Decline in robocalls is encouraging, efforts seem to be working

The Federal Communications Commission FCC has announced that its recent actions with the Federal Trade Commission FTC against international robocalls appear to have had an effect. Robocalls are automated phone calls, often associated with scams and unwanted solicitations, which can be a nuisance ...

Act now! Ivanti vulnerabilities are being actively exploited

Software vendor Ivanti has warned customers about two actively exploited vulnerabilities in all supported versions of Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure Gateways. Successful exploitation would give an attacker the ability to run arbitrary code on Ivantis Virtual Private Network VPN...

Info-stealers can steal cookies for permanent access to your Google account

Hackers have found a way to gain unauthorized access to Google accounts, bypassing any multi-factor authentication MFA the user may have set up. To do this they steal authentication cookies and then extend their lifespan. It doesn’t even help if the owner of the account changes their password...

A week in security (August 21 - August 27)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Teenage members of Lapsus$ ransomware gang convicted Update now! Google Chrome's first weekly update has arrived Smart lightbulb and app vulnerability puts your Wi-Fi password at risk Malwarebytes acquires Cyrus Security Ivanti Sentry critical vulnerability--don't...

Ransomware review: July 2023

This article is based on research by Marcelo Rivero, Malwarebytes' ransomware specialist, who monitors information published by ransomware gangs on their Dark Web sites. In this report, "known attacks" are those where the victim did not pay a ransom. This provides the best overall picture of...

Threatening rogue finance apps removed from the Apple Store

Multiple apps have been removed from the App Store in India after a large helping of unethical behaviour was aimed at their users. TechCrunch reports that "Pocket Kash, White Kash, Golden Kash, and OK Rupee" among others were taken down after getting close to the top 20 finance app listing spots...

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...

Microsoft: You're already using the last version of Windows 10

Microsoft issued a client roadmap update on Thursday to remind us once again that Windows 10 support is slowly coming to an end. In less than three years, all Windows 10 users will need to have moved to Windows 11. While moving to Windows 11 should be a win for security, some Windows 10 fans may ...

Fake DDoS services set up to trap cybercriminals

The "online criminal marketplace" has been disrupted via several fake Distributed Denial of Service DDoS tools, according to an announcement from The British National Crime Agency NCA. Not everyone on an underground forum is up to no good. Some folks register on hacking sites and services out of...

iPhone users targeted in phone AND data theft campaign

When is an iPhone theft not just an iPhone theft? When the user's Apple ID and more, goes with it. That's what the Wall Street Journal reports has been happening over recent months. The paper interviewed a handful of people who fell victim to old-school phone theft while out in a bar. But it wasn...

Android 14 developer preview highlights multiple security improvements

Android developers have been given a taste of whats to come in the next big step up in mobile land, thanks to Android 14 waiting on the horizon. The developer preview is a great way for those most familiar with the mobile operating system to see which changes theyll enjoy and what ones theyll hav...

TikTok dances to the tune of $5.4m cookie fine

The big social media fines just keep coming. Hot on the heels of Meta experiencing a $277m fine from the Irish Data Protection Commission, its now TikToks turn in the spotlight thanks to a cookie crumble. Can you walk into a huge fine in 2023 for making it difficult to refuse a cookie as easily a...

Multiple schools hit by Vice Society ransomware attack

The real world impact of cybercrime rears its head once more, with word that 14 schools in the UK have been caught out by ransomware. The schools, attacked by the group known as Vice Society, have had multiple documents leaked online in the wake of the attack. One of the primary schools...

Medibank customers' personal data compromised by cyber attack

Australian health care insurance company Medibank confirmed that the threat actor behind a cyberattack on the company had access to the data of at least 4 million customers. Although Medibank at first said that there was "no evidence that customer data has been accessed," a week later their...

Firefox, Thunderbird, receive patches for critical security issues

Mozilla has published updates for two critical security issues in Firefox and Thunderbird, demonstrated during Pwn2Own Vancouver. The vulnerabilities, discovered in the Firefox JavaScript engine shared by the Firefox-based Tor browser relate to Firefox 100.0.2, Firefox for Android 100.3.0, and...

APT34 targets Jordan Government using new Saitama backdoor

On April 26th, we identified a suspicious email that targeted a government official from Jordans foreign ministry. The email contained a malicious Excel document that drops a new backdoor named Saitama. Following our investigation, we were able to attribute this attack to the known Iranian Actor...

Gh0stCringe RAT makes database servers squeal for protection

Researchers have found that the Gh0stCringe RAT is infecting Microsoft SQL and MySQL, and seems to focus on servers with weak protection. The Gh0stCringe RAT communicates with a command and control C&C server to receive instructions and is capable of exfiltrating information. SQL SQL is short for...

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...

Watch what you send on anonymous SMS websites

Its a good idea to try and keep certain things private. For example, people have been using anonymous email services for years. These either hide your real email address, or replace it entirely for specific tasks. Folks will go one step further, setting aliases for each service they sign up to. I...

The best browsers for privacy and security

Unfortunately there is a low correlation factor between what most people find the best browsers and what are the best browsers when it comes to privacy and security. If you look at the market share of the most popular browsers, there is one browser that steals the crown without a lot of...

3 things the Kaseya attack can teach us about ransomware recovery

Only rarely do companies allow us a look inside their organization while they are recovering from a ransomware attack. Many find it more convenient to keep a low profile or to be secretive. A positive exception to this is found in the Dutch managed service provider MSP VelzArt, one of the many...

Second colossal LinkedIn “breach” in 3 months, almost all users affected

LinkedIn has reportedly been breached—again—following reports of a massive sale of information scraped from 500M LinkedIn user profiles in the underground in May. According to Privacy Shark, the VPN company who first reported on this incident, a seller called TomLiner showed them he was in...

A doctor reveals the human cost of the HSE ransomware attack

"It’s cracking, the whole thing." The words were delivered quickly, but in a thoughtful and measured way. As if the person saying them was used to delivering difficult news. Little surprise, given they belonged to a doctor. But this doctor wasnt describing a medical condition—this was their...

Using iPhones and AirTags to sneak data out of air-gapped networks

Someone has found an extraordinary way to exfiltrate data by piggybacking data on the backs of unsuspecting iPhones. Say what? A researcher has found out that it is possible to upload arbitrary data from non-internet-connected devices by sending Bluetooth Low Energy BLE broadcasts to nearby Apple...

Malicious commits found in PHP code repository: What you need to know

You’ve probably heard that PHP’s Git repository was recently compromised, allowing backdoors to be added to the code located there. You may also be wondering what that means, what a supply chain attack is, and how you could be affected. Read on and well lead you though a straightforward descripti...

Why you need to trust your VPN: Lock and Code S02E05

This week on Lock and Code, we discuss the top security headlines generated right here on Labs. In addition, we speak to Malwarebytes senior security researcher JP Taggart about the importance of trusting your VPN. Youve likely heard the benefits of using a VPN: You can watch TV shows restricted ...

5 common VPN myths busted

Virtual Private Networks VPNs are popular but often misunderstood. There are many misconceptions about them—misconceptions that may be stopping people from adding a useful layer to their security and privacy defenses. So, let’s do some myth busting. 1. VPNs are for illegal activity Some people...

Pow! Emotet’s down. Is it out?

In a coordinated action, multiple law enforcement agencies have seized control of the Emotet botnet. Agencies from eight countries worked together to deliver what they hope will be a decisive blow against one of the worlds most dangerous and sophisticated computer security threats. The Emotet...

Chrome wants to make your passwords stronger

A common sentiment, shared by many people down the years, is that storing passwords in browsers is a bad idea. Malware, for example, would specifically target password storage in browsers and plunder everything in sight. Password managers weren’t exactly flying off the shelves back in 2007, your...

Spotify resets some user logins after hacker database found floating online

A team of researchers working for vpnMentor has found a treasure trove in the form of an unsecured Elasticsearch database containing over 380 million records. The trove contained login credentials and other data belonging to Spotify users. So whats Spotify doing leaving its user data hanging arou...

Introducing Malwarebytes Privacy

Here at Malwarebytes, we’re no strangers to using virtual private networks VPNs to protect our privacy while browsing online. Regular readers of our blog will remember that we’ve advised on VPN usage on many occasions, whether for mobile device users looking for anonymity or business owners wanti...

Washington Privacy Act welcomed by corporate and nonprofit actors

The steady parade of US data privacy legislation continued last month in Washington with the introduction of an improved bill that would grant state residents the rights to access, control, delete, and port their data, as well as opting out of data sales. The bill, called the Washington Privacy...

A decade in cybersecurity fails: the top breaches, threats, and ‘whoopsies’ of the 2010s

This post was co-authored by Wendy Zamora and Chris Boyd. All opinions expressed belong to your mom. Back in the days before climate change stretched frigid winter months directly into the insta-sweat of summer, there was a saying about March: in like a lamb, out like a lion. The same might be sa...

A week in security (October 21 – 27)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we explored a link between Magecart Group 5 and the Carbanak APT, we discussed the growing rate of robocalls threatening user privacy, and we tipped you off on how to protect yourself from doxing. We were glad to see the BBC raise awareness about stalkerware, much...

For Cybersecurity and Domestic Violence Awareness months, we pledge to fight stalkerware

Starting today, two hallmark holidays are upon us. No, it’s not Halloween and Thanksgiving. It’s both Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It’s no coincidence these two awareness campaigns overlap. What were once seen as separate realities—the physical and the...

A week in security (June 24 – 30)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we peeled back the mystery on an elusive malware campaign that relied on blank JavaScript injections, detailed for readers our latest telemetry on the tricky GreenFlash Sundown exploit, and looked at one of the top campaigns directing traffic toward scareware pages...

Google’s Nest fiasco harms user trust and invades their privacy

Technology companies, lawmakers, privacy advocates, and everyday consumers likely disagree about exactly how a company should go about collecting user data. But, following a trust-shattering move by Google last month regarding its Nest Secure product, consensus on one issue has emerged: Companies...

Millions of accounts affected in latest Facebook hack

Update 2018-10-18: According to the Wall Street Journal, the hack on Facebook was perpetrated by spammers rather than a nation state. Facebook also revised its numbers down, saying that about 30 million accounts had been compromised. Facebook announced earlier today that its social network had be...

A week in security (February 12 – February 18)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we looked at a huge Android cryptomining campaign, malicious apps on Google Play, and some Apple scams doing the rounds. We also explored the world of healthcare security, and dived into the land of scammy Valentine's Day tricks and cheats. Other news Thought the...

Be wary of Mega Millions winner “giveaway” on social media

I don't do lotteries, but if I did, I'd probably never, ever win in a million years. That's not a problem faced by 20-year-old Shane Missler, winner of the fourth-largest haul in Mega Millions' 21 years of handing out large bundles of cash. He's on record as saying he wants to "do some good" for...

A week in security (November 13 – November 19)

Last week, we gave you some tips for the inevitable online chaos that is Cyber Monday, explained how "trusted" root certificates can sometimes be anything but, and explored the strange world of catphishing. We also pulled apart some malware found on Google Play and laid out the specifics of the...

Winning the battle against PUPs on your computer and in court

I know very few people, other than lawyers, that get excited about corporate court cases. But, I want to share with you a recent decision that I believe is cause for every computer user to celebrate. This week, a United States District Court judge ruled in Malwarebytes' favor, dismissing a lawsui...

Barclays Bank customers targeted by phishers

Today we have a phish targeting customers of Barclays Bank, located at: bankdotbarclaydotcodotukdotolbdotauthdotloginlinkdotactiondotp1242557947640dotchofcgdotcom/bd/ The phish opens up with an initial lunge for personal details: The first page asks for a surname, then offers the potential victim...

A week in security (May 27 – June 2)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Data leak site BreachForums is back, boasting Live Nation/Ticketmaster user data. But is it a trap? The Ticketmaster "breach"—what you need to know Ticketmaster confirms customer data breach How to tell if a VPN app added your Windows device to a botnet Beware of...

New Go loader pushes Rhadamanthys stealer

Malware loaders also known as droppers or downloaders are a popular commodity in the criminal underground. Their primary function is to successfully compromise a machine and deploy one or multiple additional payloads. A good loader avoids detection and identifies victims as legitimate i.e. not...

The ‘AT&T breach’—what you need to know

Earlier this week, the data of over 70 million people was posted for sale on an online cybercrime forum. The person selling the data claims it stems from a 2021 breach at AT&T. Back in 2021, a hacker named Shiny Hunters claimed to have breached AT&T and put the alleged stolen data up for sale for...

Zoom clarifies user consent requirement when training its AI

Changes in the terms of service TOS of the Zoom video-conferencing software have caused some turmoil. Since the pandemic, Zoom Video Conferencing has become a household name. Zoom came up as the big winner in the video conferencing struggle that enabled us to work from home. Now that things are...

Malwarebytes Browser Guard introduces three new features

Malwarebytes Browser Guard is our free browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari that blocks unwanted and unsafe content, giving users a safer and faster browsing experience. It's the worlds first browser extension to do this while also identifying and stopping tech support scams. A...

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...