Two critical flaws (CVE-2025-20333 and CVE-2025-20363) and one medium (CVE-2025-20362) — affected Cisco’s Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense devices that utilize ASA software.
Hackers exploit Cisco firewalls in US federal systems
Fuente Cryptopolitan
According to a senior federal official, hackers have slipped past defenses by compromising firewall devices inside the federal government.
On Thursday, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) sent an urgent directive, telling agencies to secure Cisco firewall devices and look for any signs of compromise.
Chris Butera, acting deputy executive assistant director for CISA’s cybersecurity division, has even asked other government bodies and private companies to take similar precautions, noting that the threat is widespread.
According to a US official, about 10 organizations worldwide have been breached, although that number could increase. The official said there were still “a lot of unknowns” about the campaign. Another US official called the campaign “very sophisticated” and noted the hackers’ malware as highly intricate.
“CISA is deeply concerned about this activity,” the second official said. “If agencies don’t get on this right away, it could be bad for them.”
Cisco calls the attackers’ methods complex and sophisticated
The group, which Cisco calls ArcaneDoor, has reportedly been conducting spying operations since last year. According to CISA, their attacks could hurt critical infrastructure in the US. Nonetheless, Washington is bracing for a busy few days as teams work to detect the hackers and secure vulnerable devices before more damage occurs. Agencies must update and submit reports by Friday.
Cisco told reporters it collaborated with multiple agencies in May to investigate the hacks and later uncovered three additional vulnerabilities exploited by the attackers. It said the hackers used these flaws to install malware, run commands, and potentially steal data. The company has also advised customers to patch their systems immediately. The UK government had also issued its own warning Thursday, describing the hackers’ malware as a “major step forward” from their earlier tools.
Per Cisco’s analysis, the hackers exploited several zero-day flaws and used stealth tactics like turning off logging, hijacking commands, and crashing devices to avoid detection. The company even describes the tactics as complex and sophisticated. The compromised devices included certain models from Cisco’s ASA 5500-X Series, which serve as firewalls to shield corporate networks from attacks.
Analysts believe a China-linked group was involved in the attack
So far, authorities have not named any suspects for the attack, but researchers believe the hackers are linked to China and have been targeting Cisco vulnerabilities for an extended period. Butera claimed that their directive will help map out the complete extent of the compromise affecting federal networks.
Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 also told CNN they believe the campaign is China-linked and noted that more groups may soon target the same weaknesses now that the vulnerabilities and fixes are public. Sam Rubin, a senior vice president at Unit 42, iterated, “As we have seen before, now that patches are available, we can expect attacks to escalate as cybercriminal groups quickly figure out how to take advantage of these vulnerabilities.” Palo Alto has been monitoring hackers worldwide, and according to them, the group has been changing tactics and leaning towards more US entities.
This disclosure comes just days after Mandiant, part of Google, said a separate group of suspected Chinese hackers infiltrated US software developers and law firms in an espionage campaign tied to the US-China trade dispute. The firm said full remediation may take months.
KEY Difference Wire: the secret tool crypto projects use to get guaranteed media coverage
Descargo de responsabilidad: Sólo con fines informativos. Rentabilidades pasadas no son indicativas de resultados futuros.
Artículos Recomendados
El Oro (XAU/USD) no logra aprovechar las modestas ganancias del día anterior y atrae a nuevos vendedores durante la sesión asiática del viernes
Pronóstico del Precio de Ethereum: ETH cae por debajo de los 4.000$, provoca fuertes liquidaciones mientras REX-Osprey lanza el ETF de staking de EtherEthereum (ETH) está cayendo por debajo de 4.000$ el jueves, acelerando las liquidaciones entre los tenedores de posiciones largas en futuros de ETH. Las liquidaciones largas superaron los 400 millones$ por segunda vez en cuatro días, ya que el sentimiento bajista predominante en el mercado de criptomonedas sigue afectando a Ethereum.
Ethereum (ETH) está cayendo por debajo de 4.000$ el jueves, acelerando las liquidaciones entre los tenedores de posiciones largas en futuros de ETH. Las liquidaciones largas superaron los 400 millones$ por segunda vez en cuatro días, ya que el sentimiento bajista predominante en el mercado de criptomonedas sigue afectando a Ethereum.
EUR/USD se desploma mientras datos sólidos de EE.UU. alimentan la recuperación del DólarEl EUR/USD cayó bruscamente por debajo de 1.1700 el jueves, extendiendo sus pérdidas por debajo de dos niveles de soporte técnico, lo que abre la puerta a un mayor descenso. Los sólidos datos del mercado laboral de Estados Unidos (EE.UU.) presionaron al Euro a la baja. Al momento de escribir, el par se negocia en 1.1667, con una caída del 0.60%.
El EUR/USD cayó bruscamente por debajo de 1.1700 el jueves, extendiendo sus pérdidas por debajo de dos niveles de soporte técnico, lo que abre la puerta a un mayor descenso. Los sólidos datos del mercado laboral de Estados Unidos (EE.UU.) presionaron al Euro a la baja. Al momento de escribir, el par se negocia en 1.1667, con una caída del 0.60%.
El Índice del Dólar estadounidense registra ganancias modestas cerca de 98.50, mientras se avecinan los datos de inflación del PCE en EE.UU.El Índice del Dólar estadounidense (DXY), un índice del valor del Dólar estadounidense (USD) medido frente a una cesta de seis divisas mundiales, se negocia en una nota más fuerte alrededor de 98.40 durante las horas de negociación asiáticas del viernes
El Índice del Dólar estadounidense (DXY), un índice del valor del Dólar estadounidense (USD) medido frente a una cesta de seis divisas mundiales, se negocia en una nota más fuerte alrededor de 98.40 durante las horas de negociación asiáticas del viernes
Oro Pronóstico del Precio: El XAU/USD se mantiene en terreno positivo cerca de 3.750$ en medio de señales mixtas de los funcionarios de la FedEl precio del Oro (XAU/USD) avanza ligeramente hasta cerca de 3.750$ durante la primera parte de la sesión asiática del viernes. El metal precioso gana terreno en medio de expectativas de recortes adicionales de tasas en EE.UU. por parte de la Reserva Federal (Fed) este año y el aumento de riesgos geopolíticos.
El precio del Oro (XAU/USD) avanza ligeramente hasta cerca de 3.750$ durante la primera parte de la sesión asiática del viernes. El metal precioso gana terreno en medio de expectativas de recortes adicionales de tasas en EE.UU. por parte de la Reserva Federal (Fed) este año y el aumento de riesgos geopolíticos.
