Weekly Cyber Security Bulletin (13 – 19 October 2025)

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Critical Vulnerabilities Exposed

1. Elastic Cloud Enterprise Vulnerability (CVE-2025-37729)

A critical flaw in Elastic Cloud Enterprise (ECE)—tracked as CVE-2025-37729—allows malicious administrators to execute arbitrary commands through improper neutralization in the Jinjava template engine. With a CVSS score of 9.1, exploitation could lead to complete compromise of affected environments.
Mitigation: Upgrade to versions 3.8.2 or 4.0.2, restrict admin console access, disable Logging+Metrics if unused, and monitor logs for injection attempts.

Reference: https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-cloud-enterprise-ece-3-8-2-and-4-0-2-security-update-esa-2025-21/382641

2. Microsoft IIS Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2025-59282)

Microsoft IIS was impacted by a race condition and use-after-free vulnerability within COM Object handling. Exploitation could enable arbitrary code execution, compromising sensitive systems, particularly in financial and healthcare sectors.
Mitigation: Apply Windows updates as soon as available, enforce UAC, audit IIS COM interactions, and restrict script execution policies.

Reference: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-59282/

3. Windows BitLocker Bypass (CVE-2025-55338 & CVE-2025-55333)

Two vulnerabilities in BitLocker encryption could allow attackers with physical access to bypass disk encryption and extract data. While exploitation requires physical presence, the data exposure risk is significant.
Mitigation: Install October 2025 security updates, enable TPM protection, and enhance physical access control and MFA recovery settings.

Reference: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-55338

Major Attack Campaigns

1. Over 269,000 F5 Devices Exposed Following Major Breach

A massive exposure involving 269,000+ F5 devices has been reported after a confirmed nation-state breach of F5’s development infrastructure. Attackers allegedly accessed source code and undisclosed vulnerabilities, raising concerns of widespread exploitation.
Mitigation: Patch all F5 BIG-IP systems immediately, disable iControl REST APIs if unused, and monitor for anomalous traffic using security feeds from trusted sources like Shadowserver.

Reference: https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K000154696

2. Volkswagen Targeted by 8Base Ransomware Group

The 8Base ransomware group has claimed responsibility for a data theft incident affecting Volkswagen Group, alleging exfiltration of employee and corporate data. Although Volkswagen confirmed limited impact, potential GDPR penalties remain if third-party breaches are verified.
Mitigation: Strengthen vendor risk management, conduct credential rotation, and monitor for leaked datasets on dark web sources.

Reference: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/hotforsecurity/volkswagen-systems-safe-hackers

Security News Highlights

1. Europol Dismantles Cybercrime-as-a-Service Network

An international operation, SIMCARTEL, has successfully dismantled a large cybercrime network facilitating fake accounts, phishing, and SIM-box-based fraud schemes. Over 40,000 SIM cards and €750,000 in assets were seized.
Mitigation: Enforce strong identity verification, report suspicious accounts, and use multi-factor authentication to prevent fraud.

Reference: https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/cybercrime-service-takedown-7-arrested

2. TikTok Campaign Spreads PowerShell-Based Self-Compiling Malware

A sophisticated phishing campaign is spreading via TikTok, luring users with fake “free software” activation videos. The malware uses PowerShell commands to download and self-compile payloads, allowing attackers to run memory-resident malware without disk traces.
Mitigation: Avoid running PowerShell commands from untrusted sources, deploy EDR tools capable of detecting memory injection, and educate users on social media-based threats.

Reference: https://isc.sans.edu/diary/32380

3. WatchGuard VPN Vulnerability Enables Remote Code Execution (CVE-2025-9242)

A critical out-of-bounds write flaw in WatchGuard VPN’s IKEv2 process allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely. Rated high severity, this vulnerability (CVE-2025-9242) could allow full compromise if exploited.
Mitigation: Upgrade to 12.11.4 or 2025.1.1, restrict access to UDP port 500, disable unused VPN configurations, and monitor IKE logs for anomalies.

Reference: https://arcticwolf.com/resources/blog/cve-2025-9242/

Key Takeaways

The week underscores persistent challenges across enterprise systems—from zero-day vulnerabilities and ransomware claims to social media-based malware delivery. Organizations are urged to:

• Apply security patches promptly across cloud, VPN, and Windows environments.
• Limit privileged access and enforce multi-factor authentication.
• Continuously monitor network activity for suspicious behavior.
• Educate users on phishing and social media threats.
• Adopt a Zero Trust security framework for enhanced resilience.

Cyber threats are evolving faster than ever—continuous vigilance, rapid remediation, and intelligence-driven defense remain the best shields against compromise.

Stay secure. Stay informed.
Crowe Mak Technology – Cyber Threat Management

+971 55 343 8693 | [email protected]