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Category — supply chain attack
New “whoAMI” Attack Exploits AWS AMI Name Confusion for Remote Code Execution

New "whoAMI" Attack Exploits AWS AMI Name Confusion for Remote Code Execution

Feb 14, 2025 Vulnerability / DevOps
Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed a new type of name confusion attack called whoAMI that allows anyone who publishes an Amazon Machine Image ( AMI ) with a specific name to gain code execution within the Amazon Web Services (AWS) account. "If executed at scale, this attack could be used to gain access to thousands of accounts," Datadog Security Labs researcher Seth Art said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "The vulnerable pattern can be found in many private and open source code repositories." At its heart, the attack is a subset of a supply chain attack that involves publishing a malicious resource and tricking misconfigured software into using it instead of the legitimate counterpart. The attack exploits the fact that anyone can AMI, which refers to a virtual machine image that's used to boot up Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances in AWS, to the community catalog and the fact that developers could omit to mention the "--owners"...
Lazarus Group Deploys Marstech1 JavaScript Implant in Targeted Developer Attacks

Lazarus Group Deploys Marstech1 JavaScript Implant in Targeted Developer Attacks

Feb 14, 2025 Browser Security / Cryptocurrency
The North Korean threat actor known as the Lazarus Group has been linked to a previously undocumented JavaScript implant named Marstech1 as part of limited targeted attacks against developers. The active operation has been dubbed Marstech Mayhem by SecurityScorecard, with the malware delivered by means of an open-source repository hosted on GitHub that's associated with a profile named "SuccessFriend." The profile, active since July 2024, is no longer accessible on the code hosting platform. The implant is designed to collect system information, and can be embedded within websites and NPM packages, posing a supply chain risk. Evidence shows that the malware first emerged in late December 2024. The attack has amassed 233 confirmed victims across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. "The profile mentioned web dev skills and learning blockchain which is in alignment to the interests of Lazarus," SecurityScorecard said . "The threat actor was committing both pre-o...
Don't Overlook These 6 Critical Okta Security Configurations

Don't Overlook These 6 Critical Okta Security Configurations

Feb 10, 2025Identity Security / Data Protection
Given Okta's role as a critical part of identity infrastructure, strengthening Okta security is essential. This article covers six key Okta security settings that provide a strong starting point, along with recommendations for implementing continuous monitoring of your Okta security posture. With over 18,000 customers, Okta serves as the cornerstone of identity governance and security for organizations worldwide. However, this prominence has made it a prime target for cybercriminals who seek access to valuable corporate identities, applications, and sensitive data. Recently, Okta warned its customers of an increase in phishing social engineering attempts to impersonate Okta support personnel. Given Okta's role as a critical part of identity infrastructure, strengthening Okta security is essential. This article covers six key Okta security settings that provide a strong starting point, along with how continuous monitoring of your Okta security posture helps you avoid miscon...
Protecting Your Software Supply Chain: Assessing the Risks Before Deployment

Protecting Your Software Supply Chain: Assessing the Risks Before Deployment

Feb 11, 2025 Software Security / Threat Intelligence
Imagine you're considering a new car for your family. Before making a purchase, you evaluate its safety ratings, fuel efficiency, and reliability. You might even take it for a test drive to ensure it meets your needs. The same approach should be applied to software and hardware products before integrating them into an organization's environment. Just as you wouldn't buy a car without knowing its safety features, you shouldn't deploy software without understanding the risks it introduces. The Rising Threat of Supply Chain Attacks Cybercriminals have recognized that instead of attacking an organization head-on, they can infiltrate through the software supply chain—like slipping counterfeit parts into an assembly line. According to the 2024 Sonatype State of the Software Supply Chain report , attackers are infiltrating open-source ecosystems at an alarming rate, with over 512,847 malicious packages detected last year alone—a 156% increase from the previous year. Traditional sec...
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Webinar: 5 Ways New AI Agents Can Automate Identity Attacks | Register Now

websitePush SecurityAI Agents / Identity Security
Learn how CUAs like OpenAI Operator can be used by attackers to automate account takeover and exploitation.
XE Hacker Group Exploits VeraCore Zero-Day to Deploy Persistent Web Shells

XE Hacker Group Exploits VeraCore Zero-Day to Deploy Persistent Web Shells

Feb 10, 2025 Vulnerability / Malware
Threat actors have been observed exploiting multiple security flaws in various software products, including Progress Telerik UI for ASP.NET AJAX and Advantive VeraCore, to drop reverse shells and web shells, and maintain persistent remote access to compromised systems. The zero-day exploitation of security flaws in VeraCore has been attributed to a threat actor known as XE Group , a cybercrime group likely of Vietnamese origin that's known to be active since at least 2010. "XE Group transitioned from credit card skimming to targeted information theft, marking a significant shift in their operational priorities," cybersecurity firm Intezer said in a report published in collaboration with Solis Security. "Their attacks now target supply chains in the manufacturing and distribution sectors, leveraging new vulnerabilities and advanced tactics." The vulnerabilities in question are listed below - CVE-2024-57968 (CVSS score: 9.9) - An unrestricted upload of f...
Lazarus Group Uses React-Based Admin Panel to Control Global Cyber Attacks

Lazarus Group Uses React-Based Admin Panel to Control Global Cyber Attacks

Jan 29, 2025 Threat Intelligence / Malware
The North Korean threat actor known as the Lazarus Group has been observed leveraging a "web-based administrative platform" to oversee its command-and-control (C2) infrastructure, giving the adversary the ability to centrally supervise all aspects of their campaigns. "Each C2 server hosted a web-based administrative platform, built with a React application and a Node.js API," SecurityScorecard's STRIKE team said in a new report shared with The Hacker News. "This administrative layer was consistent across all the C2 servers analyzed, even as the attackers varied their payloads and obfuscation techniques to evade detection." The hidden framework has been described as a comprehensive system and a hub that allows attackers to organize and manage exfiltrated data, maintain oversight of their compromised hosts, and handle payload delivery. The web-based admin panel has been identified in connection with a supply chain attack campaign dubbed Operation ...
Android's New Identity Check Feature Locks Device Settings Outside Trusted Locations

Android's New Identity Check Feature Locks Device Settings Outside Trusted Locations

Jan 24, 2025 Biometric / Mobile Security
Google has launched a new feature called Identity Check for supported Android devices that locks sensitive settings behind biometric authentication when outside of trusted locations. "When you turn on Identity Check, your device will require explicit biometric authentication to access certain sensitive resources when you're outside of trusted locations," Google said in a post announcing the move. In doing so, biometric authentication will be required for the following actions - Access saved passwords and passkeys with Google Password Manager Autofill passwords in apps from Google Password Manager, except in Chrome Change screen lock, like PIN, pattern, and password Change biometrics, like Fingerprint or Face Unlock Run a factory reset Turn off Find My Device Turn off any theft protection features View trusted places Turn off Identity Check Set up a new device with your current device Add or remove a Google Account Access Developer options Identity C...
PlushDaemon APT Targets South Korean VPN Provider in Supply Chain Attack

PlushDaemon APT Targets South Korean VPN Provider in Supply Chain Attack

Jan 22, 2025 Supply Chain Attack / Malware
A previously undocumented China-aligned advanced persistent threat (APT) group named PlushDaemon has been linked to a supply chain attack targeting a South Korean virtual private network (VPN) provider in 2023, according to new findings from ESET. "The attackers replaced the legitimate installer with one that also deployed the group's signature implant that we have named SlowStepper – a feature-rich backdoor with a toolkit of more than 30 components," ESET researcher Facundo Muñoz said in a technical report shared with The Hacker News. PlushDaemon is assessed to be a China-nexus group that has been operational since at least 2019, targeting individuals and entities in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, the United States, and New Zealand. Central to its operations is a bespoke backdoor called SlowStepper, which is described as a large toolkit consisting of around 30 modules, programmed in C++, Python, and Go. Another crucial aspect of its attacks is the hijackin...
Hackers Deploy Malicious npm Packages to Steal Solana Wallet Keys via Gmail SMTP

Hackers Deploy Malicious npm Packages to Steal Solana Wallet Keys via Gmail SMTP

Jan 20, 2025 Supply Chain Attack / Solana
Cybersecurity researchers have identified three sets of malicious packages across the npm and Python Package Index (PyPI) repository that come with capabilities to steal data and even delete sensitive data from infected systems. The list of identified packages is below - @async-mutex/mutex, a typosquat of async-mute (npm) dexscreener, which masquerades as a library for accessing liquidity pool data from decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and interacting with the DEX Screener platform (npm) solana-transaction-toolkit (npm) solana-stable-web-huks (npm) cschokidar-next, a typosquat of chokidar (npm) achokidar-next, a typosquat of chokidar (npm) achalk-next, a typosquat of chalk (npm) csbchalk-next, a typosquat of chalk (npm) cschalk, a typosquat of chalk (npm) pycord-self, a typosquat of discord.py-self (PyPI) Supply chain security company Socket, which discovered the packages, said the first four packages are designed to intercept Solana private keys and transmit them throug...
Rspack npm Packages Compromised with Crypto Mining Malware in Supply Chain Attack

Rspack npm Packages Compromised with Crypto Mining Malware in Supply Chain Attack

Dec 20, 2024 Malware / Supply Chain Attack
The developers of Rspack have revealed that two of their npm packages, @rspack/core and @rspack/cli , were compromised in a software supply chain attack that allowed a malicious actor to publish malicious versions to the official package registry with cryptocurrency mining malware. Following the discovery , versions 1.1.7 of both libraries have been unpublished from the npm registry. The latest safe version is 1.1.8. "They were released by an attacker who gained unauthorized npm publishing access, and contain malicious scripts," software supply chain security firm Socket said in an analysis. Rspack is billed as an alternative to the webpack , offering a "high performance JavaScript bundler written in Rust." Originally developed by ByteDance, it has since been adopted by several companies such as Alibaba, Amazon, Discord, and Microsoft, among others. The npm packages in question, @rspack/core, and @rspack/cli, attract weekly downloads of over 300,000 and 145...
Researchers Uncover Backdoor in Solana's Popular Web3.js npm Library

Researchers Uncover Backdoor in Solana's Popular Web3.js npm Library

Dec 04, 2024 Supply Chain Attack
Cybersecurity researchers are alerting to a software supply chain attack targeting the popular @solana/web3.js npm library that involved pushing two malicious versions capable of harvesting users' private keys with an aim to drain their cryptocurrency wallets. The attack has been detected in versions 1.95.6 and 1.95.7. Both these versions are no longer available for download from the npm registry. The package is widely used, attracting over 400,000 weekly downloads. "These compromised versions contain injected malicious code that is designed to steal private keys from unsuspecting developers and users, potentially enabling attackers to drain cryptocurrency wallets," Socket said in a report. @solana/web3.js is an npm package that can be used to interact with the Solana JavaScript software development kit (SDK) for building Node.js and web apps. According to Datadog security researcher Christophe Tafani-Dereeper , "the backdoor inserted in v1.95.7 adds an ...
Cybersecurity Blind Spots in IaC and PaC Tools Expose Cloud Platforms to New Attacks

Cybersecurity Blind Spots in IaC and PaC Tools Expose Cloud Platforms to New Attacks

Nov 25, 2024 Cloud Security / Supply Chain Attack
Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed two new attack techniques against infrastructure-as-code (IaC) and policy-as-code (PaC) tools like HashiCorp's Terraform and Styra's Open Policy Agent (OPA) that leverage dedicated, domain-specific languages (DSLs) to breach cloud platforms and exfiltrate data. "Since these are hardened languages with limited capabilities, they're supposed to be more secure than standard programming languages – and indeed they are," Tenable senior security researcher Shelly Raban said in a technical report published last week. "However, more secure does not mean bulletproof." OPA is a popular, open-source policy engine that allows organizations to enforce policies across cloud-native environments, such as microservices, CI/CD pipelines, and Kubernetes. Policies are defined using a native query language called Rego which are then evaluated by OPA to return a decision. The attack method devised by Tenable targets the supply ...
Free Decryptor Released for BitLocker-Based ShrinkLocker Ransomware Victims

Free Decryptor Released for BitLocker-Based ShrinkLocker Ransomware Victims

Nov 13, 2024 Ransomware / Data Protection
Romanian cybersecurity company Bitdefender has released a free decryptor to help victims recover data encrypted using the ShrinkLocker ransomware. The decryptor is the result of a comprehensive analysis of ShrinkLocker's inner workings, allowing the researchers to discover a "specific window of opportunity for data recovery immediately after the removal of protectors from BitLocker-encrypted disks." ShrinkLocker was first documented in May 2024 by Kaspersky, which found the malware's use of Microsoft's native BitLocker utility for encrypting files as part of extortion attacks targeting Mexico, Indonesia, and Jordan. It appears to have been adapted from benign ten-year-old code. Bitdefender, which investigated a ShrinkLocker incident targeting an unnamed healthcare company in the Middle East, said the attack likely originated from a machine belonging to a contractor, once again highlighting how threat actors are increasingly abusing trusted relationships to ...
Supply Chain Attacks Can Exploit Entry Points in Python, npm, and Open-Source Ecosystems

Supply Chain Attacks Can Exploit Entry Points in Python, npm, and Open-Source Ecosystems

Oct 14, 2024 DevOps / Supply Chain
Cybersecurity researchers have found that entry points could be abused across multiple programming ecosystems like PyPI, npm, Ruby Gems, NuGet, Dart Pub, and Rust Crates to stage software supply chain attacks. "Attackers can leverage these entry points to execute malicious code when specific commands are run, posing a widespread risk in the open-source landscape," Checkmarx researchers Yehuda Gelb and Elad Rapaport said in a report shared with The Hacker News. The software supply chain security company noted that entry-point attacks offer threat actors a more sneaky and persistent method of compromising systems in a manner that can bypass traditional security defenses. Entry points in a programming language like Python refer to a packaging mechanism that allows developers to expose certain functionality as a command-line wrapper (aka console_scripts). Alternatively, they can also serve to load plugins that augment a package's features. Checkmarx noted that while en...
New PondRAT Malware Hidden in Python Packages Targets Software Developers

New PondRAT Malware Hidden in Python Packages Targets Software Developers

Sep 23, 2024 Software Security / Supply Chain
Threat actors with ties to North Korea have been observed using poisoned Python packages as a way to deliver a new malware called PondRAT as part of an ongoing campaign. PondRAT, according to new findings from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, is assessed to be a lighter version of POOLRAT (aka SIMPLESEA), a known macOS backdoor that has been previously attributed to the Lazarus Group and deployed in attacks related to the 3CX supply chain compromise last year. Some of these attacks are part of a persistent cyber attack campaign dubbed Operation Dream Job , wherein prospective targets are lured with enticing job offers in an attempt to trick them into downloading malware. "The attackers behind this campaign uploaded several poisoned Python packages to PyPI, a popular repository of open-source Python packages," Unit 42 researcher Yoav Zemah said , linking the activity with moderate confidence to a threat actor called Gleaming Pisces. The adversary is also tracked by the wid...
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