New Browser Guard features add protection before and after you click

Most of us click on search results without knowing much about the website we’re about to visit. And once we’re there, it’s not always obvious when something isn’t quite right. Now, we’ve added two new features to Malwarebytes Browser Guard that will do even more to keep you safe online. Search...

Grok fooled into stealing user chat, location data, and more

A new type of prompt injection attack shows why giving AI assistants access to browsers, code tools, and private data deserves extra caution. AI researchers describe "Cryptographic Context Injection"—an attack that hides malicious instructions inside encrypted data. The AI is then persuaded to...

Trusting your kids online isn’t enough (Lock and Code S07E14)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast … There is a lot going on right now regarding the safety of kids online. In the United States, the majority of state legislatures have passed age verification laws requiring a variety of websites to more rigorously verify the age of their visitors. In the...

Fake crypto gift card sites are getting harder to spot

You want to turn some crypto into a gift card. You search, click a promising result, and land on a site that looks polished and legitimate: a dark theme, trust badges, and promises of instant delivery and no ID checks. You wouldn't think to question it. But a professional-looking website isn't...

A week in security (June 29 – July 5)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Verified X ad spreads Mac malware, while ConsentFix steals Microsoft accounts Apple’s Hide My Email doesn’t hide it very well Fake Google and Cloudflare verification pages spread multiple malware families WinRAR flaw could allow attackers to take control of your...

WinRAR flaw could allow attackers to take control of your computer

Rarlab has released a new version of the popular WinRAR tool to patch a vulnerability that can be abused in remote code execution attacks. The issue is fixed in WinRAR 7.23, but users must install the new version manually because WinRAR still does not offer automatic updates. They also need to ma...

ChatGPT produced graphic violent images that shocked researchers

AI assistants like ChatGPT are supposed to be safe to use, with appropriate guardrails to stop people creating harmful content. However, a British AI security firm just figured out how to make ChatGPT produce explicit material. Mindgard, a company that tests AI engines for weaknesses, found that ...

Meta pauses controversial employee-tracking program after security review

Meta has paused a controversial employee‑tracking program after an internal security review found that highly granular keystroke and screen‑capture data from staff laptops was far more widely accessible inside the company than intended. The program was part of Meta's Model Capability Initiative...

Travel scams are everywhere. Here’s how to avoid them

Planning a holiday should be exciting, fun, and not a cybersecurity risk. But booking flights, hotels, and rental properties often means sharing sensitive personal and financial information across multiple platforms. Combined with frequent travel scams and recurring data breaches in the travel an...

Microsoft is changing Edge’s plaintext password behavior

Microsoft said it will change Edge’s password handling as a “defense‑in‑depth” measure. Originally, Edge decrypted the entire saved‑password store on startup and kept all credentials resident in process memory in clear text for the whole browser session, regardless of whether a given credential w...

A week in security (March 2 – March 8)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: One click on this fake Google Meet update can give attackers control of your PC Beware of fake OpenClaw installers, even if Bing points you to GitHub Fake CleanMyMac site installs SHub Stealer and backdoors crypto wallets Windows File Shredder: When deleting a file...

Age verification vendor Persona left frontend exposed, researchers say

Researchers investigating Discord’s age-verification checks say they discovered an exposed frontend belonging to Persona, the identity-verification vendor used by Discord. It revealed a far more expansive surveillance and financial intelligence stack than a simple “teen safety” tool. A short whil...

AT&T breach data resurfaces with new risks for customers

When data resurfaces, it never comes back weaker. A newly shared dataset tied to AT&T shows just how much more dangerous an “old” breach can become once criminals have enough of the right details to work with. The dataset, privately circulated since February 2, 2026, is described as AT&T customer...

Google patches actively exploited zero-day in Chrome. Update now!

Google has released an update for its Chrome browser which includes a patch for a vulnerability that Google says is already being exploited, known as a zero-day vulnerability. Google has fixed that zero-day with the release of versions 128.0.6613.84/.85 for Windows/macOS and 128.0.6613.84 for Lin...

First million breached Ticketmaster records released for free

The cybercriminal acting under the name "Sp1d3r" gave away the first 1 million records that are part of the data set that they claimed to have stolen from Ticketmaster/Live Nation. The files were released without a price, for free. When Malwarebytes Labs first learned about this data breach, it...

Debt collection agency FBCS leaks information of 3 million US citizens

The US debt collection agency Financial Business and Consumer Solutions FBCS has filed a data breach notification, listing the the total number of people affected as 3,226,631. FBCS is a nationally licensed, third-party collection agency that collects commercial and consumer debts, with most of i...

Data leak site BreachForums is back, boasting Live Nation/Ticketmaster user data. But is it a trap?

Notorious data leak site BreachForums appears to be back online after it was seized by law enforcement a few weeks ago. At least one of BreachForums domains and its dark web site are live again. However, questions have been raised over whether it is a genuine attempt to revive the forums once aga...

How to make a fake ID online, with Joseph Cox: Lock and Code S05E05

This week on the Lock and Code podcast… For decades, fake IDs had roughly three purposes: Buying booze before legally allowed, getting into age-restricted clubs, and, we can only assume, completing nation-state spycraft for embedded informants and double agents. In 2024, thats changed, as the use...

Law enforcement trolls LockBit, reveals massive takedown

In an act of exquisite trolling, the UKs National Crime Agency NCA has announced further details about its disruption of the LockBit ransomware group by using the groups own dark web website. The LockBit dark web site has a new look Since the demise of Conti in 2022, LockBit has been unchallenged...

Malwarebytes crushes malware all the time

About a month ago, The PC Security Channel TPSC ran a test to check out the detection capabilities of Malwarebytes. They tested Malwarebytes by executing a repository of 2015 “malicious” files to see how many Malwarebytes would detect. This YouTube video shows how a script executes the files and...

“The mother of all breaches”: 26 billion records found online [Updated]

Security researchers have discovered billions of exposed records online, calling it the "mother of all breaches". However, the dataset doesnt seem to be from one single data breach, but more a compilation of multiple breaches. These sets are often created by data enrichment companies. Data...

Ransomware review: January 2024

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...

US pharmacy Rite Aid banned from operating facial recognition systems

Pharmacy chain Rite Aid has been denied the right to run facial recognition systems in its stores for five years, by a Federal Trade Commission FTC ruling. The regulator found so many flaws in the retailers surveillance program that it concluded Rite Aid had failed to implement reasonable...

Windows Hello fingerprint authentication can be bypassed on popular laptops

Researchers have found several weaknesses in Windows Hello fingerprint authentication on Dell Inspiron 15, Lenovo ThinkPad T14, and Microsoft Surface Pro X laptops. Microsoft’s Offensive Research and Security Engineering MORSE asked the researchers to evaluate the security of the top three...

Chrome pushes forward with plans to limit ad blockers in the future

Google has announced it will shut down Manifest V2 in June 2024 and move on to Manifest V3, the latest version of its Chrome extension specification that has faced criticism for putting limits on ad blockers. Roughly said, Manifest V2 and V3 are the rules that browser extension developers have to...

Signal is testing usernames so you don’t have to share your phone number

Messaging service Signal is testing support for usernames as a replacement for phone numbers to serve as user identities. Signal provides encrypted instant messaging and is popular among people that value their privacy. Compared to more popular services like WhatsApp, Signal offers more layers of...

Surveillance camera insecurities argument comes to one inevitable conclusion: Always update

Chinese-made surveillance cameras find themselves in a spot of controversy, after a BBC investigation uncovered flaws in devices during several brand tests. Surveillance and webcam vulnerabilities are common, and weve covered them many times on our blog. Whats interesting with this story is that...

Microsoft Azure AD flaw can lead to account takeover

Researchers have found that a flaw in Microsoft Azure AD can be used by attackers to take over accounts that rely on pre-established trust. In a nutshell, Microsoft Azure AD allows you to change the email address associated with an account without verification of whether you are in control of tha...

Is AI being used for virtual kidnapping scams?

You may have seen a worrying report of Artificial Intelligence AI being used in a virtual kidnapping scam. The AI was supposedly used to imitate the voice of an Arizona resident's daughter, who claimed to have been kidnapped. The daughter was safe and well elsewhere on a school trip. Unfortunatel...

Multilingual skimmer fingerprints 'secret shoppers' via Cloudflare endpoint API

One important aspect of data theft in criminal markets revolves around the authenticity of the data that is being resold. There are different services that exist to vet such things as credit card numbers so that buyers can purchase with confidence. Criminals are also very aware that anyone and in...

"2.6 million DuoLingo account entries" up for sale

Not a week goes by where we dont see an example of data scraping causing concern for both business and folks at home. The latest target happens to be popular language platform DuoLingo, who is currently digging into a forum post concerning data related to its customer accounts. Scraping data for...

University suffers leaks, shutdowns at the hands of Vice Society

The Vice Society ransomware gang is back and making some unfortunate waves in the education sector. According to Bleeping Computer, the Society has held their ransomware laden hands up and admitted an attack on the University of Duisberg-Essen. Sadly this isnt the Universitys first encounter with...

Update now! NetGear routers’ default configuration allows remote attacks

NetGear has made a hotfix available for its Nighthawk routers after researchers found a network misconfiguration in the firmware allowed unrestricted communication with the internet facing ports of the device listening through IPv6. No auto-update The hotfix is available for the model RAX30, also...

Optus data breach "attacker" says sorry, it was a mistake

Since Australian telecoms company Optus disclosed a security breach on September 22, 2022, a lot has been happening. Much of it reads like a movie script. Prologue A hacker acting under the pseudonym "optusdata" claims to have stolen the data of 10 million Optus customers. The information include...

NetStandard attack should make Managed Service Providers sit up and take notice

Managed Service Providers MSPs, organizations that allow companies to outsource a variety of IT and security functions, are a growing market. Because they are a potential gateway to lots of company networks they make a very attractive target for cybercriminals. In a recent threat advisory Huntres...

5 pro-freedom technologies that could change the Internet

In the digital era, freedom is inextricably linked to privacy. After a good start, the Internet-enabled, technological revolution we are living through has hit some bumps in the road. We have already lost a lot of control over who and what has access to our data, and there are further threats to...

Rogue cryptocurrency billboards go phishing for wallets

Billboards and digital real world advertising has raised many questions of privacy and anonymity in recent years. Until now, the primary concern has been mostly legal, yet potentially objectionable geolocation and user profiling. Bluetooth beacons work in tandem with geofenced billboards to send...

Tor’s (security) role in the future of the Internet, with Alec Muffett

Tor has a storied reputation in the world of online privacy. The open-source project lets people browse the Internet more anonymously by routing their traffic across different nodes before making a final connection between their device and a desired website. Its something weve discussed previousl...

TrustPid is another worrying, imperfect attempt to replace tracking cookies

German ISPs are considering the introduction of TrustPid, a new type of “supercookie” that comprises of a unique identifier which will be issued for each customer that will be able to track what that customer is doing online. The providers are trying to sell this idea by telling the public that t...

3 ways DNS filtering can save SMBs from cyberattacks

If you’re an SMB, chances are that you’re already well-aware of the fact that cyber threats can wreak havoc on your business. Everything from rootkits to ransomware threaten not just financial losses, but also significant network downtime and reputational damage as well. Couple this with the fact...

Credential-stealing malware disguises itself as Telegram, targets social media users

A credential-stealing Windows-based malware, Spyware.FFDroider, is after social media credentials and cookies, according to researchers at ThreatLabz. The version analyzed by the researchers was packed with Aspack. The spyware is offered on download sites pretending to be installers for freeware...

Elden Ring exploit traps players in infinite death loop

Back in January, we wrote about how the Dark Souls games had their online components switched off for PC gamers. This is because someone figured out how to execute code remotely on the target’s PC. Given that the multiplayer angle of Souls games is rather important, this was quite a body blow for...

How to avoid being scammed this Valentine’s Day

With Valentines Day approaching, you can be sure that the scammers will want to take advantage of lovebirds everywhere. From romance scams and sextortion, to fake dating sites and phishing campaigns, heres how to avoid a sting in the tail this Valentines Day. Romance scams Stories of online roman...

What is a search engine and why does anyone care which one you use?

An attempt at a simple definition: a search engine is a software system that allows users to find content on the Internet based on their input. The introduction of the major search engines brought about huge changes in the way we use the Internet. There is a wealth of knowledge available for thos...

ICO challenges adtech to step up privacy protection

The UK Information Commissioners Office ICO wants the advertising industry to come up with new initiatives that address the risks of adtech, and take account of data protection requirements from the outset. The ICO is an independent body set up to uphold information rights. The technology that is...

Phishers target TikTok influencers with verification promises and copyright threats

Influencers on TikTok are feeling the pinch of scams and phishing thanks to targeted campaigns hungry for fresh logins. The phishing campaigns make use of much older tactics seen across multiple platforms down the years. It’s a one-two combo of “Do this quickly, or else something bad will happen”...

A week in security (Oct 4 – Oct 10)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs Does Cybersecurity Awareness Month actually improve security? Police take a piece out of a ransomware gang, but won’t say which one Neiman Marcus data breach affects millions Windows 11 is out. Is it any good for security? Criminals were inside Syniverse for 5 years...

A week in security (Sept 27 – Oct 3)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs Teaching cybersecurity skills to special needs children with Alana Robinson: Lock and Code S02E18 Phone screenshots accidentally leaked online by stalkerware-type company FoggyWeb, analysis of a Nobelium backdoor Instagram Kids put on hold Microsoft, CISA and NSA...

A week in security (Sept 13 – Sept 19)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs Why backups aren’t a “silver bullet” against ransomware, with Matt Crape: Lock and Code S02E17 The many tentacles of Magecart Group 8 Apple releases emergency update: Patch, but don’t panic Update now! Google Chrome fixes two in-the-wild zero-days Parts of the Dark...

Fired by algorithm: The future’s here and it’s a robot wearing a white collar

Black Mirror meets 1984. Imagine that your employer uses a bot to keep track of your “production level.” And when this bot finds that you are an under-performer it fires off a contract-termination mail. Does this sound like the world you live in? Unfortunately, for some people it is. The case...