Warning for WordPress admins: uninstall the Modern WPBakery plugin immediately!

WordPress admins are being warned to remove a buggy plugin or risk a total site takeover. This particular threat relates to a plugin which is no longer in use: Modern WPBakery page builder addons. The vulnerability in the plugin, known as CVE-2021-24284, allows "unauthenticated arbitrary file...

Safe Connections Act could help domestic abuse survivors take control of their digital lives

A bill introduced in the US Senate could help domestic abuse and sex trafficking survivors—including those tracked by stalkerware-type applications—regain digital independence through swift, shared phone plan termination and the extension of mobile phone plan subsidies. Titled the Safe Connection...

Nextdoor neighborhood app sends letters on its users’ behalf

Dutch police departments and consumer organizations issued warnings about the use of the Nextdoor neighborhood app because people received letters yes, as in snail-mail pretending to come from someone in their neighborhood, which the alleged senders did not send or deliver. So, everyone figured...

What’s new in TrickBot? Deobfuscating elements

Trojan.TrickBot has been present in the threat landscape from quite a while. We wrote about its first version in October 2016. From the beginning, it was a well organized modular malware, written by developers with mature skills. It is often called a banker, however its modular structure allows t...

Google Pixel: Cropped or edited images can be recovered

Most of us have a camera on us at all times, and so photo taking and image sharing has become almost ubiquitous. But when sharing an image, you want to have control over what you share. And that might lead you to crop images, or redact parts of them. Maybe you cropped out a person that didn't wan...

SAP customers are urged to patch critical vulnerabilities in multiple products

German enterprise software maker SAP has patched three critical vulnerabilities affecting Internet Communication Manager ICM, a core component of SAP business applications. Customers are urged by both SAP and CISA to address these critical vulnerabilities as soon as possible. On February 8, SAP...

Meet Extenbro, a new DNS-changer Trojan protecting adware

Recently, we uncovered a new DNS-changer called Extenbro that comes with an adware bundler. These DNS-changers block access to security-related sites, so the adware victims can’t download and install security software to get rid of the pests. From our viewpoint, this might be like sending in an...

Microsoft Patch Tuesday March 2024 includes critical Hyper-V flaws

The March 2024 Patch Tuesday update includes patches for 61 Microsoft vulnerabilities. Only two of the vulnerabilities are rated critical and both of these are found in Windows Hyper-V. Hyper-V is a hardware virtualization product that allows you to run multiple operating systems as virtual...

Update now! Microsoft fixes two zero-days in August's Patch Tuesday

Microsoft has published fixes for 141 separate vulnerabilities in its batch of August updates, fixing a total of 118 CVEs in multiple products. This is a new monthly record if you look at the CVE count. Publicly disclosed computer security flaws are listed in the Common Vulnerabilities and...

Exim finally fixes 3 out of 6 vulnerabilities

Exim is a message transfer agent MTA originally developed at the University of Cambridge for use on Unix systems connected to the internet, and is freely available under the terms of the GNU General Public Licence. Even though the name may be new to you, a Shodan search revealed 3.5 million serve...

Update Android now! Google patches three important vulnerabilities

In the April 2023 Android security bulletin, Google announced security updates which include fixes for two critical remote code execution RCE vulnerabilities and one vulnerability that has been exploited in the wild. The vulnerabilities are impacting Android systems running versions 11, 12, 12L,...

BrakTooth Bluetooth vulnerabilities, crash all the devices!

Security researchers have revealed details about a set of 16 vulnerabilities that impact the Bluetooth software stack that ships with System-on-Chip SoC boards from several popular vendors. The same group of researchers disclosed the SweynTooth vulnerabilities in February 2020. They decided to du...

Zoom zero-day discovery makes calls safer, hackers $200,000 richer

Two Dutch white-hat security specialists entered the annual computer hacking contest Pwn2Own, managed to find a Remote Code Execution RCE flaw in Zoom and are $200,000 USD better off than they were before. Pwn2Own Pwn2Own is a high profile event organized by the Zero Day Initiative that challenge...

Parental monitoring apps: How do they differ from stalkerware?

In late June, Malwarebytes revived its long-running campaign against a vicious type of malware in use today. This malware peers into text messages. It pinpoints victims’ movements across locations. It reveals browsing and search history. Often hidden from users, it removes their expectation of,...

Patch now! Cisco VPN routers are vulnerable to remote control

Cisco has released a security advisory about several vulnerabilities in the Cisco Small Business RV series routers, covering the RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345. There are no workarounds available that address these vulnerabilities, so you need to patch. Vulnerabilities The vulnerabilities are...

Will pay-for-privacy be the new normal?

Privacy is a human right, and online privacy should be no exception. Yet, as the US considers new laws to protect individuals’ online data, at least two proposals—one statewide law that can still be amended and one federal draft bill that has yet to be introduced—include an unwelcome bargain:...

Fake ChatGPT download site infects Windows and Mac users with malware

A convincing fake website is impersonating OpenAI’s ChatGPT download page and infecting visitors with malware designed to steal passwords, browser data, cryptocurrency wallets, and other sensitive information. The site, openew.app, closely mimics OpenAI’s real ChatGPT download experience and offe...

Update Android now! Google patches three actively exploited zero-days

In Julys update for the Android operating system OS, Google has patched 43 vulnerabilities, three of which are actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities. The security bulletin notes that there are indications that these three vulnerabilities may be under limited, targeted exploitation. If your...

Why Log4Text is not another Log4Shell

The Apache Software Foundation has acknowledged a vulnerability in Apache Commons Text, a library focused on algorithms for string manipulation. The vulnerability has been assigned CVE-2022- 42889, but security researchers have dubbed it Log4Text. The name provides an immediate association with...

Thief pulls off colossal, $600m crypto-robbery …and gives the money back

The largest crypto-robbery in history is rapidly turning into the most bizarre as well. Lets start at the beginning… In an apparent scream for mercy, 21 hours ago the Poly Network Team reached out via Twitter to “hackers” that had managed to transfer roughly $600 million in digital tokens out of...

Patch now! Cisco VPN routers are vulnerable to remote control

Cisco has released a security advisory about several vulnerabilities in the Cisco Small Business RV series routers, covering the RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345. There are no workarounds available that address these vulnerabilities, so you need to patch. Vulnerabilities The vulnerabilities are...

Cars and hospital equipment running Blackberry QNX may be affected by BadAlloc vulnerability

Following an announcement by Blackberry the U.S. Food & Drug Administration FDA and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency CISA have put out alerts that vulnerabilities found in the Blackberry QNX real-time operating system RTOS may introduce risks for certain medical devices...

Should you delete yourself from social media?

You're feeling like you've had enough. All the recent news—from Facebook's Cambridge Analytica snafu to various abuses of Twitter vulnerabilities—has you wondering: Should I delete myself from social media? Social networking does have its positive aspects. You can stay in touch with distant or no...

Update now! Apple patches another privilege escalation bug in iOS and iPadOS

Apple has released a security update for iOS and iPad that addresses a critical vulnerability reportedly being exploited in the wild. The update has been made available for iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro all models, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iP...

15,000 webcams vulnerable to attack: how to protect against webcam hacking

Webcams may have been around for a long time, but that doesn’t mean we know what we’re doing with them. Webcam hacking has been around for equally as long, yet new research from Wizcase indicates that more than 15,000 private, web-connected cameras are exposed and readily accessible to the genera...

Update now: 9 vulnerabilities impact Cisco Small Business Series

Vulnerabilities have been found and fixed in the web-based user interface of various Cisco products in the Small Business Series. These nine issues are tied to the web-based user interface of the products, and in a worst case scenario could lead to denial of service DoS conditions or arbitrary co...

Update now! Apple fixes several serious vulnerabilities in iOS and macOS

Apple has released patches for macOS Monterey 12.3, iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4. In these security updates, released on March 14, 2022, Apple tackles 39 vulnerabilities, several of which could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. One of the vulnerabilities can be...

Revisiting the NSIS-based crypter

This blog post was authored by hasherezade NSIS Nullsoft Scriptable Install System is a framework dedicated to creating software installers. It allows to bundle various elements of an application together i.e. the main executable, used DLLs, configs, along with a script that controls where are th...

GreenFlash Sundown exploit kit expands via large malvertising campaign

Exploit kit activity has been relatively quiet for some time, with the occasional malvertising campaign reminding us that drive-by downloads are still a threat. However, during the past few days we noticed a spike in our telemetry for what appeared to be a new exploit kit. Upon closer inspection ...

4 lessons to be learned from the DOE’s DDoS attack

Analysts, researchers, industry professionals, and pundits alike have all posited the dangers of the next-generation “smart grid,” particularly when it comes to cybersecurity. They warn that without the right measures in place, unscrupulous parties could essentially wreak havoc on the bulk of...

Smart speakers: Christmas treat or lump of coal?

Christmas is nearly upon us, and thoughts are perhaps turning to various digital presents of a “smart” nature. Home security, hubs, speakers, cameras, and mashups of all of those and more besides. With regards to speakers, the most immediate pieces of your home are theoretically at your beck and...

“Who visits your Twitter profile” spam app brings week of chaos

Twitter spam has been around forever, and rogue apps asking for installs in return for a cool feature to be more accurate, spamming your contacts is a constant thorn in our Twittery sides. Over the weekend, we observed a new Twitter app doing the rounds and causing a lot of congestion on people's...

Enemy at the gates: Reviewing the Magnitude exploit kit redirection chain

Over the last few months, we have been keeping an eye on the Magnitude exploit kit which is mainly used to deliver the Cerber ransomware to specific countries in Asia. Our telemetry shows that South Korea is most impacted via ongoing malvertising campaigns. When a visitor goes to a website that...

MOVEit Transfer fixes three new vulnerabilities

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA has warned about three new vulnerabilities in Progress Software's MOVEit software. A cybercriminal could exploit some of these vulnerabilities to obtain sensitive information. In the advisory, CISA encouraged users to review Progress MOVEi...

April’s Patch Tuesday update includes fixes for two zero-day vulnerabilities

It’s that time of the month again. Time to check what needs to be updated and prioritize where necessary. The Microsoft updates include at least two zero-day vulnerabilities that deserve your attention. Microsoft Microsoft has released security updates and non-security updates for client and serv...

Mac malware combines EmPyre backdoor and XMRig miner

Earlier this week, we discovered a new piece of Mac malware that is combining two different open-source tools—the EmPyre backdoor and the XMRig cryptominer—for the purpose of evil. The malware was being distributed through an application named Adobe Zii. Adobe Zii is software that is designed to...

Massive DDoS attack washes over GitHub

There's been some huge DDoS distributed denial of service attacks over the years, but we've been…lucky?…enough to witness the latest raising of the stakes in the last couple of days. GitHub, an incredibly important code resource for major organisations around the world, fell victim to a colossal...

A week in security (August 28 – September 3)

Last week, we looked at what actions Kronos can perform in the final installment of a 2-part post. We also dived into Locky, again, a ransomware that just made a comeback, and found that its latest variant as of this writing has anti-sandboxing capabilities. This means that once Locky has...

Update now! Google patches Android vulnerability that allows remote code execution over Bluetooth

In the Android security bulletin of December 5, 2022 you can find an overview of the security vulnerabilities affecting Android devices that are fixed in patch level 2022-12-05 or later. The most severe of these issues is a critical security vulnerability in the System component that could lead t...

Lenovo issues fixes for laptop backdoors

Researchers have discovered three vulnerabilities affecting various Lenovo consumer laptop models. The vulnerabilities were found in UEFI firmware drivers originally meant to be used only during the manufacturing process, along with a vulnerability in the SW SMI handler function. The list of...

Compromising vital infrastructure: problems in education security continue

The educational system and many of its elements are targets for cybercriminals on a regular basis. While education is a fundamental human right recognized by the United Nations, the financial means of many schools and other entities in the global educational system are often limited. These limite...

Google patches critical vulnerability for Androids with Qualcomm chips

In April’s update for the Android operating system OS, Google has patched 28 vulnerabilities, one of which is rated critical for Android devices equipped with Qualcomm chips. You can find your device’s Android version number, security update level, and Google Play system level in your Settings ap...

Update now! Proof of concept code to be released for Zoho ManageEngine vulnerability

Users of multiple Zoho ManageEngine products are under urgent advice to install the patch issued October 27, 2022. The advice is urgent because on January 13, 2023 the Horizon3 Attack Team tweeted that Proof of Concept PoC code and a deep-dive blog will be released within a week. Mitigation A lon...

[updated]Two new Exchange Server zero-days in the wild

Microsoft has issued some customer guidance as it investigates yes, more reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, affecting the 2013, 2016, and 2019 versions of the software. The company says it "is aware of limited targeted attacks using the two vulnerabilities to get into users...

What is the WireGuard VPN protocol?

In layman’s terms, a VPN uses encryption to create a private online connection between a device and a VPN server. With a good VPN service, you can shield your data from curious eyes. A VPN protocol is the set of rules that shapes how your data travels between your computer, mobile phone, tablet, ...

New Golang brute forcer discovered amid rise in e-commerce attacks

E-commerce websites continue to be targeted by online criminals looking to steal personal and payment information directly from unaware shoppers. Recently, attacks have been conducted via skimmer, which is a piece of code that is either directly injected into a hacked site or referenced externall...

Sextortion Bitcoin scam makes unwelcome return

Heads up: a particularly nasty sextortion Bitcoin scam from at least the middle of 2018 is making the rounds once again. The scam involves making use of old breach dumps, then emailing someone from the list and reminding them of their old password. When something lands in your mailbox with “Hey,...

Patch now! Apple fixes in-the-wild iPhone vulnerabilities

Apple has fixed two vulnerabilities in Safaris WebKit component, announcing it is aware of a report that they may have been actively exploited. Both vulnerabilities could be abused by maliciously crafted web content that could lead to arbitrary code execution: In other words, the bugs let rogue...

A week in security (June 17 – 23)

Last week on the Malwarebytes Labs blog, we took a look at the growing pains of smart cities, took a deep dive into AI, jammed along to Radiohead, and looked at the lessons learned from Chernobyl in relation to critical infrastructure. We also explored a new Steam phish attack, and pulled apart a...

Crack hunting: not all it’s cracked up to be

People sometimes ask us in the forums if a keygen or software crack is safe to use. Sometimes, these programs do what they say on the tin. Other times, they’re not what they say they are. In this post, I’ll describe what happened when I went crack hunting, and why it is often unsafe to carry out...