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A recently patched security vulnerability in the 7-Zip archiver tool was exploited in the wild to deliver the SmokeLoader malware. The flaw, CVE-2025-0411 (CVSS score: 7.0), allows remote attackers to circumvent mark-of-the-web ( MotW ) protections and execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. It was addressed by 7-Zip in November 2024 with version 24.09 . "The vulnerability was actively exploited by Russian cybercrime groups through spear-phishing campaigns, using homoglyph attacks to spoof document extensions and trick users and the Windows Operating System into executing malicious files," Trend Micro security researcher Peter Girnus said . It's suspected that CVE-2025-0411 was likely weaponized to target governmental and non-governmental organizations in Ukraine as part of a cyber espionage campaign set against the backdrop of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict. MotW is a security feature implemented by Microsoft in Windows to prevent the a...

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a new ransomware strain called CACTUS that has been found to leverage known flaws in VPN appliances to obtain initial access to targeted networks. "Once inside the network, CACTUS actors attempt to enumerate local and network user accounts in addition to reachable endpoints before creating new user accounts and leveraging custom scripts to automate the deployment and detonation of the ransomware encryptor via scheduled tasks," Kroll said in a report shared with The Hacker News. The ransomware has been observed targeting large commercial entities since March 2023, with attacks employing double extortion tactics to steal sensitive data prior to encryption. No data leak site has been identified to date. Following a successful exploitation of vulnerable VPN devices, an SSH backdoor is set up to maintain persistent access and a series of PowerShell commands are executed to conduct network scanning and identify a list of machines fo...

FireEye today released Commando VM , which according to the company, is a "first of its kind Windows-based security distribution for penetration testing and red teaming." When it comes to the best-operating systems for hackers, Kali Linux is always the first choice for penetration testers and ethical hackers. However, Kali is a Linux-based distribution, and using Linux without learning some basics is not everyone's cup of tea as like Windows or macOS operating systems. Moreover, if you are wondering why there is no popular Windows-based operating system for hackers? First, because Windows is not open-source and second, manually installing penetration testing tools on Windows is pretty problematic for most users. To help researchers and cyber security enthusiasts, cybersecurity firm FireEye today released  an automated installer called  Commando VM. But don't get confused with its name. Commando VM is not a pre-configured snapshot of a virtual machine ima...

USB drive attacks constitute a significant cybersecurity risk, taking advantage of the everyday use of USB devices to deliver malware and circumvent traditional network security measures. These attacks lead to data breaches, financial losses, and operational disruptions, with lasting impacts on an organization's reputation. An example is the Stuxnet worm discovered in 2010, a malware designed to target industrial control systems, specifically Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities. It exploited multiple zero-day vulnerabilities and spread primarily through USB drives, making it one of the first examples of a cyberattack with real-world physical effects. Stuxnet exposed the risks of removable media and raised global awareness of cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure. How USB drive attacks propagate Attackers use various methods to deliver malicious payloads via USB drives, targeting individuals and organizations.  Drop attacks : Infected USB drives are deliberatel...

Think your Wi-Fi is safe? Your coding tools? Or even your favorite financial apps? This week proves again how hackers, companies, and governments are all locked in a nonstop race to outsmart each other. Here's a quick rundown of the latest cyber stories that show how fast the game keeps changing. DeFi exploit drains funds Critical yETH Exploit Used to Steal $9M A critical exploit targeting Yearn Finance's yETH pool on Ethereum has been exploited by unknown threat actors, resulting in the theft of approximately $9 million from the protocol. The attack is said to have abused a flaw in how the protocol manages its internal accounting, stemming from the fact that a cache containing calculated values to save on gas fees was never cleared when the pool was completely emptied. "The attacker achieved this by minting an astronomical number of tokens – 235 septillion yETH (a 41-digit number) – while depositing only 16 wei, worth approxim...

The challenge facing security leaders is monumental: Securing environments where failure is not an option. Reliance on traditional security postures, such as Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) to chase threats after they have already entered the network, is fundamentally risky and contributes significantly to the half-trillion-dollar annual cost of cybercrime. Zero Trust fundamentally shifts this approach, transitioning from reacting to symptoms to proactively solving the underlying problem. Application Control, the ability to rigorously define what software is allowed to execute, is the foundation of this strategy. However, even once an application is trusted, it can be misused. This is where ThreatLocker Ringfencing™, or granular application containment , becomes indispensable, enforcing the ultimate standard of least privilege on all authorized applications. Defining Ringfencing: Security Beyond Allowlisting Ringfencing is an advanced containment strategy applied to applicat...

Power doesn't just disappear in one big breach. It slips away in the small stuff—a patch that's missed, a setting that's wrong, a system no one is watching. Security usually doesn't fail all at once; it breaks slowly, then suddenly. Staying safe isn't about knowing everything—it's about acting fast and clear before problems pile up. Clarity keeps control. Hesitation creates risk. Here are this week's signals—each one pointing to where action matters most. ⚡ Threat of the Week Ghost Tap NFC-Based Mobile Fraud Takes Off — A new Android trojan called PhantomCard has become the latest malware to abuse near-field communication (NFC) to conduct relay attacks for facilitating fraudulent transactions in attacks targeting banking customers in Brazil. In these attacks, users who end up installing the malicious apps are instructed to place their credit/debit card on the back of the phone to begin the verification process, only for the card data to be sent to an attacker-controlled NFC relay...

What happens when cybercriminals no longer need deep skills to breach your defenses? Today's attackers are armed with powerful tools that do the heavy lifting — from AI-powered phishing kits to large botnets ready to strike. And they're not just after big corporations. Anyone can be a target when fake identities, hijacked infrastructure, and insider tricks are used to slip past security unnoticed. This week's threats are a reminder: waiting to react is no longer an option. Every delay gives attackers more ground. ⚡ Threat of the Week Critical SAP NetWeaver Flaw Exploited as 0-Day — A critical security flaw in SAP NetWeaver (CVE-2025-31324, CVSS score: 10.0) has been exploited by unknown threat actors to upload JSP web shells with the goal of facilitating unauthorized file uploads and code execution. The attacks have also been observed using the Brute Ratel C4 post-exploitation framework, as well as a well-known technique called Heaven's Gate to bypass endpoint protections. ...

In cybersecurity, the smallest crack can lead to the biggest breaches. A leaked encryption key, an unpatched software bug, or an abandoned cloud storage bucket—each one seems minor until it becomes the entry point for an attack. This week, we've seen cybercriminals turn overlooked weaknesses into major security threats, proving once again that no system is too small to be targeted. The question isn't whether attackers will find a way in—it's whether you'll be prepared when they do. Let's break down what you need to know. ⚡ Threat of the Week Microsoft Warns of Attacks Exploiting ASP.NET Machine Keys — Threat actors are exploiting publicly disclosed ASP.NET machine keys to inject and execute malicious code responsible for launching the Godzilla post-exploitation framework. Microsoft said it has identified over 3,000 publicly disclosed keys that could be used for these types of attacks dubbed ViewState code injection. The company also said it removed key-related artifacts from ...

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Thursday disclosed that ransomware actors are targeting unpatched SimpleHelp Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) instances to compromise customers of an unnamed utility billing software provider. "This incident reflects a broader pattern of ransomware actors targeting organizations through unpatched versions of SimpleHelp RMM since January 2025," the agency said in an advisory. Earlier this year, SimpleHelp disclosed a set of flaws (CVE-2024-57727, CVE-2024-57728, and CVE-2024-57726) that could result in information disclosure, privilege escalation, and remote code execution. The vulnerabilities have since come under repeated exploitation in the wild, including by ransomware groups like DragonForce, to breach targets of interest. Last month, Sophos revealed that a Managed Service Provider's SimpleHelp deployed was accessed by the threat actor using these flaws, and then leveraged it to pivot t...

Cyberattacks are getting smarter and harder to stop. This week, hackers used sneaky tools, tricked trusted systems, and quickly took advantage of new security problems—some just hours after being found. No system was fully safe. From spying and fake job scams to strong ransomware and tricky phishing, the attacks came from all sides. Even encrypted backups and secure areas were put to the test. Keep reading for the full list of the biggest cyber news from this week—clearly explained and easy to follow. ⚡ Threat of the Week Motex Lanscope Flaw Exploited to Drop Gokcpdoor — A suspected Chinese cyber espionage actor known as Tick has been attributed to a target campaign that has leveraged a recently disclosed critical security flaw in Motex Lanscope Endpoint Manager (CVE-2025-61932, CVSS score: 9.3) to infiltrate target networks and deploy a backdoor called Gokcpdoor. Sophos, which disclosed details of the activity, said it was "limited to sectors aligned with their intelligence...