Apple's Bug Bounty Opens for Business, $1M Payout Included

Apple has officially opened its historically private bug-bounty program to the public, while boosting its top payout to $1 million. Bounty hunters seeking that $1 million will need to provide a working exploit for a zero-click remote chain with full kernel execution and persistence on Apple’s...

Microsoft Outlook for Android Bug Opens Door to XSS

Users of the Microsoft Outlook for Android app should update their apps to avoid a range of attacks. The bug CVE-2019-1460 would allow an attacker to perform cross-site scripting XSS attacks on the affected systems and run scripts in the security context of the current user, according to...

Tianfu Cup Round-Up: Safari, Chrome, D-Link Routers and Office 365 Successfully Hacked

Hackers over the weekend successfully compromised widely used software and hardware–including browsers Safari and Chrome, D-Link routers and the Office 365 suite–using zero-day vulnerabilities at the annual Tianfu Cup gathering. The hacking competition, held in Chengdu, China, is very similar to...

Rogue Trend Micro Employee Sold Customer Data for 68K Accounts

Trend Micro said that a rogue employee sold the data of 68,000 customers to a malicious third party, who then used that data to target customers with scam calls. The employee, who gained unauthorized access to a customer-support database, has since been terminated. Trend Micro said that the...

Pitney Bowes Hit with Ransomware Attack

Shipping services company Pitney Bowes was hit with a ransomware attack that disrupted customer access to key services, the company said Monday. The attack comes on the heels of an FBI advisory on Oct. 2 that U.S. companies should be on alert for ransomware attacks, which are increasing in...

iOS Exploit 'Checkm8' Could Allow Permanent iPhone Jailbreaks

A researcher is warning of an un-patchable bug affecting hundreds of millions of iPhones that gives attackers system-level access to handsets via an unblockable jailbreak hack. Right now, the scope of the attack is limited. The exploit is dubbed “checkm8” by a security researcher who goes by the...

Black Hat 2019: 5G Security Flaw Allows MiTM, Targeted Attacks

LAS VEGAS — 5G commercial networks are starting to roll out, promising exciting new use cases like automated cars, and smart sensor networks where the nodes have 10-year battery lives. To go along with these possibilities are new security requirements; notably, improvements in device...

Mozilla Tackles Two Critical Flaws with Firefox 67 Release

Mozilla patched several critical vulnerabilities with the release of its Firefox 67 browser on Tuesday. The worst of the bugs patched are two memory safety flaws that could allow attackers to exploit the vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system, according to a security bulletin issue...

Researchers in the Dark on Powerful LightNeuron Malware for Years

LightNeuron, a backdoor specifically designed to target Microsoft Exchange mail servers, has flown under the radar since at least 2014, despite being the malware linchpin at the center of several targeted campaigns. A fresh analysis of the recently uncovered code shows that it’s the first publicl...

RSA Conference 2019: How to Defend Against an AI vs AI Flash War

SAN FRANCISCO – As perimeter cyber defenses adopt new strategies such artificial intelligence and machine learning, security experts predict adversaries will adopt similar techniques when it comes to an attack chain. Derek Manky, chief of security insights at Fortinet, said that “black-hat...

Microsoft Publishes Information Sharing Framework

Microsoft earlier this week published a 25-page framework offering guidance on how to effectively share information and what kinds of information need to be shared in order to reduce overall risk. Information sharing has been an oft-repeated refrain in security and policy-making circles for the...

Microsoft EMET 5.0 Technical Preview Released

SAN FRANCISCO – Enterprises beat up by wave after wave of Java exploits and calls to disable the platform may soon have some relief in sight. Microsoft’s free Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit will soon have a new feature that allows users to configure where plug-ins, especially those target...

Complete Microsoft EMET Bypass Developed

SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers at Bromium Labs are expected to announce today they have developed an exploit that bypasses all of the mitigations in Microsoft’s Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit EMET. Principal security researcher Jared DeMott is scheduled to deliver a presentation this morning...

Mozilla Adds Older Java Versions to Firefox Blocklist

Mozilla has made a change in Firefox that will block all of the older versions of Java that contain a critical vulnerability that’s being actively exploited. The decision to add these vulnerable versions of Java to the browser’s blocklist is designed to protect users who may not be aware of the...

Microsoft to Release Emergency Fix for ASP.NET DoS Flaw

UPDATED Microsoft on Thursday plans to release an emergency out-of-band update to address a vulnerability in ASP.NET that could allow an attacker to consume all of the resources on a vulnerable server with a single specially designed HTTP request. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Web...

Microsoft to Pay $200,000 for Innovative Defense Technology in Blue Hat Prize Program

LAS VEGAS–In the face of mounting external pressure to begin paying bug bounties, Microsoft is instead launching a new program that will pay a $200,000 top prize to a security researcher who develops the most innovative defensive security technology. The program is designed to “inspire researcher...

How to Minimize Your Database Attack Surface

Database Management Systems DBMS have extended their capabilities far beyond simply serving as data storage and query systems. Contrary to what they were in the 1970...

Zoom Patches ‘Zero-Click’ RCE Bug

Zoom patched a medium-severity flaw, advising Windows, macOS, iOS and Android users to update their client software to version 5.10.0. The Google Project Zero security researcher Ivan Fratric noted in a report that an attacker can exploit a victim’s machine over a zoom chat. The bug, tracked as...

Millions of Java Apps Remain Vulnerable to Log4Shell

Four months after the discovery of the zero-day Log4Shell critical flaw, millions of Java applications still remain vulnerable to compromise, researchers have found. Rezilion expected that due to the “massive amount of media coverage” the bug unsurprisingly received, the majority of applications...

Ukrainian DDoS Attacks Should Put US on Notice–Researchers

On Tuesday, institutions central to Ukraine’s military and economy were hit with a wave of denial-of-service DoS attacks, which sparked an avalanche of headlines around the world. The strike itself had limited impact — but the larger implications for critical infrastructure beyond the Ukraine are...

Microsoft Faces Wormable, Critical RCE Bug & 6 Zero-Days

Microsoft has addressed a total of 97 security vulnerabilities in its January 2022 Patch Tuesday update – nine of them rated critical – including six that are listed as publicly known zero-days. The fixes cover a swath of the computing giant’s portfolio, including: Microsoft Windows and Windows...

TA505 Gang Is Back With Newly Polished FlawedGrace RAT

The TA505 cybercrime group is whirring its financial rip-off machinery back up, pelting malware at a range of industries in what was initially low-volume waves that researchers saw spiral up late last month. They do bad things, but they’re so tricky that tracking them is a ton of fun, said Sherro...

Scammers Pose as Meal-Kit Services to Steal Customer Data

Attackers are piggybacking off the booming market for meal-kit delivery services since the pandemic, and sending SMS phishing messages doctored up to look like they’re legitimate correspondence from popular brand names — including HelloFresh and Gousto. This is just another example of why the wor...

Cloud Attacks Are Bypassing MFA, Feds Warn

The Feds are warning that cybercriminals are bypassing multi-factor authentication MFA and successfully attacking cloud services at various U.S. organizations. According to an alert issued Wednesday by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA, there have been “several recent...

Game Titles Watch Dogs: Legion, Albion Both Targeted by Hackers

A ransomware gang that just emerged this month dubbed Egregor claims to have hacked the source code to the upcoming gaming release, Watch Dogs: Legion. And in separate gaming news, a popular fantasy title called Albion — a massive multiplayer online role-playing game MMORPG — has been hacked...

Maze Ransomware Adopts Ragnar Locker Virtual-Machine Approach

The operators of the Maze ransomware have added a fresh trick to their bag of badness: Distributing ransomware payloads via virtual machines VM. It’s a “radical” approach, according to researchers, meant to help the ransomware get around endpoint defense. That’s according to researchers with Soph...

Google Squashes Critical Android Media Framework Bug

Google patched a critical vulnerability in the Media Framework of its Android operating system, which if exploited could lead to remote code execution attacks on vulnerable devices. Overall, Google fixed flaws tied to 53 CVEs as part of its September security updates for the Android operating...

Medical Data Leaked on GitHub Due to Developer Errors

Developer error caused the leak of 150,000 to 200,000 patient health records stored in productivity apps from Microsoft and Google that were recently found on GitHub. Dutch researcher Jelle Ursem discovered nine separate files of highly sensitive personal health information PHI from apps such as...

Mootbot Botnet Targets Fiber Routers with Dual Zero-Days

The Mootbot botnet has been using a pair of zero-day exploits to compromise multiple types of fiber routers. According to researchers, other botnets have attempted to do the same, but have so far failed. According to researchers at NetLab 360, the operators of the Mootbot botnet in late February...

Microsoft Warns of Critical Windows Zero-Day Flaws

Microsoft is warning of critical zero-day flaws in its Windows operating system that could enable remote code execution. The unpatched flaws are being exploited by attackers in “limited, targeted” attacks, the company said. According to Microsoft, two remote code execution vulnerabilities exist i...

Next-Gen Ransomware Packs a 'Human' Punch, Microsoft Warns

Researchers are warning that “human operated” ransomware campaigns are growing more sophisticated, adopting new infection tactics and lateral movement techniques that traditional defense teams aren’t equipped to handle. Researchers said that “auto-spreading” ransomware – like WannaCry and NotPety...

Active Exploits Hit Vulnerable WordPress ThemeGrill Plugin

Researchers are urging users of a vulnerable WordPress plugin, ThemeGrill Demo Importer, to update as soon as possible after discovering attackers are actively exploiting a flaw in the plugin. The ThemeGrill Demo Importer plugin is owned by ThemeGrill, which offers various templates for website...

Intel Patches High-Severity Flaw in Security Engine

Intel is warning of a high-severity flaw in the firmware of its converged security and management engine CSME, which if exploited could allow privilege escalation, denial of service and information disclosure. CSME powers Intel’s Active Management System hardware and firmware technology, used for...

Critical, Unpatched 'MDhex' Bugs Threaten Hospital Devices

A collection of six cybersecurity vulnerabilities in a range of GE Healthcare devices for hospitals has been discovered. Dubbed “MDhex” by the researchers at CyberMDX who discovered them, the bugs would allow attackers to disable the devices, harvest personal health information PHI, change alarm...

Imperva: Data Breach Caused by Amazon Cloud Misconfiguration

Imperva, the security vendor, said this week that a misconfiguration of an Amazon Web Services AWS cloud instance allowed hackers to exfiltrate information on customers using its Cloud Web Application Firewall WAF product. Formerly known as Incapsula, the Cloud WAF analyzes requests coming into...

Sextortionists Get Past Defenses with Cryptocurrency Shift

A sextortion campaign is making the rounds that attempts to evade detection by demanding payment in cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin. Sextortion operators typically send emails out claiming to have harvested webcam footage or browser histories related to adult content from the recipient’s...

Black Hat: LeapFrog Tablet Flaws Let Attackers Track, Message Kids

LAS VEGAS – Serious vulnerabilities have been disclosed in LeapFrog’s tablet for kids, the LeapPad Ultimate, once again throwing child data privacy into the spotlight. The LeapPad Ultimate is a rugged tablet made by LeapFrog that targets children with an array of education, game and eBook apps...

Researcher Bypasses Instagram 2FA to Hack Any Account

A researcher earned a $30,000 bug bounty from Facebook after discovering a weakness in the Instagram mobile recovery process that would allow account takeover for any user, via mass brute-force campaigns. Independent researcher Laxman Muthiyah took a look at Instagram’s mobile recovery flow, whic...

POS Malware Found at 102 Checkers Restaurant Locations

The popular Checkers and Rally’s drive-through restaurant chain was attacked by Point of Sale POS malware impacting 15 percent of its stores across the U.S. Checkers is one of the largest drive-through restaurants in the U.S., operating in 28 states and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The securi...

200k Personal Records Exposed by Events Planning Firm

A database belonging to Australian event planning startup, Amazingco, was found leaking more than 200,000 records with personal details tied to children’s entertainment, wine tour events and more. Amazingco, which is based in Austrailia but offers services in New Zealand and the U.S., connects...

Malvertising Campaign Redirects Browsers To Terror Exploit Kit

Security experts are warning some “Quit Smoking” and “20 Minute Fat Loss” ads online are delivering more than sales pitches. According to researchers at Zscaler, ads are redirecting browsers to malicious landing pages hosting the Terror exploit kit. The campaigns have been sustained, with the...

Microsoft Issues 'Important' Security Fix for Azure AD Connect

Microsoft is warning customers of a bug in its Azure Active Directory Connect product that could allow an adversary to escalate privileges and reset passwords and gain unauthorized access to user accounts. The advisory 4033453 was issued Tuesday via Microsoft’s TechNet website for the vulnerabili...

Two New Edge Exploits Integrated into Sundown Exploit Kit

Six months of relative quiet around exploit kits recently changed when a public proof-of-concept attack disclosed by a Texas startup was integrated into the Sundown Exploit Kit. The proof-of-concept exploit was developed by Theori, a research and development firm in Austin, which opened its doors...

FruityArmor APT Group Used Recently Patched Windows Zero Day

One of the four zero-day vulnerabilities Microsoft patched last week was being used by an APT group called FruityArmor to carry out targeted attacks, escape browser-based sandboxes, and execute malicious code in the wild. Anton Ivanov, a researcher at Kaspersky Lab, was credited by Microsoft for...

Microsoft Patches USB-Related Flaw Used in Targeted Attacks

It used to be that dropping a USB stick in a parking lot in the hope that someone plugs the malicious peripheral into an important computer was the realm of penetration testers and ambitious nation-state actors. That’s just not so anymore. The practice has gone mainstream, even infiltrating popul...

Inside a Malicious PDF Attack

PDFs are widely used business file format, which makes them a common target for malware attacks. On the surface, PDFs are secure, but because they have so many “features,” hackers have learned how to hide attacks deep under the surface. By using a number of utilities, we are able to reverse...

U.S. Reigns As Most Bot-Infected Country

The U.S. has by far the highest number of bot-infected computers of any country in the world, with nearly four times as many infected PCs as the country in second place, Brazil, according to a new report by Microsoft. The quarterly report on malicious software and Internet attacks shows that whil...

New Flaw Found in Microsoft SharePoint

There is a cross-site scripting flaw in SharePoint 2007, Microsoft’s collaboration product, which could give an attacker the ability to execute arbitrary JavaScript code on a machine through a browser. High-Tech Bridge, a Swiss security firm, published an advisory about the vulnerability on...

Hack Allows Drone Takeover Via ‘ExpressLRS’ Protocol

The popular protocol for radio controlled RC aircraft called ExpressLRS can be hacked in only a few steps, according to a bulletin published last week. ExpressLRS is an open-source long range radio link for RC applications, such as first-person view FPV drones. “Designed to be the best FPV Racing...

Critical Vulnerability in Premium WordPress Themes Allows for Site Takeover

A critical privilege escalation flaw found in two themes used by more than 90,000 WordPress sites can allow threat actors to take over the sites completely, researchers have found. WordFence Threat Intelligence Team researcher Ramuel Gall discovered the flaw, one of five vulnerabilities he found...