Exposing the Facebook funeral livestream scam (Lock and Code S05E21)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast … Online scammers were seen this August stooping to a new low—abusing local funerals to steal from bereaved family and friends. Cybercrime has never been a job of morals calling it a "job" is already lending it too much credit, but, for many years, scams...

SpaceX, CNN, and The White House internal data allegedly published online. Is it real?

A cybercriminal has released internal data online that they say has come from leaks at several high-profile sources, including SpaceX, CNN, and the White House. However, there are some questions around the reliability and usefulness of the released data, so we took a closer look. When it comes to...

Iranian cybercriminals are targeting WhatsApp users in spear phishing campaign

An Iranian state-sponsored group often referred to as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC is making headlines again this season as Meta disclosed that the cybercriminals targeted WhatsApp users in Israel, Palestine, Iran, the UK, and the US. Other names for this group—depending on the...

Fake Canva home page leads to browser lock

In a previous blog post, we showed how fraudsters were leveraging features from the very company Microsoft they were impersonating. We continue this series with another clever trick abusing Canva, a popular online tool for graphic design. This time, the scammers registered an account on Canva to...

Rite Aid says 2.2 million people affected in data breach

The US third-largest pharmacy chain Rite Aid has filed a data breach notification in which it reports that the data stolen during a June ransomware attack compromised the data of some 2.2 million people. Ransomware group RansomHub claimed responsibility for the attack that took place on June 6,...

Microsoft Recall snapshots can be easily grabbed with TotalRecall tool

Microsofts Recall feature has been criticized heavily by pretty much everyone since it was announced last month. Now, researchers have demonstrated the risks by creating a tool that can find, extract, and display everything Recall has stored on a device. For those unaware, Recall is a feature...

A week in security (March 18 – March 24)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: New Go loader pushes Rhadamanthys stealer Canada revisits decision to ban Flipper Zero Patch Ivanti Standalone Sentry and Ivanti Neurons for ITSM now 19 million plaintext passwords exposed by incorrectly configured Firebase instances Apex Legends Global Series...

Pegasus spyware creator ordered to reveal code used to spy on WhatsApp users

A California federal judge has ordered spyware maker NSO Group to hand over the code for Pegasus and other spyware products that were used to spy on WhatsApp users. Meta-owned WhatsApp has been fighting NSO in court since 2019, after Pegasus was allegedly used against 1,400 WhatsApp users over th...

A week in security (February 26 – March 3)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: PikaBot malware on the rise: What organizations need to know Malicious meeting invite fix targets Mac users Pig butchering scams, how they work and how to avoid them Airbnb scam sends you to a fake Tripadvisor site, takes your money Facebook bug could have allowed...

Android banking trojans: How they steal passwords and drain bank accounts

For the most popular operating system in the world—which is Android and it isn’t even a contest—there’s a sneaky cyberthreat that can empty out a person’s bank accounts to fill the illicit coffers of cybercriminals. These are “Android banking trojans,” and, according to our 2024 ThreatDown State ...

Identity theft is number one threat for consumers, says report

The German Federal Office for Information Security BSI has published a report on The State of IT Security in Germany in 2023, and the number one threat for consumers is… identity theft. The thing is, you can protect your devices and your online privacy as much as possible, but what happens when...

Signal to shield user phone numbers by default

Chat app Signal will shield user’s phone numbers by default from now on. And, it will no longer be necessary to exchange phone numbers when people want to connect through the app. In November, we reported that Signal was testing usernames to eliminate the need to share your phone number. Signal h...

Ransomware review: February 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...

Known ransomware attacks up 68% in 2023

Today, Malwarebytes released its 2024 State of Malware report, detailing six cyberthreats that resource-constrained IT teams should pay attention to in 2024. Top of the list is "Big Game" ransomware, the most serious cyberthreat to businesses all around the world. Big game attacks extort vast...

AI likely to boost ransomware, warns government body

The British National Cyber Security Centre NCSC says it expects Artificial Intelligence AI to heighten the global ransomware threat. In a report, the NCSC makes the assessment that AI will almost certainly increase the volume and heighten the impact of cyberattacks over the next two years. We’re...

Webinar recap: Ransomware gangs and Living Off The Land attacks (LOTL)

Discover the intersection of Ransomware-as-a-Service RaaS gangs and Living Off The Land LOTL attacks in our latest webinar, now available on-demand, led by cybersecurity experts Ian Thomas, Mark Stockley, and Bill Cozens. The webinar revealed how RaaS gangs use LOTL tactics, leveraging legitimate...

Meta’s Purple Llama wants to test safety risks in AI models

Meta has announced Purple Llama, a project that aims to "bring together tools and evaluations to help the community build responsibly with open generative AI models." Generative Artificial Intelligence AI models have been around for years and their main function, compared to older AI models is th...

How IT teams can conduct a vulnerability assessment for third-party applications

Google Chrome, Adobe Acrobat Reader, TeamViewer, you name it—there’s no shortage of third-party apps that IT teams need to constantly check for vulnerabilities. But to get a better picture of the problem, lets bust out some napkin math. The average company uses about 200 applications overall...

Nothing Chats pulled from Google Play

Sometimes it’s all in the name. The Nothing Chats beta has been pulled from the Google Play Store after reports that the company behind it has access to your unencrypted messages. Nothing Phone 2 owners were promised a first-of-its-kind app developed in partnership with Sunbird, which allowed the...

A week in security (October 16 – October 22)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Ragnar Locker ransomware group taken down IT administrators passwords are awful too The hot topics from Europes largest trade fair for IT security Clever malvertising attack uses Punycode to look like KeePasss official website 3 crucial security steps people should...

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...

Customer data stolen from gaming cloud host Shadow

Cloud infrastructure provider Shadow has warned of the data theft of over 500,000 customers. The customers were informed by a breach notification which was posted online. Cloud is known in the gaming world and, among other things, allows gamers to play resource heavy games on lower-end devices, T...

Google’s Bard conversations turn up in search results

Google is coming under scrutiny after people discovered transcripts of conversations with its AI chatbot Bard are being indexed in Google search results. Bard is Googles answer to ChatGPT, and allows users to have conversations with an AI. Services like these have attracted a lot of attention,...

Malwarebytes Admin update: New Detection screens to manage threats!

We released version 1.2 of the Malwarebytes Admin app for iOS and Android last week, adding new Detection features make it easier to see and manage threats. Designed as a companion to the Nebula console, Malwarebytes Admin allows administrators to quickly review, investigate, and resolve security...

Major cyberattack leaves MGM Resorts reeling

A major incident impacting MGM Resorts has caused computer shutdowns all over the US. The systems most impacted are tied to casinos and hotel computer systems. According to the AP, locations caught by this shutdown range from New York and Ohio to Michigan and Mississippi. At this point Id link to...

Smart chastity device exposes sensitive user data

A security breach or piece of inadvertent exposure can be a devastating thing, not just for the company impacted but also the people whose data is stolen or exposed to the world. The usual roll-call of "name, address, phone number and card details" is bad enough. If such things are tied to...

Google strengthens its Workplace suite protection

Google has announced the strengthening of safeguard measures for its Workspace customers. You may well be using Workspace without realising it. If youre using a Google product such as Gmail, Calendar, Drive, or Google Docs Editors Suite among other apps, then congratulations: you are fully inside...

Beware malware posing as beta versions of legitimate apps, warns FBI

The FBI has issued a warning that cybercriminals are embedding malicious code in mobile beta-testing apps in attempts to defraud potential victims. The victims are typically contacted on dating sites and social media, and in some cases they are promised incentives such as large financial payouts...

Old exploit kits still kicking around in 2023

The year is 2023 and there still are some people using Internet Explorer on planet Earth. More shocking perhaps, is the fact there are still threat actors maintaining exploit kit infrastructure and dropping new malware. In this quick blog post, we review two well-known toolkits from the past,...

Server breach could be fatal blow for LetMeSpy

A mobile app designed to let people spy on others will shortly be going out of business after a server breach and mass deletion incident. The app, LetMeSpy, sits silently and invisibly on a phone and collects call logs, location data, and even text messages. This kind of program is commonly...

Online safety tips for LGBTQIA+ communities

The internet is great for bringing people together, helping you feel part of a community, and staying in touch with your nearest and dearest. But it can also be a nasty place - from malware to scammers, to people just being plain awful to others. It's probably not surprising to read that recent...

A week in security (June 5 - 11)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Trusting AI not to lie: The cost of truth: Lock and Code S04E12 5 unusual cybersecurity tips that actually work The 2023 State of Ransomware in Education: 84% increase in attacks over 6-month period Information stealer compromises legitimate sites to attack other...

Apple releases first Rapid Security Response update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS users

On Monday, Apple released its first batch of Rapid Security Response RSR patches, iOS 16.4.1 a, iPadOS 16.4.1 a, and macOS 13.3.1 a, for iPhone and iPad, and macOS devices, respectively. RSR is a new type of software patch delivered between Apple's regular, scheduled software updates. Previously,...

Introducing the Malwarebytes Admin app: Endpoint security at your fingertips

If youre on the beach sipping piña coladas, the last thing you probably want to do is rush to your desktop and address a critical security issue. And yet, this is the reality for many IT security professionals today. Regardless of the time or current location, security pros are expected to drop...

Massive malvertising campaign targets seniors via fake Weebly sites

Knowing their audience is something scammers excel at, and for very good reason. This is particularly true for tech support scammers whose prime targets are seniors. By understanding what retirees are searching for and abusing various online platforms, crooks can precisely go after the demographi...

Uber data theft: Driver info stolen after law firm breached

Uber, yet again, has become a victim of data theft following a third-party breach. This time, threat actors have aimed at the company's law firm, Genova Burns. Data of Uber's drivers may have been swiped during the security incident. According to the letter sent to affected drivers, the firm beca...

Western Digital confirms breach, affects My Cloud and SanDisk users

Western Digital, a big brand in digital storage, says it has suffered a "network security incident--potentially ransomware--which resulted in a breach and some system disruptions in its business operations. The company identified the incident on March 26 and said an unnamed third party unlawfully...

New macOS malware steals sensitive info, including a user's entire Keychain database

A new macOS malware--called MacStealer--that is capable of stealing various files, cryptocurrency wallets, and details stored in specific browsers like Firefox, Chrome, and Brave, was discovered by security researchers from Uptycs, a cybersecurity company specializing in cloud security. It can al...

YouTube under fire for allegedly gathering children's data

The UKs childrens code, introduced three years ago by the Information Commissioner's Office ICO, is all about ensuring that companies make childrens privacy a primary consideration when creating sites and services, games, and toys. The code, also known as the Age Appropriate Design Code AADC, may...

A week in security (February 20 - 26)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: GoAnywhere zero-day opened door to Clop ransomware Chip company loses $250m after ransomware hits supply chain GoDaddy says it's a victim of multi-year cyberattack campaign Twitter and two-factor authentication: What's changing? How to set up two-factor...

The 5 most dangerous cyberthreats facing businesses this year

Which of the myriad, extant cyberthreats should your business be paying the most attention to in 2023? Thats the question we set out to answer in this years annual State of Malware report, and the answers might surprise you. To understand why, you need to know what makes this years report so...

Two Supreme Court cases could change the Internet as we know it

The Supreme Court is about to reconsider Section 230, a law thats been the foundation of the way we have used the Internet for decades. The court will be handling a few cases that at first glance are about online platforms' liability for hosting accounts from foreign terrorists. But at a deeper...

Beware fake Facebook emails saying "your page has been disabled"

Facebook users need to be on their guard for bogus emails claiming to be from Facebook, that tell users their account has been disabled. The emails make use of the classic "apply some pressure" tactics so beloved of scammers everywhere. A missive that makes you shrug wont get you clicking bogus...

The rise of multi-threat ransomware

Today we have a ten minute YouTube expedition into the murky world of ransomware. In the video, "The rise of multi-threat ransomware" embedded below, I cover a couple of key talking points that always seem to come up in conversation. Single, double, triple? The video covers how ransomware made th...

A week in security (January 23—29)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: T-Mobile reports data theft of 37 million customers in the US Ransomware revenue significantly down over 2022 Microsoft to end direct sale of Windows 10 licenses at the end of January TikTok CEO told to "step up efforts to comply" with digital laws 4 ways to protec...

Video game playing FISH live streams credit card 'theft'

A fish is in hot water metaphorically speaking after having performed some incredible antics on a video game live stream. The fish, known for playing popular video game titles to completion on live streams, decided to take that whole gamer lifestyle thing a little too far and went on a rip-roarin...

VASTFLUX ad fraud massively affected millions of iOS devices, dismantled

Researchers have successfully dismantled a massive ad fraud campaign they stumbled upon by accident. The Satori Threat Intelligence and Research Team dubbed the campaign VASTFLUX, a portmanteau of "fast flux"--an evasion technique involving the constant changing of IP addresses behind a single...

2023 prediction: Security workforce shortage will lead to nationally significant cyberattack

If 2022 was any indication, businesses are about to face an unprecedented volume, frequency, and sophistication of cyberthreats in 2023. Global cyberattacks have increased by 483 percent over the last two years, and at the current rate of growth, damage from such attacks will amount to $10.5...

Pokemon NFT card game malware chooses you

Pokemon fans are urged to be on their guard after bogus card game portals have been offering up malware under the guise of NFTs. The sites in question offer up an enticing looking mix of card gaming with a splash of money making on the side. Digital card games are big business in gaming circles,...

Security vulnerabilities in major car brands revealed

Your car potentially hasnt "just" been a car for a long time. With multiple digital systems, vehicles are increasingly plugged into web applications and digital processes. These systems tie into everything from passwords and web chat systems for car company employees, to file repositories and oth...