The Hacker News

"Berlin refuses to pay hackers who stole data from the City State Network."

Views expressed in this cybersecurity, cybercrime update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 29 August  2026, 1452 UTC.

Content and Source:  "The Hacker News."

URL--https://thehackernews.com/

Please check URL or scroll down to read your selections.  Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts (https://www.hawaiicybersecurityjournal.net).

Berlin Refuses to Pay Hackers Who Stole Data From the City's State Network

Aug 28, 2026Data Breach / Ransomware

Berlin's state government has confirmed that it is the target of an extortion attempt following the August compromise of the city's state administrative network, and said it will not meet the extortionists' demands. The same statement disclosed that forensic work had found further data outflows in the portfolio of the Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and Environment, with the exfiltration dated between August 7 and August 12, 2026. Scope and content are still being examined, and the Senate Chancellery said personal or other non-public data cannot be excluded from what was taken. The department first reported an outflow on August 7, the Senate Chancellery said in response to questions, seven days before it was cut off from the network on August 14. Berlin has published no figure for how much left the network. The only itemized account in circulation is the attackers' own, a leak-site post indexed on August 28 that claims 5.79 terabyt...

Cosmos EVM Flaw Exploited After Cosmos Labs Knew Every Blockchain Running It Was Vulnerable

Aug 28, 2026Vulnerability / Blockchain

Cosmos Labs has warned that a critical balance-handling flaw in the shared Cosmos EVM module was exploited to drain funds from six blockchains between August 20 and August 25, 2026. The vulnerability, designated GHSA-7g4w-cg88-2cq2 , is rated Critical by Cosmos Labs and was published without a CVE identifier, a weakness classification, or a CVSS score. Affected versions are < 0.6.2 and >= 0.7.0 < 0.7.2 , and the fix shipped in v0.6.2 and v0.7.2 on August 19. Chain operators are told to upgrade to one of those releases or later, a change that is state-breaking and requires a coordinated network upgrade. Operators who cannot upgrade immediately are told to halt the chain rather than attempt a coordinated governance upgrade. In a post-mortem published August 28 , Cosmos Labs said the flaw was reported through its bug bounty program on April 25 and was assessed at the time as posing no risk to funds on live networks. "We were unable to reproduce the vulnerability ...

Attackers Map Your Network Quietly. Controls Block 1 in 10 of Those Actions

Picus SecurityExposure Management

Picus Labs analyzed 338 million attack simulations. See what got through in the Blue Report 2026.

Attackers Chain Two PaperCut Flaws to Execute Code Without Authentication

Aug 28, 2026Vulnerability / Web Security

Malicious actors are exploiting a newly patched security flaw in PaperCut NG and MF to execute arbitrary code on susceptible instances, as the company released a fresh emergency fix with additional hardening. "This vulnerability gives an unauthenticated attacker remote control over PaperCut's trusted configuration, which could be used to execute arbitrary Java code inside the application's process," Huntress researchers John Hammond and Andrew Brandt said . Specifically, an attacker can leverage an unauthenticated request to make changes to the server configuration and ultimately achieve code execution. Huntress has explained the flaw as follows - In unpatched versions of PaperCut NG and PaperCut MF,  a specifically crafted request can refer to one page that is rendered for the response, and another page that owns the component or action being executed. PaperCut's authorization check could trust the rendered page and miss the permissions required by the...

Android 17 Adds OS-Wide ECH to Hide Website Visits From Network Providers

Aug 28, 2026Cellular Security / Encryption

Google on Thursday announced new network security protections in Android 17 to bolster connection privacy, address cellular vulnerabilities, and safeguard the privacy of users' home networks. Topping the list is support for Encrypted Client Hello ( ECH ), a privacy standard that prevents networks from eavesdropping on which websites a user is visiting. "This new privacy standard works in tandem with private DNS to obscure the domain names you visit, hiding metadata that can be used to profile you," Google's Bram Bonné and Shuaibo Huang said . "By encrypting the destination website name from the very start, ECH helps ensure that, for supported websites and apps, network providers and network snoopers can no longer easily see which websites or apps you are accessing."

ownCloud Flaw Exploited to Steal Nuclear Records From Philippine Research Body

Aug 28, 2026Vulnerability / Cyber Espionage

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Thursday added a critical security flaw impacting ownCloud to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities ( KEV ) catalog following reports that a Chinese-speaking threat actor weaponized the vulnerability to target a nuclear research body in the Philippines. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2023-49105 (CVSS score: 9.8), is a case of WebDAV API authentication bypass that could allow an attacker to access, modify or delete any file without authentication if the username of the victim is known and the victim has no signing-key configured, which is the default configuration. Disclosed by ownCloud in November 2023, the issue impacts "core" versions from 10.6.0 through 10.13.0. It was fixed in version 10.13.1. CISA's addition of the flaw to the KEV catalog comes a couple of days after Hunt.io said it identified an open directory on the host "31.58.209[.]241," which staged custom Python scripts, o...

How IT Can Reduce Credential Risk Across Every Department

1PasswordPassword Security / Compliance

Learn how to manage credential access for every user, from your finance team to third-party contractors.

19 Chrome and Edge Extensions Found With Wallet-Stealing and Crypto-Draining Code

Aug 28, 2026Web Security / Supply Chain

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a cluster of 18 Google Chrome and one Microsoft Edge extensions that were published over the last six months and harbored wallet secret stealing and cryptocurrency draining capabilities. The extensions , per Socket security researcher Karlo Zanki, share similarities in code and tradecraft, with evidence indicating that the campaign may have been active since February 2024. Socket is tracking the activity under the name Superior. The modus operandi is relatively straightforward: the threat actor either acquires legitimate extensions with proper functionality or pushes a clean version that's devoid of any malware. Once the extensions begin to gather user downloads, a new version with the malicious behavior is published.

Two Unitree G1 EDU Humanoid Robot Flaws Enable Root RCE, One Starts Over Bluetooth

Aug 28, 2026Vulnerability / IoT Security

Security researcher Olivier Laflamme has disclosed two independent root remote code execution (RCE) chains affecting the Unitree G1 EDU , including a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) path that can reach root on the robot's Locomotion PC. The flaws are tracked as  CVE-2026-76639  and  CVE-2026-76640 , with the first involving a network-adjacent path through chat_go and bashrunner and the second beginning from BLE proximity. An exact fixed firmware release has not been verified in any accessible Unitree guidance, leaving G1 EDU owners without a confirmed release target for either vulnerability. Laflamme said Unitree patched the cloud account-to-robot ownership check in July 2026. As of the August 27 disclosure, the current cloud-assisted route requires an account bound to the target G1 or the relevant key material already in hand. Laflamme published the research on August 27, 2026, describing the two issues as separate root-RCE paths. The research timeline shows Laflamm...

Key Reasons Why Identity Fabric Matters in 2026

Aug 28, 2026Identity Security / Zero Trust

An Identity Fabric knits fragmented identity systems into a coherent layer that observes how identities behave across applications, APIs, and infrastructure. As enterprise access spans more cloud services and automated workloads, identity security depends less on static configuration and more on runtime visibility. This article covers the architecture, the risks of unmanaged identities, and practical steps to close the gap between access intent and actual execution. The guidance here focuses on enterprise hybrid and multi-cloud environments; smaller single-directory deployments may not require the full scope described. Understanding Identity Fabric Architecture and How It Works An Identity Fabric is not a single product but an architectural approach that connects identity providers, governance systems, applications, and infrastructure into one observable layer. Its purpose is to reconcile what access policy intends with how identities are actually used at runtime. Closing this g...

Three CVSS 10.0 ServiceNow Flaws Could Let Unauthenticated Attackers Execute Code and SQL

Aug 28, 2026Vulnerability / Cloud Security

ServiceNow has released patches for four security flaws impacting the ServiceNow AI Platform, three of them rated 10.0 on the CVSS scoring system and exploitable, in certain circumstances, by an unauthenticated attacker. The company said it deployed a security update to hosted instances and provided the update to its partners and self-hosted customers, which leaves organizations that run their own instances to apply the fixes themselves. The advisory was published on August 27, 2026, and the four vulnerabilities are listed below - CVE-2026-18885 (CVSS score: 10.0) - A code injection vulnerability in the GraphQL Composite Data API that could enable an unauthenticated user to execute arbitrary code and gain access to, or modify, instance data CVE-2026-18886 (CVSS score: 10.0) - An improper access control vulnerability in the system configuration image upload processor that could enable an unauthenticated user to create or modify instance data, resulting in privilege escala...

China-Made ZBT Routers Ship With Two Implants Giving Unauthenticated Attackers Root Access

Aug 28, 2026Vulnerability / Network Security

VulnCheck has disclosed two previously undocumented factory implants in firmware for routers built by Shenzhen Zhibotong Electronics ( ZBT ), each of which gives an unauthenticated remote attacker the ability to run commands as root on affected devices. The implants, named SPEAKINGSTONE and DARKLANTERN by the company's zero-day research team, are tracked as CVE-2026-74232 and CVE-2026-74233 . VulnCheck, which assigned both identifiers as a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA), rated each 9.3 on the CVSS 4.0 scoring system and 9.8 on CVSS 3.1. Both vectors record a network attack requiring no privileges and no user interaction. SPEAKINGSTONE, which runs as the service yunmgrd , sends beacons over UDP port 10000 to a hardcoded command-and-control (C2) server. Because the implant dials outward, it functions from behind NAT and ordinary egress filtering. Its protocol supports message types that execute arbitrary commands as root, exfiltrate the WAN PPPoE username and password, wri...

Critical cPanel Flaw Could Let One Hosting Customer Take Root Control of a Whole Server

Aug 28, 2026Vulnerability / Web Security

cPanel has released patches for a security flaw affecting domain parking and addon domain functionality in cPanel and WebHost Manager (WHM), which could allow code execution as the root user. The vulnerability, assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2026-65643 , impacts all supported versions of cPanel & WHM. cPanel described the issue as a critical security vulnerability and said that an authenticated account holder who can add parked or addon domains can create arbitrary files on the server. "Successful exploitation leads to code execution as the root user, giving an attacker full control of the server," cPanel said in a notification to customers. cPanel has released the following patched versions - 11.110.0.141 or later 11.134.0.53 or later 11.136.0.37 or later 11.138.0.2 or later 11.138.1.7 or later (WP Squared) The notification names WP Squared in its patched list and does not mention DNSOnly. cPanel patched  three separate flaws in July , and ...

PaperCut Zero-Day Exploited in Attacks, Affecting All NG and MF Versions

Aug 28, 2026Vulnerability / Enterprise Security

PaperCut has alerted customers that bad actors are actively exploiting a vulnerability impacting all versions of its PaperCut NG and PaperCut MF print management software in zero-day attacks. The company has released an emergency patch for v25 and v26 to address the issue. It said it's "aware of confirmed customer incidents and is treating this matter with the highest priority." An investigation into the incident is ongoing. The following indicators of compromise have been shared so far - Alerts from intrusion-detection, endpoint-security, or network-monitoring tools involving the PaperCut Application Server, particularly suspicious post-exploitation activity from "pc-app.exe" Missing, unexpectedly truncated, or deleted PaperCut server.log files The presence of the below entries in "server.log" - ERROR No suitable driver found for jdbc:no:x ERROR DatabaseUtils - Database error looking up cardID: VALUES CAST ...

APT28-Linked HOOKEDGE Backdoor Targets European Government and Diplomatic Organizations

Aug 28, 2026Malware / Cyber Espionage

Cybersecurity researchers have flagged a fresh set of campaigns targeting government and diplomatic organizations in Romania, Spain, and Türkiye between late September 2025 and early April 2026. These campaigns, per Recorded Future Insikt Group, have led to the deployment of a previously undocumented backdoor dubbed HOOKEDGE , a lightweight Windows batch script that's distributed via macro-enabled Microsoft Word documents bearing diplomatic-themed lures. Early versions are said to have impersonated Spanish government material, before switching to a social engineering approach a month later. The activity has been attributed with moderate confidence to a Russian state-sponsored hacking group known as APT28 (aka Fancy Bear and Forest Blizzard). It's tracked by the Mastercard-owned cybersecurity and threat intelligence firm under the moniker BlueDelta. This determination is based on what Recorded Future described as significant code and tradecraft overlap between HOOKEDGE a...

OpenAI Says Reward Hacking Drove AI Agents to Exploit Zero-Days and Breach Hugging Face

Aug 27, 2026Artificial Intelligence / Data Breach

OpenAI on Wednesday revealed that reward hacking was a key driver behind the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered hack of Hugging Face last month, adding that it found evidence of misaligned behavior as early as late May. The incident, the company said, took place during cybersecurity evaluations of several OpenAI models, and that it was mainly fueled by what it described as a "highly capable, internal-only research model" comparable in scale to GPT‑5.6 Sol. "The models, operating under reduced safeguards, took actions that were misaligned with the goals of their assigned tasks – they communicated through unauthorized channels, exploited vulnerabilities in shared infrastructure, gained internet access, and accessed third-party systems," it said in a postmortem. OpenAI said the AI agents powered by one of the research models, despite not having internet access, found a way to exploit a then-zero-day vulnerability in the Artifactory package manager during r...

Next.js Patches Critical AVIF and Windows Flaws Enabling Unauthenticated RCE

Aug 27, 2026Vulnerability / Web Security

Credit: Hacktron Vercel has released security patches for two critical-severity vulnerabilities in the Next.js web framework, both of which allow unauthenticated remote code execution, one exploitable via specially crafted AVIF image files and the other through a path traversal flaw affecting servers that use a Windows filesystem. The Windows path traversal, tracked as  CVE-2026-75604  (CVSS score: 9.0), affects Next.js applications that use both the Pages Router and App Router without Cache Components when the server uses a Windows filesystem. Linux and macOS deployments are not affected. "There is no known workaround for affected windows-hosted applications. You should upgrade immediately if your server is hosted on Windows,"  Vercel said in its advisory . The fixes are available in Next.js 15.5.24 (Maintenance LTS) and 16.3.3 (Active LTS), published on August 25, 2026. Affected users can upgrade by running npm install next@15.5.24 for the 15.5 l...

ThreatsDay: 296K IoT Botnet, 100+ Water Systems Targeted, SharePoint RCE Chain + 27 New Stories

Aug 27, 2026Hacking News / Cybersecurity News

A fake login page. A fake security scan. A fake productivity app. Apparently, pretending to be useful is still one of the easier ways into a machine. The rest of the week gets stranger: botnets borrowing AI, command traffic hiding in public infrastructure, malicious tools waiting before showing their real behavior, exposed systems getting scanned, and exploit windows shrinking again. Different tricks, same advantage: attackers keep finding places where trust is cheap and friction is low. That sets the tone. Here’s the full list of what surfaced this week. The threats change every week. Subscribe, and we’ll alert you when each new ThreatsDay Bulletin is out.