How Manifest v3 forced us to rethink Browser Guard, and why that’s a good thing

As a Browser Guard user, you might not have noticed much difference lately. Browser Guard still blocks scams and phishing attempts just like always, and, in many cases, even better. But behind the scenes, almost everything changed. The rules that govern how browser extensions work went through a...

Millions of (very) private chats exposed by two AI companion apps

Cybernews discovered how two AI companion apps, Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat, exposed millions of intimate conversations from over 400,000 users. This is not the first time we have to write about AI "girlfriends" exposing their secrets—and it probably won't be the last. This latest incident is a...

Scammers hijack websites of Bank of America, Netflix, Microsoft, and more to insert fake phone number

The examples in this post are actual fraud attempts found by Malwarebytes Senior Director of Research, Jérôme Segura. Cybercriminals frequently use fake search engine listings to take advantage of our trust in popular brands, and then scam us. It often starts, as with so many attacks, with a...

Ransomware hiding in fake AI, business tools

Artificial intelligence AI and small business tools are being abused as smokescreens to hit unsuspecting victims with ransomware. In the masquerade campaigns discovered by Cisco Talos, cybercriminals hid malware behind software and install packages that mimicked the websites or names of the lead...

No, it’s not OK to delete that new inetpub folder

In a new update for the guide concerning CVE-2025-21204 Microsoft told users they need the new inetpub folder for protection. As part of April’s patch Tuesday updates, Microsoft released a patch to a link following flaw in the Windows Update Stack. Applying the patch creates a new...

FBI warns online daters to avoid “free” online verification schemes that prove costly

The FBI has warned of fraudsters targeting users of dating websites and apps with “free” online verification service schemes that turn out to be very costly. Instead of being free, as advertised, the verification schemes involve steep monthly subscription fees, and will steal personal information...

How to check if your data was exposed in the AT&T breach

AT&T has notified US state authorities and regulators about its recent or not data breach, saying 51,226,382 people were affected. For those that have missed the story so far: Back in 2021, a hacker named Shiny Hunters claimed to have breached AT&T. On March 20, 2024, we reported how the data of...

Massive utility scam campaign spreads via online ads

For many households, energy costs represent a significant part of their overall budget. And when customers want to discuss their bills or look for ways to save money, scammers are just a phone call away. Enter the utility scam, where crooks pretend to be your utility company so they can threaten...

FBI issues advisory over Play ransomware

The Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA, and the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre ACSC have released a joint Cybersecurity Advisory CSA about Play ransomware. According to the FBI, Play made around 300 victims...

3 benefits of ThreatDown bundles

Traditional approaches to endpoint security today have a three-fold complexity problem—with big consequences. First, complexity in deployment causes long delays in protection, directly impacting ROI and leaving organizations vulnerable to breaches. In fact, almost 10 percent of small security tea...

Malwarebytes only vendor to win every MRG Effitas award in 2022 & 2023

MRG Effitas, a world leader in independent IT research, published their anti-malware efficacy assessment results for Q1 2023. Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection EP achieved the highest possible score 100% and received certifications for Level 1, Exploit, Online Banking, and Ransomware. These result...

Malware targeting SonicWall devices could survive firmware updates

Researchers at Mandiant have identified a malware campaign targeting SonicWall SMA 100 Series appliances, thought to be of Chinese origin. The malware was likely deployed in 2021, and was able to persist on the appliances tenaciously, even surviving firmware upgrades. The malware was able to stea...

Chip company loses $250m after ransomware hits supply chain

Applied Materials, one of the worlds leading suppliers of equipment, services, and software for the manufacture of semiconductors, has warned that its second-quarter sales are likely to be hurt to the tune of $250 million due to a cybersecurity attack at one of its suppliers. MKS Instruments Inc...

Why you shouldn’t automate your VirusTotal uploads

It is important to realize that uploading certain files to VirusTotal may result in leaking confidential data, which could result in a breach of confidentiality, or worse. We have warned against uploading personal information, as does VirusTotal itself on their home page. But apparently some...

A new rootkit comes to an ATM near you

Its not unusual to hear about malware created to affect automated teller machines ATMs. Malware can be planted at the ATMs PC or its network, or attackers could launch a Man-in-the-Middle MiTM attack. Recently, a new rootkit, which the Mandiant Advanced Practices team have named CAKETAP, was foun...

Brave browser goes the extra mile to block third party cookies

Brave is testing a new feature to stop bounce tracking, a sneaky method that websites use to load third-party tracking cookies so they can gather more information about who is visiting their site. The Brave browser As you may remember from our post about the best browsers for privacy and security...

Online Safety Bill will legally require porn sites to verify users’ age

When Ioannis Dekas, a father of four boys, found that one of his sons had access to pornography, he and his wife became concerned. "In two weeks leading up to this moment, wed noticed a drastic change in his behavior," Dekas said in a BBC interview, "Withdrawal, a sense of anger towards his...

WhatsApp hit with €225 million fine for GDPR violations

WhatsApp was hit with a €225 million fine for violating the General Data Protection Regulation GDPR, the European Union’s sweeping data protection law that has been in effect for more than three years. The fine represents the highest ever penalty levied by the Irish Data Protection Commission,...

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...

OSX.XLoader hides little except its main purpose: What we learned in the installation process

Last week, Check Point Research described a new Mac variant of malware they call XLoader. It was identified as being the successor of something called Formbook, a very prevalent threat in the Windows world. According to Check Point, the Mac version of the malware is being "rented" as part of a...

Clop stopped? Ransomware gang loses Tesla and other treasures in police raid

Ukrainian law enforcement officials announced Wednesday that they had arrested several individuals involved in criminal activity committed by the Clop ransomware gang, a cybercriminal gang that helped popularize the “double extortion” model of not only threatening to encrypt a victim’s files, but...

Colonial Pipeline attack spurs new rules for critical infrastructure

Following a devastating cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline, the Transportation Security Administration—which sits within the government’s Department of Homeland Security—will issue its first-ever cybersecurity directive for pipeline companies in the United States, according to exclusive reporti...

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...

What is Smishing? The 101 guide

Smishing is a valuable tool in the scammers armoury. Youve likely run into it, even if you didnt know that is its name. It doesnt arrive by email or social media direct message, instead choosing a route directly aimed at what may be your most personal device: the mobile phone. So, what is Smishin...

Police credit “unlocked” SKY ECC encryption for organized crime bust

At the moment, I’m really torn, and I need your help. Let me tell you what is going on. I read these statements and they can’t both be true, right? “The continuous monitoring of the illegal Sky ECC communication service tool by investigators in three countries has provided invaluable insights int...

Fonix ransomware gives up life of crime, apologizes

Ransomware gangs deciding to pack their bags and leave their life of crime is not new, but it is a rare thing to see indeed. And the Fonix ransomware also known as FonixCrypter and Xinof, one of those ransomware-as-a-service RaaS offerings, is the latest to join the club. End of FonixCrypter...

Malwarebytes detects leaked tools from FireEye breach

Hello folks! If you have not heard yet, the security firm FireEye has had a breach of many red team assessment tools used for identification of vulnerabilities to help protect customers. While it is not known exactly who was behind this attack, a big concern is the sharing and use of these stolen...

California’s Prop 24 splits data privacy supporters

California’s data privacy house is divided. On the Golden State’s November ballot this year is the question as to whether to amend California’s barely-two-year-old data privacy law, the California Consumer Privacy Act. Far from the first attempt to change the fledgling law, Proposition 24 sets...

Announcing Malwarebytes 4.0: smarter, faster, and lighter

Malwarebytes was founded on the belief that everyone has a fundamental right to a malware-free existence. Every product we make is built on that premise. That’s why we’ve been hard at work on the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows that not only sports a whole new look, but packs...

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...

Facebook’s plain text misstep, and other password sins

Two days after an article by Brian Krebs disclosed that hundreds of millions of Facebook account passwords had been stored in plain text for years, Facebook released a statement indicating they hash and salt passwords, more or less in accordance with industry best practice. Plain text storage of...

Engaging students in cybersecurity: a primer for educators

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Maimonides The education sector has had its share of breaches. And schools, like medical and retail institutions, continue to struggle when it comes to securing their highly-priced assets: student a...

Explained: blockchain technology

Last week, we talked about what cryptocurrency is and why cybercriminals love it. We mentioned that cryptocurrency was founded on a technology called blockchain, which is a tight system that, when applied correctly, is more secure than most other financial transactions. In this post, we'll explai...

Exhibition: it-sa Nuremberg

Scroll down for the German version of this post. Since 2009, security professionals, developers, and product providers have shared their ideas and platforms at it-sa, a security exhibition in the Exhibition Centre in Nuremberg, Germany. This year, it-sa featured 629 exhibitors including...

FBI agents’ blood tests and doctors’ notes surface after breach

BBC News reports it has seen samples of stolen FBI agents’ medical examinations. The “fitness-for-work” reports identify FBI agents by name and address, and reveal even more personal details. They include blood and urine test results and doctors’ notes mentioning high cholesterol, blood in the...

A week in security (August 24 – August 30)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Protect your WhatsApp account with new passkey and 2FA upgrades The AI agent swarm that attacked Hugging Face is a warning for the future Flock wants privacy to meet surveillance halfway Fake listings can turn trusted platforms into scam springboards Fake Apple Pay...

Apple WebKit vulnerabilities reveal your IP address, despite Private Relay

Three WebKit mechanisms have been discovered to bypass Apple's iCloud Private Relay. In fact, the mechanisms can bypass any browser‑level proxy configuration, including Psylo’s proxy, Tor-on-iOS proxy setups, and so on. Private Relay is a VPN-like system for Safari on iOS which is meant to preven...

Fake malware-signing service Fox Tempest dismantled by Microsoft

Microsoft says it dismantled a malware-signing-as-a-service MSaaS called Fox Tempest, which helped cybercriminals make malware appear legitimate. The service let customers submit malicious files to be digitally signed with short-lived Microsoft-issued certificates, making the malware look...

Firefox 151 packs big privacy upgrades into a small update

Mozilla has published release notes for Firefox browser version 151.0, and this update includes several genuinely meaningful privacy and security improvements. Three changes stand out in particular: Stronger anti‑fingerprinting Broader protection for local network access More control over private...

A week in security (February 23 – March 1)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Public Google API keys can be used to expose Gemini AI data Inside a fake Google security check that becomes a browser RAT Fake Zoom and Google Meet scams install Teramind: A technical deep dive How to understand and avoid Advanced Persistent Threats The Conduent...

“Simply staggering” surveillance conducted by social media and streaming services, FTC finds

The US Federal Trade Commission FTC released a report that examines the data collection and use practices of major social media and video streaming services, finding that—and this will not come as a surprise to our regular readers—the companies engaged in vast surveillance of consumers in order t...

[updated] Apex Legends Global Series plagued by hackers

The North American finals of online shooter game Apex Legends has been postponed after games were disrupted by hacking incidents. Apex Legends, published by EA, is currently in an important stage of its Global Series, the regional finals mode. This is a big deal for the top players since there is...

One year later, Rhadamanthys is still dropped via malvertising

It was just a little over a year ago that the Rhadamanthys stealer was first publicly seen distributed via malicious ads. Throughout 2023, we observed a continuation in malvertising chains related to software downloads. Fast forward to 2024 and the same malvertising campaigns are still going on...

Octo Tempest cybercriminal group is “a growing concern”—Microsoft

Octo Tempest is believed to be a group of native English speaking cybercriminals that uses social engineering campaigns to compromise organizations all over the world. Initially the group made a name for itself by SIM swapping. SIM swapping, also known as SIM jacking, is the act of illegally taki...

Swatting-as-a-Service is a growing and complicated problem to solve

One Telegram channel has been found to be behind a great deal of swatting incidents in the US. Using the anonymity provided by Telegram, caller ID spoofing, and voices generated by Artificial Intelligence AI, a person or group of persons calling themselves Torswats is suspected to be behind dozen...

"Brad Pitt," a still body, ketchup, and a knife, or the best trick ever played on a romance scammer, with Becky Holmes: Lock and Code S04E06

Becky Holmes knows how to throw a romance scammer off script--simply bring up cannibalism. In January, Holmes shared on Twitter that an account with the name "Thomas Smith" had started up a random chat with her that sounded an awful lot like the beginning stages of a romance scam. But rather than...

Malwarebytes wins 2023 CRN 'Coolest Endpoint And Managed Security Companies' award

CRN, a trusted source for IT channel news and analysis, has named Malwarebytes one of the "Coolest Endpoint And Managed Security Companies" on the 2023 CRN Security 100 list. The CRN Security 100 highlights channel-friendly cybersecurity vendors across a number of market segments including Endpoi...

Uber data stolen via third-party vendor

Uber is facing a new cybersecurity incident after threat actors stole some of its data from Teqtivity, a third-party vendor that provides asset management and tracking services. "We are aware of customer data that was compromised due to unauthorized access to our systems by a malicious third...

Windows 11 pulls ahead of Windows 10 in anti-phishing stakes

Some new security additions and changes have been announced for users of Windows, but youll have to be using Windows 11 to get the most out of them. Windows 10 users may find that this is going to be a case of falling behind the herd ever so slightly. Anti-phishing tools Enhanced phishing...

Chrome casts away the padlock—is it good riddance or farewell?

It’s been an interesting journey for security messaging where browsers are concerned. Back in the day, many of the websites you’d visit on a daily basis weren’t secure. By secure, I mean that they didnt use HTTPS. There was no padlock, which meant that the traffic between you and the website wasn...