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The latest ThreatsDay Bulletin is basically a cheat sheet for everything breaking on the internet right now. No corporate fluff or boring lectures here, just a quick and honest look at the messy reality of keeping systems safe this week. Things are moving fast. The list includes researchers chaining small bugs together to create massive backdoors, old software flaws coming back to haunt us, and some very clever new tricks that let attackers bypass security logs entirely without leaving a trace. We are also seeing sketchier traffic on the underground and the usual supply chain mess, where one bad piece of code threatens thousands of apps. It is definitely worth a quick scan before you log off for the day, if only to make sure none of this is sitting in your own network. Let's get into it. Pre-auth RCE chain exposed Security Flaws in Progress ShareFile watchTower Labs has disclosed two securi...

A new campaign has leveraged the ClickFix social engineering tactic as a way to distribute a previously undocumented malware loader referred to as DeepLoad . "It likely uses AI-assisted obfuscation and process injection to evade static scanning, while credential theft starts immediately and captures passwords and sessions even if the primary loader is blocked," ReliaQuest researchers Thassanai McCabe and Andrew Currie said in a report shared with The Hacker News. The starting point of the attack chain is a ClickFix lure that tricks users into running PowerShell commands by pasting the command into the Windows Run dialog under the pretext of addressing a non-existent issue. This, in turn, uses "mshta.exe," a legitimate Windows utility to download and run an obfuscated PowerShell loader. The loader, for its part, has been found to conceal its actual functionality among meaningless variable assignments, likely in an attempt to deceive security tools. It's ass...

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a remote access toolkit of Russian-origin that's distributed via malicious Windows shortcut (LNK) files that are disguised as private key folders. The CTRL toolkit, according to Censys, is custom-built using .NET and includes various executables" to facilitate credential phishing, keylogging, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) hijacking, and reverse tunneling via Fast Reverse Proxy (FRP). "The executables provide encrypted payload loading, credential harvesting via a polished Windows Hello phishing UI, keylogging, RDP session hijacking, and reverse proxy tunneling through FRP," Censys security researcher Andrew Northern said . The attack surface management platform said it recovered CTRL from an open directory at 146.19.213[.]155 in February 2026. Attack chains distributing the toolkit rely on a weaponized LNK file ("Private Key #kfxm7p9q_yek.lnk") with a folder icon to trick users into double-clicking it. This tri...

TeamPCP, the threat actor behind the supply chain attack targeting Trivy , KICS , and litellm , has now compromised the telnyx Python package by pushing two malicious versions to steal sensitive data. The two versions, 4.87.1 and 4.87.2, published to the Python Package Index (PyPI) repository on March 27, 2026, concealed their credential harvesting capabilities within a .WAV file. Users are recommended to downgrade to version 4.87.0 immediately. The PyPI project is currently quarantined. Various reports from Aikido , Endor Labs , JFrog ,  Ossprey Security , SafeDep , Socket , and StepSecurity indicate the malicious code is injected into "telnyx/_client.py," causing it to be invoked when the package is imported into a Python application. The malware is designed to target Windows, Linux, and macOS systems. "Our analysis reveals a three-stage runtime attack chain on Linux/macOS consisting of delivery via audio steganography, in-memory execution of a data harvester, ...

Threat actors are using adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) phishing pages to seize control of TikTok for Business accounts in a new campaign, according to a report from Push Security. Business accounts associated with social media platforms are a lucrative target, as they can be weaponized by bad actors for malvertising and distributing malware. "TikTok has been historically abused to distribute malicious links and social engineering instructions," Push Security said . "This includes multiple infostealers like Vidar, StealC, and Aura Stealer delivered via ClickFix-style instructions with AI-generated videos posed as activation guides for Windows, Spotify, and CapCut." The campaign begins with tricking victims into clicking on a malicious link that directs them to either a lookalike page impersonating TikTok for Business or a page that's designed to impersonate Google Careers, along with an option to schedule a call to discuss the opportunity. It's worth n...

Rising geopolitical tensions are reflected (or in some cases preceded) by cyber operations, while technology itself has become politicized. Let’s admit it: we are in the middle of it.  Introduction: One tech power to rule them all is a thing of the past  The relative safety, peace and prosperity that much of the world has enjoyed since 1945 was not accidental. It emerged from the ashes of two world wars and the deliberate construction of a new global order. The United States of America set the terms of this new world. The long peace under Pax Americana provided a stable foundation, but that foundation is shifting. Europe’s deep strategic dependence on the U.S.’s technological and cybersecurity capabilities, from intelligence and infrastructure to frameworks and funding, is now being tested. Those tectonic geopolitical changes are undermining trust, threatening the state of safety, and compelling European organizations to rethink digital architectures and approaches at ever...

A pro-Ukrainian group called Bearlyfy has been attributed to more than 70 cyber attacks targeting Russian companies since it first surfaced in the threat landscape in January 2025, with recent attacks leveraging a custom Windows ransomware strain codenamed GenieLocker. "Bearlyfy (also known as Labubu) operates as a dual-purpose group aimed at inflicting maximum damage upon Russian businesses; its attacks serve the dual objectives of extortion for financial gain and acts of sabotage," Russian security vendor F6 said . The hacking group was first documented by F6 in September 2025 as leveraging encryptors associated with LockBit 3 (Black) and Babuk, with early intrusions focusing on smaller companies before upping the ante and demanding ransoms to the tune of €80,000 (about $92,100). By August 2025, the group had claimed at least 30 victims. Beginning May 2025, Bearlyfy actors also utilized a modified version of PolyVice , a ransomware family attributed to Vice Society ...

Unmasking impostors is something the art world has faced for decades, and there are valuable lessons from the works of Elmyr de Hory that can apply to the world of defensive cybersecurity. During the 1960s, de Hory gained infamy as a premier forger, passing off counterfeit masterworks of Picasso, Matisse, and Renoir to unsuspecting collectors and renowned museums. Over the next several decades, more than a thousand of his works slipped past experts who relied on trusted signatures, familiar patterns, and reputable provenance. It’s not unlike the challenges SOCs are facing now. We’re firmly in the Age of Imitation. Cyberattackers, equipped with AI, are mastering the art of imitating the familiar, posing as trusted users and masking their activity within legitimate processes and ordinary network traffic. As history shows, it’s often easier to identify impostors when you know what to look for. Key takeaways for defenders: Mimicry is the new normal: 81% of attacks are malware-free Ag...

Some weeks in security feel loud. This one feels sneaky. Less big dramatic fireworks, more of that slow creeping sense that too many people are getting way too comfortable abusing things they probably shouldn’t even be touching. There’s a little bit of everything in this one, too. Weird delivery tricks, old problems coming back in slightly worse forms, shady infrastructure doing shady infrastructure things, and the usual reminder that if criminals find a workflow annoying, they’ll just make a new one by Friday. Efficient little parasites. You almost have to respect the commitment. A few of these updates have that nasty “yeah, that tracks” energy. Stuff that sounds niche right up until you picture it landing in a real environment with real users clicking real nonsense because they’re busy and tired and just trying to get through the day. Then it stops being abstract pretty fast. So yeah, this week’s ThreatsDay Bulletin is a solid scroll-befor...

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) said a Russian national has been sentenced to two years in prison for managing a botnet that was used to launch ransomware attacks against U.S. companies. Ilya Angelov, 40, of Tolyatti, Russia, was also fined $100,000. Angelov, who went by the online aliases "milan" and "okart," is said to have co-managed a Russia-based cybercriminal group known as TA551 (aka ATK236, G0127, Gold Cabin, Hive0106, Mario Kart, Monster Libra, Shathak, and UNC2420 ) between 2017 and 2021. "Angelov's group built a network of compromised computers (a 'botnet') through distribution of malware-infected files attached to spam emails," the DoJ said. "Angelov and his co-manager then monetized this botnet by selling access to individual compromised computers ('bots')." According to the sentencing memorandum , the threat group developed programs to distribute spam email and refined malware to bypass security tools...

A large-scale malvertising campaign active since January 2026 has been observed targeting U.S.-based individuals searching for tax-related documents to serve rogue installers for ConnectWise ScreenConnect that drop a tool named HwAudKiller to blind security programs using the bring your own vulnerable driver ( BYOVD ) technique. "The campaign abuses Google Ads to serve rogue ScreenConnect (ConnectWise Control) installers, ultimately delivering a BYOVD EDR killer that drops a kernel driver to blind security tools before further compromise," Huntress researcher Anna Pham said in a report published last week. The cybersecurity vendor said it identified over 60 instances of malicious ScreenConnect sessions tied to the campaign. The attack chain stands out for a couple of reasons. Unlike recent campaigns highlighted by Microsoft that leverage tax-themed lures, the newly flagged activity employs commercial cloaking services to avoid detection by security scanners and abuses a ...

A 26-year-old Russian citizen has been sentenced in the U.S. to 6.75 years (81 months) in prison for his role in assisting major cybercrime groups, including the Yanluowang ransomware crew, in conducting numerous attacks against U.S. companies and other organizations. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ), Aleksei Olegovich Volkov facilitated dozens of ransomware attacks across the U.S., causing more than $9 million in actual losses and over $24 million in intended losses. Volkov was arrested on January 18, 2024, in Italy and extradited to the U.S. to face charges. He pleaded guilty to the crimes in November 2025. Volkov is said to have served as an initial access broker responsible for obtaining unauthorized access to computer networks and systems belonging to various organizations and selling that access to other criminal groups, including ransomware actors. This was accomplished by exploiting vulnerabilities or finding ways to access the networks without authorizati...

A new analysis of endpoint detection and response (EDR) killers has revealed that 54 of them leverage a technique known as bring your own vulnerable driver ( BYOVD ) by abusing a total of 35 vulnerable drivers. EDR killer programs have been a common presence in ransomware intrusions as they offer a way for affiliates to neutralize security software before deploying file-encrypting malware. This is done so in an attempt to evade detection. "Ransomware gangs, especially those with ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) programs, frequently produce new builds of their encryptors, and ensuring that each new build is reliably undetected can be time-consuming," ESET researcher Jakub Souček said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "More importantly, encryptors are inherently very noisy (as they inherently need to modify a large number of files in a short period); making such malware undetected is rather challenging." EDR killers act as a specialized, external component...

ThreatsDay Bulletin is back on The Hacker News, and this week feels off in a familiar way. Nothing loud, nothing breaking everything at once. Just a lot of small things that shouldn’t work anymore but still do. Some of it looks simple, almost sloppy, until you see how well it lands. Other bits feel a little too practical, like they’re already closer to real-world use than anyone wants to admit. And the background noise is getting louder again, the kind people usually ignore. A few stories are clever in a bad way. Others are just frustratingly avoidable. Overall, it feels like quiet pressure is building in places that matter. Skim it or read it properly, but don’t skip this one. Emerging RaaS exploiting FortiGate flaws The Gentlemen RaaS Detailed Group-IB has shed light on the various tactics adopted by The Gentlemen, a nascent Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operation that consists of about 20 members. It originated f...

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has urged government agencies to apply patches for two security flaws impacting Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS) and Microsoft Office SharePoint , stating they have been actively exploited in the wild. The vulnerabilities in question are as follows - CVE-2025-66376 (CVSS score: 7.2) - A stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Classic UI of ZCS, where attackers could abuse Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) @import directives in an HTML e-mail message. (Fixed in versions 10.0.18 and 10.1.13 in November 2025 ) CVE-2026-20963 (CVSS score: 8.8) - A deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability in Microsoft Office SharePoint that allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network. (Fixed in January 2026 ) The addition of CVE-2025-66376 to the KEV catalog follows a report from Seqrite Labs, which detailed a campaign orchestrated by a suspected Russian state-sponsored intrusion set targeting t...

Amazon Threat Intelligence is warning of an active Interlock ransomware campaign that's exploiting a recently disclosed critical security flaw in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software. The vulnerability in question is CVE-2026-20131 (CVSS score: 10.0), a case of insecure deserialization of user-supplied Java byte stream, which could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary Java code as root on an affected device. According to data gleaned from the tech giant's MadPot global sensor network , the security flaw is said to have been exploited as a zero-day since January 26, 2026, more than a month before it was publicly disclosed by Cisco. "This wasn't just another vulnerability exploit; Interlock had a zero-day in their hands, giving them a week's head start to compromise organizations before defenders even knew to look. Upon making this discovery, we shared our findings with Cisco to help support...

The ransomware operation known as LeakNet has adopted the ClickFix social engineering tactic delivered through compromised websites as an initial access method. The use of ClickFix, where users are tricked into manually running malicious commands to address non-existent errors, is a departure from relying on traditional methods for obtaining initial access, such as through stolen credentials acquired from initial access brokers (IABs), ReliaQuest said in a technical report published today. The second important aspect of these attacks is the use of a staged command-and-control (C2) loader built on the Deno JavaScript runtime to execute malicious payloads directly in memory. "The key takeaway here is that both entry paths lead to the same repeatable post-exploitation sequence every time," the cybersecurity company said. "That gives defenders something concrete to work with: known behaviors you can detect and disrupt at each stage, well before ransomware deployment, r...

INTERPOL on Friday announced the takedown of 45,000 malicious IP addresses and servers used in connection with phishing, malware, and ransomware campaigns, as part of the agency's ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks, disrupt emerging threats, and safeguard victims from scams. The effort is part of an international law enforcement operation that involved 72 countries and territories. It also led to the arrest of 94 people, with another 110 individuals still under investigation. A total of 212 electronic devices and servers were seized during raids at various key locations. One such operation in Bangladesh saw 40 suspects arrested and 134 electronic devices confiscated pertaining to a wide range of cybercrime offences, including loan and job scams, identity theft, and credit card fraud. In Togo, authorities apprehended 10 suspects accused of running a fraud ring from a residential area. While some were involved in hacking into social media accounts, others conducted s...

Veeam has released security updates to address multiple critical vulnerabilities in its Backup & Replication software that, if successfully exploited, could result in remote code execution. The vulnerabilities are as follows - CVE-2026-21666 (CVSS score: 9.9) - A vulnerability that allows an authenticated domain user to perform remote code execution on the Backup Server. CVE-2026-21667 (CVSS score: 9.9) - A vulnerability that allows an authenticated domain user to perform remote code execution on the Backup Server. CVE-2026-21668 (CVSS score: 8.8) - A vulnerability that allows an authenticated domain user to bypass restrictions and manipulate arbitrary files on a Backup Repository. CVE-2026-21672 (CVSS score: 8.8) - A vulnerability that allows local privilege escalation on Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication servers. CVE-2026-21708 (CVSS score: 9.9) - A vulnerability that allows a Backup Viewer to perform remote code execution as the postgres user. The sho...

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a suspected artificial intelligence (AI)-generated malware codenamed Slopoly put to use by a financially motivated threat actor named Hive0163 . "Although still relatively unspectacular, AI-generated malware such as Slopoly shows how easily threat actors can weaponize AI to develop new malware frameworks in a fraction of the time it used to take," IBM X-Force researcher Golo Mühr said in a report shared with The Hacker News. Hive0163's operations are driven by extortion through large-scale data exfiltration and ransomware. The e-crime group is primarily associated with a wide range of malicious tools, including NodeSnake, Interlock RAT, JunkFiction loader, and Interlock ransomware. In one ransomware attack observed by the company in early 2026, the threat actor was observed deploying Slopoly during the post-exploitation phase so as to maintain persistent access to the compromised server for more than a week. Slo...