Complicated Active Directory setups are undermining security

Security researchers and technical architects from SpecterOps have found that almost every Active Directory installation they have looked at over the last decade has had some kind of misconfiguration issue. And misconfigurations can lead to security issues, such as privilege escalation methods. T...

FIN7 sysadmin behind “billions in damage” gets 10 years

In 2018 three high-ranking members of a sophisticated international cybercrime group operating out of Eastern Europe were arrested and taken into custody by US authorities. Ukrainian nationals Dmytro Fedorov, Fedir Hladyr, and Andrii Kolpakov, were members of a prolific hacking group widely known...

A week in security (March 15 – 21)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, our podcast featured Adam Kujawa, who talked us through our 2021 State of Malware report. We cover our own research on: Royal mail parcel scam How your iPhone can tell you if you’re being stalked Careers in cybersecurity ProxyLogon PoC whack-a-mole Teen behind 2020...

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...

Silent Librarian APT right on schedule for 20/21 academic year

A threat actor known as Silent Librarian/TA407/COBALT DICKENS has been actively targeting universities via spear phishing campaigns since schools and universities went back. In mid-September, we were tipped off by one of our customers about a new active campaign from this APT group. Based off a...

The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare cybersecurity

As if stress levels in the healthcare industry weren’t high enough due to the COVID-19 pandemic, risks to its already fragile cybersecurity infrastructure are at an all-time high. From increased cyberattacks to exacerbated vulnerabilities to costly human errors, if healthcare cybersecurity wasnt...

It’s baaaack: Public cyber enemy Emotet has returned

It was never a question of "if" but "when". After five months of absence, the dreaded Emotet has returned. Following several false alarms over the last few weeks, a spam campaign was first spotted on July 13 showing signs of a likely comeback. The Emotet botnets started pushing malspam actively o...

Disney+ security and service issues: Here’s what we know so far

The long wait is over. Disney+, the new video-streaming service to rival Netflix and Amazon Prime, debuted last week to much fanfare, racking up 10 million subscribers within a single day of launch. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind of splash the majority of users predicted, as they were met with...

Under the hoodie: why money, power, and ego drive hackers to cybercrime

Just one more hour behind the hot grill flipping burgers, and Derek could call it a day. Under his musty hat, his hair was matted down with sweat, and his work uniform was spattered with grease. He knew he’d smell the processed meat and smoke for the next three days, even after he’d showered. But...

Instagram story spam claims free Apple Watch

I have to admit, I'm not 100 percent sure who Elton Castee is. "Who's that?" you ask? Digging around revealed that he's big on YouTube, has done some films, and raises money for dogs, which is very cool. He's also popular on Instagram, with 400k+ followers. With that in mind, we've seen a few...

Spartacus ransomware: introduction to a strain of unsophisticated malware

Spartacus ransomware is a new sample that has been circulating in 2018. Written in C, the original sample is obfuscated, which we will go over as we extract it to its readable state. Spartacus is a relatively straight-forward ransomware sample and uses some similar techniques and code to others w...

A week in security (April 16 – April 22)

Last week, we took a stroll down memory lane talking about Facebook and MySpace, noticed a change in the Magnitude exploit kit—wherein it started adopting the GandCrab ransomware, took a good look at a new form of adware that is based on Python, chatted a bit about Russian hacking with a...

An in-depth malware analysis of QuantLoader

This guest post is written by Vishal Thakur, CSIRT/Salesforce. For more on Vishal, read his bio at the end of the blog. QuantLoader is a Trojan downloader that has been available for sale on underground forums for quite some time now. It has been used in campaigns serving a range of malware,...

A week in security (January 22 – January 28)

Last week on Labs, we analyzed a rogue app outbreak on Twitter, took a look at how Singapore's government is faring with network defense, and rolled out our 2017 State of Malware report. We also became visionaries in Gartner's Magic Quadrant report and explored a VR data mishap. Other news Man...

What is cryptocurrency and why do cybercriminals love it?

Ever pretend you know what your friends are talking about because you want to sound smart and relevant—and then trap yourself in a lie? “Wow, looks like those hackers were mining for cryptocurrency. You know what cryptocurrency is, right?” “Oh yeah, totally. Cryptocurrency. Bad stuff. You know...

A week in security (September 4 – September 10)

Last week, we looked into expired domain names being used for malvertising, delved into dubious Facebook apps, and checked out Chinese seminar scams. We also explained the whys and wherefores of false positives, explained what Google is doing with HTTPs, warned you away from a fake DHS email, and...

Fake games spread stealers with RenPy Loader, MSBuild and EtherHiding

We have detected several campaigns using fake downloads of games, mods, cracks, and software to spread RenPy Loader. Once installed, the loader starts a complex, multi-stage infection chain that abuses MSBuild and the EtherHiding technique before ultimately delivering Amatera Stealer. Amatera is ...

Fake Zoom meeting “update” silently installs unauthorized version of monitoring tool abused by cybercriminals to spy on victims

UPDATE February 27, 2026: We have added more clarity around the abuse of legitimate commercial products. UPDATE February 25, 2026 : Teramind has stated that it is not affiliated with the threat actors described and did not authorize the deployment of the software referenced. Further updates have...

Update your Chrome to fix serious actively exploited vulnerability

Google released an emergency update for the Chrome browser to patch an actively exploited vulnerability that could have serious ramifications. The update brings the Stable channel to versions 136.0.7103.113/.114 for Windows and Mac and 136.0.7103.113 for Linux. The easiest way to update Chrome is...

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...

Emergency update! Apple patches three zero-days

Apple has released security updates for several products to address a handful of zero-day vulnerabilities that may already have been used by criminals. Updates are available for: iOS 16.7 and iPadOS 16.7 iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 watchOS 9.6.3 watchOS 10.0.1 macOS Ventura 13.6 macOS Monterey...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

Warning! Instagram Stories hides a scam in plain sight

When someone finds their social media account compromised, they first think about letting their followers know. And they do. They warn others from reading any strange posts, usually containing a rogue link, before they sort out the matter behind the scenes. Some curious followers who missed these...

Facebook phish claims “Someone tried to log into your account”

Watch out for bogus Facebook phishing messages winging their way to your mailbox. The ruse is quite simple: The mail senders are relying on the recipient’s sense of panic to respond without thinking about it. The mail looks professional enough, and seeks to imitate what would be a fairly typical...

US government and private sector agree to invest time, money in cybersecurity

In the wake of several high-profile ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure and major organizations in the last few months, President Biden met with private sector and education leaders to discuss a whole-of-nation effort needed to address cybersecurity threats and bolster the nation’s...

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...

COVID-19 vaccine appointment system attacked in Italy

In another cyberattack on a healthcare system, threat-actors have tried to throw a wrench into the ongoing COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in the region of Lazio, Italy. The large and densely populated region is the countrys second most populous and includes the countrys capital, Rome. On Sunday the...

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...

City of Liège hit by ransomware, Ryuk suspected

Liège, the third largest city in Belgium, and a major educational hub, has been hit by a ransomware attack, disrupting its IT services and network. The municipality of Lieges official website, which was translated from the French. According to its official website pictures above: The City of Lièg...

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 ...

FBI warns of increase in PYSA ransomware attacks targeting education

On March 16, the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI issued a "Flash" alert on PYSA ransomware after an uptick on attacks this month against institutions in the education sector, particularly higher ed, K-12, and seminaries. According to the alert PDF, the United Kingdom and 12 states in the US...

A week in security (February 1 – February 7)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we dug into a load of security events. We first peered into how Fonix ransomware was giving up the ghost, swearing off a life of crime and even apologizing for past actions. We looked at a credit card skimmer that found opportunity in the latest Magento 1 hacking...

Adobe Flash Player reaches end-of-life

“What now? My farm is no longer working. Can you have a look, honey?” Like millions of other people my wife likes to play online browser games. You know, the ones that don’t require a fast connection because your virtual life is not in constant danger, and an occasional harvest is enough to make...

IoT cybersecurity bill passed by Senate

Days before taking a week-long Thanksgiving recess, the US Senate passed an almost mundane cybersecurity bill that, if approved by the President, will improve security guidelines and protocols for Internet of Things IoT devices purchased and owned by the Federal government. The bill, called the...

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...

Shining a light on “Silent Night” Zloader/Zbot

When it comes to banking Trojans, ZeuS is probably the most famous one ever released. Since its source code originally leaked in 2011, several new variants proliferated online. That includes a past fork called Terdot Zbot/Zloader, which we extensively covered in 2017. But recently, we observed...

When the coronavirus infodemic strikes

Social media sites are stepping up their efforts in the war against misinformation… specifically, the coronavirus/COVID-19 infodemic30461-X/fulltext. There’s a seemingly endless stream of potentially dangerous misinformation flying around online related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that could ha...

Tampa Bay Times hit with Ryuk ransomware attack

Florida newspaper The Tampa Bay Times suffered a Ryuk ransomware attack Thursday, making it the latest major victim of the notorious ransomware family that continues to rise in popularity. Curiously, the paper is at least the third Florida-based Ryuk victim in the past year. The attack, which The...

A week in security (December 2 – December 8)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we took a look at a new version of the IcedID Trojan, described web skimmers up to no good, and took a deep dive into containerization. We also explored a report bringing bad news for organizations and insider threats, and threw a spotlight on a video game phish...

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...

Emotet is back: botnet springs back to life with new spam campaign

After a fairly long hiatus that lasted nearly four months, Emotet is back with an active spam distribution campaign. For a few weeks, there were signs that the botnet was setting its gears in motion again, as we observed command and control C2 server activity. But this morning, the Trojan started...

Mysterious database exposed personal information of 80 million US households

Word has broken of yet another massive data trove exposed for anyone to see. A research team from vpnMentor discovered an exposed 24GB database hosted on a Microsoft cloud server containing the addresses, income levels, and marital statuses of users within 80 million US households. As we’ve seen...

Is FIDO the future instrument to prove our identity?

FIDO, short for Fast IDentity Online, is an industry consortium started in 2013 to address the lack of interoperability among strong authentication devices and the problems users face creating and remembering multiple usernames and passwords. Among the founders were those who work in the financia...

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...

You down with P2P? 10 tips to secure your mobile payment app

If you look at the figures, you cannot deny that the eCommerce industry is steadily growing. More and more people are doing their shopping online, not only for products and services geared toward the use of technologies and the Internet, but also for items previously only found in brick and morta...

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...