Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Also: China-Linked APT Hijack Updates, Condé Nast Data Leaked, La Poste HitThis week, a Clop-linked vendor breach hit Korean Air, a China-linked APT hijacked software updates, a critical zero-day flaw remained unpatched, Condé Nast faced a data leak, La Poste was disrupted and Korean police extradited a malware operation suspect.

Cisco Talos Attributes Campaign to UAT-9686Likely Chinese nation-state hackers are exploiting an unpatched flaw in Cisco email appliances as part of an ongoing campaign to gain persistent access. Hackers have been exploiting since mid-November a zero-day in the Cisco Secure Email Gateway and Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager.

Williams & Connolly Hit in Zero-Day Campaign Impacting Client EmailsA zero-day vulnerability was used to breach email accounts at the elite D.C. law firm Williams & Connolly, with officials reportedly suspecting the hack is part of a China-linked campaign targeting the U.S. legal sector to support espionage, steal intelligence and establish long-term access routes.

Researchers Uncover Covert Chinese Access to US Service Provider InfrastructureMandiant said it has tracked a Chinese-linked espionage campaign using BRICKSTORM malware to quietly embed within U.S. infrastructure and service providers for over a year, exploiting appliance-level blind spots to maintain persistence, evade detection and potentially develop zero-day exploits.

145 Organizations Compromised by China-Linked Ransomware Hackers and OthersNearly 150 different organizations' on-premises SharePoint servers have been exploited by attackers targeting the zero-day vulnerabilities now tracked as ToolShell, researchers warn. Early attacks have been attributed to China-linked groups, in some cases leading to Warlock ransomware infections.

But Hacking Groups of All Stripes Now Have Access to Exploit Code, Researchers WarnMicrosoft said an attack campaign targeting zero-day vulnerabilities in on-premises SharePoint servers appears to have begun by July 7, tied to three Chinese hack groups. With proof-of-concept exploit code now in the wild, security experts said hackers of all stripes have joined the fray.

Google Cloud's Hultquist on How State Hackers Exploit Code and Corporate HiringJohn Hultquist, chief analyst at Google Threat Intelligence Group, Google Cloud, discussed how China and North Korea are transforming cyberattacks into organized, factory-like operations. Alongside zero-day exploits, North Korean IT operatives are quietly infiltrating Fortune 500 companies under false identities.

Hackers Reportedly Exploited Barracuda ESG Zero-DayThe Belgian government opened a federal probe into a suspected Chinese espionage campaign targeting the country's civilian intelligence service. The attack on the Belgian government aligns with the broader Chinese strategy of compromising edge devices for stealth espionage campaigns.

Suspected Chinese Attackers Again Tied to Active Exploitation of VPN AppliancesVPN appliance maker Ivanti has begun releasing updates to patch a zero-day vulnerability being actively exploited by suspected nation-state attackers. Experts are warning users to immediately update their devices, after factory resetting them to flush any malware attackers may have installed.

Tianfeng Guan Allegedly Developed Zero-Day Exploit of Sophos XG FirewallThe U.S. federal government rolled out its heavy guns Tuesday against a Chinese hacker allegedly at the center of a zero-day exploit used to hack firewalls made by Sophos, unsealing an indictment, rolling out sanctions and offering $10 million for information leading to the suspect's arrest.

No Patch Yet Available for Second Zero Day to Be Recently Found in VoIP SoftwareSecurity researchers warn of a newly discovered zero-day vulnerability in widely used VoIP telephony software, a discovery that comes as the United States struggles to evict Chinese nation-state hackers from telecom networks. The software is the MiCollab software suite from Canada-based Mitel.

Also: Turn in Volodymyr Kadariya, Get $2.5 Million from Uncle SamThis week, an ex-Verizon employee pleaded guilty, SonicWall fixed critical flaws,South Korean hackers exploited a zero-day, U.S. retailer Dick's Sporting Goods was breached, the U.S. government offered a big reward, Grok AI will send election queries to Vote.gov, and HIPAA is 28 years old.

Targeted Versa Software Used by Service Providers to Manage Wide Area NetworksChinese nation-state attackers are actively exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Versa Director software, used by major internet and managed service providers to deploy, configure and monitor network infrastructure, security experts warn. Versa updated its software last month to patch the flaw.

Also: UwU Lend's Hacks, Terraform Labs' Dissolution, Gemini's SettlementThis week, CertiK researchers allegedly stole money from Kraken, UwU Lend was hacked, Terraform Labs shut down, Gemini will pay defrauded investors, three entities claimed seized FTX assets, a Chinese bank suffered embezzlement and money laundering, and the SEC's crypto head is leaving.

Government Nurtures Homegrown Talent and Hack-for-Hire Ecosystem, Research FindsChina boasts many of the world's most talented zero-day vulnerability researchers as well as a strict cybersecurity law compelling individuals to assist the state, and the government doesn't appear to shy away from using both those facts to its advantage, a new research study finds.

UNC5325 Can Remain in Hacked Devices Despite Factory Reset and PatchesChinese threat actors are continuing to persist after exploiting the recent Ivanti Connect Secure VPN vulnerability even after factory resets, system upgrades and patches. The threat actor, UNC5325, is adept at "living off the land" techniques, warned threat intelligence firm Mandiant.

Outdated Software, Exploited Flaws, Security Loopholes Expose Ivanti's DevicesSupply chain security firm Eclypsium found corporate VPN maker Ivanti's Pulse Secure devices - which underwent much emergency patching amid a likely Chinese espionage zero-day hacking campaign - operate on an 11-year old version of Linux and use many obsolete software packages.

Beijing Used FortiGate Vulnerability to Install TrojanChinese espionage hackers penetrated Dutch military systems in early 2023, using a zero-day exploit in a Fortinet virtual private network to obtain access, Netherlands intelligence agencies disclosed Tuesday. They attributed the hacking to Chinese state actors with high confidence.

CISA Says Agencies Must Disconnect and Reset Ivanti VPN Devices by Midnight FridayU.S. federal agencies have until midnight Friday to disconnect Ivanti VPN devices and perform a factory reset before reconnecting them to the network. Fifteen agencies use the gateways, which were hit by likely Chinese hackers in an espionage campaign and are riddled with zero-day vulnerabilities.

Company Starts Patch Rollout for Flaws Exploited by Likely Chinese Intelligence OpCorporate VPN maker Ivanti on Wednesday began a belated patch rollout for zero-day flaws that many cybersecurity firms say paved the way for an espionage hacking operation likely conducted by China. Ivanti also disclosed two more zero-days and told customers that hackers are exploiting one of them.