Rapid7 Q1 2026 Threat Landscape Report Finds Vulnerability Exploitation Overtakes Social Engineering as the Top Initial Access Vector

Rapid7 (NASDAQ:RPD) released its Q1 2026 Threat Landscape Report, showing that vulnerability exploitation overtook social engineering as the top initial access vector, driving 38% of incident response cases.

Rhea-AI Summary

Rapid7 (NASDAQ:RPD) released its Q1 2026 Threat Landscape Report, showing that vulnerability exploitation overtook social engineering as the top initial access vector, driving 38% of incident response cases. Social engineering accounted for 24% and compromised accounts 14%.

Half of actively exploited CVEs were zero-click, network-facing, requiring no authentication or user interaction. High and critical vulnerabilities saw the median time from public disclosure to CISA KEV inclusion fall from 8.5 to 5.0 days, highlighting shrinking remediation windows.

The report also notes SQL injection as the most exploited vulnerability type, fragmented ransomware activity led by Qilin, and abused Remote Monitoring and Management tools representing 22.9% of observed threat activity.

Argus May 21 session

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Details

News Market Reaction – RPD

In the May 21 session, RPD declined 3.15%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

This announcement highlighted Rapid7’s research strength, emphasizing that vulnerability exploitatio...

Analysis

This announcement highlighted Rapid7’s research strength, emphasizing that vulnerability exploitation accounted for 38% of incident cases and that high-severity flaws reached CISA’s KEV catalog in a median of 5.0 days. The findings reinforced themes from its broader 2026 threat report, supporting its AI-powered managed security narrative. Investors may track how such insights translate into product adoption, incident response demand, and future financial results, alongside existing guidance and debt obligations disclosed in recent filings.

Key Figures

Exploitation share: 38% Social engineering share: 24% Compromised accounts share: 14% +5 more

Exploitation share

38%

Share of incident response cases from vulnerability exploitation in Q1 2026

Social engineering share

24%

Share of incident response cases from social engineering in Q1 2026

Compromised accounts share

14%

Share of incident response cases from compromised accounts in Q1 2026

Median KEV timeline 2025

8.5 days

Median time from disclosure to CISA KEV for high/critical vulns (prior period)

Median KEV timeline Q1 2026

5.0 days

Median time from disclosure to CISA KEV for high/critical vulns in Q1 2026

Public mentions per vuln

1.8 million

Average public mentions of exploited vulnerabilities across online sources

Qilin ransomware posts

357

Number of leak-site posts attributed to Qilin in Q1 2026

RMM threat share

22.9%

Share of observed activity from abused Remote Monitoring and Management tools

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: May 13

5 events

1. May 13

   Cyber GRC launch

   24h Move

   -5.9%

   Launch of Cyber GRC Early Access Program with 360 Advanced.

2. May 12

   Cyber GRC launch

   24h Move

   +3.1%

   Early access Cyber GRC program built on Command Platform.

3. May 11

   Investor conferences

   24h Move

   -7.7%

   Participation in J.P. Morgan and William Blair investor conferences.

4. May 05

   Q1 2026 earnings

   24h Move

   -1.6%

   Reported Q1 2026 financials and Kenzo Security acquisition.

5. Apr 09

   Earnings date set

   24h Move

   +0.4%

   Announcement of schedule for Q1 2026 earnings release.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

zero-click, cves, sql injection, os command injection, +4 more

8 terms

zero-click technical

"half of vulnerabilities actively exploited in the wild during Q1 were zero-click, network-facing issues"

An interaction or event that happens without a person having to click, tap or take any visible action. For investors this matters because it can mean information reaches audiences (or search engines answers users) without driving page views, changing how press releases and web traffic are measured, and it can also describe security flaws that allow attackers to compromise systems without user action — both affecting a company’s reputation, traffic metrics and risk profile.

cves technical

"Drawing on select tracked CVEs, MDR incident response data, ransomware leak-site intelligence"

CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) are unique ID numbers assigned to publicly known security flaws in software or hardware, like a catalog entry that describes a specific weak spot. For investors, CVEs matter because they signal potential risks to a company’s systems and customer data—similar to a product recall number that warns of problems requiring fixes, which can lead to costs, downtime, regulatory scrutiny, or reputational damage.

sql injection technical

"SQL injection became the most exploited vulnerability type"

A SQL injection is a type of cyberattack where an intruder tricks a website or app into running hidden database commands by entering specially crafted text into input fields. Think of it like slipping a fake key into a building’s entry panel that opens doors it shouldn’t; attackers can read, change or delete sensitive records. For investors, it matters because successful attacks can cause data loss, business interruption, regulatory fines and reputational harm that may reduce a company’s value.

os command injection technical

"SQL injection overtook OS command injection in Q1"

OS command injection is a software security flaw that lets an attacker trick a program into running arbitrary operating-system commands on a server or device, often by sending specially crafted input. For investors it matters because successful attacks can lead to stolen data, service outages, regulatory fines and lost customer trust — similar to someone getting keys to a building and being able to turn off lights, open safes or walk out with valuables.

ransomware technical

"trends in vulnerability exploitation, ransomware activity, and cybercriminal infrastructure"

Ransomware is malicious software that locks or encrypts a company’s computer files and systems, then demands payment for their release — like a thief changing the locks on a business and asking for a ransom. It matters to investors because attacks can halt operations, trigger large cleanup costs, damage customer trust, lead to regulatory fines or legal claims, and reduce future revenue, all of which can hurt a company’s financial value.

remote monitoring and management (rmm) tools technical

"Abused Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools were the most prevalent threat category"

Remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools are software platforms that let IT teams watch over, update and fix computers, servers and network devices from afar, much like a mechanic diagnosing and tuning cars without visiting the garage. For investors, RMM matters because it can reduce downtime, lower support costs, and enable scalable, recurring service revenue—factors that affect a company’s efficiency, margins and predictability of cash flow.

dark web technical

"ransomware leak-site intelligence, and dark web telemetry, the report highlights"

The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that standard search engines and browsers don’t show, accessible only with special software and settings that mask users’ identities. For investors, it matters because stolen customer data, leaked corporate documents or illegal marketplaces found there can lead to regulatory fines, cleanup costs, loss of customer trust and sudden drops in a company’s stock value—like a hidden back alley that can damage a storefront’s reputation and finances.

incident response technical

"accounting for 38% of incident response cases"

Incident response is the organized process a company uses to detect, investigate, contain and recover from a security breach, data loss, operational outage or other urgent problem. For investors, it shows how quickly a firm can limit financial and reputational damage, restore normal operations and meet legal or disclosure duties — like an emergency crew that protects a building’s value and occupants when a fire breaks out.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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New research highlights how AI-driven exploitation, zero-click vulnerabilities, and fragmented ransomware operations are reshaping cyber risk

BOSTON, May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD), a global leader in AI-powered managed cybersecurity operations, released its Q1 2026 Threat Landscape Report, examining trends in vulnerability exploitation, ransomware activity, and cybercriminal infrastructure. The report found that vulnerability exploitation surpassed social engineering as the leading initial access vector, accounting for 38% of incident response cases. The shift reflects the growing role of AI in accelerating how quickly attackers can identify, weaponize, and exploit unpatched systems at scale, compressing the window defenders have to respond.

Reinforcing this trend, half of vulnerabilities actively exploited in the wild during Q1 were zero-click, network-facing issues requiring no authentication or user interaction, giving attackers direct access to exposed systems without relying on human action. The finding reinforces trends identified in Rapid7’s 2026 Annual Global Threat Landscape Report, which found that exploitation timelines continue to shrink: among high- and critical-severity vulnerabilities, the median time from public disclosure to inclusion in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog fell from 8.5 days to 5.0 days.

"We've spent years building a security culture around humans being the weakest link, but our Q1 findings show AI is quietly rewriting that equation," said Raj Samani, SVP and Chief Scientist at Rapid7. "Attackers are increasingly bypassing user interaction altogether, prioritizing direct access to exposed infrastructure and dramatically narrowing the window defenders have to respond."

Drawing on select tracked CVEs, MDR incident response data, ransomware leak-site intelligence, and dark web telemetry, the report highlights evolving exploitation patterns, ransomware activity, and changes in attacker infrastructure.

Key findings include:

• Vulnerability exploitation was the leading initial access vector in MDR data: Exploitation accounted for 38% of incident response cases, followed by social engineering (24%) and compromised accounts (14%).
• Zero-click, network-facing vulnerabilities dominated exploited CVEs: Half of vulnerabilities actively exploited in the wild during Q1 required no authentication or user interaction, enabling direct access to exposed systems.
• Public discussion preceded exploitation activity: Exploited vulnerabilities averaged 1.8 million mentions across blogs, forums, and social media, indicating that widely discussed vulnerabilities can quickly become operational targets.
• SQL injection became the most exploited vulnerability type: SQL injection overtook OS command injection in Q1, reflecting attacker focus on common, broadly distributed web application weaknesses.
• Ransomware activity remained fragmented across groups: Qilin led leak-site activity with 357 posts, followed by The Gentlemen (206) and Akira (174), indicating ransomware activity remained fragmented across operators.
• Abused Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools were the most prevalent threat category: RMM tools accounted for 22.9% of observed activity, followed by ClickFix (18.8%) and Windows Native Scripts (10.4%).
  
  

What this means for security operations

As exploitation timelines continue to shrink, security teams face increasing pressure to identify, prioritize, and remediate exposed systems before attackers can operationalize vulnerabilities at scale.

“Q1 shows how quickly exposed systems can become operational targets,” said Christiaan Beek, Vice President of Cyber Intelligence at Rapid7. “Security teams can’t apply the same level of investigation and response across every signal when attackers are consistently prioritizing what they can reach and exploit. That gap is where risk accumulates.”

To read a full copy of the report, visit https://www.rapid7.com/research/report/threat-landscape-report-2026-q1/ .

About the Rapid7 Q1 2026 Threat Landscape Report

The Rapid7 Threat Landscape Report is a quarterly analysis of global adversary behavior drawn from the company’s managed detection and response operations, vulnerability intelligence platforms, and threat research telemetry. The Q1 2026 edition examines the impact of vulnerability exploitation, geopolitical cyber activity, ransomware evolution, and cybercriminal infrastructure.

About Rapid7

Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD) is a global leader in AI-powered managed cybersecurity operations, trusted to advance organizations’ cyber resilience. Open and extensible, the Rapid7 Command Platform integrates security data, enriching it with AI, threat intelligence, and 25 years of expertise and innovation to reduce risk and disrupt attackers. As a recognized leader in preemptive managed detection and response (MDR), Rapid7 unifies exposure and detection to transform the cybersecurity operations of more than 11,500 customers worldwide. For more information, visit our website, check out our blog, or follow us on LinkedIn or X.

Rapid7 Media Relations
Alice Randall
Director, Global Communications
press@rapid7.com
(857) 216-7804

Rapid7 Investor Contact
Matt Wells
Vice President, Investor Relations
investors@rapid7.com
(617) 865-4277

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did Rapid7 (RPD) reveal in its Q1 2026 Threat Landscape Report?

Rapid7 reported that vulnerability exploitation surpassed social engineering as the leading initial access vector in Q1 2026. According to Rapid7, exploitation drove 38% of incident response cases, compared with 24% for social engineering and 14% for compromised accounts, signaling shifting attacker priorities.

How did vulnerability exploitation compare to social engineering for Rapid7 (RPD) in Q1 2026 data?

Vulnerability exploitation accounted for 38% of Rapid7’s Q1 2026 incident response cases, exceeding social engineering’s 24%. According to Rapid7, this change reflects attackers increasingly targeting exposed infrastructure and leveraging automation, rather than relying primarily on user manipulation to gain initial access.

What are zero-click vulnerabilities in Rapid7 (RPD) Q1 2026 cybersecurity findings?

Zero-click vulnerabilities are network-facing issues requiring no user interaction or authentication for exploitation. According to Rapid7, half of vulnerabilities actively exploited in Q1 2026 were zero-click, giving attackers direct access to exposed systems and reducing defenders’ time to detect and respond effectively.

How fast are exploited vulnerabilities moving into CISA KEV according to Rapid7 (RPD)?

Rapid7 observed shrinking timelines from public disclosure to CISA KEV catalog inclusion for high and critical vulnerabilities. According to Rapid7, the median interval fell from 8.5 days to 5.0 days, increasing pressure on security teams to prioritize and remediate exposed systems more quickly.

What did Rapid7 (RPD) report about ransomware activity in Q1 2026?

Rapid7 found that ransomware activity remained fragmented across multiple groups rather than concentrated. According to Rapid7, Qilin led leak-site postings with 357 entries, followed by The Gentlemen with 206 and Akira with 174, highlighting a diverse ecosystem of active ransomware operators.

Which threat categories were most prevalent in Rapid7 (RPD) Q1 2026 telemetry?

Abused Remote Monitoring and Management tools were the most prevalent threat category in Q1 2026 telemetry. According to Rapid7, RMM tools represented 22.9% of observed activity, followed by ClickFix at 18.8% and Windows Native Scripts at 10.4%, underscoring common attacker tooling.