Cybersecurity Alert: ASD Warns of Ongoing BADCANDY Attacks Targeting Cisco IOS XE

We have reached a critical moment in cybersecurity. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has issued a warning about active attacks using a tool called BADCANDY. These attacks focus on devices running Cisco IOS XE, especially where its web‑user interface is enabled. The vulnerability under attack is known as CVE‑2023‑20198 and has a top severity score of 10.0.
We need to pay attention now because the risk is real. Many organizations still use the affected systems. The threat is unfolding globally, and we must understand what is happening, how these attacks work, and who is most at risk.