Meta’s face-recognition code raises new concerns about smart glasses

Meta’s smart glasses are once again at the center of a privacy debate due to face recognition. WIRED reports that Meta had quietly embedded unreleased face-recognition code, internally called “NameTag,” into its Meta AI companion app, which powers the company’s smart glasses. The code was not...

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...

‘Car crash victim’ calls mother for help and $15K bail money. But it’s an AI voice scam

A woman in Florida was tricked into giving thousands of dollars to a scammer after her daughter's voice was AI-cloned and used in a scam. Sharon Brightwell says she received a call from someone who sounded just like her daughter. The woman on the other end was sobbing and crying, telling her mom...

184 million logins for Instagram, Roblox, Facebook, Snapchat, and more exposed online

A recent discovery by cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler of an unsecured database containing over 184 million unique login credentials has once again highlighted the growing threat posed by infostealers. While the sheer volume of exposed data—including emails, passwords, and authorization...

Popular VPNs are routing traffic via Chinese companies, including one with link to military

Up to one in five of the most popular mobile VPNs for iOS last year are owned by Chinese companies that do their best to hide the fact. In at least one case, the owner is on a US blacklist. That's according to a report from the non-profit Tech Transparency Project TTP, who investigated the top 10...

Oops! Google accidentally deletes some users’ Maps Timeline data

Google has admitted it accidentally deleted some users' Google Maps Timeline data after a "technical issue". As reported by Forbes on March 11, users started noticing that their Google Maps Timelines had completely disappeared. At the time, we didn't know anything about the cause of this issue...

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...

pcTattletale spyware leaks database containing victim screenshots, gets website defaced

The idea behind the software is simple. When the spying party installs the stalkerware, they grant permission to record what happens on the targeted Android or Windows device. The observer can then log in on an online portal and activate recording, at which point a screen capture is taken on the...

How AI will change your credit card behind the scenes

Many companies are starting to implement Artificial Intelligence AI within their services. Whenever there are large amounts of data involved, AI offers a way to turn that pile of data into actionable insights. And theres a big chance that our data are somewhere in that pile, whether they can be...

Psychotherapy practice hacker gets jail time after extorting patients, publishing personal therapy notes online

On October 30, 2020, I started a article with the words: “Hell is too nice a place for these people.” The subject of this outrage focused on the cybercriminals behind an attack on Finnish psychotherapy practice Vastaamo. Because it was a psychotherapy practice, the records contained extremely...

“Substantial proportion” of Americans may have had health and personal data stolen in Change Healthcare breach

UnitedHealth Group has given an update on the February cyberattack on Change Healthcare, one of its subsidiaries. In the update, the company revealed the scale of the breach, saying: “Based on initial targeted data sampling to date, the company has found files containing protected health...

How to back up your Mac

Backing up your Mac computer doesn’t need to be intimidating. By taking advantage of a user-friendly feature released by Apple several years ago, the entire backup process can be handled almost automatically, preserving your most important files, photos, applications, and emails from cyberthreats...

PetSmart warns customers of credential stuffing attack

Pet retail company PetSmart has emailed customers to alert them to a recent credential stuffing attack. Credential stuffing relies on the re-use of passwords. Take this example: User of Site A uses the same email and password to login to Site B. Site A gets compromised and those login details are...

ALPHV is singling out healthcare sector, say FBI and CISA

In an updated StopRansomware security advisory, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI, and the Department of Health and Human Services HHS has warned the healthcare industry about the danger of the ALPHV ransomware group, also known as...

ThreatDown EDR update: Streamlined Suspicious Activity investigation

Navigating the complex world of alerts just got easier, thanks to our latest enhancements to the ThreatDown Endpoint Detection and Response EDR platform. The detailed technical information in EDR alerts—replete with complicated diagrams and references to advanced cybersecurity tactics—can overwhe...

Malvertising: This cyberthreat isn’t on the dark web, it’s on Google

On the internet, people need to worry about more than just opening suspicious email attachments or entering their sensitive information into harmful websites—they also need to worry about their Google searches. That’s because last year, as revealed in our 2024 ThreatDown State of Malware report,...

A week in security (January 29 – February 4)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: CISA: Disconnect vulnerable Ivanti products TODAY FBI removes malware from hundreds of routers across the US "You have blood on your hands." Senate Committee calls for action by social media giants to protect children online Tax season is here, so are scammers Moth...

FBI removes malware from hundreds of routers across the US

The FBI has used a court order to remove malware from hundreds of routers across the US, and alter the routers’ settings to prevent reinfection. The routers are malware-infected NetGear and Cisco small office/home office SOHO devices that no longer receive updates because they have reached their...

Alleged FruitFly malware creator ruled incompetent to stand trial

On January 4, 2017, Case Western Reserve University CWRU, located in Cleveland, Ohio, became aware of an infection on more than 100 of its computers. The university was notified by an undisclosed third party, who provided information to help the team find and identify the malware. CWRU began...

State of Maine data breach impacts 1.3 million people

The US State of Maine says it has suffered a data breach impacting around 1.3 million people. According to the census from July 2022, thats more or less the the entire population of Maine. The State of Maine says it was compromised via a known vulnerability in secure transfer service MOVEit...

A week in security (November 06 – November 12)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Defeating Little Brother requires a new outlook on privacy: Lock and Code S04E23 Medical research data Advarra stolen after SIM swap Okta breach happened after employee logged into personal Google account Introducing ThreatDown: A new chapter for Malwarebytes...

Ragnar Locker ransomware group taken down

Even though it had a long run for a ransomware group, it seems the bell might be tolling for Ragnar Locker. On October 19, 2023, the group’s leak site was seized by an international group of law enforcement agencies. The take down action was carried out between 16 and 20 October. During the actio...

Giant health insurer struck by ransomware didn't have antivirus protection

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation PhilHealth, has confirmed that it was unprotected by antivirus software when it was attacked by the Medusa ransomware group in September. Antivirus software--or more correctly, its modern descendents endpoint security and Endpoint Detection and Response...

Meta is using your public Facebook and Instagram posts to train its AI

Post anything publicly on Facebook and Instagram? Meta has likely been using those posts to train its AI, according to the company's top policy executive. In an interview with Reuters, Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg said the company used the public posts to train the LLM large langua...

Webinar: Bridging digital transformation & cybersecurity

Digital transformation may be revolutionizing businesses and the way we operate, but it also presents notable challenge: How can organizations stay secure amidst the ceaseless tide of change? Our latest Byte Into Security webinar has the answers. Meet the Experts Marcin Kleczynski, CEO of...

Microsoft Teams used to deliver DarkGate Loader malware

Researchers have found a new method by which cybercriminals are spreading the DarkGate Loader malware. Until now, DarkGate was typically distributed via phishing emails. The malspam campaign used stolen email threads to lure victims into clicking a hyperlink, which downloaded the malware. But...

Chrome's "Enhanced Ad Privacy": What you need to know

Users of Google's Chrome web browser may wish to dig into their privacy settings as a new feature regarding advertising privacy slowly rolls out to the masses. Googles "Enhanced Ad Privacy" feature may soon appear in your browser, tied to choices regarding a new Chrome feature named Topics. This ...

Prompt injection could be the SQL injection of the future, warns NCSC

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre NCSC has issued a warning about the risks of integrating large language models LLMs like OpenAIs ChatGPT into other services. One of the major risks is the possibility of prompt injection attacks. The NCSC points out several dangers associated with...

FCC comes down hard on robocallers with record $300m fine

Robocallers are in the news after the FCC issued a $300 million forfeiture to a persistent offender and shut down their operation. A robocall network makes use of automated software diallers to spam out large numbers of cold calls to unsuspecting recipients. These calls promise much but give very...

Meta subsidiaries must pay $14m over misleading data collection disclosure

Meta has run into yet another bout of court related issues--two subsidiaries have been ordered to pay $14 million regarding undisclosed data collection. The Australian case, which has rumbled on for the best part of two and a half years, has focused on claims related to a now discontinued Virtual...

6 tips for a cybersecure honeymoon

You've done it, you've got married. The big day is over, and while you're relaxing on honeymoon you definitely don't want to get distracted by security problems. So, we rounded up some quick tips to keep you safe. Refrain from posting on social media about your honeymoon. This is good practice...

Former TikTok exec: Chinese Communist Party had "God mode" entry to US data

A former executive at TikToks parent company ByteDance has claimed in court documents that the Chinese Communist Party CCP had access to TikTok data, despite the data being stored in the US. The allegations were made in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit which was filed in May in the San Francisco...

Zip domains, a bad idea nobody asked for

If you heard a strange and unfamiliar creaking noise on May 3, it may have been the simultaneous rolling of a million eyeballs. The synchronised ocular rotation was the less than warm welcome that parts of the IT and security industries--this author included--gave to Google's decision to put .zip...

A week in security (May 8-14)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: The rise of "Franken-ransomware," with Allan Liska: Lock and Code S04E11 Ransomware review: May 2023 Brightline breach hits at least 964,000 people, US records show Ransomware attack on MSI led to compromised Intel Boot Guard private keys Fake system update drops...

GuLoader returns with a rotten shipment

GuLoader, a perennial favourite of email-based malware campaigns since 2019, has been seen in the wild once again. GuLoader is a downloader with a chequered history, dating back to somewhere around 2011 in various forms. Two years ago it was one of our most seen malspam attachments. Most popular...

What your peers said: G2 comparison of top Endpoint Security vendors

Navigating the world of endpoint security is challenging, with numerous vendors stoking FUD and making bold claims that are difficult to verify. In times like these, the honest opinions of real users are invaluable for busy IT teams. Enter G2, an industry-leading peer-to-peer review site. Each...

Malware authors join forces and target organisations with Domino Backdoor

Theres a new ransomware gang in town, stitched together from members of well known threat creators to push a new kind of malware focused on punishing unwary organisations. The malware family, called "Domino", is the brainchild of FIN7 and ex-Conti ransomware members. Domino has been seen in attac...

The NBA tells fans about data breach

The National Basketball Association NBA has notified its fans they may be affected by a data breach in a third-party service the organization uses. For now, it is safe to assume that the attacker only obtained names and email addresses, but the NBA has hired the services of external cybersecurity...

Ransomware review: March 2023

This article is based on research by Marcelo Rivero, Malwarebytes' ransomware specialist, who builds a monthly picture of ransomware activity by monitoring the information published by ransomware gangs on their Dark Web leak sites. This information represents victims who were successfully attacke...

GoDaddy says it's a victim of multi-year cyberattack campaign

Hosting and domain name company GoDaddy says it believes a "sophisticated threat actor group" has been subjecting the company to a multi-year attack campaign, the most recent of which occurred in December 2022. In December, it received complaints about customer websites being periodically...

Florida hospital takes entire IT systems offline after 'ransomware attack'

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare TMH, a major hospital system in northern Florida, has reportedly been experiencing an "IT security issue" since Thursday evening, which impacted some of its IT systems. When TMH learned of the issue, it took its entire IT systems offline as a precaution and contact...

Business Email Compromise attack imitates vendors, targets supply chains

Today we have a fascinating tale of a business email compromise BEC group steering clear of targeting executives, in favour of fouling up supply chains instead. The attack, which may sound overly complicated, is a fairly streamlined attack with the intention of making a lot of money. BEC: What is...

Cyberthreats facing UK finance sector "a national security threat"

As the reports covering all of 2022 start trickling in, we can see that cybercrime and other types of fraud had a major impact last year. Take for example the 2022 half year fraud update by UK Finance, which tells us that criminals stole a total of £609.8 million roughly $750 million through...

CISA releases advice on how to safeguard K–12 organizations

To help K-12 schools and school districts in their struggle against cybercrime the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency CISA has released the report, Protecting Our Future: Partnering to Safeguard K-12 organizations from Cybersecurity Threats. A cybersecurity incident can significantly...

3 ways Malwarebytes helps you browse securely and privately online

Malicious links. Third-party ad trackers. Information-gobbling data brokers. Lets face it, the Internet is kind of like the Wild West when it comes to threats to our privacy and security. And unfortunately, it takes a little more than a cowboy hat and a pistol to defend yourself out there. Thats...

4 ways to protect your privacy while scrolling

Privacy is a right that is yours to value and defend. Article 8 of the Human Rights Act protects your right to respect for your private and family life. One of the pillars of the article is that personal information about you including official records, photographs, letters, diaries, and medical...

Lego's Bricklink steps on cross site scripting blocks

If you build it, they will come. In Legos case, they built it and certain security flaws meant someone could have taken it all apart. PCMag reports that flaws in Legos Bricklink service meant that it was open to potential data leakage or even account hijacking. Those flaws, now addressed,...

A week in security (October 24 - 30)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Lock and Code: A gym heist in London goes cyber Healthcare site leaks personal health information via Google and Meta tracking pixels An odd kind of cybercrime: Gift vouchers, medical records, and...food Cisco warns of ISE vulnerability with no fixed release or...

Android and Chrome start showing passwords the door

Google has announced that it's bringing passkey support to both Android and Chrome. On May 5, 2022, it said it would implement passwordless support in Android and Chrome and the latest annoncement about passkeys is an important step in that journey. Passkeys Passkeys are a replacement for...

Vulnerable children's identities used in tax fraud scheme

Fraudster Ariel "Melo" Jimenez has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for leading a "tax fraud and identity theft conspiracy" that resulted in the fraudulent claiming of tax credits, earning him millions of dollars. "Ariel Jimenez was the leader of a long-running fraudulent tax business that...