Blind Eagle Hackers Exploit Spear-Phishing to Deploy RATs in Latin America

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a threat actor known as Blind Eagle that has persistently targeted entities and individuals in Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Panama, and other Latin American nations. Targets of these attacks span several sectors, including governmental institutions,...

Thousands of Oracle NetSuite Sites at Risk of Exposing Customer Information

Cybersecurity researchers are warning about the discovery of thousands of externally-facing Oracle NetSuite e-commerce sites that have been found susceptible to leaking sensitive customer information. "A potential issue in NetSuite's SuiteCommerce platform could allow attackers to access sensitiv...

CISA Warns of Critical Jenkins Vulnerability Exploited in Ransomware Attacks

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA has added a critical security flaw impacting Jenkins to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities KEV catalog, following its exploitation in ransomware attacks. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-23897 CVSS score: 9.8, is a path travers...

New UULoader Malware Distributes Gh0st RAT and Mimikatz in East Asia

A new type of malware called UULoader is being used by threat actors to deliver next-stage payloads like Gh0st RAT and Mimikatz. The Cyberint Research Team, which discovered the malware, said it's distributed in the form of malicious installers for legitimate applications targeting Korean and...

Cybercriminals Exploit Popular Software Searches to Spread FakeBat Malware

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a surge in malware infections stemming from malvertising campaigns distributing a loader called FakeBat. "These attacks are opportunistic in nature, targeting users seeking popular business software," the Mandiant Managed Defense team said in a technical...

How to Automate the Hardest Parts of Employee Offboarding

According to recent research on employee offboarding, 70% of IT professionals say they've experienced the negative effects of incomplete IT offboarding, whether in the form of a security incident tied to an account that wasn't deprovisioned, a surprise bill for resources that aren't in use anymor...

Xeon Sender Tool Exploits Cloud APIs for Large-Scale SMS Phishing Attacks

Malicious actors are using a cloud attack tool named Xeon Sender to conduct SMS phishing and spam campaigns on a large scale by abusing legitimate services. "Attackers can use Xeon to send messages through multiple software-as-a-service SaaS providers using valid credentials for the service...

Microsoft Patches Zero-Day Flaw Exploited by North Korea's Lazarus Group

A newly patched security flaw in Microsoft Windows was exploited as a zero-day by Lazarus Group, a prolific state-sponsored actor affiliated with North Korea. The security vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-38193 CVSS score: 7.8, has been described as a privilege escalation bug in the Windows...

Researchers Uncover New Infrastructure Tied to FIN7 Cybercrime Group

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered new infrastructure linked to a financially motivated threat actor known as FIN7. The two clusters of potential FIN7 activity "indicate communications inbound to FIN7 infrastructure from IP addresses assigned to Post Ltd Russia and SmartApe Estonia,...

OpenAI Blocks Iranian Influence Operation Using ChatGPT for U.S. Election Propaganda

OpenAI on Friday said it banned a set of accounts linked to what it said was an Iranian covert influence operation that leveraged ChatGPT to generate content that, among other things, focused on the upcoming U.S. presidential election. "This week we identified and took down a cluster of ChatGPT...

Attackers Exploit Public .env Files to Breach Cloud Accounts in Extortion Campaign

A large-scale extortion campaign has compromised various organizations by taking advantage of publicly accessible environment variable files .env that contain credentials associated with cloud and social media applications. "Multiple security missteps were present in the course of this campaign,...

Russian Hacker Jailed 3+ Years for Selling Stolen Credentials on Dark Web

A 27-year-old Russian national has been sentenced to over three years in prison in the U.S. for peddling financial information, login credentials, and other personally identifying information PII on a now-defunct dark web marketplace called Slilpp. Georgy Kavzharadze, 27, of Moscow, Russia, plead...

Russian Hackers Using Fake Brand Sites to Spread DanaBot and StealC Malware

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a sophisticated information stealer campaign that impersonates legitimate brands to distribute malware like DanaBot and StealC. The activity cluster, orchestrated by Russian-speaking cybercriminals and collectively codenamed Tusk, is said to encompass...

Multi-Stage ValleyRAT Targets Chinese Users with Advanced Tactics

Chinese-speaking users are the target of an ongoing campaign that distributes a malware known as ValleyRAT. "ValleyRAT is a multi-stage malware that utilizes diverse techniques to monitor and control its victims and deploy arbitrary plugins to cause further damage," Fortinet FortiGuard Labs...

The Hidden Security Gaps in Your SaaS Apps: Are You Doing Due Diligence?

SaaS applications have become indispensable for organizations aiming to enhance productivity and streamline operations. However, the convenience and efficiency these applications offer come with inherent security risks, often leaving hidden gaps that can be exploited. Conducting thorough due...

New Banshee Stealer Targets 100+ Browser Extensions on Apple macOS Systems

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered new stealer malware that's designed to specifically target Apple macOS systems. Dubbed Banshee Stealer, it's offered for sale in the cybercrime underground for a steep price of $3,000 a month and works across both x8664 and ARM64 architectures. "Banshee...

Google to Remove App that Made Google Pixel Devices Vulnerable to Attacks

A large percentage of Google's own Pixel devices shipped globally since September 2017 included dormant software that could be used to stage nefarious attacks and deliver various kinds of malware. The issue manifests in the form of a pre-installed Android app called "Showcase.apk" that comes with...

SolarWinds Releases Patch for Critical Flaw in Web Help Desk Software

SolarWinds has released patches to address a critical security vulnerability in its Web Help Desk software that could be exploited to execute arbitrary code on susceptible instances. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2024-28986 CVSS score: 9.8, has been described as a deserialization bug. "SolarWinds Web...

Russian-Linked Hackers Target Eastern European NGOs and Media

Russian and Belarusian non-profit organizations, Russian independent media, and international non-governmental organizations active in Eastern Europe have become the target of two separate spear-phishing campaigns orchestrated by threat actors whose interests align with that of the Russian...

Identity Threat Detection and Response Solution Guide

The Emergence of Identity Threat Detection and Response Identity Threat Detection and Response ITDR has emerged as a critical component to effectively detect and respond to identity-based attacks. Threat actors have shown their ability to compromise the identity infrastructure and move laterally...

RansomHub Group Deploys New EDR-Killing Tool in Latest Cyber Attacks

A cybercrime group with links to the RansomHub ransomware has been observed using a new tool designed to terminate endpoint detection and response EDR software on compromised hosts, joining the likes of other similar programs like AuKill aka AvNeutralizer and Terminator. The EDR-killing utility h...

GitHub Vulnerability 'ArtiPACKED' Exposes Repositories to Potential Takeover

A newly discovered attack vector in GitHub Actions artifacts dubbed ArtiPACKED could be exploited to take over repositories and gain access to organizations' cloud environments. "A combination of misconfigurations and security flaws can make artifacts leak tokens, both of third party cloud servic...

New Cyber Threat Targets Azerbaijan and Israel Diplomats, Stealing Sensitive Data

A previously unknown threat actor has been attributed to a spate of attacks targeting Azerbaijan and Israel with an aim to steal sensitive data. The attack campaign, detected by NSFOCUS on July 1, 2024, leveraged spear-phishing emails to single out Azerbaijani and Israeli diplomats. The activity ...

New Gafgyt Botnet Variant Targets Weak SSH Passwords for GPU Crypto Mining

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new variant of the Gafgyt botnet that's targeting machines with weak SSH passwords to ultimately mine cryptocurrency on compromised instances using their GPU computational power. This indicates that the "IoT botnet is targeting more robust servers runni...

Black Basta-Linked Attackers Target Users with SystemBC Malware

An ongoing social engineering campaign with alleged links to the Black Basta ransomware group has been linked to "multiple intrusion attempts" with the goal of conducting credential theft and deploying a malware dropper called SystemBC. "The initial lure being utilized by the threat actors remain...

Belarusian-Ukrainian Hacker Extradited to U.S. for Ransomware and Cybercrime Charges

A coalition of law enforcement agencies coordinated by the U.K. National Crime Agency NCA has led to the arrest and extradition of a Belarussian and Ukrainian dual-national believed to be associated with Russian-speaking cybercrime groups. Maksim Silnikau aka Maksym Silnikov, 38, went by the onli...

How to Augment Your Password Security with EASM

Simply relying on traditional password security measures is no longer sufficient. When it comes to protecting your organization from credential-based attacks, it is essential to lock down the basics first. Securing your Active Directory should be a priority – it is like making sure a house has a...

DDoS Attacks Surge 46% in First Half of 2024, Gcore Report Reveals

Monitoring evolving DDoS trends is essential for anticipating threats and adapting defensive strategies. The comprehensive Gcore Radar Report for the first half of 2024 provides detailed insights into DDoS attack data, showcasing changes in attack patterns and the broader landscape of cyber...

Microsoft Issues Patches for 90 Flaws, Including 10 Critical Zero-Days

Microsoft on Tuesday shipped fixes to address a total of 90 security flaws, including 10 zero-days, of which six have come under active exploitation in the wild. Of the 90 bugs, nine are rated Critical, 80 are rated Important, and one is rated Moderate in severity. This is also in addition to 36...

Critical Flaw in Ivanti Virtual Traffic Manager Could Allow Rogue Admin Access

Ivanti has rolled out security updates for a critical flaw in Virtual Traffic Manager vTM that could be exploited to achieve an authentication bypass and create rogue administrative users. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-7593, has a CVSS score of 9.8 out of a maximum of 10.0. "Incorrect...

China-Backed Earth Baku Expands Cyber Attacks to Europe, Middle East, and Africa

The China-backed threat actor known as Earth Baku has diversified its targeting footprint beyond the Indo-Pacific region to include Europe, the Middle East, and Africa starting in late 2022. Newly targeted countries as part of the activity include Italy, Germany, the U.A.E., and Qatar, with...

GhostWrite: New T-Head CPU Bugs Expose Devices to Unrestricted Attacks

A team of researchers from the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security in Germany has disclosed an architectural bug impacting Chinese chip company T-Head's XuanTie C910 and C920 RISC-V CPUs that could allow attackers to gain unrestricted access to susceptible devices. The vulnerability h...

Researchers Uncover Vulnerabilities in AI-Powered Azure Health Bot Service

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered two security flaws in Microsoft's Azure Health Bot Service that, if exploited, could permit a malicious actor to achieve lateral movement within customer environments and access sensitive patient data. The critical issues, now patched by Microsoft, could...

Why Hardsec Matters: From Protecting Critical Services to Enhancing Resilience

Traditionally, the focus has been on defending against digital threats such as malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks by detecting them and responding. However, as cyber threats become more sophisticated. There is a growing recognition of the importance of measures that stop new attacks before...

FBI Shuts Down Dispossessor Ransomware Group's Servers Across U.S., U.K., and Germany

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI on Monday announced the disruption of online infrastructure associated with a nascent ransomware group called Radar/Dispossessor. The effort saw the dismantling of three U.S. servers, three United Kingdom servers, 18 German servers, eight U.S.-based...

Ukraine Warns of New Phishing Campaign Targeting Government Computers

The Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine CERT-UA has warned of a new phishing campaign that masquerades as the Security Service of Ukraine to distribute malware capable of remote desktop access. The agency is tracking the activity under the name UAC-0198. More than 100 computers are...

How Phishing Attacks Adapt Quickly to Capitalize on Current Events

In 2023, no fewer than 94 percent of businesses were impacted by phishing attacks, a 40 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to research from Egress. What's behind the surge in phishing? One popular answer is AI – particularly generative AI, which has made it trivially easier...

Researchers Uncover Vulnerabilities in Solarman and Deye Solar Systems

Cybersecurity researchers have identified a number of security shortcomings in photovoltaic system management platforms operated by Chinese companies Solarman and Deye that could enable malicious actors to cause disruption and power blackouts. "If exploited, these vulnerabilities could allow an...

The AI Hangover is Here – The End of the Beginning

After a good year of sustained exuberance, the hangover is finally here. It's a gentle one for now, as the market corrects the share price of the major players like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Google, while other players reassess the market and adjust priorities. Gartner calls it the trough of...

FreeBSD Releases Urgent Patch for High-Severity OpenSSH Vulnerability

The maintainers of the FreeBSD Project have released security updates to address a high-severity flaw in OpenSSH that attackers could potentially exploit to execute arbitrary code remotely with elevated privileges. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-7589, carries a CVSS score of 7.4 out of a...

Industrial Remote Access Tool Ewon Cosy+ Vulnerable to Root Access Attacks

Security vulnerabilities have been disclosed in the industrial remote access solution Ewon Cosy+ that could be abused to gain root privileges to the devices and stage follow-on attacks. The elevated access could then be weaponized to decrypt encrypted firmware files and encrypted data such as...

EastWind Attack Deploys PlugY and GrewApacha Backdoors Using Booby-Trapped LNK Files

The Russian government and IT organizations are the target of a new campaign that delivers a number of backdoors and trojans as part of a spear-phishing campaign codenamed EastWind. The attack chains are characterized by the use of RAR archive attachments containing a Windows shortcut LNK file...

Rogue PyPI Library Solana Users, Steals Blockchain Wallet Keys

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new malicious package on the Python Package Index PyPI repository that masquerades as a library from the Solana blockchain platform but is actually designed to steal victims' secrets. "The legitimate Solana Python API project is known as 'solana-py' on...

Researchers Uncover 10 Flaws in Google's File Transfer Tool Quick Share

As many as 10 security flaws have been uncovered in Google's Quick Share data transfer utility for Android and Windows that could be assembled to trigger remote code execution RCE chain on systems that have the software installed. "The Quick Share application implements its own specific...

New Malware Hits 300,000 Users with Rogue Chrome and Edge Extensions

An ongoing, widespread malware campaign has been observed installing rogue Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge extensions via a trojan distributed via fake websites masquerading as popular software. "The trojan malware contains different deliverables ranging from simple adware extensions that hijack...

Microsoft Warns of Unpatched Office Vulnerability Leading to Data Exposure

Microsoft has disclosed an unpatched zero-day in Office that, if successfully exploited, could result in unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information to malicious actors. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-38200 CVSS score: 7.5, has been described as a spoofing flaw that affects the...

Experts Uncover Severe AWS Flaws Leading to RCE, Data Theft, and Full-Service Takeovers

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered multiple critical flaws in Amazon Web Services AWS offerings that, if successfully exploited, could result in serious consequences. "The impact of these vulnerabilities range between remote code execution RCE, full-service user takeover which might provid...

Microsoft Reveals Four OpenVPN Flaws Leading to Potential RCE and LPE

Microsoft on Thursday disclosed four medium-severity security flaws in the open-source OpenVPN software that could be chained to achieve remote code execution RCE and local privilege escalation LPE. "This attack chain could enable attackers to gain full control over targeted endpoints, potentiall...

Sonos Speaker Flaws Could Have Let Remote Hackers Eavesdrop on Users

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered weaknesses in Sonos smart speakers that could be exploited by malicious actors to clandestinely eavesdrop on users. The vulnerabilities "led to an entire break in the security of Sonos's secure boot process across a wide range of devices and remotely being...

DOJ Charges Nashville Man for Helping North Koreans Get U.S. Tech Jobs

The U.S. Department of Justice DoJ on Thursday charged a 38-year-old individual from Nashville, Tennessee, for allegedly running a "laptop farm" to help get North Koreans remote jobs with American and British companies. Matthew Isaac Knoot is charged with conspiracy to cause damage to protected...