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  2. /CISA Flags Active Exploitation While New Ransomware Tactics and AI Shadow Operations Emerge

CISA Flags Active Exploitation While New Ransomware Tactics and AI Shadow Operations Emerge

March 17, 2026Malware & Threats3 min readcritical

Originally reported by BleepingComputer, Graham Cluley, Checkpoint Research, Malwarebytes Labs

#ransomware#cisa-kev#malware#social-engineering#shadow-ai#android-security#clickfix
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TL;DR

CISA added a Wing FTP Server vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation. Meanwhile, LeakNet ransomware has evolved to use ClickFix social engineering techniques, and security teams face growing challenges from unauthorized AI tools in enterprise environments.

Why critical?

CISA has flagged Wing FTP Server vulnerability as actively exploited, which requires immediate patching by federal agencies within 21 days and indicates confirmed exploitation in the wild.

CISA Flags Wing FTP Server Vulnerability Under Active Attack

CISA added CVE-2024-XXXXX in Wing FTP Server to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, warning federal agencies of confirmed active exploitation. The vulnerability can be chained with other flaws to achieve remote code execution on affected servers. Federal agencies have until April 6 to patch vulnerable instances or remove them from networks.

The warning underscores the continued targeting of file transfer services by threat actors seeking initial access to enterprise networks.

LeakNet Ransomware Adopts ClickFix Social Engineering

The LeakNet ransomware operation has integrated ClickFix techniques for initial access, combining social engineering with a custom malware loader built on the Deno runtime for JavaScript and TypeScript. This approach leverages fake browser error messages that trick users into running malicious PowerShell commands.

The use of Deno runtime represents an evolution in ransomware deployment methods, potentially allowing for more sophisticated and harder-to-detect payload delivery mechanisms.

Shadow AI Proliferation Challenges Enterprise Security

Security teams face mounting challenges from shadow AI adoption across SaaS environments, as employees integrate unauthorized AI tools into workflows without IT oversight. Nudge Security research highlights the growing gap between AI tool proliferation and governance frameworks.

Organizations need visibility into AI application usage and risk assessment capabilities to manage this expanding attack surface effectively.

Google Restricts Android Accessibility API Abuse

Google implemented new restrictions on Android applications accessing accessibility services, responding to years of malware abuse of these features. The changes require more stringent app review processes and limit accessibility permissions to applications with legitimate use cases.

This policy shift addresses a persistent attack vector used by Android banking trojans and other malware families to overlay legitimate applications and steal credentials.

Malware Campaigns Target Windows Users

Multiple campaigns are actively targeting Windows users through compromised websites. Threat actors are deploying fake "verify you are human" pages on hacked WordPress sites to distribute Vidar infostealer, while SEO poisoning techniques redirect VPN searches to credential-harvesting operations.

Malwarebytes researchers also documented the "Zombie ZIP" method, which can bypass initial antivirus scans by exploiting specific archive parsing behaviors.

Infrastructure and Operational Disruptions

Several infrastructure incidents affected operations this week. A DDoS attack knocked Perm, Russia's parking payment system offline, providing unintended free parking for residents. Medical technology company Stryker suffered a cyberattack causing global disruption to surgical robotics and clinical systems.

Microsoft addressed multiple service issues, including Exchange Online outages blocking mailbox access and compatibility problems between Teams Meeting add-ins and Outlook Classic.

Sources

  • LeakNet ransomware uses ClickFix and Deno runtime for stealthy attacks
  • CISA flags Wing FTP Server flaw as actively exploited in attacks
  • Shadow AI is everywhere. Here's how to find and secure it
  • Google cracks down on Android apps abusing accessibility
  • Hacked sites deliver Vidar infostealer to Windows users
  • How searching for a VPN could mean handing over your work login details
  • Zombie ZIP method can fool antivirus during the first scan
  • Free parking in Russia after DDoS attack knocks city's parking system offline
  • 16th March – Threat Intelligence Report

Originally reported by BleepingComputer, Graham Cluley, Checkpoint Research, Malwarebytes Labs

Tags

#ransomware#cisa-kev#malware#social-engineering#shadow-ai#android-security#clickfix

Tracked Companies

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈGoogle

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