Check Point Software Technologies Inc - Experts & Thought Leaders

A vendor of cybersecurity solutions, Check Point Software Technologies, has issued emergency fixes for its SmartConsole management application for a “critical” zero-day vulnerability. The bug, dubbed CVE-2026-16232, is being weaponized by attackers who are trying to gain full access to enterprise security management systems. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added the vulnerability to its ‘Known Exploited Vulnerabilities’ (KEV) list and mandated its patching in federal civilian agencies in its Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 26-04. Re-configure firewall policies The vulnerability, CVE-2026-16232, has a CVSS score of 9.3 (Critical) and is a result of improper authentication (CWE-287). It allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to get a valid application login token without providing any credentials. The attacker can use this token to log into SmartConsole as an admin. From there, threat actors can re-configure firewall policies, re-configure security, and then move deeper into enterprise networks. CheckPoint researchers discovered the vulnerability in the context of their BLAST (Business Logic Attack Surface Testing) research to evaluate the readiness of AI for business use and they have observed live attacks on this vulnerability. The vendor has stated that they have already issued private notifications on these customers. IP-based restriction This is the newest of Check Point’s list of problems pointed out by U.S. authorities, and it is being called CVE-2026-16232. In June, CISA released a June call to action for federal agencies to address two vulnerabilities, CVE-2026-50751 (authentication bypass for Remote Access VPN and Mobile Access) and CVE-2026-50765 (Elevation of Privilege for Remote Assistance) that could allow for ransomware attacks. CISA has classified CVE-2024-24919 as an actively exploited vulnerability for Check Point’s Quantum Security Gateways in 2024. Key Exposure Condition: Attack is successful only if the Security Management Server or Multi-Domain Management (MDS) instance is directly connected with the public Internet without any IP-based restriction. Core affected components The following tracks are considered as major releases and are affected by vulnerability: Check Point Software Versions: R81.10, R81.20, R82 and R82.10 (Previous versions of the release trains may be affected too). Core Affected Components: Security Management Server, Multi-Domain Security Management (MDS), and SmartConsole GUI interfaces are Core Affected Components. In addition to CVE-2026-16232, Check Point revealed two non-exploited side vulnerabilities that it found during the internal audit: CVE-2026-62144 (CVSS 9.3): Management servers authentication bypass and privilege escalation. CVE-2026-62145 (CVSS 7.5): Local privilege escalation vulnerability in GaiaOS WebUI, Firewall and Multi-Domain Log Servers. High‑severity vulnerabilities Security teams should take a peek at the SmartConsole logs in Logs & Monitor > Logs & Events > Audit Logs View to see who is accessing the network. Pay attention to logins with the following authentication type: application token and external ip address is untrusted. CheckPoint and CISA identified the following IP addresses used to attempt to exploit and conduct reconnaissance: In the vulnerabilities disclosure, Check Point has released a Jumbo Hotfix for July 22 to address two additional high‑severity vulnerabilities, CVE-2026-62144 (authentication bypass and privilege escalation in management products) and CVE-2026-62145 (local privilege escalation in GaiaOS WebUI and other components). The Hotfix should be applied as soon as possible. Check Point and CISA recommend patching is not implemented right away, and instead, hardening is recommended: Only trusted IP addresses and subnets are allowed to access and control SmartConsole. Use firewall rules and network filters to block Internet access to block management interfaces. Make sure that implied control-connection rules are enabled on and trusted clients are limited. Follow Check Point’s Gateway and Management Hardening Best Practices. Regularly check Check Point’s IoC in SmartConsole and network logs.

MetTel, a pioneer in digital transformation and managed mobility solutions, announces a strategic partnership with Check Point Software Technologies to deliver an advanced mobile threat defense solution for enterprise customers. MetTel’s fully managed Mobile Threat Defense solution, powered by Check Point Harmony Mobile, provides comprehensive protection against mobile cyber threats, ensuring secure access to corporate data without compromising user experience or privacy. Mobile security In the recent work-from-anywhere world, mobile security is no longer optional In the recent work-from-anywhere world, mobile security is no longer optional. With employees accessing more sensitive corporate information via mobile devices, organizations face growing risks from phishing attacks, malicious apps, OS vulnerabilities, and network-based threats. According to market research, 47% of organizations experienced significant repercussions—such as data loss or operational downtime— due to security incidents involving mobile or IoT devices. Mobile Threat Defense solution MetTel’s new Mobile Threat Defense solution combats these challenges by delivering end-to-end protection across all mobile attack vectors — apps, files, networks, and operating systems. It leverages static and dynamic threat analysis to detect known and unknown threats, blocks infected devices, and prevents man-in-the-middle attacks. “Mobile security ranks as the top technology concern for enterprise buyers and MetTel is uniquely positioned to give them confidence that their mobile workforce will be protected from all threats,” said Max Silber, VP of Mobility and IoT at MetTel. “By integrating Check Point Harmony Mobile into our managed mobility ecosystem, we’re providing customers with a seamless, scalable solution that enhances their security posture while maintaining operational efficiency.” Fully managed offering for seamless deployment MetTel’s Mobile Threat Defense solution is delivered as a fully managed service, simplifying deployment, management, and support for enterprise customers. Key features include: Streamlined setup and policy configuration based on industry best practices, with bulk enrolment for company-owned devices. Monitoring and Support: Real-time threat monitoring, end-user troubleshooting, and escalation paths to Check Point for advanced support. Seamless integration with existing mobile device management (MDM) platforms. “With over 60% of internet traffic coming from mobile devices, they’ve become one of the largest — and most vulnerable — targets in today’s cyber threat landscape,” said Gil Friedrich, GM of Workspace Security at Check Point. “Our partnership with MetTel brings AI-powered mobile threat prevention to the forefront, empowering enterprise customers to protect their data and operate with confidence, no matter where their work happens.” Advanced technology Check Point Harmony Mobile leverages patent-pending algorithms and detection techniques to identify mobile device risks and trigger automatic defense responses. Key components include: Mobile Application: Suitable for all mobile operating systems, the application performs analysis on activity on the device, including application downloads and network access, without impacting user privacy and productivity Behavioral Risk Engine: Automatically detects and mitigates suspicious mobile activity using in-depth threat analysis. ThreatCloud AI Intelligence: Provides real-time, global threat intelligence to power anti-phishing, safe browsing, and anti-bot technologies. Mobile Gateway and Dashboard: Offers centralized management, provisioning, and monitoring of devices, policies, and alerts through the Check Point Infinity Portal.

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a pioneer in cybersecurity solutions, and Illumio, the breach containment company, announced a strategic partnership to help organizations strengthen security and advance their Zero Trust posture. Illumio Segmentation and Insights The integration between the Check Point Infinity Platform and the Illumio Platform delivers rapid identification and mitigation of lateral movement risks across hybrid and multi-cloud environments using advanced microsegmentation enforcement. This collaboration empowers customers to combine Check Point Quantum Force Firewalls, Infinity Threat Cloud AI, and AI-Powered Security Management with Illumio Segmentation and Illumio Insights to neutralize threats by halting lateral movements and strengthening overall cybersecurity.   Zero Trust strategies "Stopping lateral movement is critical to breach prevention," says Itai Greenberg, Chief Revenue Officer at Check Point Software. "Our partnership with Illumio delivers unmatched visibility and adaptive policy enforcement, empowering organizations to contain threats fast. It also demonstrates the strength of our hybrid mesh architecture, which we envision as an open garden, and our commitment to driving Zero Trust strategies with industry pioneers." Check Point’s AI Security Management software Check Point Quantum Force firewalls serve as critical enforcement points, efficiently blocking malicious traffic Check Point Quantum Force firewalls serve as critical enforcement points, efficiently blocking malicious traffic. When threats are detected, Check Point’s AI Security Management software uses a dynamic policy layer to notify Check Point Firewalls how to block the latest threat. The integration with Illumio provides additional AI-driven insights to identify risks and attack routes, enabling quick containment. This combination stops unauthorized lateral movement, protects essential assets, and ensures consistent Zero Trust security across hybrid environments.  Key benefits of the integration  Collaborative approach to Zero Trust: Protect critical assets with effective microsegmentation across hybrid environments without deployment complexity, making Zero Trust adoption faster and simpler.  Proactive threat prevention to prevent lateral movement: Reduce breach risk and the associated costs by catching attacks earlier and preventing them from spreading laterally across networks, clouds, and resources to reach critical assets  Advanced Threat Intelligence: Utilize combined threat intelligence data from ThreatCloud AI and Illumio Insights to mitigate risk and minimize security incidents   Integration of Illumio and Check Point Illumio Segmentation contains breaches, protects critical assets, and enables instant response “This powerful collaboration between Illumio and Check Point marks a significant step forward in cybersecurity threat intelligence and breach containment," says Andrew Rubin, CEO and Founder of Illumio. "The integration of Illumio and Check Point represents a shift towards smarter, more adaptive cybersecurity by enhancing visibility, enabling real-time threat detection and response, and providing adaptive security measures that align with Zero Trust principles. Our proactive approach helps security teams connect the dots and uncover hidden threats more efficiently to avoid cyber disasters."  CDR built on an AI security graph Illumio Insights and Illumio Segmentation are integral components of the Illumio Platform, the first cybersecurity platform focused on breach containment. The world’s first CDR built on an AI security graph, Illumio Insights helps organizations quickly identify and detect threats.  Illumio Segmentation contains breaches, protects critical assets, and enables instant response. Together, these solutions help identify and mitigate risks, contain attacks, and enhance overall cyber resilience. Security and policy management Quantum product line is part of Check Point’s Infinity Platform, which is uniquely AI-powered Check Point's Quantum Force is a series of AI-powered, cloud-delivered security gateways that provide unified security and policy management across on-premises, cloud, and Firewall-as-a-Service environments, simplifying operations and enhancing security efficacy. The Quantum product line is part of Check Point’s Infinity Platform, which is uniquely AI-powered, and cloud-delivered, to protect your enterprise against cyber-attacks, from the data center, cloud to the branch office through unified management. Integration of Check Point Quantum Force Firewall To witness the integration of Check Point Quantum Force Firewall with Illumio Insights, visit the Illumio booth in the North Hall (#5670) at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, happening from April 28 to May 1st. While at RSA, stop by the Check Point North Hall booth #6072 or attend one of the following RSAC activities. For additional details about Illumio at RSAC, explore their other sponsored activities.