Why it matters: This week delivered a critical convergence of enterprise infrastructure attacks spanning Microsoft’s largest patch deployment in months, actively exploited content management systems, and critical e-commerce platforms. Microsoft’s September Patch Tuesday addressed 81 vulnerabilities including a potentially wormable HPC Pack flaw and publicly disclosed SMB relay attacks, while Adobe broke its regular patch cycle to issue emergency fixes for the maximum-severity “SessionReaper” vulnerability. The discovery of active Sitecore exploitation through exposed machine keys and CISA’s rapid addition of multiple TP-Link router vulnerabilities demonstrates how attackers systematically target both enterprise applications and network infrastructure.
The bottom line: Organizations must prioritize immediate patching across Windows systems, e-commerce platforms, content management systems, and network infrastructure while implementing enhanced monitoring for deserialization attacks, session manipulation, and router-based botnet activity targeting enterprise networks.
What’s ahead: Ten critical security developments spanning Windows infrastructure, e-commerce platforms, content management systems, and network device exploitation that define enterprise security priorities for September 2025.
1. Microsoft September Patch Tuesday Addresses 81 Vulnerabilities with Critical HPC Pack RCE
Microsoft’s September 2025 Patch Tuesday resolved 81 vulnerabilities across Windows and enterprise products, including a critical deserialization flaw in High Performance Compute Pack (CVE-2025-55232, CVSS 9.8) enabling unauthenticated remote code execution without user interaction. The potentially wormable vulnerability affects TCP port 5999 and could spread between HPC systems. Two publicly disclosed zero-days were addressed: CVE-2025-55234 affecting Windows SMB Server relay attacks and CVE-2024-21907 impacting SQL Server JSON processing denial of service.
Impact: Critical – Potentially wormable Windows infrastructure vulnerability combined with 80+ additional flaws requiring immediate enterprise-wide patching across multiple product families.
Action Steps: Apply Microsoft’s September 2025 security updates immediately across all Windows systems, prioritizing HPC Pack installations and domain controllers. Implement firewall restrictions for TCP port 5999 on HPC systems until patches are deployed. Enable SMB signing and Extended Protection for Authentication to mitigate relay attacks. Deploy enhanced monitoring for unusual HPC cluster communications and SMB authentication anomalies. Establish staged patch rollout procedures with priority for internet-facing systems and critical infrastructure.
2. Adobe Issues Emergency Fix for Critical “SessionReaper” E-Commerce Vulnerability
Adobe broke its regular patch cycle to issue emergency hotfixes for a critical session takeover vulnerability (CVE-2025-54236, CVSS 9.1) affecting Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source platforms. The “SessionReaper” flaw enables unauthenticated attackers to hijack active customer sessions through improper input validation in the Commerce REST API, potentially compromising customer accounts, order history, and payment information without requiring user interaction or authentication credentials.
Impact: Critical – Maximum severity e-commerce platform vulnerability enabling complete customer account takeover and unauthorized access to sensitive commercial data.
Action Steps: Apply Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source hotfixes immediately across all e-commerce installations. Monitor Commerce REST API endpoints for unusual traffic patterns and rapid session manipulation attempts. Implement enhanced logging for customer authentication events and unauthorized account access attempts. Deploy behavioral analysis monitoring detecting multiple account access from single IP addresses or user agents. Establish incident response procedures for compromised customer accounts and potential data exfiltration scenarios.
3. CISA Orders Emergency Patching of Exploited Sitecore Zero-Day Vulnerability
CISA added a critical Sitecore vulnerability (CVE-2025-53690, CVSS 9.0) to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog following Mandiant’s discovery of active exploitation using exposed ASP.NET machine keys from deployment guides. Attackers leverage sample machine keys published in 2017 documentation to craft malicious ViewState payloads, achieving remote code execution and deploying WEEPSTEEL reconnaissance malware for Active Directory enumeration and lateral movement. Federal agencies must remediate by September 25, 2025.
Impact: Critical – Actively exploited content management system zero-day enabling enterprise network compromise through exposed configuration keys and advanced persistent threat deployment.
Action Steps: Apply Sitecore security updates immediately for Experience Manager, Experience Platform, and Experience Commerce installations. Replace default or sample machine keys with unique, securely generated alternatives across all ASP.NET applications. Implement enhanced monitoring for ViewState deserialization attacks and unusual web application POST requests. Deploy network segmentation isolating content management systems from critical enterprise resources. Establish procedures for validating ASP.NET application security configurations and machine key management.
4. CISA Flags Three TP-Link Router Vulnerabilities Under Active Botnet Exploitation
CISA added multiple TP-Link router vulnerabilities to its KEV catalog citing active exploitation by the Quad7 botnet for Microsoft 365 password spraying attacks. CVE-2023-50224 enables authentication bypass and credential disclosure on TL-WR841N routers, while CVE-2025-9377 provides command injection capabilities on Archer C7 and TL-WR841N models. The vulnerabilities are chained together to recruit end-of-life routers into botnets conducting evasive authentication attacks against enterprise cloud services.
Impact: High – Network infrastructure compromise enabling enterprise cloud service attacks through coordinated botnet operations and credential harvesting.
Action Steps: Identify and replace end-of-life TP-Link router models immediately across enterprise and remote worker environments. Apply available firmware updates to supported devices and implement network access controls restricting router management interfaces. Deploy enhanced monitoring for Microsoft 365 authentication patterns detecting password spraying attempts. Implement conditional access policies and multi-factor authentication requirements for cloud service access. Establish network device inventory management ensuring timely hardware lifecycle replacement.
5. Multiple Industrial Control Systems Vulnerabilities Disclosed by CISA
CISA released industrial control systems advisories affecting critical infrastructure including Honeywell Experion PKS with multiple memory corruption vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-2520, CVE-2025-2521) enabling privilege escalation and code execution. Additional flaws impact Mitsubishi/ICONICS Genesis64 systems and Delta Electronics COMMGR communication management platforms. These vulnerabilities affect operational technology environments managing power generation, manufacturing processes, and critical infrastructure operations requiring coordinated IT/OT security responses.
Impact: Medium – Critical infrastructure vulnerabilities requiring specialized operational technology security measures and coordinated maintenance procedures.
Action Steps: Apply vendor-specific security updates for Honeywell PKS, ICONICS Genesis64, and Delta Electronics COMMGR systems according to operational safety requirements. Implement network segmentation isolating industrial control systems from enterprise networks and internet access. Deploy OT-specific security monitoring detecting unusual industrial protocol communications and unauthorized system access. Review industrial control system access controls and authentication mechanisms for potential compromise. Establish procedures for coordinating security updates with operational safety and production requirements.
6. Apple Zero-Day Vulnerability Chained with WhatsApp Flaw in Spyware Attacks
CISA added WhatsApp vulnerability CVE-2025-55177 to its KEV catalog following disclosure of active exploitation in highly targeted spyware campaigns. The incorrect authorization flaw enables unauthorized URL content processing on target devices when chained with Apple iOS/macOS zero-day CVE-2025-43300. WhatsApp confirmed fewer than 200 users received threat notifications for potential targeting by commercial spyware vendors conducting sophisticated mobile device compromise campaigns.
Impact: Medium – Highly targeted mobile platform vulnerabilities enabling sophisticated spyware deployment against high-value individuals and organizations.
Action Steps: Apply WhatsApp and iOS/macOS security updates immediately across all organizational mobile devices. Review mobile device management policies and implement enhanced monitoring for suspicious application behavior. Deploy mobile threat detection solutions monitoring for spyware indicators and unauthorized device access attempts. Establish procedures for responding to targeted spyware campaigns and potential mobile device compromise. Implement security awareness training for high-risk personnel regarding advanced mobile threats and social engineering techniques.
7. SAP S/4HANA Command Injection Continues Under Active Exploitation
SecurityBridge confirmed ongoing exploitation of SAP S/4HANA vulnerability CVE-2025-42957 (CVSS 9.9) despite patches released in August 2025. The critical command injection flaw enables complete system takeover through ABAP code injection with minimal authentication requirements. Attackers can modify databases, create superuser accounts, extract password hashes, and deploy ransomware on compromised ERP systems managing critical business operations across multiple industry sectors.
Impact: High – Continued enterprise resource planning system exploitation enabling complete business system compromise and operational disruption.
Action Steps: Verify SAP Security Notes 3627998 and 3633838 deployment across all S/4HANA installations. Review and restrict S_DMIS authorization object permissions limiting RFC module access. Deploy SAP-specific security monitoring detecting anomalous RFC calls and unauthorized administrative account creation. Implement enhanced logging and SIEM integration for SAP system access attempts and privilege escalation activities. Establish incident response procedures specifically addressing ERP system compromise and business process integrity.
8. Chrome AI-Discovered ANGLE Vulnerability Demonstrates Proactive Security
Google’s AI agent Big Sleep discovered and fixed a critical use-after-free vulnerability (CVE-2025-9478) in Chrome’s ANGLE graphics engine before human researchers identified the flaw. This represents the first known instance of AI-powered vulnerability discovery preventing real-world exploitation through proactive security measures. The graphics engine vulnerability could have enabled remote code execution through malicious WebGL content targeting browser rendering systems.
Impact: Medium – AI-discovered browser vulnerability demonstrating evolving automated security research capabilities and proactive threat prevention.
Action Steps: Update Google Chrome to latest versions containing ANGLE security fixes across all enterprise browser installations. Implement browser security policies restricting WebGL and graphics-intensive web content access where appropriate. Deploy web content filtering solutions monitoring for malicious graphics exploitation attempts. Review organizational security research capabilities and consider AI-assisted vulnerability discovery tools. Establish procedures for integrating automated security research findings into vulnerability management workflows.
9. Docker Desktop Container Escape and Development Environment Threats
Security researchers highlighted ongoing Docker Desktop container escape vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-9074) affecting development environments with potential host system compromise. The critical flaw enables malicious containers to access Docker Engine APIs without authentication, potentially mounting host filesystems and achieving privilege escalation on Windows systems with WSL2 backends. Enhanced Container Isolation features demonstrate limitations against sophisticated escape techniques.
Impact: Medium – Development platform vulnerabilities enabling host system compromise through container escape and privilege escalation techniques.
Action Steps: Update Docker Desktop to version 4.44.3 or later immediately across all development environments. Review container workloads for potential compromise indicators and implement enhanced container runtime security monitoring. Deploy development environment security policies restricting untrusted container execution and image sources. Implement network segmentation isolating development systems from production infrastructure. Establish secure container development practices and supply chain validation procedures.
10. Emerging Supply Chain and AI Security Threats Across Multiple Platforms
Multiple supply chain security incidents emerged this week including NPM package poisoning campaigns targeting Node.js applications and AI system vulnerabilities affecting security guardrails. Researchers demonstrated how AI explainability features can be exploited to dismantle safety protections, while supply chain attacks target popular development packages with millions of weekly downloads. These incidents highlight expanding attack surfaces in modern software development and AI deployment environments.
Impact: Low – Emerging threats to software supply chains and AI systems requiring enhanced monitoring and governance frameworks.
Action Steps: Implement software composition analysis tools monitoring for malicious package dependencies and supply chain compromises. Deploy AI governance frameworks addressing security guardrail testing and model safety validation. Review development pipeline security controls including package management, dependency scanning, and build environment isolation. Establish incident response procedures for supply chain compromise scenarios. Implement enhanced monitoring for AI system abuse and security control bypass attempts.
Key Takeaways for IT Leaders
This week’s developments highlight several critical trends:
- Windows infrastructure attacks reach new scale with Microsoft’s 81-vulnerability patch release including potentially wormable HPC Pack flaws requiring immediate enterprise-wide remediation
- E-commerce platform targeting intensifies with Adobe’s emergency SessionReaper patches demonstrating how attackers focus on customer account takeover and commercial data theft
- Content management system exploitation accelerates through Sitecore zero-day attacks using exposed configuration keys, emphasizing the need for secure deployment practices
- Network device compromise expands via TP-Link router botnet recruitment for cloud service attacks, highlighting the convergence of infrastructure and application-layer threats
Organizations must prioritize coordinated patching across Windows systems, e-commerce platforms, content management applications, and network infrastructure while implementing enhanced monitoring for deserialization attacks, session manipulation, and botnet recruitment targeting enterprise cloud services and critical business applications.
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