The Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD) says attackers used two previously unknown flaws in its Zammad support platform to break into systems and steal volunteer email addresses. DIVD has attributed the attack to agentic AI based on the speed and sequencing of actions it observed, but it has not identified an AI model or operator. Its investigation and assessment of how much data was exposed were still open in its incident record last updated October 1, 2026.
What happened at DIVD
DIVD, a Dutch security research nonprofit, says malicious access to its systems began on September 21, 2026. It detected suspicious activity the following day, blocked access to its datacenter systems, formed an incident response team, and began forensic work with Merlon Security. DIVD reported the vulnerabilities to Zammad on September 24 and notified affected parties and partners. It also says it notified the Dutch Data Protection Authority and NCSC-NL. DIVD incident timeline
DIVD says its network segmentation and the actions of its IT and incident response teams helped prevent the attackers from moving deeper into its systems and network. That is the organization’s description of its containment response.
How the attackers got in
DIVD says the attackers exploited two zero-day vulnerabilities in Zammad, the support platform used by its CSIRT. The vulnerabilities could be chained: one enabled session leakage and remote code execution as the local Zammad user; the other allowed that user to escalate privileges to root. DIVD says the chain enabled session hijacking, code execution, and root access within seconds. DIVD advisory for CVE-2026-102489 DIVD advisory for CVE-2026-102490
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| Vulnerability | What DIVD says it allows | Affected versions listed by DIVD |
|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-102489 | Session leakage and remote code execution as the local Zammad user | Linux and Docker versions 6.3.0 through 6.5.3. DIVD also lists 7.0.0 through 7.1.3, but says this range is not exploitable due to environment conditions. |
| CVE-2026-102490 | Privilege escalation from the local Zammad user to root | Versions 1.5.0 up to, but not including, 7.1.0-alpha. |
DIVD assigns the chained attack scenario a CVSS score of 9.4, a critical severity rating for the vulnerability combination—not a count or measure of the people, records, or systems affected. The Register reported that DIVD advised Zammad users to upgrade to version 7 or take the service offline. The available advisories do not establish a vendor-confirmed fixed release for both flaws, so check Zammad’s current security guidance before choosing a safe build. The Register’s report
Was this really an AI-powered attack?
DIVD says the attackers’ modus operandi indicated an agentic AI-powered attack. Its assessment is based on the automated sequencing and speed of actions, as well as natural-language notes in scripts that appeared to justify those actions. The available reporting does not identify a model, its operator, or an independently verified attribution; “AI-powered” is DIVD’s characterization of the behavior it investigated, not a confirmed identity for the attacker. DIVD incident updates
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What data was exposed
Confirmed exposure
DIVD says it knows for sure that volunteer data, including DIVD email addresses, was exfiltrated. It says volunteer contact details may also have been taken. The organization had not established exactly whose data or which fields were involved in its October 1 update, and it published no count of affected volunteers. DIVD data investigation overview
Information that may have been accessible
The attackers entered through the ticketing system used by DIVD’s CSIRT. DIVD says that system contains correspondence sent to the CSIRT mailbox and replies, but not initial notifications. It advises any organization or person who exchanged messages with the CSIRT to assume the information may have been accessed.
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Potentially relevant material includes follow-up requests about scan data, vulnerability reports, and extracts of credential dumps with masked passwords. These are categories under investigation, not confirmation that each category was stolen. DIVD says the attacker had difficulty extracting data and that the amount exfiltrated was still being determined.
Why the exposed addresses matter
DIVD warns that stolen email addresses and possible contact details could help someone impersonate a volunteer or conduct social engineering. If you receive a suspicious message claiming to come from DIVD, verify it through [email protected] rather than relying on the message itself.
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Incident timeline
- September 21, 2026: DIVD’s timeline records the first malicious access to its systems.
- September 22: DIVD detected suspicious activity, blocked access to its datacenter systems, formed an incident response team, and began forensic work with Merlon Security.
- September 24: DIVD reported the vulnerabilities to Zammad, notified partners and affected parties, and issued its first public statement. It says it also notified the Dutch Data Protection Authority and NCSC-NL.
- September 26–October 1: DIVD published follow-up statements about the suspected AI modus operandi, the Zammad vulnerabilities, and data it knew had been exposed.
What organizations can take from the incident
This breach is a reminder that a support platform can hold sensitive correspondence even when it is not the organization’s primary data store. For organizations using Zammad, the practical next step is to consult the vendor’s current security advice about these vulnerabilities and act on the version and mitigation guidance that applies to their deployment. DIVD’s reported recommendation was to upgrade to version 7 or take the service offline; confirm current vendor guidance rather than assuming a particular build resolves both flaws.
More broadly, Axios’s October 3, 2026 report on other agent-related incidents recommends closing exposed services, rotating leaked credentials and API keys, patching known vulnerabilities, and limiting access. It also quotes security researcher Jack Cable advocating robust monitoring for unexpected behavior by deployed agents. Those are general defensive lessons, not a DIVD-specific remediation checklist. Axios report on agent-related incidents
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