CyberPro

Hacked by Prompt: The Rise of Downgrade Exploits in Modern AI Models A new and alarming attack vector has surfaced around ChatGPT-5. Dubbed a “downgrade attack,” it leverages carefully crafted or aggressive prompts to push the model into behaving like earlier, less-secure versions of itself. In doing so, attackers can bypass modern safety layers and unlock behaviors previously patched or restricted-reintroducing vulnerabilities long thought buried.As a penetration tester, I’m always on alert when major AI releases disrupt assumptions-in this case, the GPT‑5 rollout did exactly that. The sudden model downgrade to GPT‑4o for many users wasn't just a user-experience issue-it also introduces a downgrade attack vector . Attackers could deliberately trigger fallback behavior, bypass newer safety layers, and exploit older, less secure AI models.

ToolShell Unleashed: How Warlock Ransomware Hijacked SharePoint Through Zero-Day Backdoors Microsoft has confirmed active exploitation of two SharePoint zero-day flaws- CVE-2025-53770 (RCE) and CVE-2025-53771 (spoofing)- now known as the ToolShell exploit chain , used by China's Storm-2603 to deploy Warlock ransomware .This isn’t theoretical. Eye Security reports breaches at 145 organizations. Shadowserver is tracking over 420 unpatched on-prem SharePoint servers. If you're not patched or monitoring traffic- you may already be compromised . As a penetration tester and blogger, here’s the takeaway: platforms like SharePoint are no longer internal safe zones. They are ransomware gateways . ToolShell enables stealth access, lateral movement, and devastating payload delivery.

The Silent Browser Breach - How Fake VPN Chrome Extensions Are Compromising Enterprises Imagine installing a “VPN” extension to enhance privacy-only to learn it’s the secret tunnel snooping on you. A sprawling campaign of over 100 malicious Chrome extensions, masquerading as VPNs, AI tools, and crypto utilities, has been uncovered. These extensions - available through the Chrome Web Store - lured users with legitimate functionality while secretly operating as spyware. Once installed, they siphoned cookies, harvested session tokens, injected remote code, and manipulated web traffic - all under the guise of trusted services.

Behind the ‘I’m Not a Robot’ Lie: Cybercrime’s New Entry Point As a part time penetration tester and independent blogger, I treat fake CAPTCHAs as conversion exploits-not bugs. On August 14, 2025 , the VexTrio syndicate is pairing fake “I’m not a robot” gates with mobile-app fraud and adtech-style routing to turn human clicks into compromise, subscriptions, and data theft at scale. Multiple reports confirm VexTrio’s traffic distribution system (TDS) now stretches from hijacked web journeys to fake VPN/spam-blocker apps in official stores, extending monetization beyond a single browser session. What’s New Today (and Why It Matters) Coverage in the last week ties VexTrio-linked developer accounts to Apple and Google app stores , where “utility” apps (VPNs, cleaners, spam blockers) act as data siphons and subscription traps. This complements ongoing fake CAPTCHA/ClickFix campaigns that trick users into granting browser notifications, copying commands, or installing “security upgrades.” T...

The Human Zero-Day: Inside the Allianz Life Salesforce Breach The breach didn’t start with a firewall alert it began with a phone call. A calm voice claiming to be “Salesforce IT” opened the door to millions of leaked Allianz Life records, bypassing technical defenses through vishing and identity manipulation. This is part of a growing 2025 campaign targeting Salesforce environments at global brands, proving that in the cloud era, the human layer is the new high-value perimeter. From my seat in the pen testing world, the attacker’s playbook is all too familiar reconnaissance, believable pretexts, exploiting weak helpdesk workflows, and quietly extracting data. In the wrong hands, that same discipline becomes a weapon for extortion and supply-chain compromise. What Happened Today (and Why It Matters) Attackers leaked 2.8 million records allegedly linked to Allianz Life as part of continuing Salesforce data theft attacks . This disclosure lands within a broader set of incidents attribut...

Click, and You’re Compromised: How “ClickFix” Turns Trust into the Ultimate Attack Vector It begins with a harmless click on a Windows dialog box. No phishing email, no suspicious download just one click. Yet, this triggers the ClickFix technique, transforming routine user behavior into an attacker’s master key. By chaining interface tricks with privilege escalation, ClickFix bypasses defenses millions rely on daily.AI-driven automation can now weaponize this exploit at scale; state-sponsored groups integrate it into espionage; ransomware affiliates deploy it to stealthily infiltrate enterprises. For penetration testers, ClickFix is not theoretical-it’s a call to action to redefine what “safe click behavior” really means. ClickFix Surges-500% Growth in Threat Landscape From late 2024 through mid-2025, ClickFix activity exploded by 517% , making it the second most common vector after phishing- penetrating systems with deceptive prompts and clipboard tricks that slip past antivirus d...

From Utility to Liability: Inside the WinRAR Zero-Day Battlefield Imagine opening your trusted archiver only to learn it's become the weapon. A new zero-day in WinRAR (CVE-2025-8088) lets attackers deliver malware silently through legitimate archive extraction. As a penetration tester, this isn’t just a vulnerability it’s a betrayal by a fundamental tool. This incident reminds us: compromise can emerge from the most trusted places, and threat modeling must follow where utility leads. Unpacking CVE-2025-8088: Why It’s Alarming CVE-2025-8088 is a Windows-specific flaw enabling path traversal during RAR extraction, leveraging libraries like UnRAR.dll. Attackers can place payloads into internal directories such as Startup achieving execution when users log in. The patch, issued in WinRAR version 7.13, is now essential. Exploitation in the Wild: RomCom's Tactical Leverage Security firm ESET confirmed exploitation by the threat group RomCom (UNC2596). Their RAR payloads bypassed filt...

Courtrooms Under Fire: Inside the Cybersecurity Surge Protecting America’s Justice System What happens when cybercriminals stop chasing banks and start targeting judges? The American justice system just became the newest battlefield in a cyber war that’s escalating faster than most are prepared for. In a chilling echo of digital warfare’s creeping expansion, U.S. federal courts are now the focus of coordinated cyberattacks that threaten not just data but democracy itself. Courtrooms once shielded by marble and tradition are now vulnerable to malware and misdirection. The recent surge in sophisticated attacks against the judiciary’s case management systems isn’t just another breach. It’s a stark warning: even the guardians of law and order aren’t exempt from becoming targets in today’s hyperconnected threatscape.  As a penetration tester, this moment represents a pivotal shift. We’re not just securing infrastructure we’re defending the very backbone of civil society. From supply ch...

The Silent Breach: Why Your SharePoint Isn’t Yours Anymore This wasn’t a random ransomware attack.  It wasn’t spray-and-pray phishing.  It was something far more dangerous  precision-engineered sabotage masked as routine server traffic. In a campaign that shook the cybersecurity world this summer, Chinese state-backed threat groups  Linen Typhoon , Violet Typhoon , and Storm-2603  orchestrated a silent invasion into on-premises Microsoft SharePoint environments. Leveraging a zero-day weapon , now dubbed ToolShell , they chained two lethal flaws  CVE-2025‑49706 (spoofing) and CVE-2025‑49704   to infiltrate government networks, critical infrastructure, and high-value enterprise environments without setting off a single alarm. As a penetration tester, this kind of exploit sends chills down the spine. Because it’s not about brute force or malware payloads it's about trust. And when attackers weaponize trust at this level, the entire architecture of “se...

From GitHub to Breach: How AI Is Weaponizing the Open-Source Ecosystem I was chaining a misconfigured S3 bucket to a remote code execution flaw in a test environment when a headline hit my feed like a detonation: “Threat Actors Exploiting Open Source Ecosystem to Compromise Thousands.” That wasn’t noise,it was a red alert.This isn’t just another zero-day. It’s strategic warfare through trusted package managers code poisoning hidden in plain sight.As a penetration tester , I don’t just read the news I simulate it.The moment I saw that alert, I knew what I’d do: map every dependency, scan for backdoors using Semgrep and OSV Scanner , and flag outdated packages for isolation. Because when trust becomes an attack vector , even your safest tools can betray you.We’ve entered an era where AI writes the malware, open-source delivers it, and your own pipeline signs it off. If you’re not testing like an adversary you’re leaving the door wide open for one.  Threat Actors Exploiting Open‑Sou...

Cracked from the Inside: When Microsoft’s DRM Became the Weak Link What if the system designed to guard premium digital content actually leaked its own keys?As a penetration tester, I’ve torn through sloppy permissions, misconfigured servers, and backdoored software but this one stood out. Microsoft’s PlayReady DRM, used to protect billions in streaming media, was quietly undermined from within. No zero-day exploit. No exotic rootkit. Just a leak hiding in plain sight debug data revealing encryption keys in cleartext.AG Security Research exposed how XOR operations inside PlayReady’s Protected Media Path left content keys vulnerable no crypto cracking required. This wasn’t a security failure. It was a blueprint mistake.In this post, I’ll break down how it happened, what it means for digital rights management, and why pen testers need to treat trusted environments with zero trust. When the gatekeeper leaks the keys, the whole castle falls. Let’s unpack the breach.  What Was Exposed a...