Terdot Trojan likes social media

We usually advise people that have fallen victim to banker Trojans to change all their passwords, especially the ones that are related to their financial sites and apps. Besides the dangers of re-used passwords, there are other reasons why this is important. This advice is especially applicable t...

Explained: the Dark Web

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. It’s also sometimes called the Deep Web, when in fact the Dark Web is only a part of the Deep Web. Terminology Surface Web is what we...

Petya-esque ransomware is spreading across the world

UPDATE 6/29/2017 1045 PST: According to information uncovered within Malwarebytes Labs, we have determined that this ransomware variant is coded to erase a unique and randomly generated key that is used to encrypt the MFT Master File Table. The destruction of the Salsa20 key makes it very unlikel...

Mobile Menace Monday: Fake WannaCry Scanner

With all the buzz around the PC ransomware WannaCry, it’s no surprise that a fake antivirus FakeAV has emerged on Google Play. Entitled WannaCry Ransomware Protector for Android, the bold claim it makes is right in its name. So how do we know this claim is false? Simple, there is no WannaCry...

Breaking the attack chain

The attack chain. It’s a term used often in infosecurity. Also known as the kill chain, it was originally used as a military concept to describe the structure of an attack. It serves the same function in cybersecurity, where various methods of malware infiltration, deployment, and execution are...

New Android malware uses AI to steal bank logins and PINs

Researchers at Zimperium's zLabs have analyzed an Android Trojan that uses an automated, multi-stage infection process. What’s new is that RatHat gives a live AI assistant the keys to the accessibility tree of the infected device and uses it to determine where to tap or scroll, rather than...

More than 100,000 fake stores are out to steal your card details

Researchers at German cybersecurity company Nebty have identified “DoppelCart,” a cluster of almost 119,000 domains linked to copied online stores. The researchers describe it as the largest publicly documented fake-shop network by associated domain count. They found 118,787 .shop domains in the...

Vatican’s Click To Pray app exposed personal data from 700,000 users

A prayer app launched by Pope Francis in 2019 contained a security flaw that exposed the personal information of hundreds of thousands of users before it was finally fixed this year. The app, Click To Pray, was developed by La Machi Communication for Good Causes for the Pope's Worldwide Prayer...

Sextortion scammers are exploiting ShinyHunters data leaks

Sextortion scammers are using email addresses from data leaked by the ShinyHunters hacking group to add some credibility to their feeble attempts to convince people they have embarrassing information about them. Sextortion emails are messages claiming that the scammer recorded you through your...

A week in security (July 13 – July 19)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Shark vacuum flaw exposes cameras, home maps and Wi-Fi passwords How to use GitHub safely The backlash against Flock cameras is spreading Security updates available for Adobe, Chrome, Firefox, VMWare, and Zoom Samsung backs down on threat to delete health data Clau...

Security updates available for Adobe, Chrome, Firefox, VMWare, and Zoom

Security updates are not just for enterprises with a dedicated security team and a change-management calendar. For consumers and small businesses, they are one of the simplest ways to shut down known attack paths before criminals get a chance to use them. That matters because attackers love these...

This pay gap is programmed (Lock and Code S07E13)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast… Pay is personal for plenty of Americans, but a new distribution model that consumes vast quantities of worker data is turning pay into something else: personalized. For an increasing number of workers in America, the money they can expect to be paid on any...

Update Chrome to patch critical browser security flaws

Google released a security update for Chrome that fixes 18 vulnerabilities, including four rated Critical. There is no indication that any of these newly patched bugs are being actively exploited in the wild. The stable channel has been updated to 149.0.7827.196/197 for Windows and Mac and...

Fake domain renewal emails trick website owners into paying scammers

You receive an email warning that your website's domain name is about to expire. Renew now, it says, or your website and email could stop working. The link opens a professional-looking page that already knows your domain name, displays your registrar and expiry date, and starts a countdown timer...

PixelSmash flaw turns video files into attack tools

A newly discovered vulnerability in FFmpeg’s MagicYUV decoder can turn a tiny, malformed video into a foothold for attackers. Researchers have disclosed PixelSmash, a critical vulnerability tracked as CVE-2026-8461, in FFmpeg’s MagicYUV video decoder with a CVSS score of 8.8. By crafting a...

We found this fake-invoice campaign while scammers were still building it

A new batch of fake payment invoices is being staged right now, and we caught the campaign while it was still being put together. The emails impersonate PayPal, Amazon, and Geek Squad, and others, and they all share one goal: to scare you into calling a phone number where a fake "support agent" i...

Your Windows PC has a security deadline in June 2026

A Secure Boot certificate refresh is rolling out across supported Windows devices through Windows Update. In June 2026, the Secure Boot certificates that have shipped inside Windows since 2011 begin to expire, and Microsoft is replacing them with new 2023-dated certificates. The good news: If you...

From fake Proton VPN sites to gaming mods, this Windows infostealer is everywhere

We’ve uncovered multiple campaigns distributing an infostealer we track as NWHStealer , using everything from fake VPN downloads to hardware utilities and gaming mods. What makes this campaign stand out isn’t just the malware, but how widely and convincingly it’s being spread. Once installed, it...

New macOS security feature will alert users about possible ClickFix attacks

Rumor has it that Apple deployed a new security feature in the fight against ClickFix. The new feature will be available for macOS Tahoe 26.4 and it will warn Mac users if they paste certain commands into the Terminal app that might be harmful. If such a command is pasted, macOS will warn the use...

That “job brief” on Google Forms could infect your device

We've identified a campaign using business-related lures, such as job interviews, project briefs, and financial document, to distribute malware, including the PureHVNC Remote Access Trojan RAT. It's not the malware that's new, but how the attack starts. Instead of the usual phishing email or fake...

Signal and WhatsApp accounts targeted in phishing campaign

Dutch intelligence services AIVD and MIVD warn that Russian state‑backed hackers are running a large‑scale campaign to break into Signal and WhatsApp accounts of high‑value targets. The targets are said to be senior officials, military personnel, civil servants, and journalists. The attackers are...

Samsung TVs stop spying on viewers in Texas. Here’s how to disable ACR anywhere

Samsung has settled a lawsuit with the Texas Attorney General over how its smart TVs collect and monetize viewing data using Automated Content Recognition ACR. As part of the settlement, Samsung agreed to stop collecting ACR data from Texans without explicit, informed consent and to rewrite its...

AI chat app leak exposes 300 million messages tied to 25 million users

An independent security researcher uncovered a major data breach affecting Chat & Ask AI, one of the most popular AI chat apps on Google Play and Apple App Store, with more than 50 million users. The researcher claims to have accessed 300 million messages from over 25 million users due to an...

Watch out for AT&T rewards phishing text that wants your personal details

A coworker shared this suspicious SMS where AT&T supposedly warns the recipient that their reward points are about to expire. Phishing attacks are growing increasingly sophisticated, likely with help from AI. They're getting better at mimicking major brands—not just in look, but in behavior...

DroidLock malware locks you out of your Android device and demands ransom

Researchers have analyzed a new threat campaign actively targeting Android users. The malware, named DroidLock, takes over a device and then holds it for ransom. The campaign to date has primarily targeted Spanish-speaking users, but researchers warn it could spread. DroidLock is delivered via...

“Sleeper” browser extensions woke up as spyware on 4 million devices

Researchers have unraveled a malware campaign that really did play the long game. After seven years of behaving normally, a set of browser extensions installed on roughly 4.3 million Chrome and Edge users’ devices suddenly went rogue. Now they can track what you browse and run malicious code insi...

Update now: November Patch Tuesday fixes Windows zero-day exploited in the wild

These updates fix serious security issues — including one that attackers are already exploiting to take control of Windows systems. By chaining it with other attacks, they can gain full admin access, install malware, steal data, or make deeper changes you wouldn’t normally be able to undo. Run...

Apple patches 50 security flaws—update now

Apple has released security updates for iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, Safari, and Xcode, fixing nearly 50 security flaws. Some of these bugs could let cybercriminals see your private data, take control of parts of your device, or break key security protections. Installing these...

Ransomware gang claims Conduent breach: what you should watch for next [updated]

Update – October 30, 2025: New information confirms that Conduent’s 2024 breach has impacted over 10.5 million people, based on notifications filed with multiple state attorneys general. The largest disclosure came from the Oregon government, which reported a total of 10.5 million affected US...

A week in security (October 20 – October 26)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Is AI moving faster than its safety net? Thousands of online stores at risk as SessionReaper attacks spread Apple may have to open its walled garden to outside app stores Meta boosts scam protection on WhatsApp and Messenger Home Depot Halloween phish gives users a...

Roku accused of selling children’s data to advertisers and brokers

The state of Florida has accused Roku, which powers many smart TVs and streaming devices, of selling children's data to third parties without their consent. According to the Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Roku collected viewing habits, voice recordings, and precise geolocation from kids...

How to set up two-factor authentication (2FA) on your Facebook account

While two-factor authentication 2FA is not completely fool-proof, it is one of the best ways to protect your accounts from hackers. It adds an extra step when logging in, which is a small extra effort for you, but it dramatically boosts your security. With 2FA, you’ll be asked for a special login...

Fake DocuSign email hides tricky phishing attempt

On my daily rounds, I encountered a phishing attempt that used a not completely unusual, yet clever delivery method. What began as a seemingly routine DocuSign notification turned into a multi-layered deception involving Webflow, a shady redirect, and a legitimate Google login page. Webflow is a...

The Pall Mall Pact and why it matters

The US State Department reportedly plans to sign an international agreement designed to govern the use of commercial spyware known as the Pall Mall Pact. The Pall Mall Pact, formally known as the Pall Mall Process, was initiated by France and the United Kingdom in February 2024. The goal of the...

Why we’re no longer doing April Fools’ Day

The internet is filled with falsehoods. We’re forever investigating new scams here at Malwarebytes, and so we get how hard it is to know what—or who—to trust online. There’s the scam that takes advantage of grieving people and tricks them into paying for a funeral live stream. There’s the fake...

Google now allows digital fingerprinting of its users

In the ongoing saga that is Google’s struggle to replace tracking cookies, we have entered a new phase. But whether that’s good news is another matter. For years, Google has been saying it will phase out the third-party tracking cookies that power much of its advertising business online, proposin...

‘Poseidon’ Mac stealer distributed via Google ads

On June 24, we observed a new campaign distributing a stealer targeting Mac users via malicious Google ads for the Arc browser. This is the second time in the past couple of months where we see Arc being used as a lure, certainly a sign of its popularity. It was previously used to drop a Windows...

Explained: Android overlays and how they are used to trick people

Sometimes you’ll see the term "overlays" used in articles about malware and you might wonder what they are. In this post we will try to explain what overlays—particularly on Android devices—are, and how cybercriminals deploy them. Most of the time, overlays are used to make people think they are...

Financial sextortion scams on the rise

“Hey there!” messaged Savannah, someone 16-year-old Charlie had never met before, but looked cute in her profile picture. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and an adorable smile, so he decided to DM with her on Instagram. Soon their flirty exchanges grew heated, and Savannah was sending Charli...

Giant Tiger breach sees 2.8 million records leaked

Someone has posted a database of over 2.8 million records to a hacker forum, claiming they originated from a March 2024 hack at Canadian retail chain Giant Tiger. When asked, they posted a small snippet as proof. The download of the full database is practically free for other active members of th...

How to back up your iPhone to a Windows computer

They say the only backup you ever regret is the one you didnt make. iPhone backups can be used to easily move your apps and data to a new phone, to recover things youve lost, or to fix things that have failed. Weve published posts on how to back up your iPhone to iCloud, and how to backup an iPho...

Stopping a K-12 cyberattack (SolarMarker) with ThreatDown MDR

In early 2024, a large K-12 school district partnered with ThreatDown MDR to strengthen its cybersecurity posture. Shortly after onboarding, ThreatDown MDR analysts detected unusual patterns of activity subsequently identified as the work of SolarMarker, a sophisticated backdoor. It became eviden...

New Facebook photo rule hoax spreads

Some hoaxes on Facebook are years old, but like a cat with nine lives they keep coming back again and again. This is certainly the case with this most recent hoax. Fact-checking site Snopes is reporting on a hoax that concerns Metas use of our photos, messages and other posts on Facebook. Users a...

A week in security (March 4 – March 10)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Patch now! VMWare escape flaws are so serious even end-of-life software gets a fix Update now! JetBrains TeamCity vulnerability abused at scale PetSmart warns customers of credential stuffing attack Predator spyware vendor banned in US ALPHV ransomware gang fakes o...

Ring curtails law enforcement’s access to footage

US law enforcement will no longer be able to request footage through the Neighbors app produced by Ring video doorbells and surveillance cameras. Until now Ring’s Request for Assistance RFA function allowed law enforcement to ask for and obtain user footage, but this function will be retired. Alo...

Google changes wording for Incognito browsing in Chrome

Users of Chrome Canary have noticed some slight changes in the wording that Google uses for Incognito mode. Chrome Canary is mainly intended for use by developers. It’s updated nearly daily with new features, and because it can be used alongside versions of the “normal” Chrome browser known...

FCC wants cars to make life harder for stalkers

Most new model cars are not just cars anymore. With multiple digital systems, vehicles are increasingly plugged into web applications and digital processes. Some of them are basically smartphones on wheels. Even if we assume these new features were all created with your convenience in mind, some ...

Windows 10 gets its own extended security updates program

The day that Windows 10 machines will get their last security updates is set for October 14, 2025. So if you want to stay secure, you’d have to upgrade to a newer version. Either to Windows 11, which is not all that different, but more demanding when it comes to system requirements. Or to the...

1Password reports security incident after breach at Okta

Password manager 1Password says it’s been affected by a breach at Okta, but it reports no user data has been stolen. In a security incident report, 1Password says that a member of its IT team received an unexpected email suggesting they had initiated an Okta report of a list of admins. They hadnt...

Ransomware group claims it's "compromised all of Sony systems"

Newcomer ransomware group RansomedVC claims to have successfully compromised the computer systems of entertainment giant Sony. As ransomware gangs do, it made the announcement on its dark web website, where it sells data that it's stolen from victims' computer networks. The announcement says Sony...