Security Week 2646: Researchers Uncover Car Control Flaws via ForgeRock Portal
Security researchers Sam Curry and Shubham Sha discovered a vulnerability in the web applications of two major automakers that, in some cases, allowed full remote control over vehicles, including access to geolocation data, door locking and unlocking, and engine start functions.
The investigation began with analysis of the corresponding mobile applications, which led to the discovery of configuration issues in the ForgeRock access management solution. Researchers identified an exposed component accessible with the default credentials admin:admin. Although external access to high-risk commands was initially blocked, Curry developed a bypass that ultimately enabled account takeover with full vehicle control.
The attack did not require knowledge of the target vehicle’s VIN number, unlike previous research by the same team. The vulnerability chain provided access to an administrator interface, potentially affecting every vehicle using the compromised identification system. The automakers received notification in early 2026 and deployed a fix on the same day.
Additional vulnerabilities disclosed this week
The past week brought several other notable security issues. A long-standing flaw in OpenSSH was found that could allow passwordless SSH login on certain distributions such as Alpine Linux. Google patched a critical remote code execution vulnerability CVE-2026-58868 affecting Android versions 14 through 17. Another critical flaw was fixed in Google Chrome.
Debian’s APT package manager received a patch for a Man-in-the-Middle risk. A 10.0 severity vulnerability was identified in Node-RED, widely used in industrial systems. Even Microsoft Paint was affected by a remote code execution issue.
New research from Kaspersky Lab examined the Arra Ghouls cybercrime group, fileless attacks on Microsoft SharePoint, and virtualization security. QNAP warned of exploitation of the Plex2Shell vulnerability, while Zyxel addressed an actively exploited flaw in its GS1900 series switches.
Binance disclosed details of a major infrastructure breach that followed two supply-chain style incidents involving malicious software. A WordPress vulnerability was shown to allow server compromise during a brief update window. Google disrupted a large botnet built from millions of compromised set-top boxes, and Ivanti Connect Secure received patches for two actively exploited vulnerabilities.
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Top 5 Cybersecurity Events of the Week: Barracuda Root Exploits, cPGuard Supply-Chain Attack, APT Flaw, Xen Escape Bugs, and OpenSSH Authentication Bypass
This week’s Jet CSIRT roundup highlights five critical security issues affecting widely deployed infrastructure. Two high-severity vulnerabilities in Barracuda Email Security Gateway and other appliances allow unauthenticated attackers to obtain root access via authorization bypass and command injection. A supply-chain compromise of cPGuard versions 5.88.12–5.88.19 enabled theft of password hashes, database files, and SSH keys from at least 32 customer servers before the malicious update was removed. A flaw in the APT package manager (CVE-2026-109518) lets network attackers substitute malicious packages that execute with root privileges on Debian and Ubuntu systems. Two Xen hypervisor bugs (CVE-2026-102703 and CVE-2026-102704) permit a compromised guest VM to read and write memory belonging to dom0 and other guests. Finally, an OpenSSH authentication bypass on musl-based Alpine Linux distributions allows passwordless login to key-only accounts when long password hashes trigger a crypt() return value of “*”.
CISA and FBI Warn of Global Cyber Attacks on Industrial Refrigeration and Cold Chain Controllers
CISA, the FBI, and multiple U.S. agencies issued a joint advisory on November 5 detailing malicious cyber activity targeting industrial refrigeration systems and cold chain monitoring equipment worldwide. Attackers are exploiting unpatched or internet-exposed temperature controllers in supermarkets and cold storage facilities through authentication bypass, arbitrary code injection, and weak configurations. Once inside the control panels, threat actors force units into continuous heating and defrost cycles, the opposite of their intended function, while also causing denial of visibility that prevents operators from seeing real equipment status. The advisory highlights risks including reduced system lifespan, fire hazards, stock loss, and potential consumer harm from spoiled products stored outside safe temperature ranges. Sectors most affected include public health, chemical manufacturing, food and agriculture, and refrigerated transportation. Recommended mitigations focus on network segmentation, removal of remote access from the public internet, strong authentication, firmware updates, and regular offline backups.
Critical Flaw in React Server Components Enables Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution
The React team disclosed security advisory GHSA-xqc2-xf4c-x3h3 describing a high-impact vulnerability in React Server Components that can lead to remote code execution. The flaw affects packages react-server-dom-webpack, react-server-dom-parcel, and react-server-dom-turbopack across multiple version ranges from 19.0.0 through 19.3.0. Exploitation requires no authentication, privileges, or user interaction, allowing a remote attacker to execute code on the server by sending a specially crafted request containing multiple typed arrays alongside attacker-controlled data. No CVE identifier was assigned, and the advisory notes that the issue is distinct from the previously reported React2Shell vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-55182. Affected applications are limited to those running React code on the server with supported frameworks and bundlers; client-only React usage is unaffected. Patches are available in versions 19.0.9, 19.1.10, 19.2.9, and 19.3.1, with immediate updates strongly recommended. The React team also linked similar typed-array handling issues in Next.js Cache Components, suggesting a broader class of errors.
Plex Media Server Vulnerabilities Exploited in Wild via Plex2Shell Chain
Plex has disclosed active exploitation of four vulnerabilities in Plex Media Server versions 1.43.2 and earlier. The flaws, tracked as CVE-2026-96652, CVE-2026-96654, CVE-2026-96655 and CVE-2026-96656, allow unauthenticated remote code execution when chained together. Attackers are leveraging server-side request forgery and token-handling weaknesses to write arbitrary files on exposed servers. Proof-of-concept code named Plex2Shell was published on 16 October, after which CISA added the issues to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Compromised systems have been observed deploying cryptocurrency miners and proxy relays. The software is widely used both as a standalone media server and as an add-on for QNAP and other NAS devices, increasing the potential attack surface.