Microsoft Windows Flaw Used to Launch PipeMagic RansomExx Malware
Cybersecurity researchers have revealed that threat actors are exploiting a now-patched vulnerability in Microsoft Windows to deploy the PipeMagic malware during RansomExx ransomware attacks. This exploitation hinges on CVE-2025-29824, a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS), which Microsoft addressed in April 2025, according to a report from Kaspersky and BI.ZONE. First identified in 2022, PipeMagic has been utilized in RansomExx attacks targeting industrial sectors in Southeast Asia, functioning as a backdoor that allows remote access and execution of various commands on compromised systems. Past incidents have shown attackers exploiting CVE-2017-0144, a remote code execution vulnerability in Windows SMB, to breach victim networks. Notably, infection chains observed in October 2024 in Saudi Arabia were linked to a fraudulent OpenAI ChatGPT application.
Microsoft Windows Vulnerability Exploited to Deploy PipeMagic RansomExx Malware On August 18, 2025, cybersecurity experts revealed that threat actors exploited a recently patched vulnerability in Microsoft Windows to distribute the PipeMagic malware within RansomExx ransomware operations. This malicious activity specifically took advantage of CVE-2025-29824, a privilege escalation flaw affecting the…
Microsoft Windows Flaw Used to Launch PipeMagic RansomExx Malware
Cybersecurity researchers have revealed that threat actors are exploiting a now-patched vulnerability in Microsoft Windows to deploy the PipeMagic malware during RansomExx ransomware attacks. This exploitation hinges on CVE-2025-29824, a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS), which Microsoft addressed in April 2025, according to a report from Kaspersky and BI.ZONE. First identified in 2022, PipeMagic has been utilized in RansomExx attacks targeting industrial sectors in Southeast Asia, functioning as a backdoor that allows remote access and execution of various commands on compromised systems. Past incidents have shown attackers exploiting CVE-2017-0144, a remote code execution vulnerability in Windows SMB, to breach victim networks. Notably, infection chains observed in October 2024 in Saudi Arabia were linked to a fraudulent OpenAI ChatGPT application.