Enterprise Security Woes Explode with Home Networks in the Mix

The work-from-home WFH paradigm that has become the new normal in the age of coronavirus comes with exacerbated network security risk – as evidenced by growing a number of botnets and automated attacks that are taking advantage of known vulnerabilities in both consumer and corporate IT gear. The...

Nintendo Confirms Breach of 160,000 Accounts

Nintendo said over 160,000 accounts have been hacked, due to attackers abusing a legacy login system. Over the past few weeks, Nintendo gamers have been reporting suspicious activities on their accounts. According to the complaints, aired out on Twitter and Reddit, unauthorized actors were loggin...

As Zoom Booms, Incidents of ‘ZoomBombing’ Become a Growing Nuisance

Officials at Zoom have released tips for users of their video-conferencing platform to help avoid getting “Zoom-bombed” by trolls and even more serious threat actors during online meetings. The developers of the online video-conferencing service cautioned users to avoid sharing Zoom meeting links...

Microsoft Edge Shares Privacy-Busting Telemetry, Research Alleges

Microsoft Edge is one of the least private web browsers — even more so than other popular browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox — according to academic researchers. According to the analysis, from Douglas Leith with the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College in...

N.Y. Could Ban Cities from Paying Ransomware Attackers

New York State may soon ban municipalities from paying ransomware demands in the event of a cyberattack. State Senators Phil Boyle, George M. Borrello and Sue Serino introduced Senate Bill S7246 earlier this month, in response to the rising tide of cyberattacks targeting government agencies and...

Download: The Comprehensive Compliance Guide

A large part of the CISO/CIO responsibility is ensuring compliance standards are met. As one of the main drivers of security product purchase and implementation, regulation comes in many different shapes and sizes. Some standards provide clear consequences for failure to meet them. Others provide...

Google and ARM Tackle Android Bugs with Memory-Tagging

Aiming at improving the security of the Android ecosystem, Google has partnered up with mobile silicon-maker ARM to implement a hardware-based bug detection tool specifically for memory-safety vulnerabilities. Dubbed the memory-tagging extension MTE, the feature helps mitigate these kinds of bugs...

Malware Loader ‘Brushaloader’ Grows More Menacing

The tenacious loader malware called Brushaloader is growing more menacing, showing no signs of abatement despite best efforts by security professionals. First identified in June 2018, the Brushaloader malware is now more pervasive, stealthy and growing in popularity faster than ever before. New...

JetBlue Bomb Scare Set Off with Apple AirDrop

The feature in Apple mobile devices that allows people to send photos to nearby phones via Bluetooth is at the heart of a terrorism scare on a JetBlue flight over the weekend. According to the New York Daily News, a prankster sent a photo of a suicide vest to everyone who had an Apple device on t...

Dating App Jack'd Fined After Leaking Users' Nude Pics

LGBTQ dating app Jack’d must cough up a $240,000 fine and “make substantial changes to improve security” on the heels of a security faux pas that leaked the private data – including nude photos – of thousands of its users. Jack’d is a popular location-based app that caters to gay and bisexual men...

5G Security Challenges: A Vendor's POV

How are vendors preparing themselves for the onslaught of 5G networks from a security standpoint? When it comes to 5G there are a slew of use cases being utilized at the bleeding edge – from smart factories to IoT – but these are also opening up security risks. At the GSMA Mobile 360 Security for...

Dell Security Support Tool Harbors High-Severity Flaws

Two high-severity flaws in Dell’s client support tool, SupportAssist Client, could enable remote code-execution RCE and cross-site request forgery CSRF attacks. SupportAssist helps users remove viruses or detect security issues on their PCs, and comes preinstalled on most new Dell devices. “Dell...

GitHub Increases Rewards, Scope For Bug Bounty Program

GitHub has bolstered its bug-bounty program with increased rewards, an expanded scope of products and the addition of legal “safe-harbor” terms aiming to protect bounty hunters. The web-based hosting service announced Tuesday that its program, first launched in 2014, will no longer have a maximum...

Microsoft Launches Azure DevOps Bug Bounty Program

Microsoft lifted the curtain on a new Azure DevOps bug bounty program, designed to sniff out flaws in its Azure DevOps online services and servers. Azure DevOps is a cloud service launched in 2018 that enables collaboration on code development across the breadth of a development lifecycle...

Rubella Crimeware Kit: Cheap, Easy and Gaining Traction

A crimeware kit dubbed the Rubella Macro Builder is betting on a “dirty deeds done dirt cheap” approach to gain popularity in the criminal underground. The kit does two things: with a point-and-click builder functionality, it generates an initial malware payload for social-engineering spam...

Lenovo Fixes Hardcoded Password Flaw Impacting ThinkPad Fingerprint Scanners

PC maker Lenovo issued a fix for a hardcoded password flaw impacting ThinkPad, ThinkCentre and ThinkStation laptops. The flaw affects nearly a dozen Lenovo laptop models that run versions of Microsoft Windows 7, 8 and the 8.1 operating system. The vulnerability was disclosed by Lenovo on Thursday...

Huawei Router Vulnerability Used to Spread Mirai Variant

Researchers have identified a vulnerability in a Huawei home router model that is being exploited by an adversary to spread a variant of the Mirai malware called Mirai Okiru, also known as Satori. Researchers at Check Point published a report Thursday, and said the flaw is in Huawei’s router mode...

Microsoft Patches 17-Year-Old Office Bug

Microsoft on Tuesday patched a 17-year-old remote code execution bug found in an Office executable called Microsoft Equation Editor. The vulnerability CVE-2017-11882 was patched as part of Microsoft’s November Patch Tuesday release of 53 fixes. While Microsoft rates the vulnerability only as...

Critical Moodle Vulnerability Could Lead to Server Compromise

A critical vulnerability in Moodle, an open source PHP-based learning management system deployed across scores of schools and universities, could expose the server its running on to compromise. Tens of thousands of universities worldwide, including the California State University system, the...

Old Linux Kernel Code Execution Bug Patched

A critical, local code-execution vulnerability in the Linux kernel was patched more than a week ago, continuing a run of serious security issues in the operating system, most of which have been hiding in the code for years. Details on the vulnerability were published Tuesday by researcher Philip...

FTC, Experts Push Startups to Think About Security From the Beginning

About a decade ago, many large software makers learned some very difficult lessons about software security and building security into their products from the start. Some are still learning. The FTC and a variety of security experts are hoping that today’s crop of start-ups will not have to go...

Duqu Resurfaces With New Round of Victims, Including Kaspersky Lab

The Duqu attackers, who are considered by researchers to be at the top of the food chain of APT groups and are responsible for attacking certificate authorities and perhaps spying on Iran’s nuclear program, have resurfaced with a new platform that was used to compromise high-profile victims,...

September 2014 Microsoft Patch Tuesday advance notification

Microsoft today announced a relatively light load of patches will be delivered on Patch Tuesday next week, along with some numbers that demonstrate public vulnerability disclosures continue to rise. Four security bulletins, one rated critical, are scheduled to be released next Tuesday. In what’s...

New OpenSSL MITM Flaw Affects All Clients, Some Server Versions

There is a new, remotely exploitable vulnerability in OpenSSL that could enable an attacker to intercept and decrypt traffic between vulnerable clients and servers. The flaw affects all versions of the OpenSSL client and versions 1.0.1 and 1.0.2-beta1 of the server software. The new vulnerability...

Microsoft to Patch IE 10 Zero Day March 2014 Patch Tuesday

Microsoft will patch a lingering zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer next Tuesday, one of five bulletins it will release as part of its March 2014 Patch Tuesday security updates. The IE 10 zero-day was disclosed close to a month ago when researchers at FireEye reported on Operation SnowMa...

IE Zero Day Used in Targeted Attacks Against Japanese Firms

Attackers exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser have compromised several popular local Japanese media outlets and have infected systems belonging to government, high tech and manufacturing organizations in Japan. Researchers at FireEye said the attacks appea...

Aumlib, Ixeshe Malware Updated in Targeted China Attacks

After a quiet period, the state-sponsored hacker group blamed for attacks on the New York Times late last year has begun a number of new campaigns that feature updated versions of malware used in attacks going back to 2009. Researchers at FireEye said the group, identified as APT 12 by forensics...

Report: Malvertising Campaign Thrives on Dynamic DNS

A malvertising campaign that’s lasted almost half a year is staying alive thanks to infected web advertisements being circulated by otherwise clean ad networks. The campaign, now in its fifth month, relies on the Dynamic Domain Name System DDNS to keep it from being caught according to a report...

Emergency Zero-Day Patch Does Not Quiet Calls to Disable Java

Oracle’s emergency Java update this weekend for a zero-day sandbox bypass vulnerability hasn’t exactly kicked off a love-fest for the company among security experts. Researchers are still cautious about recommending users re-enable the ubiquitous software, despite the availability of the fix for...

Chrome Playing Hard to Get with Blackhole Exploit Kit

Google’s Chrome browser is something of a tough customer for the infamous and widely deployed Blackhole Exploit Kit, according to Blue Coat security researcher, Adnan Shukor. Shukor notes there has been an uptick in the kit’s use of plain HTML files, instead of iframes, to redirect users to explo...

Google Fixes 15 Flaws in Chrome

Google has fixed 15 security vulnerabilities in its Chrome browser, including six high-risk bugs. As part of its reward program, Google paid out $6,000 in rewards to researchers who reported flaws. This is one of the larger groups of bug fixes that Google has included in recent releases of Chrome...

Adobe Releases Emergency Fix for Critical Reader Flaws

Adobe on Tuesday released an emergency patch for several critical vulnerabilities in Adobe Reader, including the recent Adobe Flash bug and a separate flaw that was disclosed earlier this month. The patch released Tuesday is outside of the company’s normal quarterly update schedule for Reader and...

Microsoft Plugs IE Drive-By Download Flaws

Microsoft today shipped a cumulative Internet Explorer update with patches for 10 security holes, including a drive-by download vulnerability that’s already being used in malware attacks. The critical MS08-018 update patches security holes that could lead to code execution attacks on all versions...

Apple Patches 12 Serious Mac OS X Flaws

Apple’s first Mac OS X security update for 2010 is out, providing cover for at least 12 serious vulnerabilities. The update, rated critical, plugs security holes that could lead to code execution vulnerabilities if a Mac user is tricked into opening audio files or surfing to a rigged Web site. Wi...

Large-Scale Phishing Campaign Bypasses MFA

Microsoft researchers have uncovered a massive phishing campaign that can steal credentials even if a user has multi-factor authentication MFA enabled and has so far attempted to compromise more than 10,000 organizations. The campaign, which has been active since September 2021, depends upon the...

How War Impacts Cyber Insurance

Author Chris Hallenbeck is CISO for the Americas at Tanium In the words of former FBI director, Robert Mueller, “There are only two types of companies: those that have been hacked and those that will be.” This unavoidable truth, coupled with growing mainstream awareness and the ever-increasing...

iPhones Vulnerable to Attack Even When Turned Off

Attackers can target iPhones even when they are turned off due to how Apple implements standalone wireless features Bluetooth, Near Field Communication NFC and Ultra-wideband UWB technologies in the device, researchers have found. These features—which have access to the iPhone’s Secure Element SE...

VMware ESXi Servers Encrypted by Lightning-Fast Python Script

Researchers have discovered a new Python ransomware from an unnamed gang that’s striking ESXi servers and virtual machines VMs with what they called “sniper-like” speed. Sophos said on Tuesday that the ransomware is being used to compromise and encrypt VMs hosted on an ESXi hypervisor in operatio...

Cryptominer Farm Rigged with 3,800 PS4s Busted in Ukraine

Authorities in Ukraine have made another cybersecurity bust — this time shutting down what they said is one of the largest underground cryptomining operations ever found. The ring was apparently run by stringing together 3,800 Sony PlayStation 4 PS4 gaming consoles. Cryptominers serve as auditors...

MacOS Targeted in WildPressure APT Malware Campaign

Threat actors known as WildPressure have added a macOS malware variant to their latest campaign targeting energy sector businesses, while enlisting compromised WordPress websites to carry out attacks. Novel malware, initially identified in March 2020 and dubbed Milum, has now been retooled with a...

Volkswagen Vendor Exposed Data of 3.3m Drivers

One of Volkswagen’s vendors left one of its systems open for nearly two years, exposing the personal data of 3.3 million customers – nearly all of them owners or wannabe owners of the automaker’s luxury brand of Audis – Volkswagen America said last week. The breach took place between August 2019...

100M Android Users Hit By Rampant Cloud Leaks

More than 100 million Android users are at risk after 23 different mobile apps were found to leak personal data in the wake of rampant cloud misconfigurations. That’s according to Check Point Research, whose researchers found that emails, chat messages, location data, passwords, photos, personal...

Major U.S. Pipeline Crippled in Ransomware Attack

A ransomware attack has halted pipeline activities for the Colonial Pipeline Co., which supplies the East Coast with roughly 45 percent of its liquid fuels. In a statement released on Saturday, Colonial Pipeline said it has temporarily halted pipeline operations in response to a cyberattack...

Newest Intel Side-Channel Attack Sniffs Out Sensitive Data

Intel processors are vulnerable to a new side-channel attack, which researchers said can allow attackers to steal sensitive information such as encryption keys or passwords. Unlike previous side-channel attacks, this attack does not rely on sharing memory, cache sets and other former tactics...

Good Heavens! 10M Impacted in Pray.com Data Exposure

The Christian faith app Pray.com has leaked private data for up to 10 million people, according to researchers. The app offers “daily prayer and Bible stories to inspire, educate and help you sleep” on a subscription basis. Subscriptions run anywhere from $50 to $120. It offers a host of audio...

MontysThree APT Takes Unusual Aim at Industrial Targets

SAS@Home 2020 – A series of highly targeted attacks by an APT group called MontysThree against industrial targets has been uncovered, with evidence that the campaign dates back to 2018. That’s according to researchers from Kaspersky, who noted that the group uses a variety of techniques to evade...

Firefox 81 Release Kills High-Severity Code-Execution Bugs

Mozilla patched high-severity vulnerabilities with the release of Firefox 81 and Firefox ESR 78.3, including several that could be exploited to run arbitrary code. Two severe bugs CVE-2020-15674 and CVE-2020-15673 are errors in the browser’s memory-safety protections, which prevent memory access...

Twitter Fixes High-Severity Flaw Affecting Android Users

Twitter has fixed a vulnerability in its Android app, which could have enabled attackers to access private Twitter data, like direct messages DMs on Android devices. The flaw is related to an underlying Android operating system OS security issue CVE-2018-9492, which affects operating system...

Twitter: Hackers Accessed Private Messages for Elite Accounts

Hackers accessed direct messages DMs for 36 of the 130 high-profile users whose accounts were hacked in an unprecedented account breach last week, Twitter confirmed Wednesday. An elected official in the Netherlands was one of those whose DMs were compromised, the company tweeted in an update late...

Crooks Tap Google Firebase in Fresh Phishing Tactic

A series of phishing campaigns using Google Firebase storage URLs have surfaced, showing that cybercriminals continue to leverage the reputation of Google’s cloud infrastructure to dupe victims and skate by secure email gateways. Google Firebase is a mobile and web application development platfor...