PrestaShop warns of vulnerability: Update your stores now!

A vulnerability affecting open source e-commerce platform PrestaShop could spell trouble for servers running PrestaShop websites. The 15-year-old organisations platform is currently used by around 300,000 shops worldwide. The exploit is very dependent on specific versions in use, so one PrestaSho...

Update now! Chrome patches critical RCE vulnerability in Safe Browsing

Google has issued an update for the Chrome browser which includes 26 security fixes. What stands out is that one of these fixes is rated as "critical". The critical vulnerability is a use after free bug in the Safe Browsing feature. The Stable channel has been updated to 97.0.4692.99 for Windows,...

A week in security (July 15 – 21)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we took an extensive look at Sodinokibi, one of the new ransomware strains found in the wild that many believe picked up where GandCrab left off. We also profiled Extenbro, a Trojan that protects adware; reported on the UK's new Facebook reporting tool, homed in on...

A week in security (March 4 – 11)

Last week, Malwarebytes Labs released its in-depth, international data privacy survey of nearly 4,000 individuals, revealing that every generation, including Millennials, cares about online privacy. We also covered a novel case of zombie email that involved a very much alive account user, delved...

Tech support scammers GeeksHelp caught again, two years later

Many researchers have noted an increase in tech support scam activity during the past few months. This trend, facilitated by browser lockers, is not surprising considering that other web-based infection methods are not as effective. While people are still receiving cold calls from alleged Microso...

New Chrome and Firefox extensions block their removal to hijack browsers

What you don't see won't hurt you, must have been the reasoning of the threat actors who created the latest batch of extensions that make these browser hijackers even more difficult to remove. The extensions redirect users away from pages where they can disable or delete them in order to drive...

Fake Spectre and Meltdown patch pushes Smoke Loader malware

The Meltdown and Spectre bugs have generated a lot of media attention, and users have been urged to update their machines with fixes made available by various vendors. While some patches have created more issues than they fixed, we came across a particular one targeted at German users that actual...

Adobe Coldfusion vulnerability used in attacks on government servers

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA put out a Cybersecurity Advisory CSA to alert government agencies about cybercriminals using a vulnerability in Adobe Coldfusion to gain initial access to servers. Adobe ColdFusion is a platform for building and deploying web and mobile...

QNAP warns about critical vulnerabilities in NAS systems

QNAP has published a security advisory about two critical vulnerabilities that could allow remote attackers to execute commands via a network. One of the vulnerabilities affects the QTS and QuTS operating systems OS for QNAP’s network attached storage systems NAS. The second one can be found in...

Silence is golden partner for Truebot and Clop ransomware

A recent rise in the number of Truebot infections has been attributed to a threat actor known as the Silence Group. The Silence Group is an initial access broker IAB that frequently changes tools and tactics to stay on top of the game. An IAB's primary task is to find a weakness or vulnerability,...

New iOS exploit checkm8 allows permanent compromise of iPhones

UPDATE 9/27, 11:00am: Updated for the misconception that the bootrom was actually being modified. Apparently, the "permanent" only refers to the fact that the bug is in the bootrom, where it cannot be patched. UPDATE 9/27, 12:15am: After speaking with @axi0m8, clarified a few other points,...

Browser Guard combats privacy abuse, tracking, clickbait, and scammers

In July 2018, we introduced the Malwarebytes Browser Extension, a beta plugin for Firefox and Chrome aimed at delivering a safer, faster, and more private browsing experience. Our extension blocked tech support scams, hijackers, pop-up ads, trackers, and more to keep users secure and free from...

YouTube ordered to cough up $170M settlement over COPPA infraction

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission FTC announced that it has required Google and YouTube to pay a settlement fee totaling $170 million after its video-sharing platform was found violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act COPPA. The complaint was filed by the FTC and the New York...

How 5G could impact cybersecurity strategy

With the recent news that South Korea has rolled out the world’s first 5G network, it’s clear that we’re on the precipice of the wireless technology’s widespread launch. Offering speeds anywhere from 20 to 100 times faster than 4G long-term evolution LTE, the next generation of wireless networks...

How to create a sticky cybersecurity training program

Organizations know that training employees on cybersecurity and privacy are not only expensive but time-consuming. However, given that current threats are targeting businesses more than consumers, introducing and teaching cybersecurity and privacy best practices in the workplace has undoubtedly...

A week in security (August 20 – August 26)

Last week on Labs, we took a look at insider threats, doubled back on the privacy of search browser extensions, profiled green card scams, revisited Defcon badgelife, and talked about what happens to a user's accounts when they die. Other cybersecurity news There was an archiving error in Twitch...

The Internet of Everything and digital privacy: what you need to know

If you don’t already own Internet of Things IoT devices, you likely will soon. IoT-enabled devices are physical gadgets with built-in Internet connectivity that allow data transmission; often this happens in the background with no indication to the user that anything is happening. The IoT is more...

A cure for the common cold call: freeze them out

The phone rings and it's a number I don’t recognize. That’s enough to bring my mood down a few degrees. It shouldn’t, but unfortunately experience has taught me that at least 95 percent of the calls from numbers that are “private” or that I don’t have an account name stored for on my phone are...

GrayKey iPhone unlocker poses serious security concerns

Ever since the case of the San Bernadino shooter pitted Apple against the FBI over the unlocking of an iPhone, opinions have been split on providing backdoor access to the iPhone for law enforcement. Some felt that Apple was aiding and abetting a felony by refusing to create a special version of...

Explained: SQL injection

Even though SQL injection is a type of attack that is relatively easy to prevent, it is one of the most common web hacking techniques. So, what’s it all about? The basics SQL is short for Structured Query Language and usually pronounced as “sequel.” SQL is a standard language used to query and...

Encryption 101: ShiOne ransomware case study

In part one of this series, Encryption 101: a malware analyst's primer, we introduced some of the basic encryption concepts used in malware. If you haven't read it, we suggest going back for a review, as it's necessary in order to be able to fully follow part two, our case study. In this study, w...

A week in security (July 24 – July 30)

Last week, we recognized one of the unsung heroes of our times, explained what the Dark Web is, revealed challenges one of our experienced when putting together his conference presentation for SteelCon, revealed the potential dangers of smart toys to kids, and made a prediction following the...

Update now! Microsoft fixes two zero-days on February Patch Tuesday

Microsoft has issued patches for 73 security vulnerabilities in its February 2024 Patch Tuesday. Among these vulnerabilities are two zero-days that are reportedly being used in the wild. The two zero-day vulnerabilities have already been added to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency...

Patch now! Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile Authentication vulnerability used in the wild

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA added one new vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog affecting Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile, based on evidence of active exploitation. All Federal Civilian Executive Branch FCEB agencies must remediate this...

A week in security (May 27 – June 2)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we took readers through a deep dive—way down the rabbit hole—into the novel malware called “Hidden Bee.” We also looked at the potential impact of a government agency’s privacy framework, and delivered to readers everything they needed to know about ATM attacks and...

The Advanced Persistent Threat files: Lazarus Group

We've heard a lot about Advanced Persistent Threats APTs over the past few years. As a refresher, APTs are prolonged, aimed attacks on specific targets with the intention to compromise their systems and gain information from or about that target. While the targets may be anyone or anything—a...

A week in security (February 4 – 8)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we took a closer look at the technical and reputational challenges for Facebook as it tries to integrate secure messaging across Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. We explored Google’s latest attempts to change how the public sees—literally—web browser URLs, gave...

Oracle WebLogic Server vulnerability added to CISA list as “known to be exploited”

On May 1, 2023 the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA added three new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation. This means that Federal Civilian Executive Branch FCEB agencies are obliged to remediate the...

A week in security (September 19 – 25)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Hookup site targeted by typo-squatters American Airlines suffers data breach after phishing incident Grand Theft Auto 6 suffers grand theft EDR vs MDR vs XDR - Whats the Difference? Scammers send fake 'Energy Bills Support Scheme' texts Tax refund phish logs...

Has your WordPress site been backdoored by a skimmer?

Skimmers and other threat actors are backdooring websites, and WordPress instances in particular, according to a recently released report. Researchers at Sucuri say attackers have developed methods to make sure that their grip on the infected site is not easily removed by applying the next update...

Wanted! US offers $10m bounty for ransomware kingpins

The US State Department is offering a massive $10 million reward if you can help bring DarkSide to justice. The U.S. Department of State announces a reward offer of up to $10,000,000 for information leading to the identification or location of any individuals who holds a key leadership position i...

Italian mafia cybercrime sting leads to 100+ arrests

The Spanish National Police Policía Nacional has successfully dismantled an organized crime ring of hundreds of members in a sting operation supported by Europol, the Italian National Police Polizia di Stato, and Eurojust. This is the end result of a year-long investigation. The organized crime...

Polazert Trojan using poisoned Google Search results to spread

Trojan.Polazert aka SolarMarker has gone back and fine-tuned an old tactic known as SEO-poisoning to plant their Remote Access Trojan RAT on as many systems as possible. This RAT runs in memory and is used by attackers to install additional malware on affected systems. Trojan.Polazert...

A week in security (May 24 -30)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs we discussed VPN Android apps, how even the FBI has to deal with insider threats, Chromes Incognito mode, new rules for critical infrastructure spurred by the Colonial Pipeline attack, how to delete your Twitter account, what encryption is, how healthcare service...

Threat spotlight: Conti, the ransomware used in the HSE healthcare attack

On the 14th of May, the Health Service Executive HSE, Ireland’s publicly funded healthcare system, fell victim to a Conti ransomware attack, forcing the organization to shut down more than 80,000 affected endpoints and plunging them back to the age of pen and paper. This happened a week after...

The many ways you can be scammed on Facebook, part I

Scams can be found anywhere, and Facebook is no exception. And, with the holiday season just around the corner, and the world still weathering a pandemic, it pays to know what Facebook scams you, those close to you, and those you have professional relationships with could potentially encounter...

Mozilla patches critical security issues in Firefox and Thunderbird

Mozilla has issued a critical patch for Firefox, Firefox ESR, and Thunderbird after a security issue was discovered at the Tianfu Cup 2020 International Cybersecurity Contest The security issue has been assigned CVE-2020-26950 which has the “reserved” status. Publicly disclosed computer security...

Cooperating apps and automatic permissions are setting you up for failure

“Hey you. Someone from HR has invited you to a meeting on Thursday. Would you like me to add the appointment to the calendar?” Receiving an email notification when someone has invited you to a meeting is a feature that many professionals would not like to miss. Being able to log in at certain sit...

The top six takeaways for corporate data privacy compliance

For nearly two months, Malwarebytes Labs has led readers on a journey through data privacy laws around the world, exploring the nuances between “personal information” and “personal data,” as well as between data breach notification laws in Florida, Utah, California, and Iowa. We explored the risk...

Government shutdown impacts .gov websites, puts Americans in danger

If you are in the United States, then you likely already know that we are on our 24th day of a government shutdown. While it is considered a "partial" shutdown, there are still plenty of government workers who are furloughed, which impacts the services they run—both online and off. Last week,...

The 25th anniversary of the webcam: What did it bring us?

How did the webcam progress from a simple convenience to a worldwide security concern in 25 years? November 2018 can be marked as the 25th anniversary of the webcam. This is a bit of an arbitrary choice, but if we consider a webcam that was installed at the University of Cambridge to keep an eye ...

5 safe ways to get back at spammers: a guide to wasting time

Everyone hates spam apart from the people who send it. While many people simply report spam and delete, a few look for ways to get back at the spammers wasting their time. In fact, a common question we’re asked is, “How can we waste their time?” My own opinion on this is a little loaded with...

Mobile Menace Monday: Fake WhatsApp can steal info from your phone

Last month, a blogger at My Online Security reported receiving a spam comment containing WhatsApp Plus. Going through the process, they downloaded an APK of this so-called WhatsApp Plus. Where they ended was as stated, I am not certain exactly what this does, but from the sandbox reports it looks...

Windows File Shredder: When deleting a file isn’t enough

Most of us think deleting a file means it’s gone for good. But “delete” on a Windows device often just means “out of sight,” not necessarily “out of reach.” That’s where File Shredder, a new feature within Malwarebytes Tools for Windows, comes in. File Shredder lets you securely delete files from...

Update now! Chrome patches ANOTHER zero-day vulnerability

Google has released version 103.0.5060.114 for Chrome, now available in the Stable Desktop channel worldwide. The main goal of this new version is to patch CVE-2022-2294. CVE-2022-2294 is a high severity heap-based buffer overflow weakness in the Web Real-Time Communications WebRTC component whic...

[updated]Unpatched Atlassian Confluence vulnerability is actively exploited

Researchers found a vulnerability in Atlassian Confluence by conducting an incident response investigation. Atlassian rates the severity level of this vulnerability as critical. Atlassian has issued a security advisory and is working on a fix for the affected products. This qualifies the...

Spear-phishing now targets employees outside the finance and executive teams, report says

Social engineering attacks have been a longstanding concern for both individuals and organizations alike. The trend, as we know it, is that fraudsters conducting spear phishing attacks—specifically, business email compromise BEC—are likely to target employees either in the finance or executive...

Update now! Chrome needs patching against two in-the-wild exploits

A day late and a dollar short is a well-known expression that comes in a few variations. But this version has a movie and a book to its name, so I’m going with this one. Why? Google has published an update for the Chrome browser that patches two newly discovered vulnerabilities. The browsers Stab...

To pay, or not to pay? That is the VPN question

VPNs have been a subject of deliberation for a long time. Is it even important to use one? I think the pandemic has made it clear that, yes, using a VPN is useful, even necessary, most especially for those working remotely. But should you pay for it? Or would you rather settle for free? Were goin...

Facebook scams: Bad ads, bogus grants, and fake tickets lurk on social media giant

We recently highlighted new steps Instagram is taking to try and clamp down on scammers sending fake messages on their platform. It turns out, other social media giants are walking a similar path for a variety of bogus ads and other attacks. Facebook scams in particular have taken off, despite th...