Ethical Hacking News
Pennsylvania Attorney General's systems were taken down by a sophisticated cyberattack, leaving the office's email accounts and land phone lines offline. As authorities investigate, experts are reminding individuals of the importance of staying vigilant and proactive in safeguarding against similar attacks.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's office has been targeted by a recent cyberattack. The attack has taken down the office's systems, including landline phone lines and email accounts. The incident is believed to be a ransomware attack, although no group has claimed responsibility yet. The Citrix NetScaler appliances on the Pennsylvania AG's network were found to be vulnerable to CVE-2025-5777 attacks. Over 3,300 Citrix NetScaler appliances worldwide are still vulnerable to these attacks.
The Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General has announced that a recent cyberattack has taken down its systems, including landline phone lines and email accounts. As reported by Sergiu Gatlan on August 13, 2025, the office staff is currently working to restore affected services and investigate the incident with the help of law enforcement authorities.
In a statement released on social media, Attorney General Dave Sunday revealed that the network hosting the Office of Attorney General's systems is currently down, meaning the office's website is offline, as are office email accounts and land phone lines. Sunday assured the public that the staff continues to advocate on behalf of the Commonwealth and work with supervisors to minimize any interruptions.
While the incident's impact appears widespread and crippling, Pennsylvania's attorney general has yet to officially attribute the attack to a specific group. However, the signs point towards a ransomware attack, albeit one where no ransomware operation has claimed responsibility as of yet.
The attack vector remains under investigation, with cybersecurity experts continuing their work on restoring impacted systems. It is worth noting that several public-facing Citrix NetScaler appliances on the Pennsylvania AG's network were found to be vulnerable to ongoing attacks exploiting a critical vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-5777, also known as Citrix Bleed 2.
According to Shodan scans shared by Kevin Beaumont, one of the two devices has been offline since July 29th, while the other was taken down on August 7th. Furthermore, the internet security nonprofit Shadowserver Foundation reported that over 3,300 Citrix NetScaler appliances were still vulnerable to CVE-2025-5777 attacks at the time of this report.
Similarly, the Netherlands' National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned that attackers have exploited the flaw as a zero-day since at least early May to breach multiple critical organizations in the country. The Openbaar Ministerie (the Netherlands' Public Prosecution Service), which only recently restored its email servers, also disclosed a breach on July 18th that led to significant operational disruptions.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added the CVE-2025-5777 Citrix vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, ordering federal agencies to patch their systems against active exploitation within a day.
In light of this sophisticated cyberattack on the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office, cybersecurity experts are reminded of the importance of vigilance and proactive measures in safeguarding against such incidents. The incident serves as a stark reminder that even organizations with robust security protocols can fall prey to attacks if they fail to address critical vulnerabilities promptly.
As law enforcement authorities continue to investigate this cyberattack, it is crucial for individuals and organizations alike to stay informed about the latest threats and vulnerabilities. By staying up-to-date on the latest security patches and best practices, one can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to such a sophisticated attack.
In conclusion, the recent cyberattack on the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office highlights the evolving nature of cybersecurity threats and the need for ongoing vigilance in the face of an increasingly complex threat landscape. As we continue to navigate this ever-changing landscape, it is essential that we prioritize proactive security measures, remain informed about emerging threats, and support efforts to enhance our collective defenses against such incidents.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Pennsylvania-Attorney-Generals-Systems-Crashed-by-Sophisticated-Cyberattack-A-Look-into-the-Incident-ehn.shtml
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/pennsylvania-attorney-generals-email-site-down-after-cyberattack/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-5777
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-5777/
Published: Wed Aug 13 11:57:52 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
