Ethical Hacking News
Dutch data watchdog caught up in Ivanti zero-day attacks in breach that exposed personal employee data.
Ivanti's Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) was targeted by zero-day attacks on January 29.The breach compromised personal data of employees at both the Dutch Data Protection Authority and the Council for the Judiciary.The attack used recently disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities in Ivanti's EPMM software, including CVE-2026-1281 and CVE-2026-1340.The Dutch government has launched an investigation into the breach, with a focus on alerting other potentially affected organizations.Ivanti's response to the breach has been described as "very limited," raising questions about their vulnerability disclosure process.Organizations using vulnerable instances of EPMM must consider them compromised even with patches available from Ivanti.The attack highlights the importance of effective incident reporting mechanisms and adequate internal controls within organizations.
In a shocking turn of events, the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) has found itself at the receiving end of zero-day attacks courtesy of Ivanti's Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM). The attack, which took place on January 29, compromised the personal data of employees belonging to both the AP and the Council for the Judiciary. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of staying vigilant in the face of emerging cybersecurity threats.
The breach, which was first reported by the Dutch Data Protection Authority itself, involved the unauthorized access to sensitive information including names, business email addresses, and phone numbers. The attack is believed to have been perpetrated using the recently disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities in Ivanti's EPMM software, namely CVE-2026-1281 and CVE-2026-1340.
The Dutch government has since launched an investigation into the breach, with the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC-NL) working closely with partners to understand the full extent of the attack. The NCSC-NL has also taken steps to alert other organizations that may have been affected by the same vulnerabilities, highlighting the importance of swift action in responding to emerging threats.
Ivanti's response to the breach has been described as "very limited," which raises questions about the adequacy of their vulnerability disclosure process. Despite this, it is clear that Ivanti's EPMM software is highly attractive to attackers due to its internet-facing design and increasing number of disclosed vulnerabilities each year.
In fact, experts warn that even with patches available from Ivanti, organizations exposing vulnerable instances of EPMM to the internet must consider them compromised. This highlights the need for organizations to adopt a proactive approach to cybersecurity, including implementing robust incident response processes and staying informed about emerging threats.
The attack on the Dutch Data Protection Authority also serves as a stark reminder of the importance of effective incident reporting mechanisms within organizations. In this case, it was reported that employees at both the AP and the Council for the Judiciary had been informed directly about the breach, which underscores the need for clear communication channels in the event of an incident.
Furthermore, the attack has raised questions about the role of data protection authorities in their own cybersecurity efforts. As a country's data protection authority is responsible for overseeing data protection within its jurisdiction, it is striking to see that this organization was caught off guard by the breach. This raises important questions about the adequacy of internal controls and incident response mechanisms at the AP.
In light of these findings, it is clear that cybersecurity remains an evolving landscape, with new threats emerging regularly. As such, organizations must remain vigilant and proactive in their approach to cybersecurity, including staying informed about emerging threats and implementing robust incident response processes.
The Dutch Data Protection Authority's fall victim to Ivanti zero-day attacks serves as a cautionary tale for organizations of all sizes and types. It highlights the importance of effective incident reporting mechanisms, adequate internal controls, and a proactive approach to cybersecurity. As such, it is essential that organizations take immediate action to address these vulnerabilities and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
In conclusion, the Ivanti zero-day attack on the Dutch Data Protection Authority serves as a stark reminder of the importance of effective incident reporting mechanisms, adequate internal controls, and a proactive approach to cybersecurity. As such, it is essential that organizations take immediate action to address these vulnerabilities and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Dutch-Data-Watchdog-Falls-Prey-to-Ivanti-Zero-Day-Attacks-A-Cautionary-Tale-of-Cybersecurity-Vulnerability-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/02/09/dutch_data_protection_ivanti/
https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/09/dutch_data_protection_ivanti/
https://www.newsbreak.com/news/4485165027367-dutch-data-watchdog-snitches-on-itself-after-getting-caught-in-ivanti-zero-day-attacks
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-1281
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2026-1281/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-1340
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2026-1340/
Published: Wed Feb 18 03:56:30 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
