The Washington Post was breached via an **Oracle E-Business Suite zero-day (RCE vulnerability in versions 12.2.3–12.2.14)**, exploited by the **Cl0p ransomware gang** and financially motivated group **FIN11**. Hackers exfiltrated sensitive corporate files and demanded a ransom (reportedly up to **$50 million** in other cases) for deletion of stolen data. The Post **refused to pay**, prompting Cl0p to leak its data on their public site, citing the company’s failure to address security. The attack occurred over months before Oracle patched the flaw, affecting **over 100 organizations**, including high-profile victims like Harvard and Schneider Electric. While the **specific leaked data** (e.g., internal documents, employee/customer records) was not detailed, the breach posed **reputational damage, financial risk, and potential operational disruption**. Law enforcement discouraged ransom payments, warning it fuels further attacks. The full scope of compromised data remains undisclosed, but the incident underscores critical vulnerabilities in widely used enterprise software.
WP Intelligence cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/washington-post-intelligence
"id": "was0892108111025",
"linkid": "washington-post-intelligence",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "11/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'news/publishing',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'The Washington Post',
'type': 'media organization'},
{'industry': 'education',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Harvard University',
'type': 'educational institution'},
{'industry': 'energy management/automation',
'location': 'France (global operations)',
'name': 'Schneider Electric',
'type': 'corporation'},
{'industry': 'manufacturing/steel',
'name': 'Pan American Steel',
'type': 'corporation'},
{'industry': 'media, automotive, telecommunications',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Cox Enterprises',
'type': 'corporation'},
{'name': 'Over 100 other unnamed companies'}],
'attack_vector': ['exploitation of zero-day vulnerability (RCE in Oracle '
'E-Business Suite)',
'email-based ransom demands'],
'customer_advisories': ['The Washington Post public statement'],
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': True,
'sensitivity_of_data': 'high',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['sensitive corporate files']},
'date_detected': '2025-10',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-10',
'description': 'The Cl0p ransomware gang and financially-motivated threat '
'actor FIN11 exploited a remote code execution (RCE) zero-day '
'vulnerability in Oracle E-Business Suite (versions '
'12.2.3-12.2.14) to breach over 100 companies, including The '
'Washington Post, Harvard University, Schneider Electric, Pan '
'American Steel, and Cox Enterprises. The attacks began months '
'before Oracle released a patch. Victims received ransom '
'demands via email, with at least one company reportedly asked '
'for $50 million. The Washington Post confirmed the breach and '
'refused to pay the ransom, leading Cl0p to leak its data on '
'their leak site. Law enforcement advises against paying '
'ransoms, citing risks of further attacks and funding criminal '
'operations.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': True,
'data_compromised': True,
'systems_affected': ['Oracle E-Business Suite (versions '
'12.2.3-12.2.14)']},
'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': 'Oracle E-Business Suite zero-day '
'(RCE)',
'high_value_targets': ['executives (via ransom '
'demand emails)'],
'reconnaissance_period': 'months (attacks occurred '
'before patch release)'},
'investigation_status': 'ongoing (partial victim list confirmed; full scope '
'unknown)',
'motivation': 'financial gain',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Oracle released patch for '
'versions 12.2.3-12.2.14'],
'root_causes': ['Unpatched zero-day vulnerability '
'in Oracle E-Business Suite',
'Delayed patch application by '
'victims']},
'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': True,
'ransom_demanded': True,
'ransomware_strain': 'Cl0p'},
'recommendations': ['Do not pay ransom demands (per law enforcement advice)',
'Apply vendor patches promptly',
'Monitor for zero-day exploits in critical enterprise '
'software'],
'references': [{'source': 'TechCrunch'}, {'source': 'TechRadar'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['public statement by The Washington '
'Post',
'law enforcement advisories against '
'ransom payments'],
'law_enforcement_notified': True,
'remediation_measures': ['Oracle patch (post-exploitation)']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['Law enforcement warnings against ransom payments'],
'threat_actor': ['Cl0p ransomware gang', 'FIN11'],
'title': 'Cl0p Ransomware Exploits Oracle E-Business Suite Zero-Day to Breach '
'Over 100 Companies, Including The Washington Post',
'type': ['ransomware', 'data breach', 'zero-day exploit'],
'vulnerability_exploited': 'Remote Code Execution (RCE) zero-day in Oracle '
'E-Business Suite (versions 12.2.3-12.2.14)'}