Food giant Dole reveals more about ransomware attack

Fruit and vegetable producer Dole has confirmed attackers behind its February ransomware attack accessed employee data. The company hasn't revealed the number of staff impacted. In an annual report filed to the US Securities and Exchange Commission SEC last week, Dole said: "In February of 2023, ...

DeepStreamer: Illegal movie streaming platforms hide lucrative ad fraud operation

This investigation was a joint effort between Malwarebytes Threat Intelligence's Jerome Segura, DeepSee's Rocky Moss and Antonio Torres. Key findings Over a dozen unique domains were found selling ad inventory through Google Ad Manager, even though the pages were embedded invisibly under the...

Ransomware led to multiple DISH Network outages

Satellite broadcast organisation DISH experienced a major system issue over the past week which affected multiple services. Websites and channels were unavailable, logins were non-functional, and some folks couldnt even pay their bills as a result of the downtime. There was a suspicion that...

An 18 year scam odyssey of stranded astronauts

There is a semi-mythical scam which comes around every couple of years, like some sort of digital bad luck version of Halleys Comet. Instead of flood, famine, and the death of Kings, it brings confusion, some level of hilarity, and a slice of sheer disbelief. Unfortunately it also threatens to...

Twitter data breach affects 5.4M users

Twitter has confirmed that it was breached last month via a now-patched 0-day vulnerability in Twitters systems, allowing an attacker to link email addresses and phone numbers to user accounts. This enabled the attacker to compile a list of 5.4 million Twitter user account profiles. "We want to l...

Lightning Framework, modular Linux malware

Researchers at Intezer have published a technical analysis of Lightning Framework, a previously undocumented and undetected Linux threat. Lightning is a modular framework that is very versatile and something we don’t see very often in the Linux space. The old argument that Linux systems or Macs f...

A week in security (July 18 – July 24)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Extortionists target restaurants, demand money to take down bad reviews The FTC will go after companies misusing location, health, and other sensitive data Roblox breached: Internal documents posted online by unknown attackers Warning for WordPress admins: Uninstal...

Prometheus ransomware’s flaws inspired researchers to try to build a near-universal decryption tool

This blog is part of our live coverage from RSA Conference 2022: Prometheus—a ransomware build based on Thanos that locked up victims’ computers in the summer of 2021—included a major “vulnerability” that led security researchers at IBM to try and build a one-size-fits-all ransomware decryptor th...

ChromeLoader targets Chrome Browser users with malicious ISO files

If you’re on the hunt for cracked software or games, be warned. Rogue ISO archive files are looking to infect your systems with ChromeLoader. If you think campaigns such as this only target Windows users, you’d sadly be very much mistaken. The attack sucks in several operating systems and even us...

Massive increase in XorDDoS Linux malware in last six months

Microsoft says its recorded a massive increase in XorDDoS activity 254 percent in the last six months. XorDDoS, a Linux Trojan known for its modularity and stealth, was first discovered in 2014 by the white hat research group, MalwareMustDie MMD. MMD believed the Linux Trojan originated in China...

Why MRG-Effitas matters to SMBs

When selecting the right cybersecurity vendor to protect their operations, small- and medium-sized businesses SMBs can lean on several third-party research organizations that analyze which cybersecurity products can best prevent, detect, and clean up various types of cyberattacks today. But these...

Data Privacy Day: Know your rights, and the right tools to stay private

Not all data privacy rights are the same. There’s the flimsy, the firm, the enforceable, and the antiquated, and, unfortunately, much of what determines the quality of your own data privacy rights is little more than your home address. Those in Chile, for example, enjoy a globally rare...

How to defend your website against card skimmers

Black Friday and the holiday season are approaching, and shoppers are forecast to spend record amounts again this year. Retail websites big and small can expect a lot of interest from shoppers looking for deals, and a lot of interest from cybercriminals looking to cash in on those shoppers, by...

Lessons from a real-life ransomware attack

Ransomware attacks, despite dramatically increasing in frequency this summer, remain opaque for many potential victims. It isn’t anyone’s fault, necessarily, since news articles about ransomware attacks often focus on the attack, the suspected threat actors, the ransomware type, and, well, not mu...

Twitch compromised: What we know so far, and what you need to do

Update, 7th October: Twitch has now confirmed the breach. The companys statement is as follows: We have learned that some data was exposed to the internet due to an error in a Twitch server configuration change that was subsequently accessed by a malicious third party. At this time, we have no...

What is the Dark Web? The Dark Web explained

You may have seen the Dark Web referenced in popular TV shows and have gotten the wrong idea, or if you already knew about it, you may have snorted in derision. The Dark Web is also sometimes called the Deep Web, when in fact the Dark Web is only a part of the Deep Web. Terminology Surface Web is...

Get a head start on defending against tax scams

It may not be tax season in your part of the world right now but you’ll no doubt be pleased to know a prolific tax scammer is on their way to jail for 20 years. If you’re annoyed by tax scam missives, or had the misfortune to hand money over, this is probably satisfying news. Between 2013 and 201...

Chaos in a cup: When ransomware creeps into your smart coffee maker

When the fledgling concept of the Internet of Things IoT was beginning to excite the world almost a decade ago, perhaps no coffee lover at that time wouldve imagined including the coffee machine in the roster of internet-connected devices—even in jest. True, the simple, utilitarian coffee machine...

PCI DSS compliance: why it’s important and how to adhere

PCI DSS is short for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Every party involved in accepting credit card payments is expected to comply with the PCI DSS. The PCI Standard is mandated by the card brands, but administered by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council PCI SSC. The...

How exposed are you to cybercrime?

No country, business, or person is immune to cybercrime, and as the Internets influence on our daily lives grows exponentially, so will the level of malicious activity throughout the world. An ever-changing cyber landscape will always carry with it new threats, but are they the same for everyone?...

Coordinated Twitter attack rakes in 100 grand

Update 7/18/2020 Twitter released an update about the situation and their investigation on their blog. Update 8/2/2020 ZDNet published a timeline based on the court documents released by the DOJ "Im feeling generous because of Covid-19. Ill double any BTC payment sent to my BTC address for the ne...

Web skimmer hides within EXIF metadata, exfiltrates credit cards via image files

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Threat actors must have remembered that as they devised yet another way to hide their credit card skimmer in order to evade detection. When we first investigated this campaign, we thought it may be another one of those favicon tricks, which we had...

Lock and Code S1Ep9: Strengthening and forgetting passwords with Matt Davey and Kyle Swank

This week on Lock and Code, we discuss the top security headlines generated right here on Labs and around the Internet. In addition, we talk to Matt Davey, chief operations optimist at 1Password, and Kyle Swank, a member of 1Password’s security team, about—what else—passwords. We may know it’s...

When corporate communications look like a phish

Many organizations will spend significant sums of money on phishing training for employees. Taking the form of regular awareness training, or even simulated phishes to test employee awareness, this is a common practice at larger companies. However, even after training, a consistent baseline of...

Making the case: How to get the board to invest in higher education cybersecurity

Security leaders in institutions of higher education face unique challenges, as they are charged with keeping data and the network secure, while also allowing for a culture of openness, sharing, and communication—all cornerstones of the academic community. And depending on the college or...

A week in security (January 29 – February 04)

Last week on Labs, we looked into PUPs stealing and using mainstream logos of security and tech companies to further gain user trust, GandCrab and Scarab ransomware variants in the wild, and a new Mac malware called OSX.CreativeUpdater that can be distributed via MacUpdate. We also profiled...

A week in security (January 15 – January 21)

Last week on Labs, we gave you some background information about cookies, specifically which ones to worry about and why. We also warned you about scams surrounding the Mega Millions winner, who promised to donate his money to good causes. We analyzed a cryptocurrency miner using a very old...

Cookies: Should I worry about them?

Starting off the new year, many of us are worried about cookies—how many we ate over the holidays and how we're going to avoid them in the break room, for example. With so much cybercrime and data theft swirling around like daily bomb cyclones, there's more than a few folks worried about the kind...

Magnitude EK actor goes for Bitcoin multiplier scam (updated)

It is well known that hot commodities tend to attract scammers and online criminals. The continuous rise of Bitcoin over the past year valued at over USD $7,188 at the time of writing is generating frenzy amongst fans of cryptocurrencies as well as those watching from the sidelines. While the...

A week in security (September 21 – September 27)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: LinkedIn adds new checks for fake profiles and work histories Kothamine malware uses Tailscale’s tailcat to evade network detection Criminals turn placeholder domain into ClickFix trap That shipping rebate offer may come with a monthly charge OpenAI agent breached...

ToxicPanda 2.0 can take over your Android phone and banking apps

Researchers have uncovered ToxicPanda 2.0, an Android banking Trojan and remote-access tool designed for account takeover and “on-device fraud.” Not only does ToxicPanda 2.0 have a much larger target list of banks and e-wallets, it has also expanded its capabilities by combining banking overlays,...

The AI Act kicks into action, forces companies to be clear about AI chatbots

The European Union EU has started enforcing key parts of the AI Act, with immediate, visible consequences for chatbots, deepfakes and other consumer‑facing Artificial Intelligence AI systems. From August 2, what you'll likely notice are more "this is AI" labels, clearer rules for powerful...

Ghostcommit attack hides malicious AI instructions in images

Ghostcommit is a proof of concept that shows how AI assistants used to review software code can be tricked by hidden instructions embedded in images. The academic ASSET Research Group showed that an attacker can place instructions inside an image file, point to it in an AGENTS.md file, and get an...

Fake Perplexity Chrome extension spies on your searches

Type "Perplexity" into the Chrome Web Store and you get a range of browser extensions offering access to the popular AI search service. Until last week, one of them was called "Search for perplexity ai ," and it delivered something extra that users hadn't bargained for: a small hidden surveillanc...

Inside the dark web: Stolen identities for 95¢, malware, and scams-for-hire

Most people have heard of the dark web, but few understand what it actually looks like or what goes on there. To separate fact from fiction, our research team spent 48 hours exploring it firsthand and documenting what we found. The dark web isn't inherently bad. It also serves legitimate purposes...

Document delivery scams: What are they and what’s their goal?

One of Malwarebytes' managers recently received a call from scammers pretending to be a document delivery service. The voicemail sounded official: “I am calling on behalf of document delivery services. We have been retained to schedule and deliver legal documents to you between the hours of 8 AM...

A week in security (June 15 – June 21)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Nearly 15,000 infected websites cleaned in SocGholish crackdown Apple patches Beats Studio Buds flaw that could turn earbuds into a wiretap Microsoft working on a fix for RoguePlanet, a flaw that grants full PC control Retro gaming fans are the new target for fake...

Stolen iPhones could soon be worth a lot less to thieves

The UK’s Metropolitan Police has reached an agreement with Apple designed to make stolen iPhones harder to resell and less attractive to thieves. The approach combines stronger technical protections with direct data sharing between Apple and law enforcement. In 2023, about 1.4 million mobile phon...

Why Malwarebytes blocks some Yahoo Mail redirects

Some Malwarebytes users have recently noticed frequent web protection alerts while reading email in Yahoo Mail’s web interface. These alerts are caused by background connections from the Yahoo Mail page to a set of third‑party domains that our products and other security tools currently classify ...

The 2026 World Cup scam economy is already running before the first whistle

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is scheduled to begin June 11 across the US, Canada, and Mexico. The web is filling with sites impersonating ticket vendors, telecoms, sticker publishers, toy manufacturers, immigration services, and crypto projects, all linked to the World Cup brand. Together, they map ou...

Fake CAPTCHA scam turns a quick click into a costly phone bill

Researchers have documented a long‑running campaign that uses fake CAPTCHA pages to trick mobile users into sending dozens of international SMS messages in the background. If you’ve spent any time on today’s web, CAPTCHAs may seem like background noise: click a few traffic lights, prove you’re...

Chinese engineer stole US military and NASA software for years

International espionage isn't always about sophisticated malware and zero-day bugs. Sometimes it's as simple as pretending to be someone else asking for a favor. For four years, a Chinese aerospace engineer did just that. Dozens of researchers at NASA, the US military, and major universities hand...

Big Tech can stop scams. They just don’t (Lock and Code S07E08)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast … A dreadful thing happens far too often whenever an older adult falls for a scam: They get blamed for it. Not the scammers who lied and cheated their victim out of money. Not law enforcement for failing to recover funds. Not even the Big Tech companies that...

Mythos: An AI tool too powerful for public release

Anthropic’s most capable model to date, Claude Mythos Preview aka Mythos, has been described as a “step change” in AI performance, especially on cybersecurity tasks. Anthropic tried to keep Mythos a secret until a few weeks ago, when a data leak revealed the existence of what the company said was...

Microsoft Authenticator could leak login codes—update your app now

A vulnerability in Microsoft Authenticator for both iOS and Android CVE-2026-26123 could leak your one-time sign-in codes or authentication deep links to a malicious app on the same device. Deep links are predefined URIs Uniform Resource Identifiers that allow direct access to an activity in a we...

Fake LastPass maintenance emails target users

The LastPass Threat Intelligence, Mitigation, and Escalation TIME team has published a warning about an active phishing campaign in which fake “maintenance” emails pressure users to back up their vaults within 24 hours. The emails lead to credential-stealing phishing sites rather than any...

What privacy? Perplexity wants your data, builds browser to track you and serve ads

AI search service Perplexity AI doesn't just want you using its app—it wants to take over your web browsing experience too. The company is planning to launch its own browser, called Comet, next month. But what does this mean for your privacy? Launched in 2022, Perplexity AI is an AI-powered searc...

“Nudify” deepfakes stored unprotected online

Yesterday, we told you about how millions of pictures from specialized dating apps had been stored online without any kind of password protection. Now it's the turn of an AI "nudify" service. A researcher, famous for finding unprotected cloud storage buckets, has uncovered an unprotected AWS buck...

Android zero-day vulnerabilities actively abused. Update as soon as you can

Google has issued updates to fix 43 vulnerabilities in Android, including two zero-days that are being actively exploited in targeted attacks. The updates are available for Android 12, 12L, 13, 14, and 15. Android vendors are notified of all issues at least a month before publication, however, th...

Update now! Apple confirms vulnerabilities are already being exploited

Apple has released security patches for most of its operating systems, including iOS, Mac, iPadOS, Safari, and visionOS. The updates for iOS and Intel-based Mac systems are especially important, as they tackle vulnerabilities that are being actively exploited by cybercriminals. You should make su...