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A Google Chrome extension with a "Featured" badge and six million users has been observed silently gathering every prompt entered by users into artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots like OpenAI ChatGPT, Anthropic Claude, Microsoft Copilot, DeepSeek, Google Gemini, xAI Grok, Meta AI, and Perplexity. The extension in question is Urban VPN Proxy , which has a 4.7 rating on the Google Chrome Web Store. It's advertised as the "best secured Free VPN access to any website, and unblock content." Its developer is a Delaware-based company named Urban Cyber Security Inc . On the Microsoft Edge Add-ons marketplace, it has 1.3 million installations .  Despite claiming that it allows users to "protect your online identity, stay protected, and hide your IP," an update was pushed to users on July 9, 2025, when version 5.5.0 was released with the AI data harvesting enabled by default using hard-coded settings. Specifically, this is achieved by means of a t...

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered two new malicious extensions on the Chrome Web Store that are designed to exfiltrate OpenAI ChatGPT and DeepSeek conversations alongside browsing data to servers under the attackers' control. The names of the extensions, which collectively have over 900,000 users, are below - Chat GPT for Chrome with GPT-5, Claude Sonnet & DeepSeek AI (ID: fnmihdojmnkclgjpcoonokmkhjpjechg, 600,000 users) AI Sidebar with Deepseek, ChatGPT, Claude, and more. (ID: inhcgfpbfdjbjogdfjbclgolkmhnooop, 300,000 users) The findings come weeks after Urban VPN Proxy , another extension with millions of installations on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, was caught spying on users' chats with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. This tactic of using browser extensions to stealthily capture AI conversations has been codenamed Prompt Poaching by Secure Annex. The two newly identified extensions "were found exfiltrating user conversations and all ...

Malware isn't just trying to hide anymore—it's trying to belong. We're seeing code that talks like us, logs like us, even documents itself like a helpful teammate. Some threats now look more like developer tools than exploits. Others borrow trust from open-source platforms, or quietly build themselves out of AI-written snippets. It's not just about being malicious—it's about being believable. In this week's cybersecurity recap, we explore how today's threats are becoming more social, more automated, and far too sophisticated for yesterday's instincts to catch. ⚡ Threat of the Week Secret Blizzard Conduct ISP-Level AitM Attacks to Deploy ApolloShadow — Russian cyberspies are abusing local internet service providers' networks to target foreign embassies in Moscow and likely collect intelligence from diplomats' devices. The activity has been attributed to the Russian advanced persistent threat (APT) known as Secret Blizzard (aka Turla). It likely involves using an adversary-...

A Chinese infosec researcher has reported about an "almost impossible to detect" phishing attack that can be used to trick even the most careful users on the Internet. He warned, hackers can use a known vulnerability in the Chrome, Firefox and Opera web browsers to display their fake domain names as the websites of legitimate services, like Apple, Google, or Amazon to steal login or financial credentials and other sensitive information from users. What is the best defence against phishing attack? Generally, checking the address bar after the page has loaded and if it is being served over a valid HTTPS connection. Right? Okay, then before going to the in-depth details, first have a look at this demo web page  ( note: you may experience downtime due to high traffic on demo server ), set up by Chinese security researcher Xudong Zheng, who discovered the attack. " It becomes impossible to identify the site as fraudulent without carefully inspecting the site's URL o...

In early December 2025, security researchers exposed a cybercrime campaign that had quietly hijacked popular Chrome and Edge browser extensions on a massive scale. A threat group dubbed ShadyPanda spent seven years playing the long game, publishing or acquiring harmless extensions, letting them run clean for years to build trust and gain millions of installs, then suddenly flipping them into malware via silent updates. In total, about 4.3 million users installed these once-legitimate add-ons, which suddenly went rogue with spyware and backdoor capabilities. This tactic was essentially a browser extension supply-chain attack. The ShadyPanda operators even earned featured and verified badges in the official Chrome Web Store and Microsoft Edge Add-ons site for some extensions, reinforcing user confidence. Because extension updates happen automatically in the background, the attackers were able to push out malicious code without users noticing a thing. Once activated in mid-2024, the...

Behind every security alert is a bigger story. Sometimes it's a system being tested. Sometimes it's trust being lost in quiet ways—through delays, odd behavior, or subtle gaps in control. This week, we're looking beyond the surface to spot what really matters. Whether it's poor design, hidden access, or silent misuse, knowing where to look can make all the difference. If you're responsible for protecting systems, data, or people—these updates aren't optional. They're essential. These stories reveal how attackers think—and where we're still leaving doors open. ⚡ Threat of the Week Google Releases Patches for Actively Exploited Chrome 0-Day — Google has released Google Chrome versions 137.0.7151.68/.69 for Windows and macOS, and version 137.0.7151.68 for Linux to address a high-severity out-of-bounds read and write vulnerability in the V8 JavaScript and WebAssembly engine that it said has been exploited in the wild. Google credited Clement Lecigne and Benoît Sevens of Google T...

This week, our news radar shows that every new tech idea comes with its own challenges. A hot AI tool is under close watch, law enforcement is shutting down online spots that help cybercriminals, and teams are busy fixing software bugs that could let attackers in. From better locks on our devices to stopping sneaky tricks online, simple steps are making a big difference.  Let's take a closer look at how these efforts are shaping a safer digital world. ⚡ Threat of the Week DeepSeek's Popularity Invites Scrutiny — The overnight popularity of DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform originating from China, has led to extensive scrutiny of its models, with several analyses finding ways to jailbreak its system and produce malicious or prohibited content. While jailbreaks and prompt injections are a persistent concern in mainstream AI products, the findings also show that the model lacks enough protections to prevent potential abuse by malicious actors . The AI chatbot ha...

A quiet tweak in a popular open-source tool opened the door to a supply chain breach—what started as a targeted attack quickly spiraled, exposing secrets across countless projects. That wasn't the only stealth move. A new all-in-one malware is silently stealing passwords, crypto, and control—while hiding in plain sight. And over 300 Android apps joined the chaos, running ad fraud at scale behind innocent-looking icons. Meanwhile, ransomware gangs are getting smarter—using stolen drivers to shut down defenses—and threat groups are quietly shifting from activism to profit. Even browser extensions are changing hands, turning trusted tools into silent threats. AI is adding fuel to the fire—used by both attackers and defenders—while critical bugs, cloud loopholes, and privacy shakeups are keeping teams on edge. Let's dive into the threats making noise behind the scenes. ⚡ Threat of the Week Coinbase the Initial Target of GitHub Action Supply Chain Breach — The supply chain compromise...

Not every risk looks like an attack. Some problems start as small glitches, strange logs, or quiet delays that don't seem urgent—until they are. What if your environment is already being tested, just not in ways you expected? Some of the most dangerous moves are hidden in plain sight. It's worth asking: what patterns are we missing, and what signals are we ignoring because they don't match old playbooks? This week's reports bring those quiet signals into focus—from attacks that bypassed MFA using trusted tools, to supply chain compromises hiding behind everyday interfaces. Here's what stood out across the cybersecurity landscape: ⚡ Threat of the Week Cloudflare Blocks Massive 7.3 Tbps DDoS Attack — Cloudflare said it autonomously blocked the largest distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack ever recorded, which hit a peak of 7.3 terabits per second (Tbps). The attack, the company said, targeted an unnamed hosting provider and delivered 37.4 terabytes in 45 seconds. It origi...

Last week's cyber news in 2025 was not about one big incident. It was about many small cracks opening at the same time. Tools people trust every day behave in unexpected ways. Old flaws resurfaced. New ones were used almost immediately. A common theme ran through it all in 2025. Attackers moved faster than fixes. Access meant for work, updates, or support kept getting abused. And damage did not stop when an incident was "over" — it continued to surface months or even years later. This weekly recap brings those stories together in one place. No overload, no noise. Read on to see what shaped the threat landscape in the final stretch of 2025 and what deserves your attention now. ⚡ Threat of the Week MongoDB Vulnerability Comes Under Attack — A newly disclosed security vulnerability in MongoDB has come under active exploitation in the wild, with over 87,000 potentially susceptible instances identified across the world. The vulnerability in question is CVE-2025-14847 (CVSS score: 8.7)...

Some risks don't breach the perimeter—they arrive through signed software, clean resumes, or sanctioned vendors still hiding in plain sight. This week, the clearest threats weren't the loudest—they were the most legitimate-looking. In an environment where identity, trust, and tooling are all interlinked, the strongest attack path is often the one that looks like it belongs. Security teams are now challenged to defend systems not just from intrusions—but from trust itself being turned into a weapon. ⚡ Threat of the Week Microsoft SharePoint Attacks Traced to China — The fallout from an attack spree targeting defects in on-premises Microsoft SharePoint servers continues to spread a week after the discovery of the zero-day exploits, with more than 400 organizations globally compromised. The attacks have been attributed to two known Chinese hacking groups tracked as Linen Typhoon (aka APT27), Violet Typhoon (aka APT31), and a suspected China-based threat actor codenamed Storm-2603 t...

Cyber threats last week showed how attackers no longer need big hacks to cause big damage. They're going after the everyday tools we trust most — firewalls, browser add-ons, and even smart TVs — turning small cracks into serious breaches. The real danger now isn't just one major attack, but hundreds of quiet ones using the software and devices already inside our networks. Each trusted system can become an entry point if it's left unpatched or overlooked. Here's a clear look at the week's biggest risks, from exploited network flaws to new global campaigns and fast-moving vulnerabilities. ⚡ Threat of the Week Flaws in Multiple Network Security Products Come Under Attack — Over the past week, Fortinet , SonicWall , Cisco , and WatchGuard said vulnerabilities in their products have been exploited by threat actors in real-world attacks. Cisco said attacks exploiting CVE-2025-20393, a critical flaw in AsyncOS, have been abused by a China-nexus advanced persistent threat (APT) actor cod...

This week, a 23-year-old Serbian activist found themselves at the crossroads of digital danger when a sneaky zero-day exploit turned their Android device into a target. Meanwhile, Microsoft pulled back the curtain on a scheme where cybercriminals used AI tools for harmful pranks, and a massive trove of live secrets was discovered, reminding us that even the tools we rely on can hide risky surprises. We've sifted through a storm of cyber threats—from phishing scams to malware attacks—and broken down what it means for you in clear, everyday language. Get ready to dive into the details, understand the risks, and learn how to protect yourself in an increasingly unpredictable online world. ⚡ Threat of the Week Serbian Youth Activist Targeted by Android 0-Day Exploit Chain — A 23-year-old Serbian youth activist had their Android phone targeted by a zero-day exploit chain developed by Cellebrite to unlock the device and likely deploy an Android spyware called NoviSpy. The flaws combined ...

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered malicious Google Chrome extensions that come with capabilities to hijack affiliate links, steal data, and collect OpenAI ChatGPT authentication tokens. One of the extensions in question is Amazon Ads Blocker (ID: pnpchphmplpdimbllknjoiopmfphellj), which claims to be a tool to browse Amazon without any sponsored content. It was uploaded to the Chrome Web Store by a publisher named "10Xprofit" on January 19, 2026. "The extension does block ads as advertised, but its primary function is hidden: it automatically injects the developer's affiliate tag (10xprofit-20) into every Amazon product link and replaces existing affiliate codes from content creators," Socket security researcher Kush Pandya said . Further analysis has determined that Amazon Ads Blocker is part of a larger cluster of 29 browser add-ons that target several e-commerce platforms like AliExpress, Amazon, Best Buy, Shein, Shopify, and Walmart. The complet...