A puppet made me cry and all I got was this t-shirt

Summary: Cisco Talos published a year-end review focusing on widely exploited vulnerabilities, phishing attacks, and the persistent pressure on popular libraries and frameworks.

Though the title has an internal newsletter tone, the content serves as a useful synthesis of the threat landscape observed by Cisco Talos in 2025. The annual report highlights several recurring patterns: the rapid exploitation of vulnerabilities in widely deployed software, the persistence of phishing as the primary initial access vector, and the growing weight of shared components within the supply chain.

Among the standout findings, Talos places React2Shell among the most actively pursued vulnerabilities, even though it was only discovered late last year. ToolShell also makes an appearance in the list of most targeted CVEs. The underlying message is significant: attackers continue to maximize the exploitation of flaws in widely used frameworks and libraries, where a single weakness can scale across multiple organizations.

The editorial utility of this piece lies in its ability to order disparate signals into a trend. More than an isolated technical report, it serves as a snapshot of the types of risks that defined the year and are likely to continue conditioning defense strategies going forward.

Key facts

  • React2Shell was the most targeted CVE in 2025, despite being discovered in December.
  • ToolShell ranked third among the most targeted vulnerabilities.
  • Phishing was used in 40% of Talos Incident Response cases.

Why it matters

The report provides valuable context on how real-world attacks evolve and helps organizations prioritize defenses against patterns that demonstrated effectiveness in 2025.

Key metrics

  • Most targeted CVEs: 2 (React2Shell and ToolShell)
  • % of phishing incidents: 40%