News Wrap: Steam Zero Day Disclosure Drama, Unix Utility Backdoor

Why did Valve-owner Steam say it made a “mistake” turning a researcher away from its bug bounty program? Who was behind a backdoor that was purposefully introduced into a utility utilized by Unix and Linux servers? And why is Facebook coming under fire for its “Clear History” feature? Threatpost...

Mozilla Patches Firefox Critical Flaw Under Active Attack

UPDATE Mozilla has released updates for the Firefox browser addressing a critical vulnerability that is being actively exploited in targeted attacks against Coinbase employees – and potentially other cryptocurrency organizations. The critical flaw CVE-2019-11707 is a type confusion vulnerability ...

Wordpress Users Urged to Delete Zero-Day-Ridden Plugin

Researchers are urging WordPress site owners to delete a compromised plugin after multiple zero-day vulnerabilities were discovered being exploited by a malicious actor. Researchers at Wordfence said on Friday that flaws in the plugin, Total Donations, are being exploited by malicious actors to...

As End of Life Nears, More Than Half of Websites Still Use PHP V5

Almost 62 percent of all websites are still running PHP version 5 – even as version 5.6 of the server-side scripting language inches toward an ominous end-of-life. Hypertext Preprocessor PHP, a programming language designed for use in web-based applications with HTML content, supports a wide...

Four Zero Days Disclosed in Internet Explorer

UPDATE–As if all of the vulnerabilities in Flash and Windows discovered in the Hacking Team document cache and the 193 bugs Oracle fixed last week weren’t enough for organizations to deal with, HP’s Zero Day Initiative has released four new zero days in Internet Explorer Mobile that can lead to...

Microsoft Data Shows Drop in Remote Code Execution Bugs Being Exploited

SAN FRANCISCO–One of the downsides to being a software company with a huge customer base is that your products are going to be prime targets for attackers. But the flip side to that coin is that you’re going to gather a lot of data about vulnerabilities and attacks. Microsoft has been collecting...

Microsoft Considering Public-Key Pinning for Internet Explorer

Microsoft is considering adding public-key pinning–an important defense against man-in-the-middle attacks–to Internet Explorer. The feature is designed to help protect users against the types of MITM attacks that rely on forged certificates, which comprise a large portion of those attacks...

Popular Sports Site Goal.com Serves Malware

Goal.com, a popular football aka “soccer” for all us Yanks news site was hacked and found serving malware via drive-by-downloads between April 27 and 28, according to a post by Web security firm Armorize. In an analysis of the attack, Armorize researcher Wayne Huang suggests that a hacker...

By Stefan Tanase

In general, a lack of user education and strong policies regarding online security often lead to undesirable events. Whether you manage an official Twitter account or a personal one, you should know how Twitter accounts get hacked so you can protect yourself. Here are some methods:...

DragonForce Gang Unleash Hacks Against Govt. of India

According to a new advisory from Radware, a hacktivist group called DragonForce Malaysia, “with the assistance of several other threat groups, has begun indiscriminately scanning, defacing and launching denial-of-service attacks against numerous websites in India.” In addition to DDoS, their...

‘Elephant Beetle’ Lurks for Months in Networks

Researchers have identified a threat group that’s been quietly siphoning off millions of dollars from financial- and commerce-sector companies, spending months patiently studying their targets’ financial systems and slipping in fraudulent transactions amongst regular activity. The Sygnia Incident...

eCh0raix Ransomware Variant Targets QNAP, Synology NAS Devices

Operators of the nearly-year-old eCh0raix ransomware strain that’s been used to target QNAP and Synology network-attached storage NAS devices in past, separate campaigns have, gotten more efficient. According to researchers, both have put out a new variant that can target either vendors’ devices ...

Energy Giant Shell Is Latest Victim of Accellion Attacks

Energy giant Royal Dutch Shell is the latest victim of a series of attacks on users of the Accellion legacy File Transfer Appliance FTA product, which already has affected numerous companies and been attributed to the FIN11 and the Clop ransomware gang. “Shell has been impacted by a data-security...

Tiny Kobalos Malware Bedevils Supercomputers to Steal Logins

A tiny-sized malware that packs a big punch has been targeting supercomputers, especially those used in academia and scientific enterprises. It allows initial access for a variety of follow-on attacks, including credential theft – and potentially data exfiltration or cryptomining. That’s accordin...

Criminal, Domestic Violence Case Info Exposed in Cook County Leak

A non-password protected database, belonging to a county in Illinois, exposed 323,000 court records for at least four months, according to researchers. The database exposed the names of various people involved in sensitive criminal, domestic-abuse or child-custody court cases. Researchers from...

Ransomware Takes Down Network of French IT Giant

French IT giant Sopra Steria was hit with a cyber attack this week that disrupted the business of the firm and is widely believed to be the work of the threat actors behind Ryuk ransomware. The company revealed the attack in a brief press statement released Oct. 22, two days after officials said...

Nation-State Attacks Drop in Latest Google Analysis

Google has registered a significant drop in government-backed cyberattacks against its properties and the people who use its products. Google sends out warnings if it detects that an account is a target of government-backed phishing or malware attempts. For 2019, the internet giant sent almost...

Chris Eng: Patch Management Challenges Drive 'Security Debt'

Companies are lagging when it comes to keeping up with software security patches – causing them to fall into “security debt,” Chris Eng, chief research officer with Veracode said. Today, challenges around patch management are being worsened by applications using third-party code and open source...

U.S. Pipeline Disrupted by Ransomware Attack

A ransomware attack has hit a natural gas compression facility in the U.S., the feds have warned. The attack resulted in a two-day pipeline shutdown as the unnamed victim worked to bring systems back online from backups. The attackers were able penetrate the IT portion of the facility’s network,...

Biggest Malware Threats of 2019

One out of five computer users were subject to at least one malware-class web attack in 2019. This past year cities such as New Orleans were under ransomware siege by the likes of malware Ryuk. Zero-day vulnerabilities were also in no short supply with targets such as Google Chrome and Operation...

Soaring Cryptocurrency Prices Draw Malicious Apps, Malware

The price of Bitcoin is steadily surging in May and hackers are looking to cash in on the uptick with fake cryptocurrency apps, malware and other related scams. In May 2019, Bitcoin prices climbed to their highest points this year, with the popular cryptocurrency being worth $8,300 its highest...

Extinguishing the IoT Insecurity Dumpster Fire

It’s no secret IoT security has been a dumpster fire. Last week, it was reported two million IP security cameras, baby monitors and smart doorbells have serious IoT flaws with no known patches. The list, of course, is added to a long list of IoT nightmares that have been reported over the past fi...

Medical Weed Dispensary Exposes Health Data for Thousands

A data breach at a medical marijuana dispensary company operating in Canada has sent the personal health privacy of about 34,000 patients up in smoke. An electronic medical record system used by Natural Health Services – a self-described “cannabinoid medical clinic that specializes in cannabis...

Mirai Variant Goes After Enterprise Systems

Researchers have discovered a new variant of the infamous Mirai IoT botnet, which has been sniffing out and targeting vulnerabilities in enterprise wireless presentation and display systems since January. Palo Alto Network’s Unit 42 researchers said that the newest variant of Mirai is notably...

Three Ways DNS is Weaponized and How to Mitigate the Risk

In the early stages of the “Net” each computer system participating in this network could only be contacted by knowing it’s unique 32bit IP address. As the Net grew into the Internet that we know today, some changes had to be made to allow this system of interconnected computers to communicate wi...

Word-based Malware Attack Doesn’t Use Macros

Typically, inbox-based attacks that include malicious Microsoft Office attachments require adversaries to trick users into enabling macros. But researchers say they have identified a new malicious email campaign that uses booby-trapped Office attachments that are macro-free. The attacks do not...

Microsoft Mistakenly Leaks Secure Boot Key

Update Opponents of the government’s constant talk about intentional backdoors and exceptional access finally may have their case study as to why it’s such a bad idea. Two researchers operating under aliases my123 and slipstream this week posted a report—accompanied by a relentless chiptune—that...

Microsoft Publishes New FixIt Tool For DLL Bug

Microsoft has released some updated guidance on the recent DLL-hijacking bug, including a new FixIt tool that enables the workaround for the vulnerability that Microsoft shipped late last month. The new guidance includes a detailed explanation of the bug itself as well as how potential attacks...

Adobe Snuffs Critical Bugs in Acrobat, Experience Manager

Adobe is urging its throngs of Acrobat Reader users to update their software to fix critical vulnerabilities that could allow adversaries to execute arbitrary code on unpatched versions. The warnings are part of the firm’s September monthly security update, which this month addresses 59 bugs foun...

Microsoft Translation Bugs Open Edge Browser to Trivial UXSS Attacks

Microsoft patched two bugs in its Chromium-based Edge browser last week, one of which could be used by an attacker to bypass security and to remotely inject and execute arbitrary code on any website just by sending a message. That security-bypassing bug, CVE-2021-34506, is rated CVSS 5.4, or...

Cyberattackers Exploiting Critical WordPress Plugin Bug

The Plus Addons for Elementor plugin for WordPress has a critical security vulnerability that attackers can exploit to quickly, easily and remotely take over a website. First reported as a zero-day bug, researchers said it’s being actively attacked in the wild. The plugin, which has more than...

Tesla Hacked and Stolen Again Using Key Fob

Researchers have demonstrated for the third time how hacking into the key fob of a Tesla can allow someone to access and steal the car in minutes. The new attack again shows a security vulnerability in the keyless entry system of one of the most expensive electric vehicles EVs on the market...

The Case for Cyber-Risk Prospectuses

Sometimes our investments lose money. It’s not for lack of trying, indeed most investment firms make money off the growth of our investments. But despite best intentions and detailed investment plans, we sometimes end up with less than that with which we started. This can be due to outside forces...

Wawa Data Breach: Malware Stole Customer Payment Card Info

Popular convenience-store chain Wawa Inc. has disclosed a data breach potentially affecting all of its 850 locations. The breach stemmed from malware on its in-store payment processing systems that collected customers’ payment card data – for almost 10 months. The popular chain of Wawa convenienc...

TP-Link Routers Give Cyberattackers an Open Door to Business Networks

A firmware vulnerability in TP-Link Archer C5 v4 routers used in enterprise and home environments could allow unauthorized, remote access to the device with administrative privileges. The bug CVE-2017-7405 affects models that run firmware version 3.16.0 0.9.1 v600c.0 Build 180124 Rel.28919n. Firs...

Romanian Duo Receives Jailtime For Infecting 400,000 With Malware

A Romanian duo has been sentenced to jailtime for infecting 400,000 computers with malware that stole credentials and financial information, and scammed victims out of millions of dollars. The two Romanian hackers, Bogdan Nicolescu, 37, and Radu Miclaus, 37, were sentenced to 20 years and 18 year...

Popular Apps on Google Play Store Remain Unpatched

Most people think if they keep their mobile apps updated to the latest version, they also are patching for critical vulnerabilities. Not so, said researchers from Check Point Software, which discovered that outdated code—including known vulnerabilities—are still present in hundreds of popular app...

The Unhappiest Subscribers on Earth? Disney+ Accounts Hacked & Hijacked

The highly anticipated Disney+ streaming service launched last week – and was promptly targeted by hackers looking to compromise users’ accounts. Around 4,000 customer account credentials have shown up for sale on hacking forums for around $3 each, according to reports. An investigation by ZDNet...

Gustuff Android Banker Switches Up Technical Approach

An Instagram-initiated campaign using the Gustuff Android mobile banking trojan has rolled out in October, featuring an updated version of the malware that lowers its detection profile. How the cybercriminals are rolling out the campaign is the same as a previous offensive seen in June, according...

Facebook Records User Audio, Sparking Privacy Questions

Facebook has admitted that it has been transcribing audio chats between its users on its Messenger platform. Sources said that it’s paying hundreds to third-party outside contractors to do so. The latter calls into question Facebook’s data-handling practices when it comes to being open with its...

TikTok Scammers Cash In On Adult Dating, Impersonation Tricks

As social media platform TikTok becomes the top App Store download in 2019 – and the number three app download on Google Play and on platforms overall – scammers are looking to cash in on the troves of younger users of the popular platform. Tenable researcher Satnam Narang, who has been tracking...

Protecting Against Ransomware Attacks: A Checklist

Sometimes all it takes is a malicious email to infect an entire municipality with ransomware, freezing important city systems from water utilities or websites. That was the case with the Florida city of Riviera Beach, which paid hackers $600,000 after being hit by a ransomware attack that downed...

Slack Initiates Mass Password Reset

Popular workspace collaboration platform Slack is in the middle of asking tens of thousands of users to reset their passwords after a security breach. The move is actually in response to new information that has come to light regarding a 2015 compromise, when hackers infiltrated Slack’s networks ...

Cybercriminals Have a Heyday with WinRAR Bug in Fresh Campaigns

A recently discovered vulnerability in the WinRAR file archival utility has been exploited in a slew of new campaigns, including one with a never-before-seen payload. The flurry of activity shows no sign of waning as cybercriminals continue to find success exploiting the bug. The campaigns take...

Researcher Says NSA's Ghidra Tool Can Be Used for RCE

Ghidra, a free, open-source software reverse-engineering tool that was released by the National Security Agency at RSA, has been found to be a potential conduit to remote code-execution. Ghidra is a disassembler written in Java; software that breaks down executable files into assembly code that c...

Eight Cryptojacking Apps Booted From Microsoft Store

Microsoft booted eight malicious apps from its official desktop and mobile app store after researchers found the programs surreptitiously mined for Monero cryptocurrency. Researchers who discovered the apps said that an unspecified, but significant number, of users may have downloaded the rogue...

Attackers Completely Destroy VFEmail's Secure Mail Infrastructure

A catastrophic, smash-and-destroy cyberattack has eliminated the U.S. infrastructure for secure email service VFEmail. It’s a rare example of a purely destructive offensive, apparently unmotivated by financial gain or espionage goals. An attacker wiped out the company’s U.S. servers on Monday...

APT28 Using EternalBlue to Attack Hotels in Europe, Middle East

Russian-speaking cyberespionage group APT28, also known as Sofacy, is believed to be behind a series of attacks last month against travelers staying in hotels in Europe and the Middle East. APT28 notably used the NSA hacking tool EternalBlue as part of its scheme to steal credentials from busines...

New Bug in Internet Explorer Used in Targeted Attacks

There’s a new flaw in all of the current versions of Internet Explorer that is being used in some targeted attacks right now. Microsoft has confirmed the bug and said it is working on a fix, but has no timeline for the patch release yet. The company did not rule out an emergency out-of-band patch...

Mitel VoIP Bug Exploited in Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware groups are abusing unpatched versions of a Linux-based Mitel VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol application and using it as a springboard plant malware on targeted systems. The critical remote code execution RCE flaw, tracked as CVE-2022-29499, was first report by Crowdstrike in April a...