Inside a purchase order PDF phishing campaign

A PDF named "NEW Purchase Order 52177236.pdf" turned out to be a phishing lure. So we analyzed the phishing script behind it. A customer contacted me when Malwarebytes blocked the link inside a “purchase order” email they had received. Malwarebytes blocked this ionoscloud.com subdomain When I...

SoundCloud, Pornhub, and 700Credit all reported data breaches, but the similarities end there

Comparing data breaches is like comparing apples and oranges. They differ on many levels. To news media, the size of the brand, how many users were impacted, and how it was done often dominate the headlines. For victims, what really matters is the type of information stolen. And for the...

Android mobile adware surges in second half of 2025

Android users spent 2025 walking a tighter rope than ever, with malware, data‑stealing apps, and SMS‑borne scams all climbing sharply while attackers refined their business models around mobile data and access. Looking back, we may view 2025 as the year when one-off scams were replaced on the sco...

Photo booth flaw exposes people’s private pictures online

Photo booths are great. You press a button and get instant results. The same can’t be said, allegedly, for the security practices of at least one company operating them. A security researcher spent weeks trying to warn a photo booth operator about a vulnerability in its system. The flaw reportedl...

Photo booth flaw exposes people’s private pictures online

Photo booths are great. You press a button and get instant results. The same can’t be said, allegedly, for the security practices of at least one company operating them. A security researcher spent weeks trying to warn a photo booth operator about a vulnerability in its system. The flaw reportedl...

Google is discontinuing its dark web report: why it matters

Google has announced that early next year they are discontinuing the dark web report, which was meant to monitor breach data that’s circulating on the dark web. The news raised some eyebrows, but Google says it’s ending the feature because feedback showed the reports didn’t provide “helpful next...

Pig butchering is the next “humanitarian global crisis” (Lock and Code S06E25)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast … This is the story of the world's worst scam and how it is being used to fuel entire underground economies that have the power to rival nation-states across the globe. This is the story of "pig butchering." "Pig butchering" is a violent term that is used to...

PayPal closes loophole that let scammers send real emails with fake purchase notices

After an investigation by BleepingComputer, PayPal closed a loophole that allowed scammers to send emails from the legitimate [email protected] email address. Following reports from people who received emails claiming an automatic payment had been cancelled, BleepingComputer found that...

A week in security (December 8 – December 14)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: The US digital doxxing of H-1B applicants is a massive privacy misstep Google ads funnel Mac users to poisoned AI chats that spread the AMOS infostealer How private is your VPN? DroidLock malware locks you out of your Android device and demands ransom Malwarebytes...

The US digital doxxing of H-1B applicants is a massive privacy misstep

Technology professionals hoping to come and work in the US face a new privacy concern. Starting December 15, skilled workers on H-1B visas and their families must flip their social media profiles to public before their consular interviews. It’s a deeply risky move from a security and privacy...

Google ads funnel Mac users to poisoned AI chats that spread the AMOS infostealer

Researchers have found evidence that AI conversations were inserted in Google search results to mislead macOS users into installing the Atomic macOS Stealer AMOS. Both Grok and ChatGPT were found to have been abused in these attacks. Forensic investigation of an AMOS alert showed the infection...

How private is your VPN?

When you're shopping around for a Virtual Private Network VPN you'll find yourself in a sea of promises like "military-grade encryption!" and "total anonymity!" You can’t scroll two inches without someone waving around these fancy terms. But not all VPNs can be trusted. Some VPNs genuinely protec...

DroidLock malware locks you out of your Android device and demands ransom

Researchers have analyzed a new threat campaign actively targeting Android users. The malware, named DroidLock, takes over a device and then holds it for ransom. The campaign to date has primarily targeted Spanish-speaking users, but researchers warn it could spread. DroidLock is delivered via...

Malwarebytes for Mac now has smarter, deeper scans

Say hello to the upgraded Malwarebytes for Mac —now with more robust protection, more control, and the same trusted defense you count on every day. We’ve given our Mac scan engine a serious intelligence boost, so it thinks faster and digs deeper. The new enhanced scan searches across more of your...

[Updated] Another Chrome zero-day under attack: update now

Google issued an extra patch for a security vulnerability in Chrome that is being actively exploited, and it's urging users to update. The patch fixes three flaws in Chrome, and for one of them Google says an exploit already exists in the wild. Chrome is by far the world’s most popular browser,...

December Patch Tuesday fixes three zero-days, including one that hijacks Windows devices

These updates from Microsoft fix serious security issues, including three that attackers are already exploiting to take control of Windows systems. In total, the security update resolves 57 Microsoft security vulnerabilities. Microsoft isn't releasing new features for Windows 10 anymore, so Windo...

GhostFrame phishing kit fuels widespread attacks against millions

GhostFrame is a new phishing-as-a-service PhaaS kit, tracked since September 2025, that has already powered more than a million phishing attacks. Threat analysts spotted a series of phishing attacks featuring tools and techniques they hadn't seen before. A few months later, they had linked over a...

Prompt injection is a problem that may never be fixed, warns NCSC

Prompt injection is shaping up to be one of the most stubborn problems in AI security, and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre NCSC has warned that it may never be “fixed” in the way SQL injection was. Two years ago, the NCSC said prompt injection might turn out to be the “SQL injection of th...

EU fines X $140m, tied to verification rules that make impostor scams easier

The European Commission slapped social networking company X with a €120 million $140 million fine last week for what it says was a lack of transparency with its European users. The fine, the first ever penalty under the EU's landmark Digital Services Act, addressed three specific violations with...

Deepfakes, AI resumes, and the growing threat of fake applicants

Recruiters expect the odd exaggerated resume, but many companies, including us here at Malwarebytes, are now dealing with something far more serious: job applicants who aren't real people at all. From fabricated identities to AI-generated resumes and outsourced impostor interviews, hiring pipelin...

How phishers hide banking scams behind free Cloudflare Pages

During a recent investigation, we uncovered a phishing operation that combines free hosting on developer platforms with compromised legitimate websites to build convincing banking and insurance login portals. These fake pages don't just grab a username and password–they also ask for answers to...

Scammers harvesting Facebook photos to stage fake kidnappings, warns FBI

The FBI has warned about a new type of scam where your Facebook pictures are harvested to act as “proof-of-life” pictures in a virtual kidnapping. The scammers pretend they have kidnapped somebody and contact friends and next of kin to demand a ransom for their release. While the alleged victim i...

A week in security (December 1 – December 7)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Leaks show Intellexa burning zero-days to keep Predator spyware running How scammers use fake insurance texts to steal your identity Canadian police trialing facial recognition bodycams Update Chrome now: Google fixes 13 security issues affecting billions Attackers...

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...

Canadian police trialing facial recognition bodycams

A municipal police force in Canada is now using facial recognition bodycams, it was revealed this week. The police service in the prairie city of Edmonton is trialing technology from US-based Axon, which makes products for the military and law enforcement. Up to 50 officers are taking part in the...

Canadian police trialling facial recognition bodycams

A municipal police force in Canada is now using facial recognition bodycams, it was revealed this week. The police service in the prairie city of Edmonton is trialling technology from US-based Axon, which makes products for the military and law enforcement. Up to 50 officers are taking part in th...

Update Chrome now: Google fixes 13 security issues affecting billions

Google has released an update for its Chrome browser that includes 13 security fixes, four of which are classified as high severity. One of these was found in Chrome’s Digital Credentials feature–a tool that lets you share verified information from your digital wallet with websites so you can pro...

Attackers have a new way to slip past MFA in educational orgs

Researchers are warning about a rise in cases of attackers using Evilginx to steal session cookies among educational institutions—letting them bypass the need for a multi-factor authentication MFA token. Evilginx is an attacker-in-the-middle phishing toolkit that sits between you and the real...

How attackers use real IT tools to take over your computer

A new wave of attacks is exploiting legitimate Remote Monitoring and Management RMM tools like LogMeIn Resolve formerly GoToResolve and PDQ Connect to remotely control victims’ systems. Instead of dropping traditional malware, attackers trick people into installing these trusted IT support progra...

Fileless protection explained: Blocking the invisible threat others miss

Most antivirus software for personal users scans your computer for malware hiding in files. This is, after all, how most malware is traditionally spread. But what about attacks that never create files? Fileless malware is a fast-growing threat that evades traditional antivirus software, because...

“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...

Air fryer app caught asking for voice data (re-air) (Lock and Code S06E24)

This week on the Lock and Code podcast … It's often said online that if a product is free, you're the product, but what if that bargain was no longer true? What if, depending on the device you paid hard-earned money for, you still became a product yourself, to be measured, anonymized, collated,...

Whispering poetry at AI can make it break its own rules

Most of the big AI makers don't like people using their models for unsavory activity. Ask one of the mainstream AI models how to make a bomb or create nerve gas and you'll get the standard "I don't help people do harmful things" response. That has spawned a cat-and-mouse game of people who try to...

Google patches 107 Android flaws, including two being actively exploited

Google has patched 107 vulnerabilities in Android in its December 2025 Android Security Bulletin, including two high-severity flaws that are being actively exploited. The December updates are available for Android 13, 14, 15, and 16. Android vendors are notified of all issues at least a month...

New Android malware lets criminals control your phone and drain your bank account

Albiriox is a new family of Android banking malware that gives attackers live remote control over infected phones, letting them quietly drain bank and crypto accounts during real sessions. Researchers have analyzed a new Android malware family called Albiriox which is showing signs of developing...

Malwarebytes joins Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) as supporting member

We are excited to share that Malwarebytes has officially joined the Global Anti-Scam Alliance GASA as a supporting member. Working with GASA helps us stay aligned with others who are focused on reducing scams and keeping people safer online. Modern-day scams aren’t the clumsy, obvious tricks they...

A week in security (November 24 – November 30)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: How CVSS v4.0 works: characterizing and scoring vulnerabilities Millions at risk after nationwide CodeRED alert system outage and data breach Holiday shoppers targeted as Amazon and FBI warn of surge in account takeover attacks Fake LinkedIn jobs trick Mac users in...

How CVSS v4.0 works: characterizing and scoring vulnerabilities

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System CVSS provides software developers, testers, and security and IT professionals with a standardized way to assess vulnerabilities. You can use CVSS to assess the threat level of each vulnerability and then prioritize mitigation accordingly. This article...

Millions at risk after nationwide CodeRED alert system outage and data breach

A nationwide cyberattack against the OnSolve CodeRED emergency notifications system has prompted cities and counties across the US to warn residents and advise them to change their passwords. CodeRED is used by local governments to deliver fast, targeted alerts during severe weather, evacuations,...

Holiday shoppers targeted as Amazon and FBI warn of surge in account takeover attacks

The FBI has issued a public service announcement warning about a surge in account takeover ATO fraud, and the timing lines up with a major alert Amazon has just sent to its 300 million customers about brand impersonation scams. How ATO fraud works Account takeover fraud is just what it says:...

Fake LinkedIn jobs trick Mac users into downloading Flexible Ferret malware

Researchers have discovered a new attack targeting Mac users. It lures them to a fake job website, then tricks them into downloading malware via a bogus software update. The attackers pose as recruiters and contact people via LinkedIn, encouraging them to apply for a role. As part of the...

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...

WhatsApp closes loophole that let researchers collect data on 3.5B accounts

Messaging giant WhatsApp has around three billion users in more than 180 countries. Researchers say they were able to identify around 3.5 billion registered WhatsApp accounts thanks to a flaw in the software. That higher number is possible because WhatsApp’s API returns all accounts registered to...

The hidden costs of illegal streaming and modded Amazon Fire TV Sticks

Ahead of the holiday season, people who have bought cheap Amazon Fire TV Sticks or similar devices online should be aware that some of them could let cybercriminals access personal data, bank accounts, and even steal money. BeStreamWise, a UK initiative established to counter illegal streaming,...

Black Friday scammers offer fake gifts from big-name brands to empty bank accounts

Black Friday is supposed to be chaotic, sure, but not this chaotic. While monitoring malvertising patterns ahead of the holiday rush, I uncovered one of the most widespread and polished Black Friday scam campaigns circulating online right now. It’s not a niche problem. Our own research shows that...

Matrix Push C2 abuses browser notifications to deliver phishing and malware

Cybercriminals are using browser push notifications to deliver malware and phishing attacks. Researchers at BlackFog described how a new command-and-control platform, called Matrix Push C2, uses browser push notifications to reach potential victims. When we warned back in 2019 that browser push...

A week in security (November 17 – November 23)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: AI teddy bear for kids responds with sexual content and advice about weapons Fake calendar invites are spreading. Here’s how to remove them and prevent more Budget Samsung phones shipped with unremovable spyware, say researchers What the Flock is happening with...

AI teddy bear for kids responds with sexual content and advice about weapons

In testing, FoloToy’s AI teddy bear jumped from friendly chat to sexual topics and unsafe household advice. It shows how easily artificial intelligence can cross serious boundaries. It’s a fair moment to ask whether AI-powered stuffed animals are appropriate for children. It’s easy to get swept u...

Fake calendar invites are spreading. Here’s how to remove them and prevent more

We’re seeing a surge in phishing calendar invites that users can’t delete, or that keep coming back because they sync across devices. The good news is you can remove them and block future spam by changing a few settings. Most of these unwanted calendar entries are there for phishing purposes. Mos...