Daily Cyber Threat Brief – Ep 1034 (Dec 26, 2025)

Podcast: Daily Cyber Threat Brief

Host: Daniel Lowry (Simply Cyber Media Group, substituting for Jerry)
Date: December 26, 2025
Theme: Essential cyber news roundup for security insiders with expert hot takes, real-world analysis, and an engaging community Q&A (“Jawjacking”).

Episode Overview

In this festive, energetic episode, Daniel Lowry hosts the Daily Cyber Threat Brief, guiding listeners through the most consequential cybersecurity headlines from December 26, 2025. With Jerry on vacation, Daniel delivers technical explanations, humor-laden commentary, and community-driven discussion. The agenda features critical vulnerabilities, major data breaches, industry moves toward memory-safe languages, AI research initiatives, and interactive career advice—all designed for security professionals, analysts, and those looking to advance in cybersecurity.

Key Stories & Analysis

1. Active Exploitation of a Fortinet VPN Bypass Vulnerability

[05:41–14:01]

Summary:
Fortinet reports active exploitation of a five-year-old flaw in FortiOS SSL VPN (CVE-2020-12812, CVSS 5.2). Attackers bypass multi-factor authentication if a username’s case (upper/lower) is altered due to inconsistent case handling between local and remote authentication. Several configuration prerequisites are required for exploitation.
Urgency:
Fortinet advises users to run a specific command (set username-case-sensitivity disable) and evaluate LDAP group policies as mitigation steps.
Daniel’s Hot Take:
“How is this still being a problem? Well, all things old are new again.”
— Daniel, [07:25]
Practical Note:
Legacy misconfigurations and authentication design quirks remain real-world threats, especially in perimeter devices.

2. Google Testing Default Gmail Address Changes

[14:01–18:12]

Summary:
Google is reportedly piloting a feature that would allow users to change their default @gmail.com addresses—something previously impossible. The finding surfaced in a Hindi-language support document linked via Telegram.
Daniel’s Hot Take:
“Maybe it's kind of like getting a new phone number, right? Too many people know this… It's a liability at this point instead of being an asset.”
— Daniel, [14:36]
Discussion:
The feature could be useful for users seeking a professional refresh or mitigating old, compromised addresses. The host speculates about email forwarding and actual utility.

3. June Aflac Data Breach Reveals Scope—22 Million Affected

[18:12–24:58]

Summary:
A June attack attributed to Scattered Spider affected more than 22 million Aflac customers, with sensitive data like claims, SSNs, and health records exfiltrated. The breach was halted quickly, but not before significant data loss.
Implications:
Identity protection services offered as remediation, and the breach highlights reuse of classic attack playbooks (IT impersonation, targeting insurance).
Notable Quotes:
“Oh Scattered Spider. You a-holes. Why do you do these things?”
— Daniel, [18:59]

“Just another day in the cybersecurity world, kids. It doesn't really change.”
— Daniel, [19:56]

4. CISA Adds DigiEver NVR Vulnerability to Known Exploited Catalog

[24:58–25:50]

Summary:
CISA warns of active exploitation of a command injection flaw (CVSS 8.8) in DigiEver DS2105Pro network video recorders, enabling post-auth remote code execution. This is being harnessed by botnets like Mirai and Shadow V2.
Mitigation Deadline:
Federal agencies must remediate or discontinue use by January 12, 2026.
Daniel’s Hot Take:
"It's always the stinkin’ time stuff… when you're setting up your time zone, this CGI script, it’s YOLO, whatever input."
— Daniel, [25:50]
Lesson:
Old, unsupported, and exposed IoT gear are favorite targets for botnet operators.

5. NIST & MITRE Team Up for $20M AI Cybersecurity Research

[35:03–44:02]

Summary:
NIST announces a partnership with MITRE on new AI-focused research centers, aiming to secure critical infrastructure (water, energy, Internet) against AI-enabled threats. Initiatives include agentic AI tools, AI Economic Security Center, and a five-year $70M investment in resilient manufacturing.
Daniel’s Commentary:
“We’re going to use AI to fight AI. Nothing bad will happen, I’m sure.”
— Daniel, [36:30]
Takeaway:
The U.S. is investing in public-private partnerships to build AI security standards and testbeds, but specifics and timelines remain general.

6. Critical MongoDB RCE Vulnerability (CVE-2025-XXXXX)

[44:02–49:04]

Summary:
A high-severity MongoDB bug (CVSS 8.7) allows unauthenticated remote code execution via zlib library misuse. Strong recommendation to upgrade or, if not possible, disable zlib compression as a mitigation.
Daniel’s Take:
“Security 101 right here, kids. You get a flaw, there’s a patch, there’s a mitigation. You employ and set up fences to try to block. It’s that simple. It’s so simple.”
— Daniel, [48:35]

7. Romanian Water Authority Suffers Major Ransomware Disruption

[49:04–56:29]

Summary:
A ransomware attack hit Romania’s national water authority, affecting IT but not OT systems. 1,000 systems disrupted; BitLocker was used by attackers for encryption. No threat group claimed, but similar pro-Russian activity was cited.
Daniel’s Advice:
“If you do not have a good backup, you are… you are in Hosedville population.”
— Daniel, [53:56]
Key Practice:
Regular, well-protected system backups are vital for critical infrastructure.

8. Microsoft Moves to Rust, Vows to Replace All C/C++ by 2030

[56:29–62:05]

Summary:
Microsoft plans to eliminate its C/C++ codebase by 2030 in favor of Rust, orchestrated by AI-assisted code translation. The company is hiring for roles to develop such transformation tooling.
Notable Quote:
“Whoever gets the job… build capabilities to allow Microsoft and our customers to eliminate technical debt at scale. We pioneer new tools…”
— Daniel reading from job post, [58:20]
Broader Trend:
Moves toward memory-safe languages like Rust reflect the industry’s drive to eliminate a key root cause of software vulnerabilities.

Community Q&A – "Jawjacking" Segment

[63:39–91:39]

Interactive Open Q&A:

Daniel, joined later by co-host FedEx and community members, fielded questions and shared career/lab/project advice.

Key Themes:

New Year’s Resolutions:
Hardware hacking, health, public speaking, and continuous learning.
- “Even if you're doing the same ones over and over, at least you're making a plan.”
  — Daniel, [66:10]
Lab & Learning Projects:
- Building home DFIR (Digital Forensics/Incident Response) labs from used hardware or virtualization.
- Running forensics on old laptops or Android devices (with privacy/ethics noted).
- Hardware hacking with ESP32, LilyGo, MeshTastic, and comparisons with Flipper Zero.
- Resources for blogging, conference speaking, VPN/Pi-hole routers.
Advice on Sans 504 and Expensive Cert Training:
Recognized as high quality, but balanced by mentioning excellent, more affordable alternatives unless an employer funds the cost.
Children in Cybersecurity:
The value of kid-friendly hacking activities at conferences (badge building, lockpicking).
General Career Wisdom:
Leverage employer education benefits. Always keep learning; knowledge is security in the job market.

Notable & Memorable Quotes

On legacy vulnerabilities:
“All things older, new again, right? That's the fun part about this.”
— Daniel [07:22]
On recurring data breaches:
“Just another day in the cyber security world, kids.”
— Daniel [19:56]
On ransomware practices:
“If you do not have a good backup, you are… you are in Hosedville population.”
— Daniel [53:56]
On Microsoft’s language migration:
“This is a big Rust propaganda piece right here. Just… who is the best language? It is Rust. Rust is the best. Every other language is horrible. If you don't use Rust, you’re stupid. At least that's what it seems to be saying.”
— Daniel [62:05]
On AI in cyber:
“We're going to use AI to fight AI. Nothing bad will happen I’m sure.”
— Daniel [36:30]

Timestamps for Important Segments

[05:41] Fortinet VPN active exploitation breakdown
[14:01] Google’s possible default Gmail address change
[18:12] Scope of Aflac June data breach revealed
[24:58] DigiEver NVR command injection warning from CISA
[35:03] NIST and MITRE $20M AI research initiative
[44:02] MongoDB critical RCE vulnerability
[49:04] Romanian Water Authority ransomware attack
[56:29] Microsoft plans move to Rust, AI codebase conversion
[63:39] “Jawjacking”: career questions, New Year’s goals, home labs, and hardware projects

Overall Tone & Style

Daniel’s conversational style blends technical depth with wry humor, frank opinions, and active encouragement for cybersecurity professionals at all stages. The community chat is an engaged, recurring presence, with inside jokes and supportive peer advice. The Q&A segment is relaxed, accessible, and practical.

Closing Thoughts

This episode is an exemplary blend of headline-driven expertise, relatable career advice, and good-natured, sometimes irreverent community interaction—all underpinned by a strong, supportive cybersecurity ethos.

Recommended for:

Cybersecurity analysts, engineers, and students wanting expert context and actionable takeaways
Industry leaders tracking exploits, threats, and vendor trends
Learners seeking inspiration or practical project ideas

Skip to the end for:
Lively career Q&A, New Year’s goal setting, hardware hacking inspiration, and a peek into future podcast/community plans.

Daily Cyber Threat Brief – Ep 1034 (Dec 26, 2025)

Podcast: Daily Cyber Threat Brief

Episode Overview

Key Stories & Analysis

1. Active Exploitation of a Fortinet VPN Bypass Vulnerability

[05:41–14:01]

Summary:
Fortinet reports active exploitation of a five-year-old flaw in FortiOS SSL VPN (CVE-2020-12812, CVSS 5.2). Attackers bypass multi-factor authentication if a username’s case (upper/lower) is altered due to inconsistent case handling between local and remote authentication. Several configuration prerequisites are required for exploitation.
Urgency:
Fortinet advises users to run a specific command (set username-case-sensitivity disable) and evaluate LDAP group policies as mitigation steps.
Daniel’s Hot Take:
“How is this still being a problem? Well, all things old are new again.”
— Daniel, [07:25]
Practical Note:
Legacy misconfigurations and authentication design quirks remain real-world threats, especially in perimeter devices.

2. Google Testing Default Gmail Address Changes

[14:01–18:12]

Summary:
Google is reportedly piloting a feature that would allow users to change their default @gmail.com addresses—something previously impossible. The finding surfaced in a Hindi-language support document linked via Telegram.
Daniel’s Hot Take:
“Maybe it's kind of like getting a new phone number, right? Too many people know this… It's a liability at this point instead of being an asset.”
— Daniel, [14:36]
Discussion:
The feature could be useful for users seeking a professional refresh or mitigating old, compromised addresses. The host speculates about email forwarding and actual utility.

3. June Aflac Data Breach Reveals Scope—22 Million Affected

[18:12–24:58]

Summary:
A June attack attributed to Scattered Spider affected more than 22 million Aflac customers, with sensitive data like claims, SSNs, and health records exfiltrated. The breach was halted quickly, but not before significant data loss.
Implications:
Identity protection services offered as remediation, and the breach highlights reuse of classic attack playbooks (IT impersonation, targeting insurance).
Notable Quotes:
“Oh Scattered Spider. You a-holes. Why do you do these things?”
— Daniel, [18:59]

“Just another day in the cybersecurity world, kids. It doesn't really change.”
— Daniel, [19:56]

4. CISA Adds DigiEver NVR Vulnerability to Known Exploited Catalog

[24:58–25:50]

Summary:
CISA warns of active exploitation of a command injection flaw (CVSS 8.8) in DigiEver DS2105Pro network video recorders, enabling post-auth remote code execution. This is being harnessed by botnets like Mirai and Shadow V2.
Mitigation Deadline:
Federal agencies must remediate or discontinue use by January 12, 2026.
Daniel’s Hot Take:
"It's always the stinkin’ time stuff… when you're setting up your time zone, this CGI script, it’s YOLO, whatever input."
— Daniel, [25:50]
Lesson:
Old, unsupported, and exposed IoT gear are favorite targets for botnet operators.

5. NIST & MITRE Team Up for $20M AI Cybersecurity Research

[35:03–44:02]

Summary:
NIST announces a partnership with MITRE on new AI-focused research centers, aiming to secure critical infrastructure (water, energy, Internet) against AI-enabled threats. Initiatives include agentic AI tools, AI Economic Security Center, and a five-year $70M investment in resilient manufacturing.
Daniel’s Commentary:
“We’re going to use AI to fight AI. Nothing bad will happen, I’m sure.”
— Daniel, [36:30]
Takeaway:
The U.S. is investing in public-private partnerships to build AI security standards and testbeds, but specifics and timelines remain general.

6. Critical MongoDB RCE Vulnerability (CVE-2025-XXXXX)

[44:02–49:04]

Summary:
A high-severity MongoDB bug (CVSS 8.7) allows unauthenticated remote code execution via zlib library misuse. Strong recommendation to upgrade or, if not possible, disable zlib compression as a mitigation.
Daniel’s Take:
“Security 101 right here, kids. You get a flaw, there’s a patch, there’s a mitigation. You employ and set up fences to try to block. It’s that simple. It’s so simple.”
— Daniel, [48:35]

7. Romanian Water Authority Suffers Major Ransomware Disruption

[49:04–56:29]

Summary:
A ransomware attack hit Romania’s national water authority, affecting IT but not OT systems. 1,000 systems disrupted; BitLocker was used by attackers for encryption. No threat group claimed, but similar pro-Russian activity was cited.
Daniel’s Advice:
“If you do not have a good backup, you are… you are in Hosedville population.”
— Daniel, [53:56]
Key Practice:
Regular, well-protected system backups are vital for critical infrastructure.

8. Microsoft Moves to Rust, Vows to Replace All C/C++ by 2030

[56:29–62:05]

Summary:
Microsoft plans to eliminate its C/C++ codebase by 2030 in favor of Rust, orchestrated by AI-assisted code translation. The company is hiring for roles to develop such transformation tooling.
Notable Quote:
“Whoever gets the job… build capabilities to allow Microsoft and our customers to eliminate technical debt at scale. We pioneer new tools…”
— Daniel reading from job post, [58:20]
Broader Trend:
Moves toward memory-safe languages like Rust reflect the industry’s drive to eliminate a key root cause of software vulnerabilities.

Community Q&A – "Jawjacking" Segment

[63:39–91:39]

Interactive Open Q&A:

Daniel, joined later by co-host FedEx and community members, fielded questions and shared career/lab/project advice.

Key Themes:

New Year’s Resolutions:
Hardware hacking, health, public speaking, and continuous learning.
- “Even if you're doing the same ones over and over, at least you're making a plan.”
  — Daniel, [66:10]
Lab & Learning Projects:
- Building home DFIR (Digital Forensics/Incident Response) labs from used hardware or virtualization.
- Running forensics on old laptops or Android devices (with privacy/ethics noted).
- Hardware hacking with ESP32, LilyGo, MeshTastic, and comparisons with Flipper Zero.
- Resources for blogging, conference speaking, VPN/Pi-hole routers.
Advice on Sans 504 and Expensive Cert Training:
Recognized as high quality, but balanced by mentioning excellent, more affordable alternatives unless an employer funds the cost.
Children in Cybersecurity:
The value of kid-friendly hacking activities at conferences (badge building, lockpicking).
General Career Wisdom:
Leverage employer education benefits. Always keep learning; knowledge is security in the job market.

Notable & Memorable Quotes

On legacy vulnerabilities:
“All things older, new again, right? That's the fun part about this.”
— Daniel [07:22]
On recurring data breaches:
“Just another day in the cyber security world, kids.”
— Daniel [19:56]
On ransomware practices:
“If you do not have a good backup, you are… you are in Hosedville population.”
— Daniel [53:56]
On Microsoft’s language migration:
“This is a big Rust propaganda piece right here. Just… who is the best language? It is Rust. Rust is the best. Every other language is horrible. If you don't use Rust, you’re stupid. At least that's what it seems to be saying.”
— Daniel [62:05]
On AI in cyber:
“We're going to use AI to fight AI. Nothing bad will happen I’m sure.”
— Daniel [36:30]

Timestamps for Important Segments

[05:41] Fortinet VPN active exploitation breakdown
[14:01] Google’s possible default Gmail address change
[18:12] Scope of Aflac June data breach revealed
[24:58] DigiEver NVR command injection warning from CISA
[35:03] NIST and MITRE $20M AI research initiative
[44:02] MongoDB critical RCE vulnerability
[49:04] Romanian Water Authority ransomware attack
[56:29] Microsoft plans move to Rust, AI codebase conversion
[63:39] “Jawjacking”: career questions, New Year’s goals, home labs, and hardware projects

Overall Tone & Style

Closing Thoughts

Recommended for:

Cybersecurity analysts, engineers, and students wanting expert context and actionable takeaways
Industry leaders tracking exploits, threats, and vendor trends
Learners seeking inspiration or practical project ideas

Skip to the end for:
Lively career Q&A, New Year’s goal setting, hardware hacking inspiration, and a peek into future podcast/community plans.

🔴 Dec 26’s Top Cyber News NOW! - Ep 1034

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Summary

Daily Cyber Threat Brief – Ep 1034 (Dec 26, 2025)

Podcast: Daily Cyber Threat Brief

Episode Overview

Key Stories & Analysis

1. Active Exploitation of a Fortinet VPN Bypass Vulnerability

2. Google Testing Default Gmail Address Changes

3. June Aflac Data Breach Reveals Scope—22 Million Affected

4. CISA Adds DigiEver NVR Vulnerability to Known Exploited Catalog

5. NIST & MITRE Team Up for $20M AI Cybersecurity Research

6. Critical MongoDB RCE Vulnerability (CVE-2025-XXXXX)

7. Romanian Water Authority Suffers Major Ransomware Disruption

8. Microsoft Moves to Rust, Vows to Replace All C/C++ by 2030

Community Q&A – "Jawjacking" Segment

Interactive Open Q&A:

Notable & Memorable Quotes

Timestamps for Important Segments

Overall Tone & Style

Closing Thoughts

Summary

Daily Cyber Threat Brief – Ep 1034 (Dec 26, 2025)

Podcast: Daily Cyber Threat Brief

Episode Overview

Key Stories & Analysis

1. Active Exploitation of a Fortinet VPN Bypass Vulnerability

2. Google Testing Default Gmail Address Changes

3. June Aflac Data Breach Reveals Scope—22 Million Affected

4. CISA Adds DigiEver NVR Vulnerability to Known Exploited Catalog

5. NIST & MITRE Team Up for $20M AI Cybersecurity Research

6. Critical MongoDB RCE Vulnerability (CVE-2025-XXXXX)

7. Romanian Water Authority Suffers Major Ransomware Disruption

8. Microsoft Moves to Rust, Vows to Replace All C/C++ by 2030

Community Q&A – "Jawjacking" Segment

Interactive Open Q&A:

Notable & Memorable Quotes

Timestamps for Important Segments

Overall Tone & Style

Closing Thoughts