2026-09-22HIGHexploitedCISA adds a pre-auth Zyxel switch RCE to KEV after GreyNoise catches a Red Heron-linked actor exploiting it at scale
Zyxel GS1900 Series Switches stack-based buffer overflow, exploited at scale by an actor GreyNoise assesses overlaps Red Heron, CISA KEV
cve · CVE-2026-7273
Coverage
1
first 2026-09-22 → last 2026-09-22
Latest activity
2026-09-22
CISA adds a pre-auth Zyxel switch RCE to KEV after GreyNoise catches a Red Heron-linked actor exploiting it…
Peak priority
high
1 high
Targets
public-sector
sectors: public-sector
Sources cited
4
4 hosts
Action items (1)
Do-now tasks recorded on the entries about CVE-2026-7273, newest first. Check the date before acting on an older one.
- Patch every deployed Zyxel GS1900 switch to its per-model fixed "…(x).2C0" build now, and audit and rotate any switch still on its factory-default admin credentials, GreyNoise found 564 of 996 exploited switches (57%) had never had theirs changed, which lets the actor re-enter even after the hashed credential set is rotated.2026-09-22CVE-2026-7273
Defender insights
What each entry about CVE-2026-7273 tells a defender to do, newest first.
Detection
Story timeline
Hunting pivots
Affected products
ATT&CK techniques (6 across 7 tactics)
6 techniques observed across 1 entry about this entity, derived from entry metadata and body evidence, never asserted without a published entry behind it · pinned to MITRE ATT&CK v19.2 · compare on the matrix · Navigator layer (JSON)
- Initial AccessValid Accounts: Default Accounts · Exploit Public-Facing Application
- ExecutionCommand and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell
- PersistenceValid Accounts: Default Accounts
- Privilege EscalationValid Accounts: Default Accounts
- StealthValid Accounts: Default Accounts
- CollectionData from Local System · Data Staged: Local Data Staging
- Command and ControlIngress Tool Transfer
Initial Access TA0001
T1078.001Valid Accounts: Default Accounts×1
Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Default accounts are those that are built-into an OS, such as the Guest or Administrator accounts on Windows systems. Default accounts also include default factory/provider set accounts on other types of systems, software, or devices, including the root user account in AWS, the root user account in ESXi, and the default service account in Kubernetes.
Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application×1
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network. The weakness in the system can be a software bug, a temporary glitch, or a misconfiguration.
Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗
Execution TA0002
T1059.004Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell×1
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution. Unix shells are the primary command prompt on Linux, macOS, and ESXi systems, though many variations of the Unix shell exist (e.g. sh, ash, bash, zsh, etc.) depending on the specific OS or distribution. Unix shells can control every aspect of a system, with certain commands requiring elevated privileges.
Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗
Persistence TA0003
T1078.001Valid Accounts: Default Accounts×1
Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Default accounts are those that are built-into an OS, such as the Guest or Administrator accounts on Windows systems. Default accounts also include default factory/provider set accounts on other types of systems, software, or devices, including the root user account in AWS, the root user account in ESXi, and the default service account in Kubernetes.
Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗
Privilege Escalation TA0004
T1078.001Valid Accounts: Default Accounts×1
Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Default accounts are those that are built-into an OS, such as the Guest or Administrator accounts on Windows systems. Default accounts also include default factory/provider set accounts on other types of systems, software, or devices, including the root user account in AWS, the root user account in ESXi, and the default service account in Kubernetes.
Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗
Stealth TA0005
T1078.001Valid Accounts: Default Accounts×1
Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Default accounts are those that are built-into an OS, such as the Guest or Administrator accounts on Windows systems. Default accounts also include default factory/provider set accounts on other types of systems, software, or devices, including the root user account in AWS, the root user account in ESXi, and the default service account in Kubernetes.
Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗
Collection TA0009
T1005Data from Local System×1
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗
T1074.001Data Staged: Local Data Staging×1
Adversaries may stage collected data in a central location or directory on the local system prior to Exfiltration. Data may be kept in separate files or combined into one file through techniques such as Archive Collected Data. Interactive command shells may be used, and common functionality within cmd and bash may be used to copy data into a staging location.
Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗
Command and Control TA0011
T1105Ingress Tool Transfer×1
Adversaries may transfer tools or other files from an external system into a compromised environment. Tools or files may be copied from an external adversary-controlled system to the victim network through the command and control channel or through alternate protocols such as ftp. Once present, adversaries may also transfer/spread tools between victim devices within a compromised environment (i.e. Lateral Tool Transfer).
Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗
Entries about Zyxel GS1900 Series Switches stack-based buffer overflow, exploited at scale by an actor GreyNoise assesses overlaps Red Heron, CISA KEV (1)
Co-occurring entities
Derived: referenced by the same focused operational entries (weekly summaries and report roundups don't count); ×N counts the shared entries.
Where this entity is cited
Source distribution
- acronis.com1 (25%)
- cisa.gov1 (25%)
- greynoise.io1 (25%)
- zyxel.com1 (25%)
External references
All cited sources (4)
- zyxel.comprimaryZyxel PSIRThttps://www.zyxel.com/global/en/support/security-advisories/zyxel-security-advisory-for-stack-based-buffer-overflow-vulnerability-in-gs1900-series-switches-06-16-2026
- acronis.comAcronis Threat Research Unithttps://www.acronis.com/en/tru/posts/red-heron-exploits-gitea-n-day-flaw-in-multinational-campaign-exposing-new-linux-rootkit/
- cisa.govCISAhttps://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/09/21/cisa-adds-one-known-exploited-vulnerability-catalog
- greynoise.ioGreyNoisehttps://www.greynoise.io/blog/open-season-on-kapibala-attacker-steals-government-records-wordpress-exploitation