Phishing | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

Google on Wednesday said it discovered an unknown threat actor using an experimental Visual Basic Script (VB Script) malware dubbed PROMPTFLUX that interacts with its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) model API to write its own source code for improved obfuscation and evasion. "PROMPTFLUX is written in VBScript and interacts with Gemini's API to request specific VBScript obfuscation and evasion techniques to facilitate 'just-in-time' self-modification, likely to evade static signature-based detection," Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) said in a report shared with The Hacker News. The novel feature is part of its "Thinking Robot" component, which periodically queries the large language model (LLM), Gemini 1.5 Flash or later in this case, to obtain new code so as to sidestep detection. This, in turn, is accomplished by using a hard-coded API key to send the query to the Gemini API endpoint. The prompt sent to the model is both highly specif...

Raise your hand if you've heard the myth, "Android isn't secure." Android phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy, unlock new ways of working. But, as an IT admin, you may worry about the security—after all, work data is critical. However, outdated concerns can hold your business back from unlocking its full potential. The truth is, with work happening everywhere, every device connected to your network is a potential security breach point. As threats evolve, so must the tools to defend against them. Allow me to introduce Samsung Knox— a built-in security platform that combines hardware and software protections on Samsung Galaxy devices. It's loaded with features and is designed to safeguard data, provide IT teams with deeper control, and offer a flexible foundation for enterprise needs. Let's take a look at some myths about open source and how Samsung can get you on the right path to success. Myth 1: "Isn't Android more prone to malware and attacks?" Common concerns around sideloadi...

A never-before-seen threat activity cluster codenamed UNK_SmudgedSerpent has been attributed as behind a set of cyber attacks targeting academics and foreign policy experts between June and August 2025, coinciding with heightened geopolitical tensions between Iran and Israel. "UNK_SmudgedSerpent leveraged domestic political lures, including societal change in Iran and investigation into the militarization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)," Proofpoint security researcher Saher Naumaan said in a new report shared with The Hacker News. The enterprise security company said the campaign shares tactical similarities with that of prior attacks mounted by Iranian cyber espionage groups like TA455 (aka Smoke Sandstorm or UNC1549), TA453  (aka Charming Kitten or Mint Sandstorm), and TA450 (aka Mango Sandstorm or MuddyWater). The email messages bear all hallmarks of a classic Charming Kitten attack, with the threat actors reeling in prospective targets by engagin...

Behind every alert is an analyst; tired eyes scanning dashboards, long nights spent on false positives, and the constant fear of missing something big. It's no surprise that many SOCs face burnout before they face their next breach. But this doesn't have to be the norm. The path out isn't through working harder, but through working smarter, together. Here are three practical steps every SOC can take to prevent burnout and build a healthier, more resilient team. Step 1: Reduce Alert Overload with Real-Time Context SOC burnout often starts with alert fatigue. Analysts waste hours dissecting incomplete data because traditional systems provide only fragments of the story. By giving teams the full behavioral context behind alerts, leaders can help them prioritize faster and act with confidence. Leading SOCs are already turning to advanced solutions like ANY.RUN's interactive sandbox to cut through the noise. Instead of static logs, they see the full attack chain unfold in real time, fr...

Ransomware is malicious software designed to block access to a computer system or encrypt data until a ransom is paid. This cyberattack is one of the most prevalent and damaging threats in the digital landscape, affecting individuals, businesses, and critical infrastructure worldwide. A ransomware attack typically begins when the malware infiltrates a system through various vectors such as phishing emails, malicious downloads, or exploiting software vulnerabilities. Once activated, the malware encrypts files using strong cryptographic algorithms, rendering them inaccessible to the legitimate owner. The attackers then demand payment, usually in cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, in exchange for the decryption key. Modern ransomware variants have evolved beyond simple file encryption. Some employ double extortion tactics, where attackers encrypt data, exfiltrate sensitive information, and threaten to publish it publicly if the ransom is not paid. This puts pressure on victims, particularly...

Threat actors are leveraging weaponized attachments distributed via phishing emails to deliver malware likely targeting the defense sector in Russia and Belarus. According to multiple reports from Cyble and Seqrite Labs , the campaign is designed to deploy a persistent backdoor on compromised hosts that uses OpenSSH in conjunction with a customized Tor hidden service that employs obfs4 for traffic obfuscation. The activity has been codenamed Operation SkyCloak by Seqrite, stating the phishing emails utilize lures related to military documents to convince recipients into opening a ZIP file containing a hidden folder with a second archive file, along with a Windows shortcut (LNK) file, which, when opened, triggers the multi-step infection chain. "They trigger PowerShell commands which act as the initial dropper stage where another archive file besides the LNK is used to set up the entire chain," security researchers Sathwik Ram Prakki and Kartikkumar Jivani said, adding...

Bad actors are increasingly training their sights on trucking and logistics companies with an aim to infect them with remote monitoring and management (RMM) software for financial gain and ultimately steal cargo freight. The threat cluster, believed to be active since at least June 2025 according to Proofpoint, is said to be collaborating with organized crime groups to break into entities in the surface transportation industry with the end goal of plundering physical goods. The most targeted commodities of the cyber-enabled heists are food and beverage products. "The stolen cargo most likely is sold online or shipped overseas," researchers Ole Villadsen and Selena Larson said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "In the observed campaigns, threat actors aim to infiltrate companies and use their fraudulent access to bid on real shipments of goods to ultimately steal them." The campaigns share similarities with a previous set of attacks disclosed in Septemb...

A China-affiliated threat actor known as UNC6384 has been linked to a fresh set of attacks exploiting an unpatched Windows shortcut vulnerability to target European diplomatic and government entities between September and October 2025. The activity targeted diplomatic organizations in Hungary, Belgium, Italy, and the Netherlands, as well as government agencies in Serbia, Arctic Wolf said in a technical report published Thursday. "The attack chain begins with spear-phishing emails containing an embedded URL that is the first of several stages that lead to the delivery of malicious LNK files themed around European Commission meetings, NATO-related workshops, and multilateral diplomatic coordination events," the cybersecurity company said. The files are designed to exploit ZDI-CAN-25373 to trigger a multi-stage attack chain that culminates in the deployment of the PlugX malware using DLL side-loading. PlugX is a remote access trojan that's also referred to as Destroy...

The comfort zone in cybersecurity is gone. Attackers are scaling down, focusing tighter, and squeezing more value from fewer, high-impact targets. At the same time, defenders face growing blind spots — from spoofed messages to large-scale social engineering. This week's findings show how that shrinking margin of safety is redrawing the threat landscape. Here's what's making headlines. Hijack Loader expands its reach in Latin America LATAM Targeted by PureHVNC Phishing emails containing SVG file attachments targeting Colombian, Spanish-speaking individuals with themes relating to the Attorney General's office of Colombia have been used to deliver PureHVNC RAT . "The emails entice the user to download an 'official document' from the judicial information system, which starts the infection chain of executing a Hijack Loader executable that leads to the PureHVNC Remote Access Trojan (RAT)," IBM X-Force said . The activity w...

Threat actors tied to North Korea have been observed targeting the Web3 and blockchain sectors as part of twin campaigns tracked as GhostCall and GhostHire . According to Kaspersky, the campaigns are part of a broader operation called SnatchCrypto that has been underway since at least 2017. The activity is attributed to a Lazarus Group sub-cluster called BlueNoroff , which is also known as APT38, CageyChameleon, CryptoCore, Genie Spider, Nickel Gladstone, Sapphire Sleet (formerly Copernicium), and Stardust Chollima. Victims of the GhostCall campaign span several infected macOS hosts located in Japan, Italy, France, Singapore, Turkey, Spain, Sweden, India, and Hong Kong, whereas Japan and Australia have been identified as the major hunting grounds for the GhostHire campaign. "GhostCall heavily targets the macOS devices of executives at tech companies and in the venture capital sector by directly approaching targets via platforms like Telegram, and inviting potential victims t...

The New Reality for Lean Security Teams If you're the first security or IT hire at a fast-growing startup, you've likely inherited a mandate that's both simple and maddeningly complex: secure the business without slowing it down. Most organizations using Google Workspace start with an environment built for collaboration, not resilience. Shared drives, permissive settings, and constant integrations make life easy for employees—and equally easy for attackers. The good news is that Google Workspace provides an excellent security foundation. The challenge lies in properly configuring it, maintaining visibility, and closing the blind spots that Google's native controls leave open. This article breaks down the key practices every security team—especially small, lean ones—should follow to harden Google Workspace and defend against modern cloud threats. 1. Lock Down the Basics Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) MFA is the single most effective way to stop account compromise. In ...

A European embassy located in the Indian capital of New Delhi, as well as multiple organizations in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, have emerged as the target of a new campaign orchestrated by a threat actor known as SideWinder in September 2025. The activity "reveals a notable evolution in SideWinder's TTPs, particularly the adoption of a novel PDF and ClickOnce -based infection chain, in addition to their previously documented Microsoft Word exploit vectors," Trellix researchers Ernesto Fernández Provecho and Pham Duy Phuc said in a report published last week. The attacks, which involved sending spear-phishing emails in four waves from March through September 2025, are designed to drop malware families such as ModuleInstaller and StealerBot to gather sensitive information from compromised hosts. While ModuleInstaller serves as a downloader for next-stage payloads, including StealerBot, the latter is a .NET implant that can launch a reverse shell, deliver addi...