July 2025 Cybersecurity Threats: Critical Vulnerabilities, Active Attacks & Mitigation Strategies

July 2025 emerged as a sobering reminder of the relentless escalation in both the sophistication and scale of global cybersecurity threats. Critical vulnerabilities in ubiquitous platforms like Google Chrome, SharePoint, NVIDIA’s container technology, and core enterprise appliances have been weaponized at unprecedented rates, while high-impact attack campaigns and shocking supply chain breaches underscore that no domain—from the browser on your desktop to cloud-connected infrastructure—is immune. The following in-depth analysis reviews the most urgent vulnerabilities disclosed, high-profile attacks underway, and evolving risks facing anyone responsible for digital security in this new era. Verified technical details and mitigation strategies are examined, with careful attention to both strengths in industry response and the persistent gaps that leave organizations exposed.

Major Security Vulnerabilities: July’s Five-Alarm Warnings​

Google Chrome ANGLE and GPU Exploit (CVE-2025-6558)​

Severity: High
Affected Platforms: Google Chrome (versions before 138.0.7204.157)

Core Breakdown​

Tucked deep within Chrome’s architecture, the ANGLE (Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine) and GPU components play a pivotal role translating modern web content into fast, complex visual experiences across diverse hardware. In July, researchers discovered a flaw allowing malicious HTML to trigger improper GPU operations via ANGLE, leading to potential sandbox escape—one of the worst-case scenarios for any browser.
Technical evidence and Chrome stable channel advisories confirm the severity and “weaponizability” of this flaw. By crafting special HTML that manipulates graphics driver behavior, attackers can potentially cause the browser to lose its strict process isolation—letting malicious code break out of the rendering sandbox and attack the underlying operating system. Chrome’s multi-process architecture is robust, but GPU bugs are a prime target due to their deep hardware access and historical legacy complexity.

Mitigation​

Google issued Chrome 138.0.7204.157 with a fix; users and administrators are urged to update immediately. As with most critical browser bugs, details remain restricted until adoption rates are high enough to blunt mass exploitation. Security teams should regard this as a top-priority update and review the Chrome Releases blog for further technical details:
Chrome Stable Channel Update, July 2025
Google and Microsoft (Edge) both highlight that users must enforce browser auto-updates and restrict at-risk platforms from legacy, unpatched builds. Delaying these patches, as seen with previous browser vulnerabilities, creates a dangerous window for attackers to operate at scale.

Risks and Industry Response​

Chrome’s open bug bounty model and rapid disclosure cycles are strengths, but the continuous growth in GPU and web API complexity almost guarantees new attack techniques will occasionally surface. While neither Google nor independent threat monitors have reported widespread exploitation of this specific ANGLE bug as of July, historical precedent cautions that even minor disclosure delays can accelerate exploit development—particularly once related code changes are public.

NVIDIA Container Toolkit Vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-23266 & CVE-2025-23267)​

Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.0, CVSS 8.5)
Affected Platforms: All NVIDIA Container Toolkit releases on all supported platforms

Core Breakdown​

Two related security flaws in NVIDIA’s open container ecosystem threaten the very foundation of GPU-accelerated application hosting—cloud, AI workflows, scientific computing, and beyond. Misconfigurations in the toolkit’s Open Container Initiative (OCI) hook createContainer enable attackers to inject arbitrary code at creation time. The most severe, CVE-2025-23266, abuses the LD_PRELOAD mechanism: a single malicious Dockerfile can load unauthorized libraries and take full control of the server, potentially at the root level.
These attacks bypass established container isolation and can be triggered by either developer error or supply chain compromise—meaning even trusted images could propagate the exploit if not vigilantly scanned and patched.

Mitigation​

NVIDIA has released targeted patches alongside extensive configuration and hardening guidelines. Administrators must not only update the toolkit but also:

• Audit all Dockerfiles that leverage NVIDIA GPU support for unsafe LD_PRELOAD usage.
• Restrict container privileges and enforce strict runtime profiles.
• Integrate container image scanning into CI/CD pipelines to catch vulnerable hooks.

Failure to implement defense-in-depth here could result in complete server compromise—a situation worsened by the rapid, viral sharing nature of open container images.
See the official NVIDIA advisory for technical breakdowns and required upgrades:
NVIDIA Customer Support Security Advisory

Microsoft SharePoint RCE Flaw (CVE-2025-53770)​

Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.8)
Affected: SharePoint Server 2016, 2019, Subscription Edition

Core Breakdown​

SharePoint, the backbone of document collaboration in thousands of organizations, faces a critical remote code execution (RCE) risk. The vulnerability lies in the unsafe deserialization of XML payloads via WebPart controls—even users with minimal privileges can submit crafted XML, triggering arbitrary code execution as the SharePoint application pool. Multiple security advisories, including Microsoft’s own and cross-validated by third-party researchers, confirm that the bug enables full system compromise without the need for authentication.
Proof-of-concept (PoC) code already exists, albeit privately held, with ongoing reconnaissance against unpatched public SharePoint endpoints observed by security researchers. Lessons from notorious incidents, such as the 2017 Apache Struts breach, highlight the catastrophic potential of deserialization flaws.

Mitigation​

• Apply July 2025’s cumulative updates (KB5002658, KB5002657, KB5002656) to all exposed SharePoint servers.
• Enforce defensive input validation and sanitize all WebPart user input.
• Monitor web service endpoints for abnormal activity, as attackers frequently “case the joint” before unleashing full payloads.

Microsoft’s own CVSS rating and acknowledgement of practical exploits should dispel any notion of limited impact—this is a core platform flaw, not an obscure edge case.
More details found at Microsoft’s security blog:
Official Microsoft SharePoint Advisory

Sophos Intercept X Local Privilege Escalation (CVE-2024-13972, CVE-2025-7433, CVE-2025-7472)​

Severity: High (CVSS 7.5–8.8)
Affected: Sophos Intercept X for Windows (pre-2024.3.2), Device Encryption (pre-2025.1), Installer (pre-1.22)

Core Breakdown​

Three interconnected flaws in Sophos’s widely deployed endpoint protection suite permit local attackers—already present via social engineering or secondary browser exploits—to escalate privileges to SYSTEM. The primary issues stem from permissive registry access controls, exploitable encryption modules, and flawed installer security.
Because security agents typically run with elevated privileges and are a favorite target for malware seeking to disable defenses, these escalations can serve as a beachhead for ransomware or hands-on-keyboard attackers. The risks are compounded by the suite’s presence in regulated and high-trust environments (finance, healthcare, government).

Mitigation​

• Update promptly to Intercept X 2024.3.2 or later, Device Encryption 2025.1, and Installer 1.22.
• Enforce least privilege access on all endpoints.
• Monitor for abnormal process activity signaling local exploitation attempts.

Sophos’s rapid advisory and patch cycle are commendable, but security teams need to remain aware that privilege escalation bugs in endpoint tools won’t disappear—they’re a perennial high-value target for threat actors.

Ubiquiti UniFi Command Injection (CVE-2025-27212)​

Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.8)
Affected: UniFi Access Reader Pro, G2/G3 Reader Pro, Intercom, Intercom Viewer

Core Breakdown​

Physical security and access control have come under assault as command injection in UniFi’s flagship access and intercom devices allows remote, unauthenticated arbitrary code execution. This means that attackers—without any prior credentials—can send crafted commands to compromise entry systems, potentially gaining control over doors, CCTV, and even internal network pivots.
Given the deployment of these devices in corporate, campus, and government settings worldwide, the risk extends beyond data loss to include direct compromise of the physical environment.

Mitigation​

• Update firmware: Reader Pro 2.15.9 and above are considered secure.
• Segregate networks so vulnerable appliances cannot reach critical corporate systems.
• Proactively monitor for suspicious or unauthorized access attempts.

Ubiquiti’s bulletin and firmware schedules are provided here:
Ubiquiti Security Advisory

Exploitation in the Wild: Ongoing Attack Campaigns​

CitrixBleed 2 (CVE-2025-5777)​

Since late June, millions of attack attempts have been logged against a critical pre-auth memory overread bug affecting Citrix platforms—with over 100 known organizational breaches, especially among financial institutions. Session hijacking and multi-factor authentication (MFA) bypasses are feasible, making exposed instances a prime target for lateral movement and data theft. Even with available patches, nearly 4,700 instances remained unprotected as of July 17—a concerning lag given attack automation.
The need for rapid patch deployment, session termination, and threat indicator monitoring (such as uncommon authentication requests) is paramount.
Official mitigation and tracking resources are available:
Citrix Bleed Advisory

Fortinet FortiWeb Webshell Attacks (CVE-2025-25257)​

Type: Pre-auth SQL injection yielding remote code execution
A recently catalogued, critical vulnerability targeting Fortinet’s FortiWeb application firewall has been confirmed by CISA to be exploited in the wild. Attackers use SQL injection to run arbitrary commands, implanting webshells that grant persistent access. As FortiWeb typically guards sensitive applications, such successful intrusions represent a true “last line of defense” collapse. Public proofs-of-concept and technical details are now widely available, accelerating criminal interest and activity.
Administrators are strongly urged to update to FortiWeb 7.6.4, 7.4.8, 7.2.11, or 7.0.11, disable administrative interfaces from the internet, and actively hunt for webshell artifacts. The CVSS score of 9.8 and cross-validation from multiple security labs affirm that this risk is neither theoretical nor limited in scope.
More: Fortinet FortiWeb PSIRT Announcement

Louis Vuitton UK Data Breach​

On July 2, it was revealed that the luxury brand suffered a month-long data breach, reportedly via either SQL injection or credential stuffing, exposing personal and purchase data of customers. The incident illustrates the rising threat of supply chain weaknesses, where third-party providers can act as a soft underbelly for major brands. The lack of detection for such an extended period highlights critical monitoring and response gaps, likely mirrored across other high-profile retail environments.
Recommended mitigations include firm adoption of zero-trust architectures, aggressive MFA, routine security audits for both internal and third-party systems, and aggressive user awareness campaigns to dampen resultant phishing attempts.
Further details and guidance can be referenced at:
Data Security Update - Dior Fashion (sister brand)

Emerging and Noteworthy: Security News​

Apache Tomcat Denial-of-Service via HTTP/2 (CVE-2025-53506)​

A flaw in Tomcat’s implementation of the HTTP/2 protocol enables attackers to exhaust server resources with unauthenticated traffic, disrupting business-critical web applications. The vector—race conditions in stream limit enforcement—requires no authentication or previous access. This risk is particularly concerning for cloud and enterprise platforms leveraging HTTP/2 for high concurrency and performance.
Immediate action includes upgrading to Tomcat 11.0.9, 10.1.43, or 9.0.107, disabling HTTP/2 where unnecessary, and deploying reverse proxies to absorb or mitigate adverse traffic patterns.

Windows Server 2025 “Golden dMSA” Authentication Bypass​

A newly disclosed design flaw involving delegated Managed Service Accounts (dMSA) in Windows Server 2025 enables clever attackers to bypass authentication controls and reset passwords for all managed accounts—potentially allowing forest-wide escalation. There is currently no hotfix, although Microsoft has communicated intentions to restrict this behavior in future localhost scenarios. Until then, organizations must carefully audit KDS root key access, strictly limit dMSA creation permissions, and monitor Active Directory for anomalous authentication flows. This highlights the persistent risks of subtle architectural oversights in core Windows identity frameworks.
Guidance: Semperis Blog - Golden dMSA Flaw

Critical Analysis: Industry Strengths and Lingering Risks​

Glimmers of Progress​

• Rapid Patch Cycles: Major vendors, especially Google and Microsoft, have evolved to deliver and publicize emergency patches within days, often cooperating to propagate fixes downstream (e.g., Chrome ➔ Edge, Brave). Security advisories—though sometimes frustratingly vague for defenders—often strike a careful balance between operational secrecy and public safety.
• Transparent Vulnerability Cataloging: Initiatives like CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog empower both federal and private sectors to track and prioritize genuine in-the-wild threats above “noise.”
• Security Program Maturity: Bug bounty ecosystems, continuous fuzz testing, and architectural investments in sandboxing/memory safety have greatly reduced broad exploitability for many platforms.

Persistent and Evolving Risks​

• Patch Lag and Supply Chain Blind Spots: Despite rapid vendor action, delays in patch deployment remain pervasive—exposing thousands of critical systems long after fixes ship. The proliferation of open source and containerized “microservices” further amplifies the risk that one stale component or misconfigured hook can act as a soft target.
• Complexity and Opportunity for Attackers: New features (GPU compositing, HTTP/2, WebAPIs) widen the attack surface, and critical vulnerabilities are increasingly the result of subtle, hard-to-detect bugs buried in legacy codebases. Attackers, often leveraging automation, can reach global scale with minimal effort once a weakness is disclosed.
• Physical/Cloud Convergence: The exploitation of Ubiquiti access devices and managed service account flaws in Windows illustrate how attackers are moving beyond the classic “software-only” perimeter, targeting the intersection of physical, cloud, and identity controls.
• Disclosure Gaps: The race between defenders and motivated, well-resourced attackers remains razor-thin, especially as public advisories and PoC code follow closely behind patch releases. Incomplete downstream communication (e.g., third-party browser vendors lagging after upstream Chrome/Edge updates) represents an often-underappreciated vector for widespread attacks.

Recommendations and Call to Action​

• Immediate Patching: Apply all vendor-released updates without delay—for Chrome, SharePoint, NVIDIA, Sophos, Ubiquiti, and affected Fortinet products, as well as Tomcat and Windows Server.
• Integrated Monitoring and Incident Response: Actively monitor patch status, user authentication patterns, and endpoint behaviors to rapidly detect post-exploitation or lateral movement.
• Zero-Trust and Privileged Access Controls: Embrace zero-trust methodologies, including segmentation/fault isolation, least privilege, and routine credential audits.
• Continuous Education: Train both technical staff and end-users to identify phishing, social engineering, and operational red flags. All it takes is one compromised endpoint to negate even the most sophisticated defenses.
• Vulnerability Management at Scale: Establish or leverage threat intelligence services and automation to ensure that emerging CVEs and exploited flaws trigger immediate risk assessments across your environment.

Conclusion​

July 2025’s cybersecurity threat landscape underscores an uncomfortable but inescapable reality: the meteoric pace of technology and connectivity, while empowering, makes everyone—from global enterprises to individual users—a potential target for sophisticated adversaries. The cycle of vulnerability discovery, patching, and exploitation is only accelerating. To rise to this challenge, security must become not just a technical priority but a strategic imperative. Organizations willing to invest in layered defense, transparent governance, rapid response, and a culture of continuous vigilance will be best positioned to withstand this new era of persistent, evolving risk. And above all, the lessons of this month are clear: do not wait for tomorrow to patch today’s dangers—because the attackers surely won’t.
For tailored guidance or expert support, reach out to credible cybersecurity consultancies, stay attuned to trusted advisories, and empower every member of your digital ecosystem to act as the first—and last—line of defense.

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Source: Crowe https://www.crowe.com/ae/news/cybersecurity-threats-12-to-20-july-2025/