Tap 'n Ghost Attack Creatively Targets Android Devices

Researchers have created a novel proof-of-concept PoC attack named Tap ‘n Ghost, which targets Near Field Communication NFC-enabled Android smartphones. This allows an attacker to take control of a target phone simply by tricking the victim into placing their handset on a specially crafted surfac...

Slack Bug Allows Remote File Hijacking, Malware Injection

A remotely exploitable vulnerability in the Windows desktop app version of the Slack collaboration platform has been uncovered, which allows attackers to alter where files from Slack are downloaded. Nefarious types could redirect the files to their own SMB server; and, they could manipulate the...

Users Urged to Uninstall WordPress Yuzo Plugin After Flaw Exploited

UPDATE Users of the popular Yuzo Related Posts plugin are being urged to uninstall the plugin after a flaw was discovered being exploited in the wild – putting tens of thousands of websites at risk. Yuzo Related Posts, which enables WordPress websites to display “related posts” segments, is...

Cisco Patches Critical ‘Default Password’ Bug

Cisco Systems is warning customers that a discovery tool for network devices can be accessed by a remote and unauthenticated attacker. The flaw could allow an adversary to log into the system and collect sensitive data tied to host operating systems and hardware. The disclosure is part of a Cisco...

Threatlist: Hackers Turn to Python as Attack Coding Language of Choice

Python was recently touted as on track to become the world’s most prevalent coding language, looking to swallow, as it were, the majority of the market share for developers. According to recent analysis, Python’s popularity also extends to black hats. Mirroring the findings around its use by code...

Microsoft January Patch Tuesday Update Fixes 16 Critical Bugs

Thanks to Meltdown and Spectre, January has already been an extremely busy month of patching for Microsoft. Today Microsoft tackled dozens more bugs, part of its regular Patch Tuesday release covering Microsoft Edge, Windows, Office, ASP.NET and the macOS version of Office. Sixteen of Microsoft’s...

OpenSSL Patches High-Severity OCSP Bug, Mitigates SWEET32 Attack

A vulnerability in the OpenSSL implementation of the Online Certificate Status Protocol OCSP was patched this week, closing a denial-of-service weakness in affected servers. The patch was the most severe of 14 released yesterday by OpenSSL. OCSP is an alternative in many cases to Certificate...

Facebook Releases osquery to Open Source

Facebook is in a giving mood today. The social networking giant announced today that it will release to open source a framework that detects and logs state changes in an operating system likely caused by an attack or performance meltdown. It also announced that it will hand out up to $300,000 nex...

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...

Cisco Confirms Network Breach Via Hacked Employee Google Account

Cisco Systems revealed details of a May hack by the Yanluowang ransomware group that leveraged a compromised employee’s Google account. The networking giant is calling the attack a “potential compromise” in a Wednesday post by the company’s own Cisco Talos threat research arm. “During the...

Two Active Directory Bugs Lead to Easy Windows Domain Takeover

A proof-of-concept tool has been published that leverages two Windows Active Directory bugs fixed last month that, when chained, can allow easy Windows domain takeover. In a Monday alert, Microsoft urged organizations to immediately patch the pair of bugs, tracked as CVE-2021-42287 and...

What the Log4Shell Bug Means for SMBs: Experts Weigh In

News of the Log4Shell vulnerability is everywhere, with security experts variously calling the Apache log4j logging library bug a recipe for an “internet meltdown,” as well as the “worst cybersecurity bug of the year.” Names like “Apple,” “Twitter” and “Cloudflare” are being bandied about as bein...

Windows 10 Privilege-Escalation Zero-Day Gets Unofficial Fix

A partially unpatched security bug in Windows that could allow local privilege escalation from a regular user to System remains unaddressed fully by Microsoft – but an unofficial micropatch from oPatch has hit the scene. The bug CVE-2021-34484 was originally disclosed and patched as part of...

FreakOut Botnet Turns DVRs Into Monero Cryptominers

Threat group FreakOut’s Necro botnet has developed a new trick: infecting Visual Tools DVRs with a Monero miner. Juniper Threat Labs researchers have issued a report detailing new activities from FreakOut, also known as Necro Python and Python.IRCBot. In late September, the team noticed that the...

100m T-Mobile Customer Records Purportedly Up for Sale

A threat actor is selling what they claim to be 30 million T-Mobile customers’ Social Security and driver license numbers on an underground web forum. The collection is a subset of the purported 100 million records contained in stolen databases. The seller told Motherboard – which first reported...

Microsoft Wraps Up a Lighter Patch Tuesday for the Holidays

Microsoft has addressed 58 CVEs nine of them critical for its December 2020 Patch Tuesday update. This brings the computing giant’s patch tally to 1,250 for the year – well beyond 2019’s 840. This month’s security bugs affect Microsoft Windows, Edge EdgeHTML-based, ChakraCore, Microsoft Office an...

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...

New Reductor Malware Hijacks HTTPS Traffic

Researchers have discovered a new malware strain, dubbed Reductor, that allows hackers to manipulate Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure HTTPS traffic by tweaking a browser’s random numbers generator, used to ensure a private connection between the client and server. Once infected, Reductor is use...

Arcane Stealer V Takes Aim at the Low End of the Dark Web

A general-purpose info-stealing malware is poised to make a splash in cybercrime circles, thanks to its market niche: It’s positioned as an ideal tool for low-skilled adversaries looking to get some skin in the game without having a lot of expertise. According to the Fidelis Threat Research Team...

Phish Uses Google's URL Decoding to Swim Past Defenses

A phishing campaign that takes advantage of Google’s ability to decode non-ASCII URL data on the fly is making the rounds – looking to fool the unsavvy by effectively hiding the website address of the campaign’s phishing page. The campaign makes use of what’s called percentage-based URL encoding ...

Cisco Extends Patch for IPv6 DoS Vulnerability

Cisco has extended its patch for a high-severity IPv6 denial-of-service DoS vulnerability that was first addressed in 2016. The bug CVE-2016-1409 is a vulnerability in the IPv6 packet processing functions of multiple Cisco products, which could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a...

Adobe Addresses Critical Adobe Flash Player, Acrobat Reader Flaws

Adobe has issued patches for critical flaws across its Adobe Flash Player and Acrobat Reader products, which could enable arbitrary code execution. Overall, the company fixed 87 vulnerabilities across Acrobat and Reader, Flash Player and Adobe Media Encoder as part of its regularly-scheduled...

Lax Telco Security Allows Mobile Phone Hijacking and Redirects

As anyone who has called into a bank or utility provider lately knows, security for customer service routines – the prescribed ways in which support reps verify the identity of customers that call in – are being continually upgraded. Two-factor authentication, voice passwords, various security...

Researchers: Facebook's Data-Leveraging Scandal Puts Users on Notice

On the heels of reports that Facebook leveraged its users’ data in its relationships with other companies, researchers say that the tech space needs to re-assess the value of data as it relates to user privacy measures. However, they also said that users need to take steps themselves to safeguard...

Microsoft Fixes 17 Critical Bugs in July Patch Tuesday Release

UDPATE Browser vulnerabilities took center stage in Microsoft’s July Patch Tuesday security bulletin. In all, Microsoft patched 17 bugs rated critical, with ten tied to scripting engine flaws impacting Internet Explorer. In total, Microsoft is reporting 53 bugs: 17 critical, 34 rated important, o...

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...

EternalBlue Exploit Spreading Gh0st RAT, Nitol

EternalBlue, the exploit used in the WannaCry ransomware outbreak, is now being leveraged to distribute the Nitol backdoor and Gh0st RAT malware. Security researchers at FireEye said, just as WannaCry criminals did, threat actors are leveraging the same Microsoft Server Message Block SMB protocol...

Dirty Cow Vulnerability Patched in Android Security Bulletin

The Dirty Cow vulnerability lived in Linux for close to a decade, and while it was patched in October in the kernel and in Linux distributions, Android users had to wait for more than a month for their fix. Today, Google included a patch for CVE-2016-5195 in the monthly Android Security Bulletin,...

Latest Microsoft Transparency Report Details Content Removal Requests

Microsoft launched a new transparency website this week that bundles reports detailing requests for data the company has received, including those from law enforcement, the government, and elsewhere. The page, which Microsoft is calling its Transparency Hub, is somewhat similar to what Apple did...

Microsoft Plans to Disable SSLv3 in IE, All Online Services

Microsoft is planning to disable support for the weak SSLv3 protocol in Internet Explorer at some undetermined point in the future, and also will remove support for it in the company’s online services soon. The security and utility of SSLv3 has been an issue for a long time, but it came into...

New Trojan For Mac Used In Attacks On Tibetan NGOs

The security firm Alienvault reports that its own research on phishing attacks against non governmental organizations supporting the Tibetan Government in Exile is now being used as bait in a new round of phishing attacks on those same NGOs. The firm warned the public on Monday about a round of...

Cisco Issues Critical Fixes for High-End Nexus Gear

Cisco Systems released six security patches tied to its high-end 9000 series networking gear ranging in importance from critical, high and medium severity. The most serious of the bugs patched by Cisco rated 9.1 out of 10 could allow a remote and unauthenticated adversary to read or write arbitra...

Attackers Actively Exploiting Realtek SDK Flaws

Threat actors zeroing in on command injection vulnerabilities reported in Realtek chipsets just days after multiple flaws were discovered in the software developers kits SDK deployed across at least 65 separate vendors. On Aug. 16 multiple Realtek vulnerabilities were disclosed by IoT Inspector...

SAP Stomps Out Critical RCE Flaw in Manufacturing Software

Enterprise software giant SAP pushed out fixes for a critical-severity vulnerability in its real-time data monitoring software for manufacturing operations. If exploited, the flaw could allow an attacker to access SAP databases, infect end users with malware and modify network configurations. The...

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...

Utah Ponders Making Online ‘Catfishing’ a Crime

Legislature introduced in Utah means it could soon be illegal there to pretend to be someone else when engaging in certain types of deceptive activities on the internet, a practice known as “catfishing.” The Online Impersonation Prohibition up for debate this week in the Utah House of...

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...

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...

Adobe Patches 18 Critical Flaws in Out-Of-Band Update

Adobe patched 18 critical vulnerabilities Tuesday impacting key products Adobe After Effects, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Premiere Rush and Audition. The out-of-band fixes address vulnerabilities allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code, if bugs are exploited. In its security bulletin Adobe...

Attacks on Linksys Routers Trigger Mass Password Reset

UPDATE Home Linksys router users were targeted in a cyberattack that changed router settings, and redirected requests for specific webpages and domains to malicious Coronavirus-themed landing pages that were booby-trapped with malware. Researchers identified the attack last month, and earlier thi...

Public Bug Bounty Takes Aim at Kubernetes Container Project

A public bug-bounty program for the Kubernetes container technology framework has just launched, backed by Google, HackerOne and the Cloud Native Computing Foundation CNCF. The Kubernetes container-orchestration system was originally built by Google for automating application deployment, scaling...

Double Vision: Stealthy Malware Dropper Delivers Dual RATs

A newly discovered initial-stage malware dropper has been discovered sneaking by antivirus products, with the ultimate goal of delivering a double-pronged whammy of RevengeRAT and WSH RAT payloads onto targeted Windows machines. A FortiGuard Labs team recently captured a sample file that had been...

Critical Firefox Bugs Allow Arbitrary Code-Execution

Critical vulnerabilities have been discovered in the Mozilla Firefox web browser and Firefox Extended Support Release ESR, and a high-severity bug has been reported for Google Chrome, all of which could allow for arbitrary code execution. The bugs were announced as part of larger updates to Chrom...

Sudo Bug Opens Root Access on Linux Systems

A vulnerability in Sudo, a core command utility for Linux, could allow a user to execute commands as a root user even if that root access has been specifically disallowed. Sudo is a utility that allows a system administrator to give certain users or groups of users the ability to run commands in...

Update: VLC Media Player Plagued By Unpatched Critical RCE Flaw

UPDATE After a German security agency reported a critical vulnerability existed in VLC open-source media player that could enable remote code execution and other malicious actions, the developers of VLC said that the media player is not vulnerable. The VLC media player, developed by the VideoLAN...

Newly-Discovered Malware Targets Unpatched MacOS Flaw

Researchers have discovered never-before-seen Mac malware samples, which they believe are being developed to target a recently-disclosed vulnerability in the MacOS operating system. The vulnerability, a bypass that was disclosed in May and has yet to be patched by Apple, exists in the MacOS...

AI Isn't Good Enough When Lives Are on the Line, Experts Warn

LONDON, UK – With the infosec community eyeing artificial intelligence as the next big frontier for cyber defense, experts here at Infosecurity Europe on Tuesday warned that several challenges in how AI processes and interprets data need to first be fleshed out before widespread adoption. AI, in...

AI, the Mandatory Element of 5G Mobile Security

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Artificial intelligence will be a requirement for securing carrier 5G networks – which is shaping up to be a technology juggernaut that presents unique challenges unlike any ever seen in the world of telecom until now. That was the assessment at the GSMA Mobile 360 Securi...

Shade Ransomware Expands to U.S. Targets

Shade, a ransomware known to target Russian victims, has been spotted in several recent campaigns scoping out new locations – including in the U.S. and Japan. The ransomware, first spotted in late 2014 by Kaspersky Lab researchers, has been known for focusing on Russian victims – but more recent...

Data Security in the Cloud: How to Lock Down the Next-Gen Perimeter

With businesses continuing their digital migrations to cloud services and applications, IT is finding itself wrestling with how to keep companies’ data safe. The challenge? The cloud has created a next-generation, virtual perimeter. Businesses are using infrastructure-as-a-service IaaS, cloud...