing uncertainty, aligning exposure with detection, and building workflows that allow teams to act with confidence. And this is only a preview. Additional sessions, speakers, and perspectives will continue to be announced as the summit approaches. If you’re responsible for detection strategy, response readiness, or MDR governance, this track is designed to meet you where you operate. Join us May 12–13 and be part of the shift toward more confident, preemptive security operations. Register now

I’m skeptical about—and not qualified to review—this new result in factorization with a quantum computer, but if it’s true it’s a theoretical improvement in the speed of factoring large numbers with a quantum computer.

No bad luck here: Friday the 13th brings new modules and a Metasploit Pro milestone This week’s Metasploit Framework release delivers three new modules across reconnaissance, evasion, and exploitation: LeakIX-powered discovery for exposed services and leaked data, a Linux x64 RC4 payload packer for more flexible evasive delivery, and an unauthenticated RCE module for SPIP Saisies (CVE-2025-71243). Alongside those additions, we shipped practical quality-of-life improvements including a smaller configurable bind_netcat payload path, and automatic WordPress service reporting in the WordPress mixin. Finally, we’re also excited to share the new Metasploit Pro 5.0.0 release with an updated UI and SSO support amongst other changes, check out the announcement here: Announcing Metasploit Pro 5: Penetration Testing, Evolving . New module content (3) LeakIX Search Authors: LeakIX [email protected] and Valentin Lobstein [email protected] Type: Auxiliary Pull request: #21002 contributed by Chocapikk Path: gather/leakix_search Description: Adds a new module auxiliary/gather/leakix_search, a new module for LeakIX API - a search engine focused on indexing internet-exposed services and leaked credentials/databases. Linux RC4 Encrypted Payload Generator Author: Massimo Bertocchi Type: Evasion Pull request: #20966 contributed by litemars Path: linux/x64/rc4_packer Description: Adds a new module evasion/linux/x64/rc4_packer packer that encrypts the generated payload with RC4, prepends an optional sleep-based delay (nanosleep), and decrypts/executes the payload at runtime via a compact precompiled stub. SPIP Saisies Plugin Unauthenticated RCE Authors: OpenStudio and Valentin Lobstein [email protected] Type: Exploit Pull request: #21001 contributed by Chocapikk Path: multi/http/spip_saisies_rce AttackerKB reference: CVE-2025-71243 Description: This adds a new module for CVE-2025-71243, an unauthenticated PHP code-injection vulnerability in the SPIP Saisies plugin. The injection takes place through _anciennes_valeurs, which allows an attacker to inject a PHP payload. Enhancements and features (2) #20885 from dledda-r7 - Updates the bind_netcat payload to allow it to be smaller by selecting either default or BSD-style netcat command syntax. Previously, the payload ran both command syntaxes combined by an OR operator so wherever it was executed, the payload worked. The default behavior remains to run both, but in the event a user needs a significantly shorter payload, they can select a single netcat syntax and adjust the filenames. #20961 from Nayeraneru - This adds service reporting to Wordpress mixin. Now, when you use a Wordpress module, it will automatically report the target as Wordpress if detected. Documentation You can find the latest Metasploit documentation on our docsite at docs.metasploit.com . Get it As always, you can update to the latest Metasploit Framework with msfupdate and you can get more details on the changes since the last blog post from Git

The role and demand for red-teaming capabilities are growing, as more exploitable CVEs make their way into criminal hands. Being proactive is no longer a capability that can be reserved for annual tests, but a continuous assessment to determine exposure and even through the validation of an organization's security posture. With this in mind, we are delighted to announce the long awaited availability of Metasploit Pro 5.0.0 – which is not just an update, but a fundamentally new approach to red-teaming, designed with the sole intention of staying ahead of ever-increasingly capable threat actors. Amongst the multitude of changes, Metasploit 5.0.0 offers an intuitive testing workflow that removes the ever evolving complexity of testing, as well as a suite of powerful new modules and critical enhancements. This is the version you can't afford to miss. For all the technical details, the granular release notes can be viewed here . So what’s new? Intuitive testing workflow Say goodbye to complexity, as Metasploit Pro has completely overhauled the testing workflow. Updates are highlighted by an intuitive user interface, ensuring that your focus remains on high-value penetration testing and vulnerability validation, not fighting the interface. These changes are the foundation for the future, preserving the core functionality you rely on while enabling even more powerful features down the road. ⠀ Stop guessing and start seeing. The new implementation of Network Topology support provides instant, crystal-clear clarity on hosts that have been compromised, have associated cracked credentials, or captured data. For enterprise environments with vast, complex surfaces, we’ve invested in performance improvements, giving you the power to zoom and pan through hundreds of available hosts with zero lag. This is actionable visualization that transforms data into defense. ⠀ Vulnerability detection improvements Get the necessary assurance before you click 'run.' Metasploit modules can now register crucial vulnerability detection details as part of running. This means that modules capable of running pre-check detection logic give you the full intelligence picture before you attempt exploitation. This new level of transparency and detail empowers you to make smarter, faster decisions, saving you precious time and minimizing the chance of failed module runs and adverse side effects. ⠀ Advanced workflow improvements Unleash your inner expert with unprecedented control and efficiency. Advanced users of Metasploit Pro will immediately benefit from multiple UX improvements to the single module run page. Tired of manually configuring options? Users now receive intelligent suggestions for applicable values, including network targets, Kerberos credential cache files, and more – streamlining ADCS workflows. ⠀ Furthermore, you now have the ability to manually choose and configure individual payloads, giving you the final word on how you exploit targets. Metasploit Pro will continue

A hacktivist group with links to Iran’s intelligence agencies is claiming responsibility for a data-wiping attack against Stryker , a global medical technology company based in Michigan. News reports out of Ireland, Stryker’s largest hub outside of the United States, said the company sent home more than 5,000 workers there today. Meanwhile, a voicemail message at Stryker’s main U.S. headquarters says the company is currently experiencing a building emergency. Based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Stryker [NYSE:SYK] is a medical and surgical equipment maker that reported $25 billion in global sales last year. In a lengthy statement posted to Telegram, a hacktivist group known as Handala (a.k.a. Handala Hack Team) claimed that Stryker’s offices in 79 countries have been forced to shut down after the group erased data from more than 200,000 systems, servers and mobile devices. A manifesto posted by the Iran-backed hacktivist group Handala, claiming a mass data-wiping attack against medical technology maker Stryker. “All the acquired data is now in the hands of the free people of the world, ready to be used for the true advancement of humanity and the exposure of injustice and corruption,” a portion of the Handala statement reads. The group said the wiper attack was in retaliation for a Feb. 28 missile strike that hit an Iranian school and killed at least 175 people, most of them children. The New York Times reports today that an ongoing military investigation has determined the United States is responsible for the deadly Tomahawk missile strike. Handala was one of several hacker groups recently profiled by Palo Alto Networks , which links it to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). Palo Alto says Handala surfaced in late 2023 and is assessed as one of several online personas maintained by Void Manticore , a MOIS-affiliated actor. Stryker’s website says the company has 56,000 employees in 61 countries. A phone call placed Wednesday morning to the media line at Stryker’s Michigan headquarters sent this author to a voicemail message that stated, “We are currently experiencing a building emergency. Please try your call again later.” A report Wednesday morning from the Irish Examiner said Stryker staff are now communicating via WhatsApp for any updates on when they can return to work. The story quoted an unnamed employee saying anything connected to the network is down, and that “anyone with Microsoft Outlook on their personal phones had their devices wiped.” “Multiple sources have said that systems in the Cork headquarters have been ‘shut down’ and that Stryker devices held by employees have been wiped out,” the Examiner reported. “The login pages coming up on these devices have been defaced with the Handala logo.” Wiper attacks usually involve malicious software designed to overwrite any existing data on infected devices. But a trust

Microsoft Corp. today pushed security updates to fix at least 77 vulnerabilities in its Windows operating systems and other software. There are no pressing “zero-day” flaws this month (compared to February’s five zero-day treat), but as usual some patches may deserve more rapid attention from organizations using Windows. Here are a few highlights from this month’s Patch Tuesday. Image: Shutterstock, @nwz. Two of the bugs Microsoft patched today were publicly disclosed previously. CVE-2026-21262 is a weakness that allows an attacker to elevate their privileges on SQL Server 2016 and later editions. “This isn’t just any elevation of privilege vulnerability, either; the advisory notes that an authorized attacker can elevate privileges to sysadmin over a network,” Rapid7’s Adam Barnett said. “The CVSS v3 base score of 8.8 is just below the threshold for critical severity, since low-level privileges are required. It would be a courageous defender who shrugged and deferred the patches for this one.” The other publicly disclosed flaw is CVE-2026-26127 , a vulnerability in applications running on .NET . Barnett said the immediate impact of exploitation is likely limited to denial of service by triggering a crash, with the potential for other types of attacks during a service reboot. It would hardly be a proper Patch Tuesday without at least one critical Microsoft Office exploit, and this month doesn’t disappoint. CVE-2026-26113 and CVE-2026-26110 are both remote code execution flaws that can be triggered just by viewing a booby-trapped message in the Preview Pane. Satnam Narang at Tenable notes that just over half (55%) of all Patch Tuesday CVEs this month are privilege escalation bugs, and of those, a half dozen were rated “exploitation more likely” — across Windows Graphics Component, Windows Accessibility Infrastructure, Windows Kernel, Windows SMB Server and Winlogon. These include: – CVE-2026-24291 : Incorrect permission assignments within the Windows Accessibility Infrastructure to reach SYSTEM (CVSS 7.8) – CVE-2026-24294 : Improper authentication in the core SMB component (CVSS 7.8) – CVE-2026-24289 : High-severity memory corruption and race condition flaw (CVSS 7.8) – CVE-2026-25187 : Winlogon process weakness discovered by Google Project Zero (CVSS 7.8). Ben McCarthy , lead cyber security engineer at Immersive , called attention to CVE-2026-21536 , a critical remote code execution bug in a component called the Microsoft Devices Pricing Program. Microsoft has already resolved the issue on their end, and fixing it requires no action on the part of Windows users. But McCarthy says it’s notable as one of the first vulnerabilities identified by an AI agent and officially recognized with a CVE attributed to the Windows operating system. It was discovered by XBOW , a fully autonomous AI penetration testing agent. XBOW has consistently ranked at o

CVSSv3 Score: 6.0 An Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection') vulnerability [CWE-88] in FortiDeceptor WEBUI may allow a privileged attacker with super-admin profile and CLI access to delete sensitive files via crafted HTTP requests. Revised on 2026-03-10 00:00:00

CVSSv3 Score: 3.4 An improper restriction of excessive authentication attempts vulnerability [CWE-307] in FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer may allow an attacker to bypass bruteforce protections via exploitation of race conditions. Revised on 2026-03-10 00:00:00

CVSSv3 Score: 7.3 An Improper Control of Interaction Frequency vulnerability [CWE-799] in FortiWeb may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to bypass the authentication rate-limit via crafted requests. The success of the attack depends on the attacker's resources and the password target complexity. Revised on 2026-03-10 00:00:00

CVSSv3 Score: 7.7 A Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability [CWE-120] in FortiSwitchAXFixed may allow an unauthenticated attacker within the same adjacent network to execute unauthorized code or commands on the device via sending a crafted LLDP packet. Revised on 2026-03-10 00:00:00

CVSSv3 Score: 7.0 A Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability [CWE-121] in FortiManager fgtupdates service may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute unauthorized commands via crafted requests, if the service is enabled. The success of the attack depends on the ability to bypass the stack protection mechanisms. Revised on 2026-03-10 00:00:00

CVSSv3 Score: 6.5 A use of externally-controlled format string vulnerability [CWE-134] in FortiAnalyzer, FortiAnalyzer Cloud, FortiManager and FortiManager Cloud fazsvcd daemon may allow a remote privileged attacker with admin profile to execute arbitrary code or commands via specially crafted requests. Revised on 2026-03-10 00:00:00

CVSSv3 Score: 3.8 A Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information vulnerability [CWE-312] in FortiMail, FortiVoice and FortiRecorder debug logs may allow an authenticated malicious administrator to obtain user's secrets via CLI commands. Revised on 2026-03-10 00:00:00

CVSSv3 Score: 6.3 An improper certificate validation [CWE-295] vulnerability in the FortiManager GUI may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to view confidential information via a man in the middle [MiTM] attack. Revised on 2026-03-10 00:00:00

CVSSv3 Score: 7.4 A UNIX symbolic link (Symlink) Following vulnerability [CWE-61] in FortiClientLinux may allow a local and unprivileged user to escalate their privileges to root. Revised on 2026-03-10 00:00:00