CVE-2025-2479MalwarePublished 17 Sep 2026

Ransomware incidents in Japan in the first half of 2026: Investigation of The Gentlemen’s infrastructure and evidence of Qilin's AI use

Source Cisco Talos

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Authoritative record:CVE-2025-2479· Medium 6.1

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.1 Medium.

Data as of 17 Sep 2026, 10:13 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.1Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Changed: An exploited vulnerability can affect resources beyond the security scope managed by the security authority of the vulnerable component. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are different and managed by different security authorities.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 22 Mar 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 1 Nov 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

Description

Ransomware incidents in Japan increased slightly by approximately 4.7% in the first half of 2026, with 90 organizations affected. The most active ransomware group was The Gentlemen, followed by Qilin, which is noted for leveraging AI to enhance its operations. Attackers primarily targeted small- and medium-sized enterprises, especially those with capital under JPY 1 billion, accounting for about 78% of victims. The manufacturing sector was the most affected industry. The Gentlemen operates via a Ransomware-as-a-Service model using a double-extortion strategy and has significantly increased its leak site activity. Investigations revealed The Gentlemen’s use of various tools for reconnaissance, exploitation, and network access, including exploits for CVE-2025-2479. The ransomware landscape in Japan is rapidly evolving with emerging groups requiring increased vigilance.

Impact

The ransomware activity continues to pose a significant threat to Japanese organizations, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises with capital under JPY 1 billion, which constitute the majority of victims. The manufacturing sector is the most affected industry. The Gentlemen’s use of double-extortion increases the risk of data leakage in addition to encryption. The rise in leak site listings indicates increased operational tempo and potential data exposure. The involvement of advanced tools and exploitation of known vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-2479 suggests sophisticated attack capabilities. Qilin’s use of AI may further enhance attack efficiency and effectiveness. The persistence and growth of these ransomware groups indicate ongoing risk to affected organizations.

Defensive guidance

No specific patch or remediation is indicated for this threat report as it describes ransomware activity rather than a software vulnerability. Organizations should focus on ransomware defense best practices relevant to the described tactics, such as securing Active Directory, monitoring for exploitation of known vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-2479, and defending against network tunneling and credential relay attacks. Increased vigilance is advised against emerging groups like The Gentlemen and Qilin. Since this is a threat landscape report without direct vendor advisories or patches, check vendor advisories for updates on CVE-2025-2479 and related vulnerabilities. Incident response plans should consider the double-extortion tactics described.

Summary

In the first half of 2026, ransomware incidents in Japan rose slightly by 4.7%, with 90 reported cases. The Gentlemen ransomware group was the most active, responsible for 14 incidents, followed by Qilin and SafePay with seven incidents each. The Gentlemen employs a Ransomware-as-a-Service model and a double-extortion tactic, encrypting data and threatening to leak stolen information. Their leak site listings more than doubled from January to July 2026. The group targets mainly small- and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in manufacturing, professional services, and wholesale trade. Investigations uncovered The Gentlemen’s infrastructure, including tools for network tunneling, Active Directory reconnaissance, and exploitation of CVE-2025-2479, a SQL injection vulnerability. Qilin is notable for using AI to improve attack efficiency. The ransomware threat landscape in Japan is dynamic, with rapid changes in active groups and tactics.

References

blog.talosintelligence.com/ransomware-incidents-in-japan-in-the-first-half-of-2026/ (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 17 Sep 2026, 10:13 UTC

References

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