Update WhatsApp now: Two new flaws could expose you to malicious files

Meta has published a new security advisory for messaging app WhatsApp, announcing patches for two vulnerabilities. WhatsApp has fixed two security flaws that could be abused to interfere with how media and attachments are handled on your device. There is no evidence that either bug has been...

Cyberattacks are raising your prices (Lock and Code S07E09)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast… Your prices could be going up because of a little something that one group has started calling the “cyber tax.” Not a “tax” in any regulatory sense of the word, this newly named “cyber tax” is instead a consequence of the growing number of cyberattacks on...

A week in security (April 27 – May 3)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: 3 easy-to-miss cybersecurity risks for small businesses Actively exploited cPanel bug exposes millions of websites to takeover More PayPal emails hijacked to deliver tech support scams Hackers stole hundreds of thousands of Roblox accounts: Here’s what to do...

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...

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...

April Patch Tuesday fixes two zero-days, including one under active attack

This month’s patch Tuesday looks to remediate 167 security vulnerabilities including two zero-day vulnerabilities, one of which is known to be actively exploited in the wild. This makes April one of those months where “Patch Tuesday” looks more like “patch the entire stack,” from servers and...

Simply opening a PDF could trigger this Adobe Reader zero-day

Opening the wrong PDF in Adobe Reader was enough to let criminals quietly spy on your computer and unleash more attacks, even though everything looked normal. A researcher analyzed a malicious PDF and found that it abused a previously unknown flaw a “zero‑day” in Adobe Acrobat Reader. When a vict...

Support platform breach exposes Hims & Hers customer data

Healthcare companies handle some of the most personal data imaginable. That makes them a magnet for hackers. And when those companies outsource their customer support to third-party platforms, every one of those platforms becomes another door someone can try to kick in. Telehealth giant Hims & He...

GlassWorm attack installs fake browser extension for surveillance

GlassWorm hides inside developer tools. Once it's in, it steals data, installs remote access malware, and even a fake browser extension to monitor activity. While it starts with developers, the impact can quickly spread. With stolen credentials, access tokens, and compromised tools, attackers can...

FBI, CISA warn of Russian hackers hijacking Signal and WhatsApp accounts

In a Public Service Announcement PSA the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA warn the public about ongoing Russian-linked phishing campaigns that aim to gain access to messaging accounts. Earlier this month we wrote about a large‑scale...

A week in security (March 9 – March 15)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Watch out for fake Malwarebytes renewal notices in your calendar Google patches two Chrome zero-days under active attack. Update now Attackers impersonate Temu in ClickFix $Temu airdrop scam Apple patches Coruna exploit kit flaws for older iOS versions This Android...

Apple patches Coruna exploit kit flaws for older iOS versions

On March 3, 2026, Google warned about a powerful exploit kit targeting Apple iPhone models running iOS version 13.0 released in September 2019 up to version 17.2.1 released in December 2023. In the latest security updates, Apple patched the vulnerabilities used in the Coruna exploit kit for older...

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...

Beware of fake OpenClaw installers, even if Bing points you to GitHub

Attackers are abusing OpenClaw’s popularity by seeding fake “installers” on GitHub, boosted by Bing AI search results, to deliver infostealers and proxy malware instead of the AI assistant users were looking for. OpenClaw is an open‑source, self‑hosted AI agent that runs locally on your machine...

Supreme Court to decide whether geofence warrants are constitutional

Google has weighed in on a court case that will decide the future of a powerful but contentious tool for law enforcement. The company submitted an opinion to the US Supreme Court arguing that geofence warrants are unconstitutional. A geofence warrant is a form of "reverse warrant" that turns a...

Purchase order attachment isn’t a PDF. It’s phishing for your password

An attachment named New PO 500PCS.pdf.hTM, posing as a purchase order in PDF form, turned out to be something entirely different: a credential-harvesting web page that quietly sent passwords and IP/location data straight to a Telegram bot controlled by an attacker. Imagine you’re in accounts...

A week in security (February 23 – March 1)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Public Google API keys can be used to expose Gemini AI data Inside a fake Google security check that becomes a browser RAT Fake Zoom and Google Meet scams install Teramind: A technical deep dive How to understand and avoid Advanced Persistent Threats The Conduent...

Apple patches zero-day flaw that could let attackers take control of devices

Apple has released security updates for iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and Safari, fixing, in particular, a zero-day flaw that is actively exploited in targeted attacks. Exploiting this zero-day flaw would allow cybercriminals to run any code they want on the affected device,...

How fake party invitations are being used to install remote access tools

“You’re invited!” It sounds friendly, familiar and quite harmless. But in a scam we recently spotted, that simple phrase is being used to trick victims into installing a full remote access tool on their Windows computers—giving attackers complete control of the system. What appears to be a casual...

One privacy change I made for 2026 (Lock and Code S07E02)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast … When you hear the words "data privacy," what do you first imagine? Maybe you picture going into your social media apps and setting your profile and posts to private. Maybe you think about who you've shared your location with and deciding to revoke some of...

Fake extension crashes browsers to trick users into infecting themselves

Researchers have found another method used in the spirit of ClickFix: CrashFix. ClickFix campaigns use convincing lures—historically “Human Verification” screens—to trick the user into pasting a command from the clipboard. After fake Windows update screens, video tutorials for Mac users, and many...

WhisperPair exposes Bluetooth earbuds and headphones to tracking and eavesdropping

WhisperPair is a set of attacks that lets an attacker hijack many popular Bluetooth audio accessories that use Google Fast Pair and, in some cases, even track their location via Google’s Find Hub network—all without requiring any user interaction. Researchers at the Belgian University of Leuven...

Received an Instagram password reset email? Here’s what you need to know

Last week, many Instagram users began receiving unsolicited emails from the platform that warned about a password reset request. The message said: “Hi username, We got a request to reset your Instagram password. If you ignore this message, your password will not be changed. If you didn’t request ...

Pornhub tells users to expect sextortion emails after data exposure

After a recent data breach that affected Pornhub Premium members, Pornhub has updated its online statement to warn users about potential direct contact from cybercriminals. “We are aware that the individuals responsible for this incident have threatened to contact impacted Pornhub Premium users...

“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...

New ClickFix wave infects users with hidden malware in images and fake Windows updates

Several researchers have flagged a new development in the ongoing ClickFix campaign: Attackers are now mimicking a Windows update screen to trick people into running malware. ClickFix campaigns use convincing lures, historically “Human Verification” screens, and now a fake “Windows Update” splash...

Mac users warned about new DigitStealer information stealer

A new infostealer called DigitStealer is going after Mac users. It avoids detection, skips older devices, and steals files, passwords, and browser data. We break down what it does and how to protect your Mac. Researchers have described a new malware called DigitStealer that steals sensitive...

Attackers are using “Sneaky 2FA” to create fake sign-in windows that look real

Attackers have a new trick to steal your username and password: fake browser pop-ups that look exactly like real sign-in windows. These “Browser-in-the-Browser” attacks can fool almost anyone, but a password manager and a few simple habits can keep you safe. Phishing attacks continue to evolve, a...

How credentials get stolen in seconds, even with a script-kiddie-level phish

This attempt to phish credentials caught our attention, mostly because of its front-end simplicity. Even though this is a script-kiddie-level type of attack, we figured it was worth writing up—precisely because it’s so easy to follow what they're up to. The email is direct and to the point. Not a...

A week in security (November 3 – November 9)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Malwarebytes scores 100% in AV-Comparatives Stalkerware Test 2025 Fake CAPTCHA sites now have tutorial videos to help victims install malware Hackers commit highway robbery, stealing cargo and goods Android malware steals your card details and PIN to make instant A...

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...

Fake PayPal invoice from Geek Squad is a tech support scam

One of our employees received this suspicious email and showed it to me. Although it's a pretty straightforward attempt to lure targets into calling the scammers, it's worth writing up because it looks like it was sent out in bulk. Let's look at the red flags. Firstly, the sender address : PayPal...

From threats to apology, hackers pull child data offline after public backlash

Last week we yelled at some “hackers” that threatened parents after stealing data from their children's nursery. This followed a BBC report that a group calling itself “Radiant” claimed to have stolen sensitive data related to around 8,000 children from nursery chain Kido, which operates in the U...

A week in security (September 8 – September 14)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: AI browsers or agentic browsers: a look at the future of web surfing From Fitbit to financial despair: How one woman lost her life savings and more to a scammer Meta ignored child sex abuse in VR, say whistleblowers When AI chatbots leak and how it happens Fake...

Italian hotels breached for tens of thousands of scanned IDs

The Computer Emergency Response Team CERT for Italy's "Agenzia per l’Italia Digitale" AGID issued a warning that cybercriminals are selling stolen identity documents from hotels operating in Italy. This summer, a criminal hacker group named “mydocs” infiltrated the booking systems of at least ten...

VPN use rises following Online Safety Act’s age verification controls

As the UK's Online Safety Act came into effect on Friday—along with its age verification controls—the use of virtual private network VPN services has skyrocketed by up to 20-fold across the region. Top10VPN, which monitors VPN traffic around the world, spotted UK VPN traffic spiking 1,327% on Jul...

Meta AI chatbot bug could have allowed anyone to see private conversations

A researcher has disclosed to TechCrunch that he received a $10,000 bounty for reporting a bug that let anyone access private prompts and responses with the Meta AI chatbot. On June 13, we reported that the Meta AI app publicly exposes user conversations, often without users realizing it. In thes...

Millions of people spied on by malicious browser extensions in Chrome and Edge

Researchers have discovered a campaign that tracked users’ online behavior using 18 browser extensions available in the official Chrome and Edge webstores. The total number of installs is estimated to be over two million. These extensions offered functionality, received good reviews, touted...

A week in security (June 30 – July 6)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Drug cartel hacked cameras and phones to spy on FBI and identify witnesses Catwatchful "child monitoring" app exposes victims’ data Microsoft, PayPal, DocuSign, and Geek Squad faked in callback phishing scams Qantas: Breach affects 6 million people, "significant"...

Jailbroken AIs are helping cybercriminals to hone their craft

Cybercriminals are bypassing the guardrails that are supposed to keep AI models from carrying out criminal activities, according to researchers. We've seen the misuse of AI models by cybercriminals growing rapidly over the past several years, shaping a new era of digital threats. Early on,...

OpenAI forced to preserve ChatGPT chats

OpenAI has protested a court order that forces it to retain its users' conversations. The creator of the ChatGPT AI model objected to the order, which is part of a copyright infringement case against it by The New York Times and other publishers. The news organizations argued that ChatGPT was...

Deepfake-posting man faces huge $450,000 fine

A man is facing a $450,000 AU fine after he published deepfake images of prominent Australian women on the now-defunct MrDeepfakes web site. That's if Australia's online safety regulator gets its way. Anthony Rotondo faces charges of posting these and other explicit deepfake images to the...

Fake AI video generator tools lure in Facebook and LinkedIn users to deliver malware

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the public’s interest in Artificial Intelligence AI and delivering malware via text-to-video tools. According to researchers at Mandiant, the criminals are setting up websites claiming to offer “AI video generator” services, and then using those fake tools t...

How Los Angeles banned smartphones in schools (Lock and Code S06E10)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast … There's a problem in class today, and the second largest school district in the United States is trying to solve it. After looking at the growing body of research that has associated increased smartphone and social media usage with increased levels of...

Tired of Google sponsored ads? So are we! That’s why we’re introducing the option to block them on iOS

Sponsored ads on Google search don’t just irritate users—they also provide a dangerous opportunity for cybercriminals to spread malware and scams to their unsuspecting victims. What looks like a harmless search result can be a carefully disguised trap. At Malwarebytes, our researchers have...

“Your privacy is a promise we don’t break”: Dating app Raw exposes sensitive user data

Any app that hands over user data is a concern, but leaky dating apps are especially worrying given the sensitivity of the data involved. A relatively new app called Raw that aims to rewrite the rules of dating is the latest to trip over its coattails by exposing user data to…well, anyone who ask...

The AI chatbot cop squad is here (Lock and Code S06E09)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast … “Heidi” is a 36-year-old, San Francisco-born, divorced activist who is lonely, outspoken, and active on social media. “Jason” is a shy, bilingual teenager whose parents immigrated from Ecuador who likes anime, gaming, comic books, and hiking. Neither of th...

Employee monitoring app exposes users, leaks 21+ million screenshots

Unfortunately, spyware apps with poor reputations and even weaker security practices are all too common. I’ve lost count of how many blogs I’ve written about stalkerware-type apps that not only exposed the people they spied on but also ended up exposing the spies themselves. However, perhaps one...

Text scams grow to steal hundreds of millions of dollars

Text scams alone cost US citizens at least $470 million in 2024, according to new data from the US Federal Trade Commission FTC. Because many scams go unreported, though, this dollar amount might be considerably more. The FTC illustrated this with a graph comparing the reported losses to the numb...

Your 23andMe genetic data could be bought by China, senator warns

Senator Cassidy, the chair of the US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has expressed concerns about foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party, acquiring the sensitive genetic data of millions of Americans through 23andMe. The risk is considered real because ...