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Hundreds of Cisco customers are vulnerable to new Chinese hacking campaign,researchers say
Cisco has announced that a group of Chinese government-backed hackers is exploiting a zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-20393) affecting its popular products, impacting hundreds of its enterprise customers. While precise numbers remain unclear, researchers report limited but targeted attacks. Cisco advises affected customers to restore compromised systems as no patches are available yet.
Key points
- Chinese government-backed hackers are exploiting a vulnerability in Cisco's products.
- The vulnerability (CVE-2025-20393) is classified as a zero-day, meaning it was discovered before patches were available.
- Hundreds of Cisco's customers may be at risk, according to researchers.
- Affected systems include Cisco's Secure Email Gateway and Secure Email and Web Manager.
- Systems are only vulnerable if they have specific conditions enabled, which are not default.
- Cisco advises affected customers to wipe and restore systems as no current patches exist.
Why it matters
- The incident reflects a broader trend of increased cyberattacks targeting major corporations, especially those with governmental ties.
- Similar vulnerabilities have historically been exploited, highlighting the need for robust cybersecurity measures.
- As of 2025, the IT landscape shows a rising emphasis on zero-day vulnerabilities and corporate cybersecurity resilience.
This hacking campaign underscores critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities within prominent software providers and emphasizes the urgency for companies to implement preventive measures as cyber threats remain a persistent danger.