Cyber Security News

Hacking Editorial Brief — August 11, 2026

China-Linked Group Deploys New Ransomware via N-able Exploit

Microsoft has attributed a new ransomware campaign to Storm-1175, a China-linked threat actor, deploying StormEncryptor ransomware against organizations after likely exploiting CVE-2026-18577 in N-able N-central remote monitoring and management software. The campaign represents a notable shift as Chinese state-nexus actors have historically focused on espionage rather than ransomware deployment. Separately, a new ransomware variant called DeadLock has been observed systematically disabling Windows Defender, backup systems, and event logs before file encryption, demonstrating increasingly sophisticated anti-detection and anti-recovery capabilities.

Zero-Day Exploitation and Critical Infrastructure Targeting

Metabase confirmed active exploitation of a critical zero-day vulnerability allowing unauthenticated attackers to gain full administrator access to the business intelligence platform. The company has not disclosed the scope of exploitation or whether the flaw was used in targeted attacks. Meanwhile, officials from the Maine Water Utilities Association reported that water infrastructure systems across the state face constant probing attempts from threat actors using AI-driven scanning tools and phishing campaigns, highlighting persistent targeting of U.S. critical infrastructure.

Sources: The Hacker News · IT Security News · Cybersecurity News · Portland Press Herald