The cybersecurity landscape is witnessing a significant increase in attacks aimed at the Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) systems, exploiting a critical 0-day vulnerability known as CVE-2026-1281. Identified by Shadowserver on February 9, 2026, this vulnerability has been targeted by over 28,300 unique IP addresses, marking it as one of the most extensive attacks on enterprise mobile management this year.
Understanding the CVE-2026-1281 Vulnerability
CVE-2026-1281 is a severe pre-authentication code injection flaw with a CVSS score of 9.8. This vulnerability allows attackers to execute remote code without authentication on EPMM systems. The root cause is improper input validation in a Bash handler located at the /mifs/c/appstore/fob/ endpoint, which attackers exploit to run malicious commands via URL parameters.
The geographic distribution of these attacks is notably concentrated, with approximately 72% originating from the United States, followed by the United Kingdom and Russia. Additional attack sources include Iraq, Spain, Poland, France, Italy, Germany, and Ukraine, albeit in smaller numbers.
Coordinated Cyber Attacks Unveiled
Research by GreyNoise and Defused highlights a sophisticated element in these attacks, where an initial access broker is deploying “sleeper” webshells on compromised EPMM systems. This strategy, involving more than 80% of the attack activity traced back to a single IP using bulletproof hosting, suggests a well-coordinated effort to maintain persistent access for future exploitation by other malicious actors.
This method contrasts with typical opportunistic attacks, as the backdoors remain inactive until needed, allowing attackers extensive control over corporate mobile systems, including deploying additional payloads and facilitating lateral network movement.
Response and Mitigation Efforts
Ivanti disclosed CVE-2026-1281 alongside another vulnerability on January 29, 2026, acknowledging limited in-the-wild exploitation. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) responded by adding this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, emphasizing its threat level with a rapid three-day remediation requirement.
Shadowserver is actively sharing attacker IP data through its honeypot HTTP scanner events reporting system, filtered for CVE-2026-1281. Organizations can access this intelligence at shadowserver.org to identify and block malicious sources. Ivanti has released temporary RPM patches, with a permanent fix planned for version 12.8.0.0 by Q1 2026.
Future Implications and Recommendations
Security teams overseeing EPMM deployments should immediately implement available patches, monitor for compromise indicators like unexpected webshells, and review access logs for unusual requests to the vulnerable endpoint. With the potential for significant control over enterprise mobile infrastructures, this vulnerability underscores the critical need for prompt and effective cybersecurity measures.
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