CISA orders urgent federal patch for active VPN exploit

The security gap affects various Check Point Software products, including VPNs and firewalls, which serve as essential gatekeepers for government infrastructure. While the company first identified malicious activity on May 7, the volume of exploitation attempts surged significantly over the past week. Researchers confirmed that Qilin has successfully breached several dozen organizations worldwide by targeting these specific unpatched tools.

To mitigate the threat to the federal enterprise, CISA invoked binding operational directive 22-01. This instruction forces agencies, including the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury, to remediate all vulnerable instances by the close of business on June 11. The urgency reflects the high risk posed by the ongoing campaign against government systems.