A week in security (August 18 – August 24)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Clickjack attack steals password managers’ secrets Grok chats show up in Google searches All Apple users should update after company patches zero-day vulnerability in all platforms Google settles YouTube lawsuit over kids’ privacy invasion and data collection...

Introducing the smarter, more sophisticated Malwarebytes Trusted Advisor, your cybersecurity personal assistant

You ever get that feeling when you double-check the locks, but still wonder if you’ve missed something? That’s what a lot of people feel about cybersecurity. That’s where Malwarebytes Trusted Advisor comes in. You can see it as your very own cybersecurity personal assistant, giving you real-time...

Adoption agency leaks over a million records

Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler found a publicly accessible database online that contained highly personal information from an adoption agency. Jeremiah, who specializes in locating exposed cloud storage, is used to finding sensitive information exposed. However, because of the nature of the...

CNN, BBC, and CNBC websites impersonated to scam people

Researchers have uncovered a large campaign impersonating news websites, such as those from CNN, BBC, CNBC, News24, and ABC News, to promote investment scams. Adding a well known brand to your scammy site is a tale as old as time, and gives it an air of legitimacy that increases the likelihood th...

Digital rampage saw ex-Disney employee remove nut allergy info from menus, dox co-workers, and more

A former Disney employee, Michael Scheuer, will serve three years in prison for computer fraud and aggravated identity theft after a digital sabotage campaign against his ex-employer. In addition to his sentence, he must pay nearly US$688,000 in restitution. Scheuer, a former menu production...

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...

PayPal scam abuses Docusign API to spread phishy emails

PayPal scammers are using an old Docusign trick to enhance the trustworthiness of their phishing emails. We've received several reports of this recently, so we dug into how the scam works. The Docusign Application Programming Interface API allows “customers” to send emails that come from genuine...

Roblox called “real-life nightmare for children” as Roblox and Discord sued

Last week it was reported that a lawsuit has been initiated against gaming giant Roblox and leading messaging platform Discord. The court action—charging them with the facilitation of child predators and misleading parents into believing the platforms are safe to use for their children—centers...

12 Million Zacks accounts leaked by cybercriminal

A cybercriminal claimed to have stolen 15 million data records from the customers and clients of the company Zacks—a number that a separate investigation, after analysis, shaved down to just 12 million. Zacks is an investment research company best known for its "Zacks Ranks," which are daily list...

Medical testing company LifeLabs failed to protect customer data, report finds

In 2019, a ransomware attack hit LifeLabs, a Canadian medical testing company. The ransomware encrypted the lab results of 15 million Canadians, and personally identifiable information PII of 8.6 million people was stolen. After noticing the attack, LifeLabs informed its customers and the Canadia...

City of Columbus tries to silence security researcher

The City of Columbus, Ohio is suing a security researcher for sharing stolen data. All the complaint will accomplish, we imagine, is spotlight the ignorance of certain city officials in handling a common security matter. What happened is that the City of Columbus was attacked by a ransomware grou...

PSA: These ‘Microsoft Support’ ploys may just fool you

Many people turn to their favorite search engine when they are facing an issue with their computer. One common search query is to look for the telephone number or contact form for Microsoft, Apple or one of many other brands. Scammers have long been interested in pretending to be Microsoft...

Google delays Chrome third party cookie sunsetting...again

We've seen many examples of third-party cookies being tackled by browsers recently. It's not so long ago that Firefox effectively locked down third-party tracking by isolating cookies into so-called jars. By doing so, their "Total Cookie Protection" seeks to prevent all those cookies on your PC...

Update Chrome now to protect against an actively exploited vulnerability

Chrome is rolling out an update for its desktop browser. The update includes 230 security fixes, one of which is known to be actively exploited. The stable channel has been updated to 153.0.8010.36/.37 for Windows and Mac, and 153.0.8010.36 for Linux. How to update Chrome If you don’t want to wai...

MikroTik router flaws allow takeover without a password

CERT Polska warns that attackers are actively exploiting a chain of critical MikroTik RouterOS flaws to seize control of routers exposed to the internet. Although the warning comes from Poland’s national cybersecurity response team, MikroTik routers are sold worldwide, including in the US. The...

Your phone or computer may soon ask how old you are

First, the good news: If you use a Linux-based operating system, you may not be asked your age in a few months. The bad news is that Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android users in California will be. California has passed a law that requires a range of operating systems to start collecting your age wh...

Fake listings can turn trusted platforms into scam springboards

Recently, we found a listing on BuzzFeed from someone pretending to be Malwarebytes Support. It reminded us why we need to be cautious about content on platforms where anyone can create an entry. Based on the phone number, we suspect the people behind this listing are trying to draw callers into ...

Beware of fake Indeed interview apps used to install spyware

From several independent reports, we’ve seen evidence of scammers using fake Android “interview” apps to target job seekers on the Indeed platform. Indeed is one of the world's largest employment websites, giving scammers access to a huge pool of potential victims, especially in a competitive job...

TikTok phishing: How to spot fake login and verification pages

Phishing pages don’t need to be sophisticated. They just need to look convincing enough to make you trust them. TikTok phishing often starts with an email or message designed to make you think you need to act on your account. It might claim your account has been suspended, reported, or hit with a...

Be careful what you put in “anyone with the link” Google Docs

The next time you type something sensitive into a Google Doc—or any other online tool with a sharing feature—be careful about the permissions you grant. Speaking with The Register, the founder of QR generation service Pageloot said that he learned that the hard way. Siim Kostabi recalled how a...

Hackers commit highway robbery, stealing cargo and goods

There’s a modern-day train heist happening across America, and this time, some of the bandana-masked robbers are sitting behind screens. According to new research, a group of cybercriminals has been attacking trucking, freight, and logistics companies for months, impersonating brands and even...

Chinese gangs made over $1 billion targeting Americans with scam texts

We regularly warn our readers about new scams and phishing texts. Almost everyone gets pestered with these messages. But where are all these scam texts coming from? According to an article in The Wall Street Journal: “It has become a billion-dollar, highly sophisticated business benefiting...

Apple voices concerns over age-check law that could put user privacy at risk

Apple has raised concerns about a new Texas state law, SB 2420, which introduces age assurance requirements for app stores and app developers. One of its main objections is that the requirements are over the top and don’t take into account what the user is actually trying to do. Apple stated: “We...

Don’t connect your wallet: Best Wallet cryptocurrency scam is making the rounds

Phishers and scammers can’t get enough of sending their feeble attempts to Malwarebytes’ employees. For which we can’t thank them enough because it means we can warn you, our readers. This time the scammers tried to impersonate Best Wallet—an app that lets people store, send, and receive...

Roblox introduces age checks to use communication features

Roblox is an online platform that allows users to build, play and share online worlds and 3D games. Unfortunately, it’s also a popular platform among predators reaching out to kids and seducing them using game features such as messaging, avatar customization, and role-play. Over the years, the...

Instagram Map: What is it and how do I control it?

Instagram Map is a new feature—for Instagram, anyway—that users may have enabled without being fully aware of the consequences. The Map feature launched in the US on August 6, 2025, and is reportedly planned for a global rollout "soon." As of mid-August 2025, not all users outside the US,...

Facebook users targeted in ‘login’ phish

A few weeks ago we warned our readers of a phishing campaign targeting Instagram users that didn’t resort to the usual links to phishing websites, but used mailto: links instead. Now, it seems that these scammers have turned their attention to Facebook users. It works like this: The target receiv...

Malwarebytes earns MRG Effitas Android 360° Certificate for mobile threat detection

We’re excited to announce that MRG Effitas, a globally recognized security assessment firm, has awarded Malwarebytes the prestigious MRG Effitas Android 360° Certificate, one of the toughest independent tests in mobile security. Our mobile protection received the highest marks, achieving a...

Weight loss scams, or why ‘Jodie Foster’ wants me to lose weight

It seems like it's hard to move on social media without some kind of mention of weight-loss injections these days. And, sure, these drugs can have a positive affect for many people, but not all these cases of weight loss are real, nor are the people promoting them who they say they are. Weight-lo...

Alleged ‘tap-in’ scammer advertised services on social media

Would you give a complete stranger your credit card in return for the promise of easy money? No, neither would we. But apparently well over a hundred people did. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrested 24 year-old Janetcilize Martinez in Tampa, FL, for allegedly using willing participants'...

Prison visitor details shared with all inmates at correctional facility

The Everglades Correctional Institution ECI in Miami-Dade County has leaked the names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of visitors to the facility to every inmate. The inmates received an email last week sent by a staff member that included the personal information of the visitors. Inmates...

AI-generated image watermarks can be easily removed, say researchers

Now that AI can make fake images that look real, how can we know what's legitimate and what isn't? One of the primary ways has been the use of defensive watermarking, which means embedding invisible markers in AI-generated images to show they were made up. Now, researchers have broken that...

Avery had credit card skimmer stuck on its site for months

The consequences of a wave of credit card skimmers—which is normal around the holidays—are starting to show. Label maker Avery has filed a data breach notification, saying 61,193 people may have had their credit card details stolen. On December 9, Avery said it became aware of an attack on its...

The new rules for AI and encrypted messaging, with Mallory Knodel (Lock and Code S06E01)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast … The era of artificial intelligence everything is here, and with it, come everyday surprises into exactly where the next AI tools might pop up. There are major corporations pushing customer support functions onto AI chatbots, Big Tech platforms offering AI...

DNA testing company vanishes along with its customers’ genetic data

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8 security tips for small businesses

Small businesses and startups are known to face some extra challenges when it comes to cybersecurity. Because they don’t have the size or budget to have a fully-fledged dedicated security team, it often comes down to one person that doesn’t have the time to do everything that is recommended or ev...

Romance scams costlier than ever: 10 percent of victims lose $10,000 or more

Romance scams continue to plague users, but their costs have risen to staggering heights, according to a Malwarebytes survey carried out last month via our weekly newsletter. More than 66 percent of 850 respondents have been targeted by a romance scam, and those that were ensnared paid a hefty...

Hacked GPS tracker reveals location data of customers

Stalkerware researcher maia arson crimew strikes again. Big time. We know maia as a researcher that loves to go after stalkerware peddlers, which Malwarebytes—as one of the founding members of the Coalition Against Stalkerware—loves to see. This time the target company, Tracki, is one selling GPS...

A week in security (August 5 – August 11)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Security company ADT announces security breach of customer data Stolen data from scraping service National Public Data leaked online Android vulnerability used in targeted attacks patched by Google Men report more pressure and threats to share location and accounts...

Flock cameras are tracking people as well as cars

Flock Safety’s cameras are automated license plate readers ALPRs designed to help police find stolen cars or wanted suspects. A joint investigation by 404 Media and WIRED, based on data recovered from a physically removed Flock camera, found that its on-device software explicitly detects people a...

Google Pixel owners urged to patch actively exploited modem flaw

Google has released its September 2026 Pixel Update Bulletin, fixing 110 vulnerabilities, including one that it says "may be under limited, targeted exploitation.” The bug is not described as a simple remote takeover, but as a vulnerability that could give an attacker who already has a foothold o...

BlueMoon exploit kit turns Chrome and Windows flaws into attacks

BlueMoon, a shared Chrome and Windows exploit kit, shows why “patch later” is becoming a dangerous gamble. Security updates are easy to put off. The browser still opens, Windows still works, and choosing to relaunch your browser or restart your computer later can feel harmless. But a newly...

Scammers are getting smarter about where they target you

Scammers are becoming more strategic about where they target people. Nine in ten toll scams—the fake unpaid-toll messages that threaten fines or license suspension—arrive by email or text, while roughly six in ten romance scams show up first on social media. That’s no coincidence. Rather than...

Protect your WhatsApp account with new passkey and 2FA upgrades

WhatsApp announced on August 25 that more than one billion people now use passkeys to log back into the app. The announcement included two other security upgrades: a stronger two-step verification method and more context for incoming calls from unknown numbers. It marks one of the largest...

Update Chrome before you browse again

Chrome is rolling out an update for its desktop browser. The update includes 327 security fixes, ten of which address critical vulnerabilities. The stable channel has been updated to 152.0.7977.64/.65 for Windows and Mac, and 152.0.7977.64 for Linux. How to update Chrome If you don’t want to wait...

Heights Finance data breach: What customers need to know

Heights Finance Holdings' online data breach notification says an unauthorized party accessed a third-party cloud platform containing customer data, potentially exposing highly sensitive personal, banking, and identity information. Heights Finance is a consumer lender that offers personal...

Travelers to the UK targeted in ETA scams

Since January 8, 2025, travelers from most countries, including the US, Australia, and Canada have to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation ETA for visa free travel to the UK. You can apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation using the ETA App, or via an online form. When you apply for ...

Microsoft wants to automatically save your Word docs to the cloud

Microsoft has revealed it plans to automatically save all Word document to the cloud. The feature is currently only available to Microsoft 365 Insiders, although it's likely to expand this to all users in the future. Microsoft proudly announced: “We are modernizing the way files are created and...

Claude AI chatbot abused to launch “cybercrime spree”

Anthropic—the company behind the widely renowned coding chatbot, Claude—says it uncovered a large-scale extortion operation in which cybercriminals abused Claude to automate and orchestrate sophisticated attacks. The company issued a Threat Intelligence report in which it describes several...

Apple ID scam leads to $27,000 in-person theft of Ohio man

You've probably heard about people scamming from halfway around the world, but sometimes they turn up at your door. That's what happened in May, when 67 year-old Robert Wise of Ohio received a text telling him that his Apple ID had been compromised. It had been used at an Apple store for a $213...