The Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD) says an attacker breached its network by chaining two previously unknown Zammad vulnerabilities, then used the access to reach other services and take data. DIVD assesses that the operation involved an agentic AI approach, but the public accounts do not identify the attacker or independently establish how autonomous the operation was. The vulnerability scope—especially for CVE-2026-102490—and the precise data exposed remain unresolved.
How did the breach unfold?
DIVD’s incident timeline records the first malicious access on 21 September 2026. The following day, the organization noticed suspicious activity, blocked access to its datacenter systems, and began incident response and forensic work with Merlon Security. DIVD said its network segmentation and response actions stopped the attacker from moving deeper, although some damage had already occurred. DIVD’s incident account and timeline describe the sequence.
DIVD says the attacker chained two Zammad flaws to hijack a session, execute code as the Zammad application user, and then escalate privileges to root. From there, the attacker accessed other services and exfiltrated data. DIVD described the escalation as happening within seconds; that is its account of the attack, not a separately measured performance statistic. The public disclosures do not provide enough detail to independently reconstruct each technical step.
What does “AI-driven” mean in DIVD’s account?
DIVD initially described the suspicious activity as suggestive of an agentic AI-powered attack, and later attributed the breach to the two Zammad zero-days. It says its assessment was informed by scripts containing explanatory notes and what it characterized as autonomous decisions. DIVD also described the operation as automated, with the agent deciding its next step quickly. Those observations are DIVD’s interpretation of artifacts found during the investigation—not independent proof of the system’s autonomy, the attacker’s identity, or who directed the operation.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11#1 Best Overall
- Compact and Efficient Design: The FortiGate 40F is designed for small to mid-sized businesses and enterprise branch offices, featuring a compact, fanless desktop form factor that ensures quiet operation and minimizes space usage.
- Robust Connectivity Options: Equipped with 5 GE RJ45 ports, including 1 WAN port and 4 internal ports, this model provides essential connectivity and flexibility for various network configurations in a small-scale environment.
- High-Performance Security: Offers up to 1 Gbps IPS throughput and 600 Mbps threat protection throughput, using Fortinet’s purpose-built security processor technology to deliver industry-leading performance and protection for SSL encrypted traffic.
- Advanced Threat Protection: Integrated with Fortinet’s AI-powered FortiGuard Labs, the FortiGate 40F offers comprehensive cybersecurity, identifying and mitigating both known and unknown threats to maintain robust security across your network.
- Simplified Management and Deployment: Features a user-friendly management console that provides comprehensive network automation and visibility, coupled with Zero Touch Integration with Fortinet’s Security Fabric for easy deployment.
BleepingComputer’s contemporaneous report recounted DIVD’s account and said the artifacts helped investigators reconstruct the attack. It does not resolve the questions about attribution or autonomy.
What happened after DIVD detected the intrusion?
- 21 September: DIVD records the first access by a malicious actor.
- 22 September: DIVD detected suspicious activity, blocked access to its datacenter systems, and formed an incident-response team with forensic support from Merlon Security.
- 24 September: DIVD says it reported the vulnerability to Zammad, notified partners and affected parties, and made its first public statement. It wrote: “Until proven otherwise, we handle this as a worst case scenario and assume breach.”
- 26 September: DIVD opened a vulnerability case, began limited disclosure, scanned for publicly exposed vulnerable Zammad instances, and started notifying owners.
- 29–30 September: DIVD published its case account, attributed the breach to two Zammad zero-days, and assigned CVE-2026-102489 and CVE-2026-102490.
- 1 October: DIVD said volunteer data had been exposed while the precise scope remained under investigation. Zammad published its response to the vulnerability reports.
Which Zammad versions are affected?
DIVD and Zammad give different accounts of CVE-2026-102489. For CVE-2026-102490, DIVD describes a privilege-escalation issue, while Zammad says it has not received technical details and cannot verify the claim or affected versions. The following table summarizes their stated positions; it does not resolve the disagreement.
Rank #2
- HARDWARE PLUS SECURITY SERVICES: FortiGate-60F Firewall Appliance bundled with 1 year of FortiCare Premium and FortiGuard Unified Threat Protection.
- UNIFIED THREAT PROTECTION (UTP): Secures against advanced online threats with comprehensive web filtering and anti-botnet technologies.
- OPTIMIZED FOR MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES: Tailored for businesses needing robust security without the infrastructure of larger enterprises.
- RELIABLE CUSTOMER SUPPORT: FortiCare Premium ensures high-quality support and service continuity.
- EFFECTIVE PROTECTION: Employs advanced filtering technologies to safeguard against sophisticated threats.
| Issue | DIVD’s account | Zammad’s account as of 1 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
CVE-2026-102489: session hijacking leading to remote code execution as the zammad user |
DIVD lists versions 6.3.0–6.5.4 as affected. It also says versions 7.0.0–7.1.3 contain the flaw, but that it is not exploitable there because of environmental conditions. DIVD vulnerability details | Zammad says only versions 6.5 and older are exploitable and that versions 7.0 and later are not affected. It says hardening is included in 7.2.0. Zammad’s 1 October statement |
CVE-2026-102490: local privilege escalation from the zammad user to root |
DIVD lists versions v1.5.0 through v7.1.0-alpha. | Zammad says it has not received technical details from DIVD and cannot verify the vulnerability, its scope, or affected versions. Its statement asks users to follow Zammad security advisories for updates. |
Zammad wrote, “We cannot verify a claim we have not been shown.” The available statements do not settle the status or scope of CVE-2026-102490, or establish a later verified patch for it. In particular, they do not support treating Zammad 7 as a confirmed fix for both reported issues.
What data was exposed?
DIVD said volunteer information was exposed, including DIVD email addresses and possibly contact details. As of its 1 October update, it had not established exactly whose information was involved or precisely what had been taken. DIVD warned that exposed contact information could make it easier to impersonate volunteers and advised checking with DIVD if a message seems suspicious. The investigation remained open; the public account does not establish that all data was exfiltrated. DIVD’s incident updates contain its published impact information.
Rank #3
- 【Up to 1100 Mbps VPN Speed 】 Hardware-accelerated WireGuard and OpenVPN-DCO deliver up to 1100 Mbps VPN throughput, over 3× faster than Brume 2 for smooth remote access and file transfers.
- 【Three 2.5G Ports & Multi-WAN】Tri-port 2.5GbE design with flexible WAN LAN configuration supports multi-gigabit wired setups, dual-ISP Multi-WAN and failover to keep home and SOHO networks online.
- 【Stealth VPN Obfuscation】VPN obfuscation disguises VPN traffic as regular HTTPS, helping you evade blocking, bypass restrictive networks and maintain stable, private connections.
- 【DPI protection】Deep Packet Inspection with visual dashboards blocks adult/gambling/malicious sites, while SQM and QoS prioritize gaming, calls, and video when bandwidth is tight
- 【OpenWrt & USB 3.0 Expansion】OpenWrt with 1GB DDR4 and 8GB eMMC lets you install plugins and build VPN, ad-blocking or NAS, while USB 3.0 Type‑C connects high-speed storage or 4G/5G dongles
What should Zammad administrators do?
DIVD and Zammad issued guidance that differs in wording and date. DIVD advises upgrading to Zammad 7 or taking an instance offline, and provides a script for checking Zammad logs for indicators of compromise. Zammad’s 1 October statement recommends version 7.2.0, says versions 6.5 and older no longer receive security fixes, and directs users to its security advisories for CVE-2026-102490.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Runs UniFi Network for full-stack network management
- Manages 30+ UniFi Network devices and 300+ clients
- 1 Gbps routing with IDS/IPS
- Multi-WAN load balancing
- 0.96" LCM status display
- Review the latest official DIVD vulnerability case and Zammad security statement before changing production systems. The recommendations cited here reflect statements published by 1 October 2026 and may change.
- Use the log-check script linked from DIVD’s case page to review Zammad logs for the indicators DIVD describes. A log review is not a substitute for applying current vendor guidance or investigating signs of compromise.
- If you cannot follow current guidance promptly, consult DIVD’s stated containment option: take the instance offline. Do not assume that an upgrade alone resolves CVE-2026-102490, whose verification remains disputed in the cited statements.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
