Google: Spyware vendors behind 50% of zero-days exploited in 2023
Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) and Google subsidiary Mandiant said they've observed a significant increase in the number of zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in attacks in 2023, many of them linked to spyware vendors and their clients.
The biggest cybersecurity and cyberattack stories of 2023
2023 was a big year for cybersecurity, with significant cyberattacks, data breaches, new threat groups emerging, and, of course, zero-day vulnerabilities.
Russian military hackers target Ukraine with new MASEPIE malware
Ukraine's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is warning of a new phishing campaign that allowed Russia-linked hackers to deploy previously unseen malware on a network in under one hour.
Lockbit ransomware disrupts emergency care at German hospitals
German hospital network Katholische Hospitalvereinigung Ostwestfalen (KHO) has confirmed that recent service disruptions were caused by a Lockbit ransomware attack where the threat actors gained access to IT systems and encrypted devices on the network.
Microsoft disables MSIX protocol handler abused in malware attacks
Microsoft has again disabled the MSIX ms-appinstaller protocol handler after multiple financially motivated threat groups abused it to infect Windows users with malware.
GTA 5 source code reportedly leaked online a year after RockStar hack
The source code for Grand Theft Auto 5 was reportedly leaked on Christmas Eve, a little over a year after the Lapsus$ threat actors hacked Rockstar games and stole corporate data.
Ubisoft says it's investigating reports of a new security breach
Ubisoft is investigating whether it suffered a breach after images of the company's internal software and developer tools were leaked online. Ubisoft is a French video game publisher known for well-known titles, including Assassin's Creed, FarCry, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, and the new Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Ubisoft told BleepingComputer that they are investigating an alleged data security incident after security research collective VX-Underground shared screenshots of what appears to be the company's internal services.
Crypto drainer steals $59 million from 63k people in Twitter ad push
Google and Twitter ads are promoting sites containing a cryptocurrency drainer named 'MS Drainer' that has already stolen $59 million from 63,210 victims over the past nine months.
Healthcare software provider data breach impacts 2.7 million
ESO Solutions, a provider of software products for healthcare organizations and fire departments, disclosed that data belonging to 2.7 million patients has been compromised as a result of a ransomware attack.
Terrapin attacks can downgrade security of OpenSSH connections
Academic researchers developed a new attack called Terrapin that manipulates sequence numbers during the handshake process to breaks the SSH channel integrity when certain widely-used encryption modes are used.
MongoDB says customer data was exposed in a cyberattack
MongoDB is warning that its corporate systems were breached and that customer data was exposed in a cyberattack that was detected by the company earlier this week.
QNAP VioStor NVR vulnerability actively exploited by malware botnet
A Mirai-based botnet named 'InfectedSlurs' is exploiting a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in QNAP VioStor NVR (Network Video Recorder) devices to hijack and make them part of its DDoS (distributed denial of service) swarm. #Actively #Botnet #Computer #Exploited #FXC #InfectedSlurs #InfoSec #Malware #QNAP #Router #Security #Vulnerability
3CX warns customers to disable SQL database integrations
VoIP communications company 3CX warned customers today to disable SQL Database integrations because of risks posed by what it describes as a potential vulnerability.
Hackers are exploiting critical Apache Struts flaw using public PoC
Hackers are attempting to leverage a recently fixed critical vulnerability (CVE-2023-50164) in Apache Struts that leads to remote code execution, in attacks that rely on publicly available proof-of-concept exploit code.
Sophos backports RCE fix after attacks on unsupported firewalls
Sophos was forced to backport a security update for CVE-2022-3236 for end-of-life (EOL) firewall firmware versions after discovering hackers actively exploiting the flaw in attacks.
50K WordPress sites exposed to RCE attacks by critical bug in backup plugin
A critical severity vulnerability in a WordPress plugin with more than 90,000 installs can let attackers gain remote code execution to fully compromise vulnerable websites.
New BLUFFS attack lets attackers hijack Bluetooth connections
Researchers at Eurecom have developed six new attacks collectively named 'BLUFFS' that can break the secrecy of Bluetooth sessions, allowing for device impersonation and man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks.
Welltok data breach exposes data of 8.5 million US patients
Healthcare SaaS provider Welltok is warning that a data breach exposed the personal data of nearly 8.5 million patients in the U.S. after a file transfer program used by the company was hacked in a data theft attack.
DP World confirms data stolen in cyberattack, no ransomware used
International logistics giant DP World has confirmed that data was stolen during a cyber attack that disrupted its operations in Australia earlier this month. However, no ransomware payloads or encryption was used in the attack.
It’s not every day that you discover a new Russian hacking group complete with a song and dance routine (performed live), a sleek user interface (with dark mode!) and a clearly thought-out business model. But that is exactly what our security research team discovered with “AlphaLock,” a “pentesting training organization” that trains hackers and then monetizes their services through a dedicated affiliate program. ... We originally discovered their group through a public Telegram channel that has since become private. This post will serve as a detailed investigation and description of one of the most brazen, strange, and best marketed cybercrime groups to appear in 2023. Cybercrime sophistication and commoditization continues to grow: We now have a real life example of a threat group that seeks to create its own talent pool through a training program, goes to extensive lengths to market itself, and plans to monetize this through a hacker-for-hire scheme. The level of technical sophistication required to do this isn’t very high, but the level of organizational sophistication and business acumen is quite interesting. Ransomware isn’t the only game in town: Cybercriminals typically choose the path of least resistance that is most likely to prove profitable, this has been increasingly the case as the cybercrime ecosystem has evolved into a functional market economy. However AlphaLock represents another potential method to both monetize and democratize cybercrime. This could be a particularly interesting model alternative for ransomware groups if the U.S. follows through with the proposal of banning ransomware payments. A Technical Threat Actor Supply Shortage? One of the most fascinating things about AlphaLock is they want to create a pipeline of talent to populate their hacker marketplace. This suggests that there may be limitations on the supply of talented threat actors that have the required degree of sophistication to the point where they have tried to build their own pipeline of actors. The Brand: Our researchers have noted an increasing focus on group “brand” and identity among financially motivated threat groups. AlphaLock has clearly made significant investments in time to create a brand and reputation for itself. Notice in the final post they even advertise that they are looking to hire someone to market themselves on Telegram and social media. * Blurred Lines: Many security practitioners have often assumed that threat actors primarily operate on the dark web. In most cases today this isn’t the case. There are increasingly blurred lines between clear web sites, Tor, and social media applications such as Telegram that create easy avenues for threat actors to congregate and communicate.
Lumma Stealer malware now uses trigonometry to evade detection
The Lumma information-stealing malware is now using an interesting tactic to evade detection by security software - the measuring of mouse movements using trigonometry to determine if the malware is running on a real machine or an antivirus sandbox.
Toyota confirms breach after Medusa ransomware threatens to leak data
Toyota Financial Services (TFS) has confirmed that it detected unauthorized access on some of its systems in Europe and Africa after Medusa ransomware claimed an attack on the company.
Critical Atlassian Confluence bug exploited in Cerber ransomware attacks
Attackers are exploiting a recently patched and critical severity Atlassian Confluence authentication bypass flaw to encrypt victims' files using Cerber ransomware.
Discord will switch to temporary file links to block malware delivery
Discord will switch to temporary file links for all users by the end of the year to block attackers from using its CDN (content delivery network) for hosting and pushing malware.
New macOS 'KandyKorn' malware targets cryptocurrency engineers
A new macOS malware dubbed 'KandyKorn' has been spotted in a campaign attributed to the North Korean Lazarus hacking group, targeting blockchain engineers of a cryptocurrency exchange platform. The attackers impersonate members of the cryptocurrency community on Discord channels to spread Python-based modules that trigger a multi-stage KandyKorn infection chain. Elastic Security discovered and attributed the attacks to Lazarus based on overlaps with past campaigns concerning the employed techniques, network infrastructure, code-signing certificates, and custom Lazarus detection rules.
Apple 'Find My' network can be abused to steal keylogged passwords
Apple's "Find My" location network can be abused by malicious actors to stealthily transmit sensitive information captured by keyloggers installed in keyboards. The Find My network and application is designed to help users locate lost or misplaced Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, AirPods, and Apple Tags. The service relies on GPS and Bluetooth data crowd-sourced from millions of Apple devices worldwide to find devices reported as lost or stolen, even if those are offline.
New Microsoft Exchange zero-days allow RCE, data theft attacks
Microsoft Exchange is impacted by four zero-day vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit remotely to execute arbitrary code or disclose sensitive information on affected installations.
