ransomware | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

Cybersecurity researchers have flagged a global cybercrime operation that abuses thousands of hacked WordPress websites as infrastructure to disseminate malware, commandeer infected hosts, store stolen documents, screenshots, and activity logs created to track the status of the activity. "The operation doesn't rely on a single piece of malware, but on a whole toolkit of criminal software working together – some components encrypt files, others silently steal documents or lock the screen, and another acts as a live chat between the attackers and their victims," Check Point Research's Jaromír Hořejší said . The large-scale campaign is being tracked by the cybersecurity company under the moniker StopAndProtect after discovering a ransomware family of the same name in mid-May 2026. The infection chain begins with a ClickFix social engineering attack, resulting in the execution of a PowerShell command that leads to the deployment of additional .NET downloaders and l...

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Tuesday added four critical vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities ( KEV ) catalog, stating they are being exploited in the wild. The shortcomings added to the KEV catalog are listed below - CVE-2026-65400 (CVSS score: 9.8) - An improper authentication vulnerability impacting Apple macOS that could allow an attacker on the network to authenticate to Screen Sharing without valid credentials. CVE-2026-55040 (CVSS score: 9.1) - A weak authentication vulnerability impacting Microsoft SharePoint that could allow an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network. CVE-2026-59310 (CVSS score: 9.8) - A path traversal vulnerability in Broadcom VMware vCenter that could allow a threat actor with network access to vCenter to execute arbitrary code. CVE-2026-33824 (CVSS score: 9.8) - A double free vulnerability in  Microsoft Internet Key Exchange (IKE) Service Extensions ...

A JavaServer Pages (JSP) web shell deployed following the exploitation of a critical security flaw in PTC Windchill and FlexPLM servers is specifically designed for the enterprise Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software, according to new findings from ReliaQuest. The cybersecurity company characterized the web shell as a fully equipped extortion platform capable of mapping sensitive vault data, decrypting every credential in the Windchill keystore, and running additional code by means of a custom Java class loader, turning the tool into a backdoor for remote access and post-exploitation activity, such as lateral movement, ransomware, or persistence. While threat actors are typically known to deploy lightweight web shells (or reuse open-source variants like Behinder or China Chopper) as a way to maintain remote access to compromised systems and enable basic command execution capabilities, the latest development signals the use of a bespoke web shell that's tailored to the ...

A ransomware affiliate calling itself Ransom Busters has been spotted proactively sending emails to victim organizations and claims to delete stolen data from ransomware groups' servers in exchange for a fee ranging from $20,000 to $60,000. "In these messages, the third-party offers to help the victim recover from ransomware attack. This immediately stands out as anomalous," GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team (GRIT) said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "While cybersecurity firms commonly reach out to ransomware victims to offer consulting or recovery services, it is generally done only after the attack becomes public knowledge." The cybersecurity company said it has responded to several recent ransomware incidents involving the threat actor, who is believed to be an affiliate with employment across multiple ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operations. In emails sent to the victims, Ransom Busters is seen requesting contact with their CEO o...

Cybersecurity researchers have attributed the exploitation of a newly patched security flaw in Broadcom VMware vCenter to a suspected China-nexus advanced persistent threat (APT). The attacks involve the exploitation of CVE-2026-59310 (CVSS score: 9.8), a severe directory-traversal vulnerability in the VMware vCenter server that could be weaponized by a malicious actor to execute arbitrary code. A fix for the flaw was released by Broadcom on July 29, 2026. German incident response company QUIRSO assessed with moderate confidence that the exploitation campaign aimed at CVE-2026-59310 is operated by a Chinese-speaking threat actor, likely working in the UTC+08:00 time zone, which is predominantly used in Chinese-speaking regions. "This assessment is based on the convergence of Chinese-language artifacts in attacker-created scripts, apparent reuse of research from a Chinese security publication, repeated operational use of Chinese-language tools and management software, victi...