Here’s How Violent Extremists Are Exploiting Generative AI Tools

Experts are finding thousands of examples of AI-created content every week that could allow terrorist groups and other violent extremists to bypass automated detection systems.

Omegle Was Forced to Shut Down by a Lawsuit From a Sexual Abuse Survivor

Omegle connected strangers to one another and had a long-standing problem of pairing minors with sexual predators. A legal settlement took it down.

How to Get Facebook Without Ads—if It’s Available for You

Meta now offers users an ad-free option, but it’s only available in Europe for those who can afford the €10-a-month subscription.

When Email Security Meets SaaS Security: Uncovering Risky Auto-Forwarding Rules

While intended for convenience and efficient communication, email auto-forwarding rules can inadvertently lead to the unauthorized dissemination of sensitive information to external entities, putting confidential data at risk of exposure to unauthorized parties. Wing Security (Wing), a SaaS security company, announced yesterday that their SaaS shadow IT discovery methods now include a solution

Sandworm Hackers Caused Another Blackout in Ukraine—During a Missile Strike

Russia's most notorious military hackers successfully sabotaged Ukraine's power grid for the third time last year. And in this case, the blackout coincided with a physical attack.

Police Use of Face Recognition Is Sweeping the UK

Face recognition technology has been controversial for years. Cops in the UK are drastically increasing the amount they use it.

The GOP Presidential Debate Is Livestreaming on Rumble, Home to White Nationalist Nick Fuentes

The third GOP debate is sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition and will be livestreamed on a platform favored by one of America’s most notorious white nationalists.

This Is the Ops Manual for the Most Tech-Savvy Animal Liberation Group in the US

For the first time, guerrilla animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere reveals a guide to its investigative tactics and toolkit, from spy cams to night vision and drones.

Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2023 Seeks to End Warrantless Police and FBI Spying

The Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2023 pulls from past privacy bills to overhaul how police and the feds access Americans’ data and communications.

Internet Blackouts in Gaza Are a New Weapon in the Israel-Hamas War

Israel has said it’s prepared to disrupt internet service in Gaza, signaling a new age of warfare. In the past two weeks, the Palestinian territory has already suffered three communications shutdowns.

YouTube's Ad Blocker Detection Believed to Break EU Privacy Law

A complaint filed with the EU’s independent data regulator accuses YouTube of failing to get explicit user permission for its ad blocker detection system, potentially violating the ePrivacy Directive.

What a Bloody San Francisco Street Brawl Tells Us About the Age of Citizen Surveillance

When a homeless man attacked a former city official, footage of the onslaught became a rallying cry. Then came another video, and another—and the story turned inside out.

SideCopy Exploiting WinRAR Flaw in Attacks Targeting Indian Government Entities

The Pakistan-linked threat actor known as SideCopy has been observed leveraging the recent WinRAR security vulnerability in its attacks targeting Indian government entities to deliver various remote access trojans such as AllaKore RAT, Ares RAT, and DRat. Enterprise security firm SEQRITE described the campaign as multi-platform, with the attacks also designed to infiltrate Linux systems with a

Experts Warn of Ransomware Hackers Exploiting Atlassian and Apache Flaws

Multiple ransomware groups have begun to actively exploit recently disclosed flaws in Atlassian Confluence and Apache ActiveMQ. Cybersecurity firm Rapid7 said it observed the exploitation of CVE-2023-22518 and CVE-2023-22515 in multiple customer environments, some of which have been leveraged for the deployment of Cerber (aka C3RB3R) ransomware. Both vulnerabilities are critical, allowing threat

Intensified Israeli Surveillance Has Put the West Bank on Lockdown

The West Bank was Israel’s surveillance laboratory. Since the Israel-Hamas war began, Palestinian residents have been locked in for days at a time.

Critical Flaws Discovered in Veeam ONE IT Monitoring Software – Patch Now

Veeam has released security updates to address four flaws in its ONE IT monitoring and analytics platform, two of which are rated critical in severity. The list of vulnerabilities is as follows - CVE-2023-38547 (CVSS score: 9.9) - An unspecified flaw that can be leveraged by an unauthenticated user to gain information about the SQL server connection Veeam ONE uses to access its configuration

QNAP Releases Patch for 2 Critical Flaws Threatening Your NAS Devices

QNAP has released security updates to address two critical security flaws impacting its operating system that could result in arbitrary code execution. Tracked as CVE-2023-23368 (CVSS score: 9.8), the vulnerability is described as a command injection bug affecting QTS, QuTS hero, and QuTScloud. "If exploited, the vulnerability could allow remote attackers to execute commands via a network," the

SecuriDropper: New Android Dropper-as-a-Service Bypasses Google's Defenses

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a new dropper-as-a-service (DaaS) for Android called SecuriDropper that bypasses new security restrictions imposed by Google and delivers the malware. Dropper malware on Android is designed to function as a conduit to install a payload on a compromised device, making it a lucrative business model for threat actors, who can advertise the capabilities

U.S. Treasury Sanctions Russian Money Launderer in Cybercrime Crackdown

The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions against a 37-year-old Russian woman for taking part in the laundering of virtual currency for the country's elites and cybercriminal crews, including the Ryuk ransomware group. Ekaterina Zhdanova, per the department, is said to have facilitated large cross border transactions to assist Russian individuals to gain access to Western financial

This Cheap Hacking Device Can Crash Your iPhone With Pop-Ups

Plus: SolarWinds is charged with fraud, New Orleans police face recognition has flaws, and new details about Okta’s October data breach emerge.

StripedFly Malware Operated Unnoticed for 5 Years, Infecting 1 Million Devices

An advanced strain of malware masquerading as a cryptocurrency miner has managed to fly the radar for over five years, infecting no less than one million devices around the world in the process. That's according to findings from Kaspersky, which has codenamed the threat StripedFly, describing it as an "intricate modular framework that supports both Linux and Windows." The Russian cybersecurity

Google Play Store Highlights 'Independent Security Review' Badge for VPN Apps

Google is rolling out a new banner to highlight the "Independent security review" badge in the Play Store's Data safety section for Android VPN apps that have undergone a Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) audit. "We've launched this banner beginning with VPN apps due to the sensitive and significant amount of user data these apps handle," Nataliya Stanetsky of the Android Security

Kinsing Actors Exploiting Recent Linux Flaw to Breach Cloud Environments

The threat actors linked to Kinsing have been observed attempting to exploit the recently disclosed Linux privilege escalation flaw called Looney Tunables as part of a "new experimental campaign" designed to breach cloud environments. "Intriguingly, the attacker is also broadening the horizons of their cloud-native attacks by extracting credentials from the Cloud Service Provider (CSP)," cloud

Predictive AI in Cybersecurity: Outcomes Demonstrate All AI is Not Created Equally

Here is what matters most when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity: Outcomes.  As the threat landscape evolves and generative AI is added to the toolsets available to defenders and attackers alike, evaluating the relative effectiveness of various AI-based security offerings is increasingly important — and difficult. Asking the right questions can help you spot solutions

48 Malicious npm Packages Found Deploying Reverse Shells on Developer Systems

A new set of 48 malicious npm packages have been discovered in the npm repository with capabilities to deploy a reverse shell on compromised systems. "These packages, deceptively named to appear legitimate, contained obfuscated JavaScript designed to initiate a reverse shell on package install," software supply chain security firm Phylum said. All the counterfeit packages have been published by

Microsoft Does Damage Control With Its New 'Secure Future Initiative'

Following a string of serious security incidents, Microsoft says it has a plan to deal with escalating threats from cybercriminals and state-backed hackers.

Mysterious Kill Switch Disrupts Mozi IoT Botnet Operations

The unexpected drop in malicious activity connected with the Mozi botnet in August 2023 was due to a kill switch that was distributed to the bots. "First, the drop manifested in India on August 8," ESET said in an analysis published this week. "A week later, on August 16, the same thing happened in China. While the mysterious control payload – aka kill switch – stripped Mozi bots of most

The UN Hired an AI Company to Untangle the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis

CulturePulse's AI model promises to create a realistic virtual simulation of every Israeli and Palestinian citizen. But don't roll your eyes: It's already been put to the test in other conflict zones.

SaaS Security is Now Accessible and Affordable to All

This new product offers SaaS discovery and risk assessment coupled with a free user access review in a unique “freemium” model Securing employees' SaaS usage is becoming increasingly crucial for most cloud-based organizations. While numerous tools are available to address this need, they often employ different approaches and technologies, leading to unnecessary confusion and complexity. Enter

Iran's MuddyWater Targets Israel in New Spear-Phishing Cyber Campaign

The Iranian nation-state actor known as MuddyWater has been linked to a new spear-phishing campaign targeting two Israeli entities to ultimately deploy a legitimate remote administration tool from N-able called Advanced Monitoring Agent. Cybersecurity firm Deep Instinct, which disclosed details of the attacks, said the campaign "exhibits updated TTPs to previously reported MuddyWater activity,"

Researchers Find 34 Windows Drivers Vulnerable to Full Device Takeover

As many as 34 unique vulnerable Windows Driver Model (WDM) and Windows Driver Frameworks (WDF) drivers could be exploited by non-privileged threat actors to gain full control of the devices and execute arbitrary code on the underlying systems. "By exploiting the drivers, an attacker without privilege may erase/alter firmware, and/or elevate [operating system] privileges," Takahiro Haruyama, a

FIRST Announces CVSS 4.0 - New Vulnerability Scoring System

The Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) has officially announced CVSS v4.0, the next generation of the Common Vulnerability Scoring System standard, more than eight years after the release of CVSS v3.0 in June 2015. "This latest version of CVSS 4.0 seeks to provide the highest fidelity of vulnerability assessment for both industry and the public," FIRST said in a statement.

HelloKitty Ransomware Group Exploiting Apache ActiveMQ Vulnerability

Cybersecurity researchers are warning of suspected exploitation of a recently disclosed critical security flaw in the Apache ActiveMQ open-source message broker service that could result in remote code execution. "In both instances, the adversary attempted to deploy ransomware binaries on target systems in an effort to ransom the victim organizations," cybersecurity firm Rapid7 disclosed in a

The New Era of Social Media Looks as Bad for Privacy as the Last One

The slow-motion implosion of Elon Musk’s X has given rise to a slew of competitors, where privacy invasions that ran rampant over the past decade still largely persist.

Hands on Review: LayerX's Enterprise Browser Security Extension

The browser has become the main work interface in modern enterprises. It’s where employees create and interact with data, and how they access organizational and external SaaS and web apps. As a result, the browser is extensively targeted by adversaries. They seek to steal the data it stores and use it for malicious access to organizational SaaS apps or the hosting machine. Additionally,

Turla Updates Kazuar Backdoor with Advanced Anti-Analysis to Evade Detection

The Russia-linked hacking crew known as Turla has been observed using an updated version of a known second-stage backdoor referred to as Kazuar. The new findings come from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, which is tracking the adversary under its constellation-themed moniker Pensive Ursa. "As the code of the upgraded revision of Kazuar reveals, the authors put special emphasis on Kazuar's ability to

Malicious NuGet Packages Caught Distributing SeroXen RAT Malware

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new set of malicious packages published to the NuGet package manager using a lesser-known method for malware deployment. Software supply chain security firm ReversingLabs described the campaign as coordinated and ongoing since August 1, 2023, while linking it to a host of rogue NuGet packages that were observed delivering a remote access trojan called

PentestPad: Platform for Pentest Teams

In the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape, the game-changers are those who adapt and innovate swiftly. Pen test solutions not only supercharge productivity but also provide a crucial layer of objectivity, ensuring efficiency and exceptional accuracy. The synergy between a skilled penetration tester and the precision of pen testing solutions are crucial for staying on top of today’s high

Atlassian Warns of New Critical Confluence Vulnerability Threatening Data Loss

Atlassian has warned of a critical security flaw in Confluence Data Center and Server that could result in "significant data loss if exploited by an unauthenticated attacker." Tracked as CVE-2023-22518, the vulnerability is rated 9.1 out of a maximum of 10 on the CVSS scoring system. It has been described as an instance of "improper authorization vulnerability." All versions of Confluence Data

Apple, Google, and Microsoft Just Patched Some Spooky Security Flaws

Plus: Major vulnerability fixes are now available for a number of enterprise giants, including Cisco, VMWare, Citrix, and SAP.

Trojanized PyCharm Software Version Delivered via Google Search Ads

A new malvertising campaign has been observed capitalizing on a compromised website to promote spurious versions of PyCharm on Google search results by leveraging Dynamic Search Ads. "Unbeknownst to the site owner, one of their ads was automatically created to promote a popular program for Python developers, and visible to people doing a Google search for it," Jérôme Segura, director of threat

New Webinar: 5 Must-Know Trends Impacting AppSec

Modern web app development relies on cloud infrastructure and containerization. These technologies scale on demand, handling millions of daily file transfers – it's almost impossible to imagine a world without them. However, they also introduce multiple attack vectors that exploit file uploads when working with public clouds, vulnerabilities in containers hosting web applications, and many other

This Cryptomining Tool Is Stealing Secrets

Plus: Details emerge of a US government social media-scanning tool that flags “derogatory” speech, and researchers find vulnerabilities in the global mobile communications network.

Researchers Uncover Wiretapping of XMPP-Based Instant Messaging Service

New findings have shed light on what's said to be a lawful attempt to covertly intercept traffic originating from jabber[.]ru (aka xmpp[.]ru), an XMPP-based instant messaging service, via servers hosted on Hetzner and Linode (a subsidiary of Akamai) in Germany. "The attacker has issued several new TLS certificates using Let's Encrypt service which were used to hijack encrypted STARTTLS

The Destruction of Gaza’s Internet Is Complete

As Israel increases its ground operation in Gaza, the last remaining internet and mobile connections have gone dark.

How to Keep Your Business Running in a Contested Environment

When organizations start incorporating cybersecurity regulations and cyber incident reporting requirements into their security protocols, it's essential for them to establish comprehensive plans for preparation, mitigation, and response to potential threats. At the heart of your business lies your operational technology and critical systems. This places them at the forefront of cybercriminal

F5 Issues Warning: BIG-IP Vulnerability Allows Remote Code Execution

F5 has alerted customers of a critical security vulnerability impacting BIG-IP that could result in unauthenticated remote code execution. The issue, rooted in the configuration utility component, has been assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2023-46747, and carries a CVSS score of 9.8 out of a maximum of 10. "This vulnerability may allow an unauthenticated attacker with network access to the BIG-IP

TikTok Streamers Are Staging ‘Israel vs. Palestine’ Live Matches to Cash In on Virtual Gifts

TikTokkers are using a little-known livestreaming feature to falsely represent Israelis and Palestinians—and the company is taking a cut of costly in-app gifts viewers give to participants.

Maine Mass Shooting Disinformation Floods Social Media as Suspect Remains at Large

In the hours following the worst mass shooting in Maine’s history, disinformation about the suspected gunman flooded social media with false claims that he had been arrested.

Microsoft Warns as Scattered Spider Expands from SIM Swaps to Ransomware

The prolific threat actor known as Scattered Spider has been observed impersonating newly hired employees in targeted firms as a ploy to blend into normal on-hire processes and takeover accounts and breach organizations across the world. Microsoft, which disclosed the activities of the financially motivated hacking crew, described the adversary as "one of the most dangerous financial criminal

The Danger of Forgotten Pixels on Websites: A New Case Study

While cyberattacks on websites receive much attention, there are often unaddressed risks that can lead to businesses facing lawsuits and privacy violations even in the absence of hacking incidents. A new case study highlights one of these more common cases.  Download the full case study here. It's a scenario that could have affected any type of company, from healthcare to finance, e-commerce to

Critical Flaw in NextGen's Mirth Connect Could Expose Healthcare Data

Users of Mirth Connect, an open-source data integration platform from NextGen HealthCare, are being urged to update to the latest version following the discovery of an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability. Tracked as CVE-2023-43208, the vulnerability has been addressed in version 4.4.1 released on October 6, 2023. "This is an easily exploitable, unauthenticated remote code

Okta's Latest Security Breach Is Haunted by the Ghost of Incidents Past

A recent breach of authentication giant Okta has impacted nearly 200 of its clients. But repeated incidents and the company’s delayed disclosure have security experts calling foul.

Nation State Hackers Exploiting Zero-Day in Roundcube Webmail Software

The threat actor known as Winter Vivern has been observed exploiting a zero-day flaw in Roundcube webmail software on October 11, 2023, to harvest email messages from victims' accounts. "Winter Vivern has stepped up its operations by using a zero-day vulnerability in Roundcube," ESET security researcher Matthieu Faou said in a new report published today. Previously, it was using known

Critical OAuth Flaws Uncovered in Grammarly, Vidio, and Bukalapak Platforms

Critical security flaws have been disclosed in the Open Authorization (OAuth) implementation of popular online services such as Grammarly, Vidio, and Bukalapak, building upon previous shortcomings uncovered in Booking[.]com and Expo. The weaknesses, now addressed by the respective companies following responsible disclosure between February and April 2023, could have allowed malicious actors to

The Rise of S3 Ransomware: How to Identify and Combat It

In today's digital landscape, around 60% of corporate data now resides in the cloud, with Amazon S3 standing as the backbone of data storage for many major corporations.  Despite S3 being a secure service from a reputable provider, its pivotal role in handling vast amounts of sensitive data (customer personal information, financial data, intellectual property, etc.), provides a juicy target for

Elon Musk Mocked Ukraine, and Russian Trolls Went Wild

Inauthentic accounts on X flocked to its owner’s post about Ukrainian president Vlodymr Zelensky, hailing “Comrade Musk” and boosting pro-Russia propaganda.

Act Now: VMware Releases Patch for Critical vCenter Server RCE Vulnerability

VMware has released security updates to address a critical flaw in the vCenter Server that could result in remote code execution on affected systems. The issue, tracked as CVE-2023-34048 (CVSS score: 9.8), has been described as an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the implementation of the DCE/RPC protocol. "A malicious actor with network access to vCenter Server may trigger an out-of-bounds

The AI-Generated Child Abuse Nightmare Is Here

Thousands of child abuse images are being created with AI. New images of old victims are appearing, as criminals trade datasets.

A Controversial Plan to Scan Private Messages for Child Abuse Meets Fresh Scandal

An EU government body is pushing a proposal to combat child sexual abuse material that has significant privacy implications. Its lead advocate is making things even messier.