Zero-click exploit targets AI enterprise agents
Summary
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AI enterprise agents, integrated with various enterprise environments, are vulnerable to zero-click exploits. Attackers can take over these agents using only a user's email address, gaining access to sensitive data and manipulating users. The exploit affects major AI assistants from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, Salesforce, and others. Organizations must adopt dedicated security programs to manage ongoing risks associated with AI agents. Current security approaches focusing on prompt injection have proven ineffective. The exploit highlights the need for defense-in-depth strategies and hard boundaries to mitigate risks. Organizations are advised to assume breaches and apply lessons learned from past security challenges.
Timeline
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19.08.2025 22:02 1 articles · 1mo ago
Zero-click exploit targets AI enterprise agents
AI enterprise agents, integrated with various enterprise environments, are vulnerable to zero-click exploits. Attackers can take over these agents using only a user's email address, gaining access to sensitive data and manipulating users. The exploit affects major AI assistants from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, Salesforce, and others. Organizations must adopt dedicated security programs to manage ongoing risks associated with AI agents.
Show sources
- AI Agents Access Everything, Fall to Zero-Click Exploit — www.darkreading.com — 19.08.2025 22:02
Information Snippets
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AI agents can access emails, documents, calendars, and perform actions on users' behalf.
First reported: 19.08.2025 22:021 source, 1 articleShow sources
- AI Agents Access Everything, Fall to Zero-Click Exploit — www.darkreading.com — 19.08.2025 22:02
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The zero-click exploit allows attackers to take over AI agents using only a user's email address.
First reported: 19.08.2025 22:021 source, 1 articleShow sources
- AI Agents Access Everything, Fall to Zero-Click Exploit — www.darkreading.com — 19.08.2025 22:02
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The exploit affects major AI assistants from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, Salesforce, and others.
First reported: 19.08.2025 22:021 source, 1 articleShow sources
- AI Agents Access Everything, Fall to Zero-Click Exploit — www.darkreading.com — 19.08.2025 22:02
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Current security approaches focusing on prompt injection have been largely ineffective.
First reported: 19.08.2025 22:021 source, 1 articleShow sources
- AI Agents Access Everything, Fall to Zero-Click Exploit — www.darkreading.com — 19.08.2025 22:02
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Organizations must adopt dedicated security programs to manage ongoing risks associated with AI agents.
First reported: 19.08.2025 22:021 source, 1 articleShow sources
- AI Agents Access Everything, Fall to Zero-Click Exploit — www.darkreading.com — 19.08.2025 22:02
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Defense-in-depth strategies and hard boundaries are recommended to mitigate risks.
First reported: 19.08.2025 22:021 source, 1 articleShow sources
- AI Agents Access Everything, Fall to Zero-Click Exploit — www.darkreading.com — 19.08.2025 22:02
Similar Happenings
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Google Gemini AI Vulnerabilities Allowing Prompt Injection and Data Exfiltration
Researchers disclosed three vulnerabilities in Google's Gemini AI assistant that could have exposed users to privacy risks and data theft. The flaws, collectively named the Gemini Trifecta, affected Gemini Cloud Assist, the Search Personalization Model, and the Browsing Tool. These vulnerabilities allowed for prompt injection attacks, search-injection attacks, and data exfiltration. Google has since patched the issues and implemented additional security measures. The vulnerabilities could have been exploited to inject malicious prompts, manipulate AI behavior, and exfiltrate user data. The flaws highlight the potential risks of AI tools being used as attack vectors rather than just targets. The Gemini Search Personalization model's flaw allowed attackers to manipulate AI behavior and leak user data by injecting malicious search queries via JavaScript from a malicious website. The Gemini Cloud Assist flaw allowed attackers to execute instructions via prompt injections hidden in log content, potentially compromising cloud resources and enabling phishing attacks. The Gemini Browsing Tool flaw allowed attackers to exfiltrate a user's saved information and location data by exploiting the tool's 'Show thinking' feature. Google has made specific changes to mitigate each flaw, including rolling back vulnerable models, hardening search personalization features, and preventing data exfiltration from browsing in indirect prompt injections.
ForcedLeak Vulnerability in Salesforce Agentforce Exploited via AI Prompt Injection
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CISA Emergency Directive 25-03: Mitigation of Cisco ASA Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued Emergency Directive 25-03, mandating federal agencies to identify and mitigate zero-day vulnerabilities in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) exploited by an advanced threat actor. The directive requires agencies to account for all affected devices, collect forensic data, and upgrade or disconnect end-of-support devices by September 26, 2025. The vulnerabilities allow threat actors to maintain persistence and gain network access. Cisco identified multiple zero-day vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-20333, CVE-2025-20362, CVE-2025-20363, and CVE-2025-20352) in Cisco ASA, Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) software, and Cisco IOS software. These vulnerabilities enable unauthenticated remote code execution, unauthorized access, and denial of service (DoS) attacks. GreyNoise detected large-scale campaigns targeting ASA login portals and Cisco IOS Telnet/SSH services, indicating potential exploitation of these vulnerabilities. The campaign is widespread and involves exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities to gain unauthenticated remote code execution on ASAs, as well as manipulating read-only memory (ROM) to persist through reboot and system upgrade. CISA and Cisco linked these ongoing attacks to the ArcaneDoor campaign, which exploited two other ASA and FTD zero-days (CVE-2024-20353 and CVE-2024-20359) to breach government networks worldwide since November 2023. CISA ordered agencies to identify all Cisco ASA and Firepower appliances on their networks, disconnect all compromised devices from the network, and patch those that show no signs of malicious activity by 12 PM EDT on September 26. CISA also ordered that agencies must permanently disconnect ASA devices that are reaching the end of support by September 30 from their networks. The U.K. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) confirmed that threat actors exploited the recently disclosed security flaws in Cisco firewalls to deliver previously undocumented malware families like RayInitiator and LINE VIPER. Cisco began investigating attacks on multiple government agencies in May 2025, linked to the state-sponsored ArcaneDoor campaign. The attacks targeted Cisco ASA 5500-X Series devices to implant malware, execute commands, and potentially exfiltrate data. The threat actor modified ROMMON to facilitate persistence across reboots and software upgrades. The compromised devices include ASA 5500-X Series models running specific software releases with VPN web services enabled. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security urged organizations to update to a fixed version of Cisco ASA and FTD products to counter the threat. Nearly 50,000 Cisco ASA and FTD appliances are vulnerable to actively exploited flaws. The vulnerabilities CVE-2025-20333 and CVE-2025-20362 enable arbitrary code execution and access to restricted URL endpoints. The Shadowserver Foundation discovered over 48,800 internet-exposed ASA and FTD instances still vulnerable to the flaws. The majority of vulnerable devices are located in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Russia, Canada, and Denmark. The Shadowserver Foundation's data is as of September 29, indicating a lack of response to the ongoing exploitation activity. Greynoise had warned on September 4 about suspicious scans targeting Cisco ASA devices, indicating upcoming undocumented flaws. CISA's emergency directive gave 24 hours to FCEB agencies to identify and upgrade vulnerable Cisco ASA and FTD instances. CISA advised that ASA devices reaching their end of support should be disconnected from federal networks by the end of September. The U.K. NCSC reported that the hackers deployed Line Viper shellcode loader malware and RayInitiator GRUB bootkit.
Cisco IOS and IOS XE SNMP Zero-Day Exploited in Attacks
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