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)

Adversary-in-the-Middle
Malware
Phishing
Ransomware

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 Adversary-in-the-Middle
DragonForce Ransomware uses Malware
DragonForce Ransomware uses Phishing
DragonForce Ransomware uses Ransomware
Qilin Ransomware gang uses Adversary-in-the-Middle
Qilin Ransomware gang uses Malware
Qilin Ransomware gang uses Phishing
Qilin Ransomware gang uses Ransomware
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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