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...

A week in security (January 26 – February 1)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Match, Hinge, OkCupid, and Panera Bread breached by ransomware group TikTok’s privacy update mentions immigration status. Here’s why. Meta confirms it’s working on premium subscription for its apps Microsoft Office zero-day lets malicious documents slip past securi...

Under Armour ransomware breach: data of 72 million customers appears on the dark web

When reports first emerged in November 2025 that sportswear giant Under Armour had been hit by the Everest ransomware group, the story sounded depressingly familiar: a big brand, a huge trove of data, and a lot of unanswered questions. Since then, the narrative around what actually happened has...

ALPRs are recording your daily drive (Lock and Code S06E26)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast … There's an entire surveillance network popping up across the United States that has likely already captured your information, all for the non-suspicion of driving a car. Automated License Plate Readers, or ALPRs, are AI-powered cameras that scan and store ...

Grok apologizes for creating image of young girls in “sexualized attire”

Another AI system designed to be powerful and engaging ends up illustrating how guardrails routinely fail when development speed and feature races outrun safety controls. In a post on X, AI chatbot Grok confirmed that it generated an image of young girls in “sexualized attire.” The potential...

Leaks show Intellexa burning zero-days to keep Predator spyware running

Intellexa is a well-known commercial spyware vendor, servicing governments and large corporations. Its main product is the Predator spyware. An investigation by several independent parties describes Intellexa as one of the most notorious mercenary spyware vendors, still operating its Predator...

How scammers use fake insurance texts to steal your identity

Sometimes it’s hard to understand how some scams work or why criminals would even try them on you. In this case it may have been a matter of timing. One of my co-workers received this one: “Insurance estimates for certain age ranges: 20-30 200 – 300/mo 31-40 270 – 450/mo 41-64 350 – 500/mo Please...

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...

The price of ChatGPT’s erotic chat? $20/month and your identity

To talk dirty to ChatGPT, you may soon have to show it your driver’s license. OpenAI announced last month that ChatGPT will soon offer erotica—but only for verified adults. That sounds like a clever guardrail until you realize what “verified” might mean: uploading government identification to a...

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...

“Sneaky” new Android malware takes over your phone, hiding in fake news and ID apps

Researchers at Cyfirma have investigated Android Trojans capable of stealing sensitive data from compromised devices. The malware spreads by pretending to be trusted apps—like a news reader or even digital ID apps—tricking users into downloading it by accident. In reality, it’s Android-targeting...

Video call app Huddle01 exposed 600K+ user logs

The Cybernews research team found that video call app Huddle01 exposed email addresses, real names, and other identifiers through an unprotected Kafka broker. Think of an unprotected Kafka broker like a post office that stores and delivers confidential mail. Now, imagine the manager leaves the...

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...

Pixel-stealing “Pixnapping” attack targets Android devices

Researchers at US universities have demonstrated how a malicious Android app can trick the system into leaking pixel data. That may sound harmless, but imagine if a malicious app on your Android device could glimpse tiny bits of information on your screen—even the parts you thought were secure,...

260 romance scammers and sextortionists caught in huge Interpol sting

Online crime of all kinds is deplorable, but romance scammers and sextortionists who target the most vulnerable victims are among the worst. Now, there’s likely a place for 260 of them in jail, thanks to international law enforcement. Interpol's Operation Contender 3.0 targeted alleged criminals...

Fake Malwarebytes, LastPass, and others on GitHub serve malware

Fake versions of legitimate software are currently circulating on GitHub pages, in a large-scale campaign targeting Mac users. Unfortunately, Malwarebytes for Mac is one of them. Impersonating brands is sadly commonplace, as scammers take advantage of established brand names to target their...

Update your Chrome today: Google patches 4 vulnerabilities including one zero-day

Google has released an update for its Chrome browser to patch four security vulnerabilities, including one zero-day. A zero-day vulnerability refers to a bug that has been found and exploited by cybercriminals before the vendor even knew about it they have "zero days" to fix it. This update is...

Update your Apple devices to fix dozens of vulnerabilities

Apple has released security updates for iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and Macs as well as for Safari, and Xcode to fix dozens of vulnerabilities which could give cybercriminals access to sensitive data. How to update your devices How to update your iPhone or iPad For iOS and iPadOS...

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...

A week in security (September 1 – September 7)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Nexar dashcam video database hacked Roblox introduces age checks to use communication features Give your PC a fresh start: New free tools to boost your PC’s speed, security, and peace of mind TP-Link warns of botnet infecting routers and targeting Microsoft 365...

WinRAR vulnerability exploited by two different groups

On July 30, 2025, WinRAR released a new version 7.13 Final to patch a vulnerability which was used in two separate malware campaigns. WinRAR is a popular file archiving and data compression tool that allows users to compress files into smaller archives, like RAR and ZIP, and can also unpack vario...

Proton launches Lumo, a privacy-focused AI chatbot

Proton, known for its privacy focused set of services, announced the introduction of Lumo, a privacy-first Artificial Intelligence AI chatbot. It is good to know before you dive in that Proton’s chatbot has two user options that offer a very different experience. If you want Lumo to access the...

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...

A week in security (July 7 – July 13)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Deepfake criminals impersonate Marco Rubio to uncover government secrets McDonald’s AI bot spills data on job applicants Millions of people spied on by malicious browser extensions in Chrome and Edge No thanks: Google lets its Gemini AI access your apps, including...

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...

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...

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...

Zoom attack tricks victims into allowing remote access to install malware and steal money

Be careful when talking to people you've not met with before over the Zoom video conferencing system; you might get more than you bargained for. Two CEOs were recently targeted by a Zoom-based attack. One spotted it in time - and sadly, one did not. The attack is by a crime group that the Securit...

Tax deadline threat: QuickBooks phishing scam exploits Google Ads

The pressure of the looming tax filing deadline April 15th in the US can make anyone rush online tasks. Cybercriminals are acutely aware of this increased activity and are exploiting trusted platforms like Google to target Intuit QuickBooks users. By purchasing prominent Google Ads, they are...

Intimate images from kink and LGBTQ+ dating apps left exposed online

A researcher found millions of pictures from specialized dating apps for iOS stored online without any kind of password protection. The pictures, some of which are explicit, stem from dating apps that all have a specific audience. The five platforms, all developed by M.A.D. Mobile are kink sites...

Countries and companies are fighting at the expense of our data privacy

Data privacy issues are a hot topic in a world where we apparently don’t know who to trust anymore. A few weeks ago, we reported how the UK had secretly ordered Apple to provide blanket access to protected cloud backups around the world. This week, Apple decided to pull the plug on Advanced Data...

A week in security (January 20 – January 26)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Your location or browsing habits could lead to price increases when buying online AI tool GeoSpy analyzes images and identifies locations in seconds 7-Zip bug could allow a bypass of a Windows security feature. Update now Warning: Don’t sell or buy a second hand...

7-Zip bug could allow a bypass of a Windows security feature. Update now

A patch is available for a vulnerability in 7-Zip that could have allowed attackers to bypass the Mark-of-the-Web MotW security feature in Windows. The MotW is an attribute added to files by Windows when they have been sourced from an untrusted location, like the internet or a restricted zone. Th...

A week in security (December 9 – December 15)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Encrypted messaging service intercepted, 2.3 million messages read by law enforcement TikTok ban in US: Company seeks emergency injunction to prevent it Data brokers should stop trading health and location data, new bill proposes Update now! Apple releases new...

Spotify, Audible, and Amazon used to push dodgy forex trading sites and more

Spotify and Amazon services have been flooded with bogus listings that push dubious "forex trading" sites, Telegram channels, and suspicious links claiming to offer pirated software according to our friends over at BleepingComputer. Cybercriminals are abusing the options to inject keywords and...

A week in security (November 18 – November 24)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Meta takes down more than 2 million accounts in fight against pig butchering "Sad announcement" email implies your friend has died Update now! Apple confirms vulnerabilities are already being exploited AI Granny Daisy takes up scammers’ time so they can’t bother yo...

TikTok ordered to close Canada offices following “national security review”

The Government of Canada ordered the TikTok Technology Canada Inc. to close its offices in the country following a national security review. This decision was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may be injurious to Canada’s...

Crooks bank on Microsoft’s search engine to phish customers

We identified a new wave of phishing for banking credentials that targets consumers via Microsoft's search engine. A Bing search query for 'Keybank login' currently returns malicious links on the first page, and sometimes as the top search result. We have reported the fraudulent sites to Microsof...

1,000+ web shops infected by “Phish ‘n Ships” criminals who create fake product listings for in-demand products

Researchers at the Satori Threat Intelligence and Research team have published their findings about a group of cybercriminals that infect legitimate web shops to create and promote fake product listings. The threat, dubbed "Phish ‘n Ships" by the researchers, reportedly infected more than 1,000...

23andMe will retain your genetic information, even if you delete the account

Deleting your personal data from 23andMe is proving to be hard. There are good reasons for people wanting to delete their data from 23andMe: The DNA testing platform has a lot of problems, so let’s start with a recap. A little over a year ago, cybercriminals put up information belonging to as man...

A week in security (October 7 – October 13)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Modern TVs have "unprecedented capabilities for surveillance and manipulation," group reveals Internet Archive suffers data breach and DDoS Google Search user interface: A/B testing shows security concerns remain AI girlfriend site breached, user fantasies stolen...

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...

What the arrest of Telegram’s CEO means, with Eva Galperin (Lock and Code S05E19)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast… On August 24, at an airport just outside of Paris, a man named Pavel Durov was detained for questioning by French investigators. Just days later, the same man was charged in crimes related to the distribution of child pornography and illicit transactions,...

A week in security (September 2 – September 8)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Lowe’s employees phished via Google ads Planned Parenthood partly offline after ransomware attack "Hello pervert" sextortion scam includes new threat of Pegasus—and a picture of your home How to avoid election related scams London’s city transport hit by...

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov charged with allowing criminal activity

France has indicted the CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram on charges of complicity in the distribution of child sex abuse images, aiding organized crime, drug trafficking, fraud, and refusing lawful orders to give information to law enforcement. The arrest warrants for Pavel Durov and his...

A week in security (August 19 – August 25)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Millennials’ sense of privacy uniquely tested in romantic relationships Hacked GPS tracker reveals location data of customers "We will hold them accountable": General Motors sued for selling customer driving data to third parties Why you need to know about ransomwa...

National Public Data leaked passwords online

Earlier this month, a huge trove of data from scraping service National Public Data was posted online. The dump made international headlines because it included data on hundreds of millions of people, and included Social Security Numbers. As if that wasnt bad enough, KrebsOnSecurity is now...

Millennials’ sense of privacy uniquely tested in romantic relationships

Millennials are in a bind. According to a new analysis of research released earlier this year by Malwarebytes, Millennials are significantly more likely than every other generation to feel that there is no need to share their online account logins with boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, or...

A week in security (July 29 – August 4)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Threat actor impersonates Google via fake ad for Authenticator Scammers are impersonating cryptocurrency exchanges, FBI warns Meta to pay $1.4 billion over unauthorized facial recognition image capture Apple fixes Siri vulnerabilities that could have allowed...