Vulnerability Exploitation Surpasses Phishing as Top Cyber Attack Method

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Vulnerability Exploitation Surpasses Phishing as Top Cyber Attack Method

First seen 1 Feb 2026, 14:46 UTC • •29.9

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ThreatCluster •March 12, 2026 at 13:27 UTC

Cisco's latest threat intelligence report reveals that vulnerability exploitation has overtaken phishing as the primary attack vector for cybercriminals in Q4 2024. This shift indicates a change in tactics, with notable attacks targeting flaws in Oracle's E-Business Suite and React Server Components. Organizations are advised to adjust their security strategies accordingly.

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Threat Graph

10 entities, 14 inferred relationships (STIX 2.1).

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Technique (4)

Malware
Phishing
Ransomware
Adversary-in-the-Middle

Campaign (1)

ToolShell Campaign

Organization (1)

Education

Affected Platform (2)

Oracle E-business Suite
React Server Components

Threat Actor (2)

DragonForce Ransomware
Qilin Ransomware gang

Relationships

DragonForce Ransomware uses Malware
DragonForce Ransomware uses Phishing
DragonForce Ransomware uses Ransomware
DragonForce Ransomware uses Adversary-in-the-Middle
Qilin Ransomware gang uses Malware
Qilin Ransomware gang uses Phishing
Qilin Ransomware gang uses Ransomware
Qilin Ransomware gang uses Adversary-in-the-Middle
ToolShell Campaign attributed to DragonForce Ransomware
ToolShell Campaign attributed to Qilin Ransomware gang
DragonForce Ransomware targets Education
Qilin Ransomware gang targets Education
DragonForce Ransomware related to Oracle E-business Suite
DragonForce Ransomware related to React Server Components

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