Dennis Fisher

Apple Patches iOS Zero Day CVE-2026-20700

That vulnerability also was patched in macOS, but the active exploitation that Apple disclosed was against iOS only.

FEB 4

New SystemBC Botnet Activity Targets Systems Worldwide

The SystemBC botnet malware has become a critical component in the modern threat landscape, often preceding a full-scale ransomware deployment.

Dennis Fisher · 2 min

FEB 2

Phreaks and Geeks: Joybubbles and the Pre-History of Hacking

The proto hacker whose innate ability, curiosity, and absolute joy in the act of discovery is conveyed so artfully in the new documentary Joybubbles.

Dennis Fisher · 4 min

JAN 29

Google Disrupts IPIDEA Residential Proxy Network

Google researchers observed more than 550 individual threat groups using IPIDEA exit nodes during a one-week period earlier this month.

JAN 27

Cybercrime and APT Groups Exploiting WinRAR Bug

Exploitation of CVE-2025-8088 in the wild began before disclosure, with attacks confirmed as early as July 18, 2025.

Dennis Fisher · 4 min

JAN 26

Microsoft Releases Emergency Patch for CVE-2026-21509

The vulnerability (CVE-2026-21509) requires user interaction for an attack to succeed, with the most likely vector being an attacker sending a malicious Office file to a victim, who then opens it.

JAN 22

Fortinet FortiGate Devices Targeted in New Campaign

This activity shares some similarities with a campaign that researchers at Arctic Wolf identified in December. That campaign started soon after Fortinet disclosed two authentication bypass flaws (CVE-2025-59718 and CVE-2025-59719).

JAN 21

Supply Chain

High-Risk Authentication Bypass Flaw Found in Telnetd

The flaw is in the way that the telnetd server handles some specific user-supplied data. An attacker who exploits this vulnerability would be able to bypass the authentication path and gain root privileges.

JAN 14

Microsoft Disrupts RedVDS Cybercrime Platform

The takedown marks a significant blow to the cybercrime-as-a-service ecosystem, which fuels large-scale, automated fraud.

JAN 13

Policy

‘We Fail a Lot’: How Two Security Pioneers Keep Innovating

From their roles as the driving forces behind pioneering web appsec firm WhiteHat Security to building out enterprise security programs to breaking large portions of the web, Jeremiah Grossman and Robert Hansen have unique viewpoints on what works and what doesn’t.

JAN 8

A New Chinese APT Takes the Stage

Active since at least 2022, UAT-7290 demonstrates a significant capacity for conducting deep-seated espionage while simultaneously functioning as an initial access group.

Dennis Fisher · 2 min

JAN 7

React2Shell Attacks Continue to Build

After a peak of more than 430,000 attack sessions in late December, daily volumes targeting React2Shell have stabilized in the 300,000 to 400,000 range.

JAN 6

IBM Warns of Critical Auth Bypass Bug in API Connect

IBM published updates for the affected versions of API Connect on Jan. 2., and urged organizations to update affected versions as soon as possible.

DEC 29

Serious MongoDB Flaw CVE-2025-14847 Under Exploitation

MongoDB disclosed the vulnerability (CVE-2025-14847) on Dec. 19 and a few days later, a public exploit for it appeared online.

DEC 22

Is Kevin McCallister the Greatest Hacker in Movie History?

There may not be any computers in Home Alone, but few movie characters embody the old-school hacker ethos like Kevin McCallister does.

DEC 16

The Enduring Hacker Legacy of Heat

It was 30 years ago this week that Michael Mann’s masterpiece Heat hit theaters like a semi T-boning an armored car. In addition to being a masterful heist movie and insightful depiction of the toll that obsession can exact, Heat is also a criminally underrated hacker movie.

DEC 8

Broad Exploit Activity Targets React2Shell Flaw

The vulnerability was disclosed publicly on Dec. 3 and researchers and threat intelligence teams immediately began seeing opportunistic and targeted exploitation attempts.

DEC 3