UK Businesses Face £4 Million Losses From Outages

UK Network Outages Hit Businesses Hard

A recent survey reveals that nearly one in three UK businesses has suffered revenue losses of up to £4 million a year due to network outages and poor performance. This figure serves as a stark reminder that reliable connectivity isn’t just a luxury – it’s essential for keeping businesses on track. In today’s digital age, even minor hiccups can have major financial implications, making robust cybersecurity and network management a top priority.

Deep Dive into the Latest Vulnerabilities

SQL Injection Vulnerabilities in Popular Plugins

A number of widely-used plugins have been discovered to suffer from SQL injection vulnerabilities. Notably, the Gopiplus suite, which includes the Pixelating image slideshow gallery, Cool Fade Popup, and iFrame Images Gallery, all exhibit issues due to improper neutralisation of special elements in SQL commands. Each of these vulnerabilities carries a high severity rating of 8.5, and they remain a risk for versions up to 8.0, 10.1, and 9.0 respectively.

Other plugins such as the Cybio Gallery Widget and Steve Truman Contact People LITE are also affected by similar SQL injection problems with high risk scores of 8.5. If left unpatched, these vulnerabilities could allow attackers to gain unauthorised access to sensitive data.

Unrestricted File Upload and Remote Code Execution

The CreedAlly Bulk Featured Image plugin faces a critical issue (severity 9.1) due to an unrestricted file upload vulnerability that could enable an attacker to upload a web shell onto a server. Meanwhile, WPCenter AiBud WP is in a similar boat with its own file upload challenge, posing a risk of remote code execution.

WordPress Plugin Woes: Open Redirects and Privilege Escalation

WordPress sites aren’t exempt from vulnerabilities. The AI Engine plugin has been found prone to an open redirect flaw (severity 8.0), owing to insecure OAuth implementation – albeit a patched upgrade is now available. Similarly, the WP Human Resource Management plugin exhibits a privilege escalation vulnerability (severity 8.8), where inadequate authorization checks in AJAX functions allow an attacker with modest access to elevate their privileges to an administrative level.

Issues with Document Handling and Cross-Site Scripting

Beyond plugins, vulnerabilities are also surfacing in other software. An out-of-bounds write flaw in DjVuLibre could enable an attacker to execute code on Linux desktop systems when a crafted document is opened. Additionally, MediaWiki platforms, including the Citizen skin and Short Description extension, have been the target of cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks due to unsanitised HTML outputs. Both the Citizen XSS Injection and MediaWiki Short Description XSS issues have been listed as high severity, with patches now available.

Wikimedia and Apache Concerns

Wikimedia Foundation’s MediaWiki extensions – namely CentralAuth and Scribunto – are under scrutiny due to vulnerabilities that allow authentication bypass and access control issues. These vulnerabilities (severity ratings averaging around 8.8) could let unauthorised users access or manipulate features beyond their permission levels. In a stark development, flaws in Apache Tomcat and Camel have been actively exploited in the wild, with attack attempts recorded over 125,000 times across more than 70 countries. Such incidents emphasise the importance of vigilance in monitoring and patching.

Staying Protected in a Dynamic Landscape

The onslaught of vulnerabilities from SQL injections and file upload flaws to XSS and authentication bypasses clearly highlights both the complexity and evolving nature of cybersecurity threats. For businesses, the message is unmistakable: investments in reliable network infrastructure and proactive vulnerability management are no longer optional.

At Synergos Consultancy, we understand the challenges UK businesses face in securing their digital assets while maintaining smooth operational performance. By helping businesses meet stringent compliance standards – from ISO certifications to GDPR requirements – we offer practical strategies and insights to mitigate disruptions and minimise risk. Staying ahead of these evolving threats might just mean having that extra bit of expert support when you need it most.

With network unreliability and a barrage of cybersecurity vulnerabilities making headlines, keeping systems secure and operational has never been more crucial. A proactive approach to patch management, together with a commitment to heightened security practices, can help ensure that businesses remain resilient in the face of rising cyber threats.