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Japan's CERT coordination center (JPCERT/CC) on Thursday revealed it observed incidents that involved the use of a command-and-control (C2) framework called CrossC2 , which is designed to extend the functionality of Cobalt Strike to other platforms like Linux and Apple macOS for cross-platform system control. The agency said the activity was detected between September and December 2024, targeting multiple countries, including Japan, based on an analysis of VirusTotal artifacts. "The attacker employed CrossC2 as well as other tools such as PsExec, Plink, and Cobalt Strike in attempts to penetrate AD. Further investigation revealed that the attacker used custom malware as a loader for Cobalt Strike," JPCERT/CC researcher Yuma Masubuchi said in a report published today. The bespoke Cobalt Strike Beacon loader has been codenamed ReadNimeLoader. CrossC2, an unofficial Beacon and builder, is capable of executing various Cobalt Strike commands after establishing communicati...

You check that the windows are shut before leaving home. Return to the kitchen to verify that the oven and stove were definitely turned off. Maybe even circle back again to confirm the front door was properly closed. These automatic safety checks give you peace of mind because you know the unlikely but potentially dangerous consequences of forgetting – a break-in, fire, or worse. Your external-facing IT infrastructure deserves the same methodical attention. External Attack Surface Management (EASM) and Digital Risk Protection (DRP) tools provide that same peace of mind for your digital "home," automating the everyday safety checks that prevent costly incidents. Why does the external-facing IT infrastructure need the same care? Just as you secure your physical home prior to leaving, your assets that are exposed to the internet require consistent safety protocols. Think about it this way:  Locking doors = locking down exposed assets, ensuring only authorized access points...

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed a new Android trojan called PhantomCard that abuses near-field communication (NFC) to conduct relay attacks for facilitating fraudulent transactions in attacks targeting banking customers in Brazil. "PhantomCard relays NFC data from a victim's banking card to the fraudster's device," ThreatFabric said in a report. "PhantomCard is based on Chinese-originating NFC relay malware-as-a-service." The Android malware, distributed via fake Google Play web pages mimicking apps for card protection, goes by the name "Proteção Cartões" (package name "com.nfupay.s145" or "com.rc888.baxi.English"). The bogus pages also feature deceptive positive reviews to persuade victims into installing the app. It's currently not known how links to these pages are distributed, but it likely involves smishing or a similar social engineering technique. Once the app is installed and opened, it requests victim...

Story teaser text: Cybersecurity leaders face mounting pressure to stop attacks before they start, and the best defense may come down to the settings you choose on day one. In this piece, Yuriy Tsibere explores how default policies like deny-by-default, MFA enforcement, and application Ringfencing ™ can eliminate entire categories of risk. From disabling Office macros to blocking outbound server traffic, these simple but strategic moves create a hardened environment that attackers can't easily penetrate. Whether you're securing endpoints or overseeing policy rollouts, adopting a security-by-default mindset can reduce complexity, shrink your attack surface, and help you stay ahead of evolving threats. Cybersecurity has changed dramatically since the days of the "Love Bug" virus in 2001. What was once an annoyance is now a profit-driven criminal enterprise worth billions. This shift demands proactive defense strategies that don't just respond to threats—they prevent t...

Google said it's implementing a new policy requiring developers of cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets to obtain government licenses before publishing apps in 15 jurisdictions in order to "ensure a safe and compliant ecosystem for users." The policy applies to markets like Bahrain, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. The changes do not apply to non-custodial wallets. This means developers publishing cryptocurrency exchange and wallet apps have to hold appropriate licences or be registered with relevant authorities like the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), or authorized as a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation before distribution. "If your targeted location is not on the list, you may continue to p...

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Wednesday added two security flaws impacting N-able N-central to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities ( KEV ) catalog, citing evidence of active exploitation.  N-able N-central is a Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) platform designed for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), allowing customers to efficiently manage and secure their clients' Windows, Apple, and Linux endpoints from a single, unified platform. The vulnerabilities in question are listed below - CVE-2025-8875 (CVSS score: N/A) - An insecure deserialization vulnerability that could lead to command execution CVE-2025-8876 (CVSS score: N/A) - A command injection vulnerability via improper sanitization of user input Both shortcomings have been addressed in N-central versions 2025.3.1 and 2024.6 HF2 released on August 13, 2025. N-able is also urging customers to make sure that multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled, particularly for admin...

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new malvertising campaign that's designed to infect victims with a multi-stage malware framework called PS1Bot . "PS1Bot features a modular design, with several modules delivered used to perform a variety of malicious activities on infected systems, including information theft, keylogging, reconnaissance, and the establishment of persistent system access," Cisco Talos researchers Edmund Brumaghin and Jordyn Dunk said . "PS1Bot has been designed with stealth in mind, minimizing persistent artifacts left on infected systems and incorporating in-memory execution techniques to facilitate execution of follow-on modules without requiring them to be written to disk." Campaigns distributing the PowerShell and C# malware have been found to be active since early 2025, leveraging malvertising as a propagation vector, with the infection chains executing modules in-memory to minimize forensic trail. PS1Bot is assessed to share ...

Zoom and Xerox have addressed critical security flaws in Zoom Clients for Windows and FreeFlow Core that could allow privilege escalation and remote code execution.  The vulnerability impacting Zoom Clients for Windows, tracked as CVE-2025-49457 (CVSS score: 9.6), relates to a case of an untrusted search path that could pave the way for privilege escalation. "Untrusted search path in certain Zoom Clients for Windows may allow an unauthenticated user to conduct an escalation of privilege via network access," Zoom said in a security bulletin on Tuesday. The issue, reported by its own Offensive Security team, affects the following products - Zoom Workplace for Windows before version 6.3.10 Zoom Workplace VDI for Windows before version 6.3.10 (except 6.1.16 and 6.2.12) Zoom Rooms for Windows before version 6.3.10 Zoom Rooms Controller for Windows before version 6.3.10 Zoom Meeting SDK for Windows before version 6.3.10 The disclosure comes as multiple vulnerabiliti...

Fortinet is alerting customers of a critical security flaw in FortiSIEM for which it said there exists an exploit in the wild. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-25256 , carries a CVSS score of 9.8 out of a maximum of 10.0. "An improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability [CWE-78] in FortiSIEM may allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via crafted CLI requests," the company said in a Tuesday advisory. The following versions are impacted by the flaw - FortiSIEM 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6 (Migrate to a fixed release) FortiSIEM 6.7.0 through 6.7.9 (Upgrade to 6.7.10 or above) FortiSIEM 7.0.0 through 7.0.3 (Upgrade to 7.0.4 or above) FortiSIEM 7.1.0 through 7.1.7 (Upgrade to 7.1.8 or above) FortiSIEM 7.2.0 through 7.2.5 (Upgrade to 7.2.6 or above) FortiSIEM 7.3.0 through 7.3.1 (Upgrade to 7.3.2 or above) FortiSIEM 7.4 (Not affected) Fortinet acknowledged i...

Security operations have never been a 9-to-5 job. For SOC analysts, the day often starts and ends deep in a queue of alerts, chasing down what turns out to be false positives, or switching between half a dozen tools to piece together context. The work is repetitive, time-consuming, and high-stakes, leaving SOCs under constant pressure to keep up, yet often struggling to stay ahead of emerging threats. That combination of inefficiency, elevated risk, and a reactive operating model is exactly where AI-powered SOC capabilities are starting to make a difference. Why AI SOC is gaining traction now The recent Gartner Hype Cycle for Security Operations 2025 (download a complimentary copy ) recognizes AI SOC Agents as an innovation trigger, reflecting a broader shift in how teams approach automation. Instead of relying solely on static playbooks or manual investigation workflows, AI SOC capabilities bring reasoning, adaptability, and context-aware decision-making into the mix. SOC teams r...

The AI revolution isn't coming. It's already here. From copilots that write our emails to autonomous agents that can take action without us lifting a finger, AI is transforming how we work. But here's the uncomfortable truth: Attackers are evolving just as fast. Every leap forward in AI gives bad actors new tools — deepfake scams so real they trick your CFO, bots that can bypass human review, and synthetic identities that slip quietly into your systems. The fight is no longer at your network's edge. It's at your login screen. And that's why identity has become the last line of defense . Why This Matters Now Legacy security can't keep up. Traditional models were built for slower threats and predictable patterns. AI doesn't play by those rules. Today's attackers: Scale at machine speed. Use deepfakes to impersonate trusted people. Exploit APIs through autonomous agents. Create fake "non-human" identities that look perfectly legitimate. The only security control that can ada...

Microsoft on Tuesday rolled out fixes for a massive set of 111 security flaws across its software portfolio, including one flaw that has been disclosed as publicly known at the time of the release. Of the 111 vulnerabilities, 16 are rated Critical, 92 are rated Important, two are rated Moderate, and one is rated Low in severity. Forty-four of the vulnerabilities relate to privilege escalation, followed by remote code execution (35), information disclosure (18), spoofing (8), and denial-of-service (4) defects. This is in addition to 16 vulnerabilities addressed in Microsoft's Chromium-based Edge browser since the release of last month's Patch Tuesday update , including two spoofing bugs affecting Edge for Android. Included among the vulnerabilities is a privilege escalation vulnerability impacting Microsoft Exchange Server hybrid deployments ( CVE-2025-53786 , CVSS score: 8.0) that Microsoft disclosed last week. The publicly disclosed zero-day is CVE-2025-53779 (CVS...