Update now! Google Pixel vulnerability is under active exploitation

Google has notified Pixel users about an actively exploited vulnerability in their phones firmware. Firmware is the code or program which is embedded into hardware devices. Simply put, it is the software layer between the hardware and the applications on the device. About the vulnerability, Googl...

What is real-time protection and why do you need it?

The constant barrage of cyber threats can be overwhelming for all of us. And, as those threats evolve and attackers find new ways to compromise us, we need a way to keep on top of everything nasty that’s thrown our way. Malwarebytes’ free version tackles and reactively resolves threats already on...

ThreatDown achieves perfect score in latest AVLab assessment

ThreatDown has once again earned a perfect score in AVLabs January 2024 real-world malware detection tests, marking the eleventh consecutive quarter in achieving this feat. Let’s delve into the details of the test and how ThreatDown outperformed competitors in exhaustive testing. The AVLab...

CISA urges urgent patching of two actively exploited Citrix NetScaler vulnerabilities

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA has added two Citrix NetScaler vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and it has set the “due date” a week after they were added. Federal Civilian Executive Branch FCEB agencies are handed specific deadlines for wh...

Update now! Apple patches vulnerabilities on iPhone and iPad

Apple has released iOS 17.0.3, an emergency update fixing two vulnerabilities, one of which has already been exploited by cybercriminals. The update is available for iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and later, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iP...

ThemeBleed exploit is another reason to patch Windows quickly

Included in the September 2023 Patch Tuesday updates was a fix for a vulnerability which has been dubbed ThemeBleed. A Proof-of-Concept PoC exploit has been released by Gabe Kirkpatrick, one of the researchers acknowledged for reporting the vulnerability. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures...

Update now! WinRAR files can be abused to run malware

A new version of the file archiving software WinRAR fixes two vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to execute code on a target system. All the victim has to do is to open a specially crafted archive. After receiving a report about the vulnerability in June, a new version of the software w...

SupremeBot and Mario cross the finish line together

Researchers have reported how popular game installers like Super Mario Games are being used to deliver malware. The malicious components include cryptominers, the SupremeBot mining client, and the open-source Umbral stealer. The game installers route offers some very distinct advantages to the...

Update Chrome now! Google patches actively exploited flaw

In a recent security advisory, Google says it patched a high-severity zero-day security flaw in its Chrome browser--the first in 2023--currently being exploited in the wild by threat actors. The company urges all its Windows, Mac, and Linux users to update to version 112.0.5615.121 immediately, a...

Update now! Apple patches vulnerabilities in MacOS and iOS

Apple has released information about the new security content of macOS Ventura 13.2.1 and of iOS 16.3.1 and iPadOS 16.3.1. Most prominent is a vulnerability in WebKit that may have been actively exploited. In December, 2022, we warned our readers about another actively exploited vulnerability in...

Consumer privacy and social media

Looking at the privacy related stories of 2022, its not hard to see that much of the focus was on the social media giants. Banning TikTok is slowly becoming a trend among US states. Google and Facebooks owner Meta was fined on several occasions for amounts that would have put other companies out ...

Sharing Netflix, Disney+, other passwords is illegal, according to new guidance

The Intellectual Property Office IPO, the UK government body overseeing intellectual property rights in the UK, has quietly released new guidance on piracy and online counterfeit goods. This campaign is a joint effort between IPO and Meta, Facebooks parent company. The general issue on piracy is...

Ransomware: April 2022 review

The Malwarebytes Threat Intelligence team monitors the threat landscape continuously and produces monthly ransomware reports based on a mixture of proprietary and open-source intelligence. April 2022 was most notable for the emergence of three new ransomware-as-a-service RaaS groups—Onyx, Mindwar...

Google’s Threat Horizons report: Will the straightforward approach get results?

Google’s Cybersecurity Action Team has released a Threat Horizons report focusing on cloud security. It’s taken some criticism for being surprisingly straightforward and less complex than you may expect. On the other hand, many businesses simply don’t understand many of the threats at large...

Microsoft makes a bold move towards a password-less future

In a recent blog Microsoft announced that as of September 15, 2021 you can completely remove the password from your Microsoft account and use the Microsoft Authenticator app, Windows Hello, a security key, or a verification code sent to your phone or email to sign in to Microsoft apps and service...

Beware, crypto-scammer seeks foreigner with BLOCK CHAIN ACCOUNT

We’ve observed a 419-style scam also known as an advance fee scam which combines the promise of cryptocurrency riches with WhatsApp conversation. The mail, which arrived with the subject "Urgent respond", begins as follows: Greetings to you my friend, My name is Haifa Kalfan, I am the Store manag...

Kaseya update delayed for security reasons

Software vendor Kaseya has been caught in the chaos of a supply-chain compromise by the REvil ransomware gang since Friday. Around 40 managed service providers MSPs that rely on Kaseya VSA software to administer customers IT—and up to 1,500 of their customers—have been stricken with the ransomwar...

A week in security (May 3 – 9)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we discussed how Spectre attacks have come back from the dead; why Facebook banned Instragram ads by Signal; we highlighted the differences between the most popular VPN protocols; pointed out that Google is about to start automatically enrolling users in two-step...

Ransomware group threatens to leak information about police informants

UPDATE 12:12 PM Pacific Time, April 28: As of at least 9:40 AM Pacific Time, the Babuk ransomware gang removed any reference to the allegedly stolen DC Police Department data from its data leak website. This does not indicate with any certainty that the DC Police Department paid Babuk, but it is...

A week in security (April 12 – 18)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, our podcast featured Troy Hunt, Chloé Messdaghi, and Tanya Janca who discussed security fatigue with us. We announced the release of the Malwarebytes SMB Cybersecurity Trust & Confidence Report 2021, a first-of-its-kind survey of the hardworking IT professionals on...

$12m Grindr fine shows GDPR’s got teeth

As thoughts turn to Data Privacy this week in a big way, GDPR illustrates it isnt an afterthought. Grindr, the popular social network and dating platform, will likely suffer a $12 million USD fine due to privacy related complaints. What happened here, and what are the implications for future case...

Are TikTok’s new settings enough to keep kids safe?

TikTok, the now widely popular social media platform that allows users to create, share, and discover, amateur short clips—usually something akin to music videos—has been enjoying explosive growth since it appeared in 2017. Since then, it hasn’t stopped growing—more so during the current pandemic...

VideoBytes: Offensive security tools and the bad guys that use them

Hello Folks! In this Videobyte, we’re talking about what penetration testing tools malware gangs love to use and why they are better than what you can get on the black market. This article describes the VirusBulletin talk of a security researcher from Interzer Labs, Paul Litvak, in which he...

Malspam campaign caught using GuLoader after service relaunch

They say any publicity is good publicity. But perhaps this isnt true for CloudEye, an Italian firm that claims to provide "the next generation of Windows executables protection". First described by Proofpoint security researchers in March 2020, GuLoader is a downloader used by threat actors to...

International Women’s Day: awareness of stalkerware, monitoring, and spyware apps on the rise

Nine months ago, Malwarbytes recommitted itself to detecting invasive monitoring apps that can lead to the excessive harm of women—most commonly known as stalkerware. We pledged to raise public awareness, reach out to advocacy groups, and share samples and intelligence with other security vendors...

Are our police forces equipped to deal with modern cybercrimes?

“You should have asked for the presence of a digital detective,” Karen said when I told her what happened at the police station. I had accompanied a neighbor, who is a small business owner, that had been hit with ransomware and wanted to file a report. After listening to his story, the police...

New Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act (COPRA) would empower American users

Despite the already dizzying number of comprehensive data privacy proposals before the US Senate—nearly 10 have been introduced since mid-2018—yet another bill has entered the conversation: the Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act. This time, the bill, called COPRA for short, is sponsored by a...

A week in security (September 23 – 29)

Last week on Labs, we highlighted an Emotet campaign using Snowden’s new book as a lure, discussed how 15,000 webcams are vulnerable to attack, how insurance data security laws skirt political turmoil, and how the new iOS exploit checkm8 allows permanent compromise of iPhones. Other cybersecurity...

A week in security (August 5 – 11)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we explained how brain-machine interface BMI technology could usher in a world of Internet of Thoughts, why having backdoors is problematic, and how we can improve the security of our smart homes. To cap off Hacker Summer Camp week, the Labs team released a special...

Everything you need to know about ATM attacks and fraud: part 2

This is the second and final installment of our two-part series on automated teller machine ATM attacks and fraud. In part 1, we identified the reasons why ATMs are vulnerable—from inherent weaknesses of its frame to its software—and delved deep into two of the four kinds of attacks against them:...

A week in security (July 30 – August 5)

Last week, we posted a roundup of spam that may have landed in your mailbox, talked about what makes us susceptible to social engineering tactics, and took a deep dive into big data. Other news: Facebook claimed to have removed accounts that display behavior consistent with possible Russian actor...

HTTPS: why the green padlock is not enough

When goods get sold in large quantities, the price goes down. This might not be the first law of economics, but it’s applicable. An extrapolation of this is that if there are practically no production costs and no raw materials involved, prices of such goods will drop to zero. Usually, they will ...

Maybe you shouldn’t use LinkedIn

UPDATE: 4/6/2018 LinkedIn reached out for comment on the article, and we'd like to clarify our position based on their concerns. They wrote: Members control their connections, who can see them including keeping them private if they wish and only first degree connections can get access to your...

The state of Mac malware

Mac users are often told that they don't need antivirus software, because there are no Mac viruses. However, this is not true at all, as Macs actually are affected by malware, and have been for most of their existence. Even the first well-known virus—Elk Cloner—affected Apple computers rather tha...

Please don’t buy this: smart locks

We all like buying the latest and greatest tech toy. It’s fun to get new and novel features on a product that used to be boring and predictable; a draw of the original BeBox amongst many was a layer of “das blinkenlights” across the front. But sometimes, the latest feature is not always the...

Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 “abruptly disabled” after US gov. ban

Anthropic has been ordered by the US government to cut off its newest Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for fear of abuse by adversaries. Reuters reports that Anthropic said it will "abruptly ​disable" its most advanced AI models for all users after the US government ordered it to suspend access...

A week in security (January 19 – January 25)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Spammers abuse Zendesk to flood inboxes with legitimate-looking emails, but why? Fake LastPass maintenance emails target users Under Armour ransomware breach: data of 72 million customers appears on the dark web Can you use too many LOLBins to drop some RATs?...

Update your iPhone, Mac, Watch: Apple issues patches for several vulnerabilities

Apple has released security patches for most of its operating systems, including iOS, Mac, iPadOS and watchOS. Especially important are the updates for iOS and iPadOS which tackle vulnerabilities which could potentially leak sensitive user information. You should make sure you update as soon as y...

Predator spyware vendor banned in US

The US Treasury Department has sanctioned Predator spyware vendor Intellexa Consortium, and banned the company from doing business in the US. Predator can turn infected smartphones into surveillance devices. Intellexa is based in Greece but the Treasury Department imposed the sanctions because of...

CISA: Disconnect vulnerable Ivanti products TODAY

In an emergency directive, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA has ordered all federal agencies to disconnect all instances of Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure solution products from agency networks no later than 11:59PM on Friday February 2, 2024. Besides the Ivanti...

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...

Solar monitoring systems exposed: Secure your devices

Researchers who go looking for devices exposed to the Internet report "tens of thousands" of solar photovoltaic PV monitoring and diagnostic systems can be found on the web. The systems are used for everything from system optimization to performance monitoring and troubleshooting. No fewer than...

3 tips to raise your backup game

If there was an award for "most overlooked really important thing in computing", backups would win. Every year. So let's put that right and spend a minute or two thinking about backups. Backups are great! Having backups is like having a do-over for your mistakes, and who hasn't wished for that? A...

Mortal Kombat ransomware forms tag team with crypto-stealing malware

An "unidentified actor" is making use of these two malicious files to cause combo-laden mayhem on desktops around the world, according to new research from Talos. The tag-team campaign serves up ransomware known as Mortal Kombat, which borrows the name made famous by the video game, and Laplas...

Evasive Shikitega Linux malware drops Monero cryptominer

Researchers from the AT&T Alien Labs Resarch have discovered a new and stealthy Linux malware it's dubbed Shikitega. Once it's on a machine or device, Shitega executes a "multistage infection chain" involving small files, a couple of vulnerabilities, and the use of Mettle, a portable Metasploit...

Update now! Multiple vulnerabilities patched in Google Chrome

Google has announced an update for the Chrome browser that includes 32 security fixes. The severity rating for one of the patched vulnerabilities is Critical. The stable channel was promoted to 102.0.5005.61/62/63 for Windows, and 102.0.5005.61 for Mac and Linux. Critical Google rates...

Fake Esports voting sites looking to phish Steam users

We’ve seen Esports occasionally become the focus of gaming or Steam scams. One particular tactic of note was to claim joining an official league is an easy process. Links to third-party hosted files would offer up a supposedly cracked ESEA Esports league client. In reality, it was a data stealing...

Xenomorph banking Trojan downloaded over 50,000 times from Play Store

Besides the name of the creature that “stars” in the Alien movies by 20th Century Fox, Xenomorph is also the name given to an Android banking Trojan. Researchers found this banking Trojan to be distributed on the official Google Play Store, with more than 50,000 installations. The researchers...

The Facebook Pixel Hunt aims to unravel Facebook’s tracking methods. Will you join?

Browser developer Mozilla has announced a research project to provide insights into, and data about, a space that’s opaque to policymakers, researchers and users themselves. Tracking the trackers is the name of the game. Give up some of your data voluntarily to stop the involuntary collection by...

How to delete your Snapchat account

Snapchat is an instant messaging app popular with youngsters that allows users to send pictures and videos that are only viewable for short periods. But while hundreds of millions of daily active users consume and create content with Snapchat, not everyone is pleased with the mobile app. One of t...