159 CVEs Exploited in The Wild in Q1 2025, 8.3% of Vulnerabilities Exploited Within 1-Day

In the first quarter of 2025, cybersecurity researchers documented an alarming surge in vulnerability exploitation, with 159 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) being exploited in the wild.

This remarkable figure represents a concerning trend as malicious actors continue to rapidly weaponize newly disclosed vulnerabilities.

The data shows that 28.3% of vulnerabilities were exploited within just one day of their CVE disclosure, demonstrating the shrinking window defenders have to implement patches before systems are compromised.

The exploitation landscape has shown a particular focus on internet-facing systems and those accessible to end users.

Content Management Systems (CMS) topped the list with 35 exploited vulnerabilities, followed by Network Edge Devices (29), Operating Systems (24), and both Open Source Software and Server Software with 14 each.

This distribution pattern reveals attackers’ preference for targeting systems with broad attack surfaces and potentially high-value data.

VulnCheck researchers noted that the exploitation activity showed a seasonal pattern, beginning slowly in January before accelerating significantly through February and March.

Their analysis revealed that Microsoft Windows remained the most targeted platform with 15 exploited vulnerabilities, followed by Broadcom VMware (6), Cyber PowerPanel (5), and Litespeed Technologies (4).

The exploitation techniques frequently leverage unpatched systems, with attackers creating sophisticated malicious payloads designed to take advantage of these security gaps.

Particularly concerning is the finding that 25.8% of these Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEVs) are still awaiting or undergoing analysis by NIST’s National Vulnerability Database, creating additional challenges for security teams attempting to prioritize remediation efforts.

Exploitation Timeline Analysis

The rapid exploitation timeline represents a critical challenge for defenders. When examining typical exploitation patterns, malicious actors often utilize automated scanning tools to identify vulnerable systems before deploying their attack code.

In many cases, exploitation occurs through code similar to:-

def scan_vulnerable_systems(target_ip_range):
    vulnerable_hosts = []
    for ip in target_ip_range:
        if check_vulnerability_CVE_2025_1234(ip):
            vulnerable_hosts.append(ip)
    return vulnerable_hosts

This automation allows attackers to quickly capitalize on newly disclosed vulnerabilities, often exploiting them before organizations can implement patches.

Shadow Server led the way in disclosing exploitation evidence with 31 findings, followed by GreyNoise (17), CISA KEV (12), and Microsoft (12).

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