**Active Command Injection Hits Array AG Gateways, Confirms JPCERT**
**Introduction**
What if a trusted gateway in your infrastructure suddenly became a launchpad for a cyberattack? That’s not a hypothetical anymore. The Japan Computer Emergency Response Team (JPCERT/CC) recently confirmed that Array AG Series gateways are actively being targeted and exploited through a critical command injection vulnerability. The incident underscores the importance of not just vulnerability management but real-time threat monitoring across all edge devices.
According to the detailed alert published by JPCERT (source: [The Hacker News](https://thehackernews.com/2025/12/jpcert-confirms-active-command.html)), attackers are exploiting an unauthenticated command injection flaw with high severity, enabling remote code execution (RCE) on vulnerable systems. This is especially alarming for organizations relying on these devices for secure application delivery and remote access.
In this article, we’ll explore:
– What we currently know about the Array AG gateway vulnerability
– How attackers are leveraging it in real-world scenarios
– Concrete steps you can take today to assess and mitigate your risk
**Understanding the Array AG Gateway Vulnerability**
The vulnerability stems from an input validation failure in the web-based management interface of Array AG Series gateways. When exposed to the internet, these devices become viable targets, allowing attackers to inject malicious OS commands remotely—without authentication.
**Key facts:**
– The flaw affects AG Series versions prior to 10.5.0.812.
– It has been assigned the vulnerability identifier **CVE-2025-31556**.
– JPCERT has confirmed evidence of **active exploitation in the wild**.
So far, attackers have been observed conducting reconnaissance, deploying web shells, and using the compromised devices as pivots into the corporate environment. This suggests that it’s not just opportunistic exploitation—it’s targeted intrusion activity, likely part of a broader campaign.
If your infrastructure relies on AG Series gateways and they have not been updated recently, your exposure could be significant. And if you’re not actively monitoring traffic or logging actions on these appliances, you might not even know you’ve been compromised.
**Real-World Impact: What Attackers Are Doing**
This isn’t just a lab exploit—it’s happening in production environments right now. Attackers are using the vulnerability to move laterally inside networks, install persistent malware, and exfiltrate data via legitimate-looking traffic.
**Examples from the field:**
– In one incident examined by JPCERT, attackers gained access to internal systems within two hours of exploiting the AG gateway.
– Tools like curl and wget were used to pull down payloads, disguised as system updates.
– Attackers established outbound connections to remote command-and-control (C2) servers over HTTPS to avoid detection.
Unfortunately, many of these attacks go unnoticed until internal teams spot irregular behavior weeks or months later—or worse, only after data has been found for sale on dark web markets.
Security teams must understand that even a single externally facing, outdated gateway can open a door wide enough for attackers to quietly walk through.
**Actionable tips to detect and mitigate:**
– **Patch immediately.** Upgrade to version 10.5.0.812 or later.
– **Monitor for suspicious connections.** Pay attention to unexpected HTTPS outbound traffic originating from AG IP addresses.
– **Isolate compromised devices.** If exploitation is suspected, treat it as a foothold. Don’t just reboot—conduct a forensic review.
– **Implement network segmentation.** Limit lateral movement by isolating gateways from critical systems wherever feasible.
**Strategies to Stay Ahead of Similar Threats**
This incident highlights that vendor patching strategies and routine device auditing need to be a priority—not an afterthought. Security teams must take proactive steps to build a layered response plan, especially for often-overlooked edge devices like VPN gateways, traffic managers, and load balancers.
Here’s what we recommend:
**1. Make patch management non-negotiable.**
Keep a regularly updated inventory of all third-party devices and software, particularly those exposed to the internet. Use automated tools to validate patch configurations.
**2. Implement zero-trust access controls.**
Don’t rely solely on VPNs or gateways as trust points. Require strong user authentication, behavior-based access logic, and endpoint verification.
**3. Monitor continuously.**
Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) and traffic anomaly tools that can identify unusual behavior—even if a threat actor is behaving in a “low and slow” manner. AG devices, for example, should never establish foreign C2 sessions.
**4. Model and rehearse incident response.**
Every new zero-day is a chance to test and improve your reaction time. Tabletop exercises focusing on edge device compromises can help simulate worst-case scenarios and close internal gaps.
**5. Engage vendors and share intelligence.**
Everyone benefits when organizations report suspicious activity. Engage your hardware vendors early and often, and lean on public trust networks like JPCERT or US-CERT when new vulnerabilities are discovered.
**Conclusion**
The active command injection campaign targeting Array AG Series gateways should serve as a wake-up call. If your organization has been putting off device-level updates or treating gateway appliances as lower priority in your security model, this is a moment to reset those assumptions.
While JPCERT and vendors have moved quickly to release patches and public advisories, the window for opportunistic and targeted exploitation remains open. Don’t wait for logs to reveal something painful—take proactive steps now to apply updates, review network trends, and verify system integrity.
We’re in an era where every connected device serves as either a shield or a backdoor. It’s up to us as CISOs, IT leaders, and security pros to ensure it’s the former.
**Next Step:**
Check if your infrastructure includes AG Series devices. If it does, verify patch levels immediately and conduct a threat-hunting sweep focused on the indicators shared in JPCERT’s advisory. For more technical details, read the full source update here: [https://thehackernews.com/2025/12/jpcert-confirms-active-command.html](https://thehackernews.com/2025/12/jpcert-confirms-active-command.html).
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