The Breach News

Accounting Firm Settles for $175K with Federal Authorities Over HIPAA Ransomware Breach

Data Privacy, Data Security, Healthcare <span class=”article-sub-title”>Settlement Includes Corrective Action Plan Aimed at Enhancing Risk Analysis</span> <span class=”article-byline”> <a class=”author-link” href=””>Marianne Kolbasuk McGee</a> (<a href=””><i class=”fa fa-twitter”/>HealthInfoSec</a>) • <span class=”text-nowrap”>August 18, 2025</span> <a href=””/> </span> <figure> <img src=”” alt=”Accounting Firm Pays Feds $175K for HIPAA Ransomware Breach” class=”img-responsive”/> <figcaption>Image: BST</figcaption>…

Read MoreAccounting Firm Settles for $175K with Federal Authorities Over HIPAA Ransomware Breach

493 Cases of Child Sextortion Tied to Infamous Scam Networks

Research Highlights Dark Links Between Scam Operations and Sextortion Recent investigations into alleged sextortion activities reveal a concerning nexus involving organized crime and technology abuse. Heintz, a researcher in the field, noted, “While the data available has limitations, it accurately reflects the situation. If anything, it may even understate the…

Read More493 Cases of Child Sextortion Tied to Infamous Scam Networks

⚡ Weekly Highlights: Zero-Day Vulnerabilities, Insider Risks, APT Activity, Botnet Threats, and More

May 19, 2025
Threat Intelligence / Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity experts are not only combating attacks—they’re also safeguarding trust, ensuring system functionality, and upholding their organization’s reputation. This week’s events underscore a significant concern: as we deepen our reliance on digital tools, unseen vulnerabilities can silently intensify. Addressing issues isn’t sufficient anymore; resilience must be integrated from the ground up. This requires improved systems, fortified teams, and enhanced visibility across the organization. What we’re witnessing is not merely risk; it’s a clear indication that prompt action and informed decision-making are crucial, often more than striving for perfection. Here’s what emerged this week, along with key issues security teams need to prioritize.

⚡ Threat of the Week
Microsoft Addresses 5 Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaws — In its May 2025 Patch Tuesday update, Microsoft remedied a total of 78 security vulnerabilities, five of which are currently being exploited in the wild. Noteworthy vulnerabilities include CVE-2025-30397, CVE-2025-…

Weekly Cybersecurity Recap: Zero-Day Exploits, Insider Threats, and Emerging Cyber Risks Date: May 19, 2025 In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, professionals face a dual challenge: defending against aggressive attacks while safeguarding trust, ensuring operational continuity, and preserving their organization’s reputation. Recent events have underscored a critical issue stemming from…

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⚡ Weekly Highlights: Zero-Day Vulnerabilities, Insider Risks, APT Activity, Botnet Threats, and More

May 19, 2025
Threat Intelligence / Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity experts are not only combating attacks—they’re also safeguarding trust, ensuring system functionality, and upholding their organization’s reputation. This week’s events underscore a significant concern: as we deepen our reliance on digital tools, unseen vulnerabilities can silently intensify. Addressing issues isn’t sufficient anymore; resilience must be integrated from the ground up. This requires improved systems, fortified teams, and enhanced visibility across the organization. What we’re witnessing is not merely risk; it’s a clear indication that prompt action and informed decision-making are crucial, often more than striving for perfection. Here’s what emerged this week, along with key issues security teams need to prioritize.

⚡ Threat of the Week
Microsoft Addresses 5 Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaws — In its May 2025 Patch Tuesday update, Microsoft remedied a total of 78 security vulnerabilities, five of which are currently being exploited in the wild. Noteworthy vulnerabilities include CVE-2025-30397, CVE-2025-…

Calls for Action as Police Scotland Faces Nearly 1,400 Data Breaches in Three Years

Police Scotland is facing significant scrutiny over its data management practices, having amassed nearly 1,400 recorded data breaches within the last three years. This alarming statistic highlights the urgent need for improved safeguards surrounding sensitive information. Among the incidents reported, various issues such as lost or stolen devices, unauthorized access…

Read MoreCalls for Action as Police Scotland Faces Nearly 1,400 Data Breaches in Three Years

Critical RCE Threat from Hard-Coded ‘b’ Password in Sitecore XP Exposes Enterprises

June 17, 2025
Vulnerability / Enterprise Software

Cybersecurity experts have identified three significant vulnerabilities in the widely-used Sitecore Experience Platform (XP) that could be exploited to achieve pre-authenticated remote code execution (RCE). Sitecore XP is an enterprise software solution that offers tools for content management, digital marketing, and analytics.

The vulnerabilities are as follows:

  • CVE-2025-34509 (CVSS score: 8.2) – Use of hard-coded credentials
  • CVE-2025-34510 (CVSS score: 8.8) – Post-authenticated RCE via path traversal
  • CVE-2025-34511 (CVSS score: 8.8) – Post-authenticated RCE via Sitecore PowerShell Extension

Researcher Piotr Bazydlo from watchTowr Labs pointed out that the default user account “sitecore\ServicesAPI” has a hard-coded single-character password set to “b.” Notably, Sitecore’s documentation advises against altering default credentials. Although the user account lacks roles and permissions, the vulnerabilities still pose a serious risk.

Critical Security Flaws Discovered in Sitecore XP Could Lead to Remote Code Execution Risks On June 17, 2025, cybersecurity researchers revealed several significant vulnerabilities in the widely-used Sitecore Experience Platform (XP), posing a grave risk of remote code execution (RCE) in enterprise environments. Sitecore XP, renowned for its capabilities in…

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Critical RCE Threat from Hard-Coded ‘b’ Password in Sitecore XP Exposes Enterprises

June 17, 2025
Vulnerability / Enterprise Software

Cybersecurity experts have identified three significant vulnerabilities in the widely-used Sitecore Experience Platform (XP) that could be exploited to achieve pre-authenticated remote code execution (RCE). Sitecore XP is an enterprise software solution that offers tools for content management, digital marketing, and analytics.

The vulnerabilities are as follows:

  • CVE-2025-34509 (CVSS score: 8.2) – Use of hard-coded credentials
  • CVE-2025-34510 (CVSS score: 8.8) – Post-authenticated RCE via path traversal
  • CVE-2025-34511 (CVSS score: 8.8) – Post-authenticated RCE via Sitecore PowerShell Extension

Researcher Piotr Bazydlo from watchTowr Labs pointed out that the default user account “sitecore\ServicesAPI” has a hard-coded single-character password set to “b.” Notably, Sitecore’s documentation advises against altering default credentials. Although the user account lacks roles and permissions, the vulnerabilities still pose a serious risk.

RVTools Official Site Compromised to Distribute Bumblebee Malware via Trojan Installer

May 19, 2025
Malware / Supply Chain Attack

The official RVTools website has been compromised, delivering a tainted installer for the widely-used VMware environment reporting tool. In a statement on their site, the company announced, “Robware.net and RVTools.com are currently offline. We are working diligently to restore service and appreciate your patience. Please note that Robware.net and RVTools.com are the only authorized and supported sources for RVTools software. Avoid downloading RVTools from any other websites or sources.” This incident follows revelations from security researcher Aidan Leon, who discovered that the infected installer was being used to load a malicious DLL, identified as the Bumblebee malware loader. It remains unclear how long the compromised version of RVTools was available for download or how many users had installed it before the websites were taken offline. In the meantime, users are advised to verify…

RVTools Official Website Compromised, Distributing Bumblebee Malware Through Trojan Installer On May 19, 2025, the official website for RVTools, a well-known utility for reporting within VMware environments, was breached, leading to the distribution of a compromised installer. This attack is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities associated with software supply…

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RVTools Official Site Compromised to Distribute Bumblebee Malware via Trojan Installer

May 19, 2025
Malware / Supply Chain Attack

The official RVTools website has been compromised, delivering a tainted installer for the widely-used VMware environment reporting tool. In a statement on their site, the company announced, “Robware.net and RVTools.com are currently offline. We are working diligently to restore service and appreciate your patience. Please note that Robware.net and RVTools.com are the only authorized and supported sources for RVTools software. Avoid downloading RVTools from any other websites or sources.” This incident follows revelations from security researcher Aidan Leon, who discovered that the infected installer was being used to load a malicious DLL, identified as the Bumblebee malware loader. It remains unclear how long the compromised version of RVTools was available for download or how many users had installed it before the websites were taken offline. In the meantime, users are advised to verify…

Allianz Life Hack Exposes 1.1 Million Customers as Cyberattack Wave Hits Microsoft and UnitedHealth – Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH)

A recent cyber breach involving Allianz Life has led to the exposure of personal information for approximately 1.1 million individuals. This incident adds to a concerning trend of significant data breaches affecting major U.S. corporations, including Microsoft Corporation MSFT and UnitedHealth Group Inc. UNH. Allianz Life Data Compromise Affects Millions…

Read MoreAllianz Life Hack Exposes 1.1 Million Customers as Cyberattack Wave Hits Microsoft and UnitedHealth – Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH)

Cisco Addresses Critical Firewall Vulnerability with Patch

Identity & Access Management, Network Firewalls, Network Access Control, Security Operations Cisco Secure Firewall Management Centers Exposed to Critical Vulnerability Pooja Tikekar (@PoojaTikekar) • August 18, 2025 Image: Anucha Cheechang/Shutterstock Cisco has alerted its firewall customers to implement urgent patches following the identification of a critical vulnerability. This flaw poses…

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