How to remove adware from your PC

“Close. Close. Close. Close,” my mother mumbles as she aggressively clicks her mouse over and over. “What’s wrong, Ma?” I’m home for the holidays, and cozy, cold evenings are often spent in front of the fireplace. This night, however, my mom is stuck at her computer. “This stupid thing won’t stop...

Back to school cybersecurity tips for parents and kids

The time to start the new school term is just around the corner. And for parents, the excitement and anxiety may be palpable, especially if it's their kid's first time attending a new school. Ads for back-to-school gear start as early as July, increasing in frequency and urgency until the kiddos...

Learning PowerShell: some basic commands

My first Powershell script The first PowerShell script I wrote see below was a quick fix to remove certificates from the “Untrusted” registry key after a Vonteera infection. After some initial commands, this script basically loops back for every certificate that doesn’t belong under a certain key...

Patch now! September Microsoft Patch Tuesday includes two actively exploited zero-days

Microsoft's September 2023 Patch Tuesday is another important one. Not because it's a busy one, but because we have some special cases. Patch Tuesday includes security updates for 59 bugs, two of which are known to be actively exploited. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency CISA has...

Apple releases security update for iPhones and iPads to address vulnerability

Apple has released a security update for iOS 12.5.6 to patch a remotely exploitable WebKit vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on unpatched devices. The WebKit zero-day that is known as CVE-2022-32893 was fixed for iOS 15.6.1, iPadOS 15.6, and macOS Monterey 12.5.1 on...

StopRansomware.gov brings together information on stopping and surviving ransomware attacks

The US Department of Homeland Security DHS and the US Department of Justice DOJ—along with other federal partners—have launched a new website as part of the US governments fight against ransomware: StopRansomware.gov. StopRansomware.gov is said to be a one-stop hub for ransomware resources for...

Search hijackers change Chrome policy to remote administration

The latest type of installer in the saga of search hijacking changes a Chrome policy which tells users it can’t be removed because the browser is managed from the outside. As you can imagine, that has freaked out quite a few Chrome users. We have talked about the search hijacker’s business model ...

Christmas tech scams roundup

There’s a fair few Christmas tech scams floating around out there as 2018 winds up, and we thought it’d be a good time to warn you about them. It’s the usual mish-mash of phone antics, social media shenanigans, and click bait. Shall we begin? This scam looks divine BOOM reports on a collection of...

Mobile Menace Monday: Is Fuchsia OS the end of Android?

It’s no secret that every year Google announces a new Android version. This time though, recent Google documents state that the next major Android version will be Android Q and not Android 9.1 Pie. In parallel, Google is also developing an operating system called Fuchsia that’s supposedly going t...

Introducing: Malwarebytes Browser Extension

Are you tired of all the unwanted content the world wide web offers up, whether you like it or not? It is our privilege to introduce you to the Malwarebytes Browser Extension BETA. Or, better said, the Malwarebytes Browser Extensions, because we have one for Firefox and one for Chrome. Introducti...

Mobile Menace Monday: Olympics app has more ads than games

An app claiming to live stream the 2018 Winter Olympics but really serving up a blizzard of ads had a short run on Google Play. It was uploaded to the Play store on February 8, 2018. Since then, it's been removed. The last known existence of it on the store was a cached snapshot from February 10...

Know your threats: the nine scariest malware monsters

It's been a particularly ghoulish year in cybersecurity, from Russian hacks to ransomware outbreaks. The bad boogey man in the black hoodie has been pulling one over the collective public. It's dark and creepy, but users refuse to stop peeking behind the door. It's enough to make even the most...

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...

Canada revisits decision to ban Flipper Zero

In February 2024 the Canadian government announced plans to ban the sale of the Flipper Zero, mainly because of its reported use to steal cars. The Flipper Zero is a portable device that can be used in penetration testing with a focus on wireless devices and access control systems. If that doesnt...

FBI confirms Barracuda patch is not effective for exploited ESG appliances

In an FBI Flash about a Barracuda ESG vulnerability, listed as CVE-2023-2868, the FBI has stated that the patches released by Barracuda in response to this CVE were ineffective for anyone previously infected. Although both Barracude and Mandiant have already made this determination, the agency sa...

Zimbra issues awaited patch for actively exploited vulnerability

Two weeks ago, we urged readers to apply a workaround for an actively exploited vulnerability in Zimbra Collaboration Suite ZCS email servers. Zimbra has released ZCS 10.0.2 that fixes two security issues, including the known bug that could lead to exposure of internal JSP and XML files. Zimbra i...

Your HP Support Assistant needs an update!

HP has issued a new version of its HP Support Assistant tool. Users of HP Support Assistant versions earlier than 9.11 and Fusion versions earlier than 1.38.2601.0 are affected by a high severity vulnerability. According to HP it is possible for an attacker to exploit a dynamic-link library DLL...

The Clubhouse database “breach” is likely a non-breach. Here’s why.

Before the work week ended last week Friday, a security researcher found a leak of what is claimed to be full phone numbers of users of Clubhouse, the new social media app everyone is talking about and just recently came out of beta. Clubhouse is an audio-only social media platform where, unlike...

Stalkerware’s legal enforcement problem

Content warning: This piece contains brief descriptions of domestic violence and assault against women and children. In the past five years, only two stalkerware developers, both of whom designed, marketed, and sold tools favored by domestic abusers to pry into victims’ private lives, have faced...

The lucrative business of Bitcoin sextortion scams (updated)

Update 2019-09-04: A new wave of sextortion emails purporting to have originated from a group of hackers called ChaosCC—a play on the legitimate European white hat hacking community, Chaos Computer Club CCC—has recently caught the attention of the security world. Below is a sample email we captur...

Governments increasingly eye social media meltdown

These are trying times for social networks, with endless reports of harassment and abuse not being tackled and many users leaving platforms forever. The major sites such as Facebook and Twitter do what they can, but sheer userbase volume and erroneous automated feedback leave people cold. Bugs su...

Malware targeting industrial plants: a threat to physical security

We live in a world where more and more manufacturing processes are controlled by computers that send instructions to robots. This might sound like a safe and efficient way of work, as it rules out human error, but what happens when a threat actor decides to target production servers? Consider the...

Sextortion emails: They’re probably not watching you

Back in July, Krebs on Security reported on a rather novel scam, where the threat actor would use credentials from old data dumps to suggest that they had directly hacked the victim and obtained the victim's presumably sensitive browser history. Stolen credentials aside, sex-based extortion scams...

‘FakeUpdates’ campaign leverages multiple website platforms

A malware campaign which seems to have started at least since December 2017 has been gaining steam by enrolling a growing number of legitimate but compromised websites. Its modus operandi relies on social engineering users with fake but convincing update notifications. Similar techniques were use...

Analyzing malware by API calls

Over the last quarter, we've seen an increase in malware using packers, crypters, and protectors—all methods used to obfuscate malicious code from systems or programs attempting to identify it. These packers make it very hard, or next to impossible to perform static analysis. The growing number o...

AdGholas malvertising thrives in the shadows of ransomware outbreaks

The latest wave of ransomware following the WannaCry outbreak has kept everyone very busy and been the topic of many conversations. In the meantime, other threat actors have been quite active and perhaps even enjoyed this complimentary diversion. This is certainly true for the most prolific...

LG TV flaws could let attackers listen in, even in standby mode

Smart TVs are internet-connected computers with microphones, app stores, advertising systems, and access to the same home networks used by your family's phones, laptops, printers, and smart-home devices. A major manufacturer in Smart TVs, LG, has come under the spotlight this week after an...

PikaBot malware on the rise: What organizations need to know

A new type of malware is being used by ransomware gangs in their attacks, and its name is PikaBot. A relatively new trojan that emerged in early 2023, PikaBot is the apparent successor to the infamous QakBot QBot trojan that was shut down in August 2023. QBot was used by many ransomware gangs in...

Pegasus spyware and how it exploited a WebP vulnerability

Recent events have demonstrated very clearly just how persistent and wide-spread the Pegasus spyware is. For those that have missed the subtle clues, we have tried to construct a clear picture. We attempted to follow the timeline of events, but have made some adjustments to keep the flow of the...

FoggyWeb, analysis of a Nobelium backdoor

Microsofts Threat Intelligence Center has been analyzing a custom-built backdoor that has been used by the Nobelium group since April 2021. Nobelium is the name given to the threat actor behind the attacks against SolarWinds, the Sunburst backdoor, TEARDROP malware, GoldMax malware, and other...

Deep learning: An explanation and a peek into the future

Deep learning is one of the most advanced forms of machine learning, and is showing new developments in many industries. In this article, well explain the concept and give some examples of the latest and greatest ways its being used. What is deep learning? There have been many attempts at creatin...

Insurance data security laws skirt political turmoil

Across the United States, a unique approach to lawmaking has proved radically successful in making data security stronger for one industry—insurance providers. The singular approach has entirely sidestepped the prolonged, political arguments that have become commonplace when trying to pass federa...

Caution: Misuse of security tools can turn against you

We have a saying in Greece: "They assigned the wolf to watch over the sheep." In a security context, this is a word of caution about making sure the tools we use to keep our information private don't actually cause the data leaks themselves. In this article, I will be talking about some cases tha...

A week in security (February 25 – March 3)

Last week, we delved into the realm of K-12 schools and security, explored the world of compromised websites and Golang bruteforcers, and examined the possible realms of pay for privacy. We also looked at identity management solutions, Google’s Universal Read Gadget, and did the deepest of dives...

A week in security (February 11 – 17)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs we discussed the return of the Sextortion Bitcoin scams, we gave you an early overview of the exploit kits in the winter of 2019, we talked about the destruction of VFEmail service, for consumers we discussed whether you should remove yourself from social media, for...

A week in security (January 28 – February 3)

Last week, we ran another in our interview with a malware hunter series, explained a FaceTime vulnerability, and took a deep dive into a new stealer. We also threw some light on a Houzz data breach, and what exactly happened between Apple and Facebook. Other cybersecurity news Kwik Fit hit by...

Bloomberg blunder highlights supply chain risks

Ooh boy! Talk about a back-and-forth, he said, she said story! No, we’re not talking about that Supreme Court nomination. Rather, we’re talking about Supermicro. Supermicro manufacturers the type of computer hardware that is used by technology behemoths like Amazon and Apple, as well as governmen...

A primer: How to stay safe on Amazon Prime Day

Bank card—check! Shopping list—check! Lumbar back support pillow—check! Noise canceling headphones—check! And, of course, coffee—check! If you’re an Amazon shopper, then you know by now that Prime Day is nigh! And if you’re one of the many who dreads bidding the weekend goodbye, this is probably...

Human Factor Podcast: Jenny Radcliffe and Chris Boyd

A little while ago, I was invited to take part in Jenny Radcliffe's Human Factor Podcast. With 44 episodes strong and counting!, Jenny spends an hour or so talking at length with her guests who are professional investigators, security advocates, all-round educators, tireless consultant/conference...

Disdain exploit kit and a side of social engineering deliver Neutrino Bot

Today we picked up new activity from an exploit kit that was first discovered back in August of this year. The Disdain exploit kit, simply identified by a string of the same name found in its source code, is being distributed again after a short interruption via malvertising chains. Disdain EK...

Free streaming boxes may be routing criminal traffic through your home

“Free” movies and TV could cost you your privacy, bandwidth, and control of your home network. We've warned about illegal streaming and modded Amazon Fire TV Sticks in the past. Now, researchers have found that certain SuperBox devices and apps could quietly enroll a household connection into a...

Update Chrome! Google patches actively exploited zero-day vulnerability

Google has released an update for Chrome which includes four security fixes, including one for a vulnerability that has reportedly already been exploited. The easiest way to update Chrome is to allow it to update automatically, which basically uses the same method as outlined below but does not...

Malware on the Google Play store leads to harmful phishing sites

A family of malicious apps from developer Mobile apps Group are listed on Google Play and infected with Android/Trojan.HiddenAds.BTGTHB. In total, four apps are listed, and together they have amassed at least one million downloads. Older versions of these apps have been detected in the past as...

Update now! Mozilla patches two actively exploited vulnerabilities

Mozilla has announced it has fixed security vulnerabilities in Firefox 97.0.2, Firefox ESR 91.6.1, Firefox for Android 97.3.0, and Focus 97.3.0. Users should install the out-of-band security update as soon as possible, since it is designed to apply a fix for two vulnerabilities that are known to ...

The Conti ransomware leaks

On February 27, an individual with insights into the Conti ransomware group started leaking a treasure trove of data beginning with internal chat messages. Conti is responsible for a number of high profile attacks, including one against the Irish Healthcare system which has cost more than $48...

A week in security (December 21- December 27)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs we warned our readers about not so festive social media scams, how Emotet returned just in time for Christmas, we tried out some free online games your kids are playing and here’s what happened, and our VideoBytes episode talked about what penetration testing tools...

Rocket Loader skimmer impersonates CloudFlare library in clever scheme

Update: The digital certificate issued for https.ps has been revoked by GlobalSign. Fraudsters are known for using social engineering tricks to dupe their victims, often times by impersonating authority figures to instill trust. In a recent blog post, we noted how criminals behind Magecart skimme...

Explained: the strengths and weaknesses of the Zero Trust model

In a US court of law, the accused are deemed to be innocent until proven guilty. In a Zero Trust security model, the opposite is true. Everything and everyone must be considered suspect—questioned, investigated, and cross-checked—until we can be absolutely sure it is safe to be allowed. Zero Trus...

A week in security (March 18 – 24)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we touched on the susceptibility of hospitals against phishing attacks, password reuse, the risk of interactive TV shows to side-channel attacks, and Facebook's new and out-of-character plan to promote privacy in the platform. Other cybersecurity news A study...

A week in security (November 19 – 25)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we took a look at a devastating business email compromise attack, web skimming antics, and the fresh perils of Deepfakes. We also checked out some Chrome bug issues, and took the deepest of deep dives into DNA testing. Other cybersecurity news Adobe Flash bug—get...