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Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed a set of flaws impacting Palo Alto Networks and SonicWall virtual private network (VPN) clients that could be potentially exploited to gain remote code execution on Windows and macOS systems. "By targeting the implicit trust VPN clients place in servers, attackers can manipulate client behaviours, execute arbitrary commands, and gain high levels of access with minimal effort," AmberWolf said in an analysis. In a hypothetical attack scenario, this plays out in the form of a rogue VPN server that can trick the clients into downloading malicious updates that can cause unintended consequences. The result of the investigation is a proof-of-concept (PoC) attack tool called NachoVPN that can simulate such VPN servers and exploit the vulnerabilities to achieve privileged code execution. The identified flaws are listed below - CVE-2024-5921 (CVSS score: 5.6) - An insufficient certificate validation vulnerability impacting Palo Alto N...

The North Korea-aligned threat actor known as Kimsuky has been linked to a series of phishing attacks that involve sending email messages that originate from Russian sender addresses to ultimately conduct credential theft. "Phishing emails were sent mainly through email services in Japan and Korea until early September," South Korean cybersecurity company Genians said . "Then, from mid-September, some phishing emails disguised as if they were sent from Russia were observed." This entails the abuse of VK's Mail.ru email service, which supports five different alias domains, including mail.ru, internet.ru, bk.ru, inbox.ru, and list.ru. Genians said it has observed the Kimsuky actors leveraging all the aforementioned sender domains for phishing campaigns that masquerade as financial institutions and internet portals like Naver. Other phishing attacks have entailed sending messages that mimic Naver's MYBOX cloud storage service and aim to trick users into ...

A newly discovered malware campaign has been found to target private users, retailers, and service businesses mainly located in Russia to deliver NetSupport RAT and BurnsRAT. The campaign, dubbed Horns&Hooves by Kaspersky, has hit more than 1,000 victims since it began around March 2023. The end goal of these attacks is to leverage the access afforded by these trojans to install stealer malware such as Rhadamanthys and Meduza . "Recent months have seen a surge in mailings with lookalike email attachments in the form of a ZIP archive containing JScript scripts," security researcher Artem Ushkov said in a Monday analysis. "The script files [are] disguised as requests and bids from potential customers or partners." The threat actors behind the operations have demonstrated their active development of the JavaScript payload, making significant changes during the course of the campaign. In some instances, the ZIP archive has been found to contain other docum...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a far-off dream—it's here, changing the way we live. From ordering coffee to diagnosing diseases, it's everywhere. But while you're creating the next big AI-powered app, hackers are already figuring out ways to break it. Every AI app is an opportunity—and a potential risk. The stakes are huge: data leaks, downtime, and even safety threats if security isn't built in. With AI adoption moving fast, securing your projects is no longer optional—it's a must. Join Liqian Lim, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Snyk, for an exclusive webinar that's all about securing the future of AI development. Titled " Building Tomorrow, Securely: Securing the Use of AI in App Development ," this session will arm you with the knowledge and tools to tackle the challenges of AI-powered innovation. What You'll Learn: Get AI-Ready: How to make your AI projects secure from the start. Spot Hidden Risks: Uncover threats you might not see coming. Understand the Ma...

Taiwanese entities in manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology sectors have become the target of a new campaign distributing the SmokeLoader malware. "SmokeLoader is well-known for its versatility and advanced evasion techniques, and its modular design allows it to perform a wide range of attacks," Fortinet FortiGuard Labs said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "While SmokeLoader primarily serves as a downloader to deliver other malware, in this case, it carries out the attack itself by downloading plugins from its [command-and-control] server." SmokeLoader , a malware downloader first advertised in cybercrime forums in 2011, is chiefly designed to execute secondary payloads. Additionally, it possesses the capability to download more modules that augment its own functionality to steal data, launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and mine cryptocurrency. "SmokeLoader detects analysis environments, generates fake network t...

Ever wonder what happens in the digital world every time you blink? Here's something wild - hackers launch about 2,200 attacks every single day, which means someone's trying to break into a system somewhere every 39 seconds. And get this - while we're all worried about regular hackers, there are now AI systems out there that can craft phishing emails so convincingly, that even cybersecurity experts have trouble spotting them. What's even crazier? Some of the latest malware is like a digital chameleon - it literally watches how you try to catch it and changes its behavior to slip right past your defenses. Pretty mind-bending stuff, right? This week's roundup is packed with eye-opening developments that'll make you see your laptop in a whole new light. ⚡ Threat of the Week T-Mobile Spots Hackers Trying to Break In: U.S. telecom service provider T-Mobile caught some suspicious activity on their network recently - basically, someone was trying to sneak into th...

Google Workspace has quickly become the productivity backbone for businesses worldwide, offering an all-in-one suite with email, cloud storage and collaboration tools. This single-platform approach makes it easy for teams to connect and work efficiently, no matter where they are, enabling seamless digital transformation that's both scalable and adaptable. As companies shift from traditional, on-premises setups focused on device security, to more user-centered, hybrid models, Google Workspace is perfectly positioned to support this evolution. Now, the user account itself is the central hub, allowing access from any device or location — a game changer in today's remote and distributed work environments. However, with all this connectivity and flexibility comes a challenge. Google Workspace connects to countless apps and touches every user in the organization, making it an appealing target for cybercriminals. The platform's internet accessibility opens up additional entry points, raisi...

Over a dozen malicious Android apps identified on the Google Play Store that have been collectively downloaded over 8 million times contain malware known as SpyLoan, according to new findings from McAfee Labs. "These PUP (potentially unwanted programs) applications use social engineering tactics to trick users into providing sensitive information and granting extra mobile app permissions, which can lead to extortion, harassment, and financial loss," security researcher Fernando Ruiz said in an analysis published last week. The newly discovered apps purport to offer quick loans with minimal requirements to attract unsuspecting users in Mexico, Colombia, Senegal, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Tanzania, Peru, and Chile. The 15 predatory loan apps are listed below. Five of these apps that are still available for download from the official app store are said to have made changes to comply with Google Play policies. Préstamo Seguro-Rápido, seguro (com.prestamoseguro.ss ) P...

A global law enforcement operation has led to the arrest of more than 5,500 suspects involved in financial crimes and the seizure of more than $400 million in virtual assets and government-backed currencies. The coordinated exercise saw the participation of authorities from 40 countries, territories, and regions as part of the latest wave of Operation HAECHI-V , which took place between July and November 2024, INTERPOL said. "The effects of cyber-enabled crime can be devastating – people losing their life savings, businesses crippled, and trust in digital and financial systems undermined," INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said in a statement. "The borderless nature of cybercrime means international police cooperation is essential, and the success of this operation supported by INTERPOL shows what results can be achieved when countries work together. It's only through united efforts that we can make the real and digital worlds safer." As part of H...

A Russian cybercriminal wanted in the U.S. in connection with LockBit and Hive ransomware operations has been arrested by law enforcement authorities in the country. According to a news report from Russian media outlet RIA Novosti, Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev has been accused of developing a malicious program designed to encrypt files and seek ransom in return for a decryption key. "At present, the investigator has collected sufficient evidence, the criminal case with the indictment signed by the prosecutor has been sent to the Central District Court of the city of Kaliningrad for consideration on the merits," the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement. Matveev has been charged under Part 1 of Article 273 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which relates to the creation, use, and distribution of computer programs that can cause "destruction, blocking, modification or copying of computer information." He was previously charged and ...

A Moscow-based company sanctioned by the U.S. earlier this year has been linked to yet another influence operation designed to turn public opinion against Ukraine and erode Western support since at least December 2023. The covert campaign undertaken by Social Design Agency (SDA) leverages videos enhanced using artificial intelligence (AI) and bogus websites impersonating reputable news sources to target audiences across Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S. It has been dubbed Operation Undercut by Recorded Future's Insikt Group. "This operation, running in tandem with other campaigns like Doppelganger , is designed to discredit Ukraine's leadership, question the effectiveness of Western aid, and stir socio-political tensions," the cybersecurity company said . "The campaign also seeks to shape narratives around the 2024 U.S. elections and geopolitical conflicts, such as the Israel-Gaza situation, to deepen divisions." Social Design Agency has been previously a...

The lines between digital and physical realms increasingly blur. While this opens countless opportunities for businesses, it also brings numerous challenges. In our recent webinar, Shaping the Cyber-Physical Future: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities for 2025 , we explored the different factors shaping the cyber-physical future. In an insightful conversation with industry experts, we discussed the most pressing security concerns of today and how to address them. Allison J. Taylor, the founder and CEO of Thought Marketing LLC, unveiled trends and recommended strategies businesses can employ to proactively bolster their security amidst evolving cyber challenges. Cesar Salazar, COO of Claro Enterprise Solutions, delved into innovative solutions that could propel business tech forward. He emphasized cyber-physical convergence, the use of emerging technologies, and responsive security operations. Below are the key takeaways from the webinar. These provide an overview of why businesses...

Cybersecurity researchers are warning about malicious email campaigns leveraging a phishing-as-a-service ( PhaaS ) toolkit called Rockstar 2FA with an aim to steal Microsoft 365 account credentials. "This campaign employs an AitM [adversary-in-the-middle] attack, allowing attackers to intercept user credentials and session cookies, which means that even users with multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled can still be vulnerable," Trustwave researchers Diana Solomon and John Kevin Adriano said . Rockstar 2FA is assessed to be an updated version of the DadSec (aka Phoenix) phishing kit. Microsoft is tracking the developers and distributors of the Dadsec PhaaS platform under the moniker Storm-1575 . Like its predecessors, the phishing kit is advertised via services like ICQ, Telegram, and Mail.ru under a subscription model for $200 for two weeks (or $350 for a month), allowing cyber criminals with little-to-no technical expertise to mount campaigns at scale. Some of the...