Security researchers at Wordfence are warning users of a popular WordPress plugin that they need to patch urgently or risk their site being remotely hijacked.  The researchers revealed a new PHP code injection vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.8, which could enable remote code execution (CVE-2023-6553).  The impacted plugin, Backup Migration, is said to have an estimated 90,000 installs.  The researchers noted that unauthenticated threat actors could exploit the bug to inject arbitrary PHP code, resulting in a full site compromise.

The National Security Agency (NSA) has released a Cybersecurity Information Sheet (CSI) titled "Managing Risk from Software Defined Networking Controllers." The CSI makes recommendations to help National Security Systems (NSS), Department of Defense (DoD), and Defense Industrial Base (DIB) network administrators mitigate the risks related to software driven network management solutions such as Software Defined Networking Controllers (SDNCs). SDNCs enable organizations to configure networking and security policies, as well as control application access, from a centralized location.

Kyivstar, Ukraine's largest telecommunications operator, was recently targeted by a major cyberattack, leaving millions of people without cell service or Internet access. Following customer complaints about network and Internet outages, Kyivstar later reported on Facebook that it was the victim of a "powerful" cyberattack that resulted in a "large-scale technical failure." The attack on Kyivstar also impacted the operations of PrivatBank, Ukraine's largest state-owned bank.

Researchers in China have proposed and demonstrated a new protocol for cloud-computing-based information storage that combines quantum-level security with improved data-storage efficiency. According to the researchers, their work, which combines existing techniques known as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Shamir's Secret Sharing (SSS), could protect sensitive data in the cloud, such as patients' genetic information. However, some independent experts are skeptical that it represents a real advancement in information security.

Google recently announced patches for several high and moderate-severity Chromecast vulnerabilities that were exploited earlier this year at a hacking competition. Google stated that the latest update for its streaming device addresses a total of three vulnerabilities affecting AMLogic chips, specifically the U-Boot subcomponent, and one issue in KeyChain, specifically in the System component. The vulnerabilities were presented in July at the HardPwn USA 2023 hardware hacking competition that took place alongside the Hardwear.io conference in California.

Apple recently rolled out security-themed iOS and iPadOS refreshes to address multiple serious vulnerabilities that expose mobile users to malicious hacker attacks.  According to Apple, the newest iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 contains fixes for at least 11 documented security defects, some serious enough to lead to arbitrary code execution or app sandbox escapes.  In an advisory from Cupertino’s security response team, it was noted that the most serious issue is a memory corruption in ImageIO that may lead to arbitrary code execution when certain images are processed.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is releasing the Secure Cloud Business Applications (SCuBA) project's Google Workspace (GWS) secure configuration baselines and its new assessment tool, ScubaGoggles. These materials, developed in collaboration with Google, are designed to help federal agencies secure GWS environments and leverage native security capabilities to improve an organization's overall cyber posture.

According to a new study conducted by researchers at SentinelOne, Microsoft, and PwC, the recently outed advanced persistent threat (APT) actor Sandman appears linked to China.  Sandman mainly targets telecom providers in the Middle East, Europe, and South Asia, likely for cyberespionage purposes.  The researchers were able to draw links between the observed Sandman APT attacks and the activity of STORM-0866/Red Dev 40, a suspected China-based threat actor known to be using the KeyPlug backdoor.

About 1,450 pfSense instances are vulnerable to command injection and Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) flaws that, if exploited together, could allow attackers to conduct Remote Code Execution (RCE) on the appliance. The pfSense solution is an open-source firewall and router software with extensive customization and deployment flexibility. It meets specific needs while providing various features typically found in expensive commercial products. SonarSource researchers found three flaws that affect pfSense 2.7.0 and older, as well as pfSense Plus 23.05.01 and older, in mid-November.

Interpol has announced Operation Storm Makers II, a joint effort by 27 Asian countries to target cyber-fraud operations engaged in human trafficking to carry out scams. However, it appears that this type of operation is also spreading to other parts of the world. According to Interpol's announcement of the operation, victims are promised well-paying jobs in Southeast Asia, but are instead forced to commit large-scale online fraud while enduring severe physical abuse.