Threat actors relying on AI have been exploiting exposed ports and weak credentials to take over FortiGate devices. The post Hundreds of FortiGate Firewalls Hacked in AI-Powered Attacks: AWS appeared first on SecurityWeek .
An active supply chain worm campaign, dubbed SANDWORM_MODE, is spreading through typosquatting and AI toolchain poisoning across at least 19 malicious npm packages. The worm exhibits Shai-Hulud characteristics, incorporating GitHub API exfiltration with DNS fallback, hook-based persistence, SSH propagation, and MCP server injection targeting AI coding assistants. It harvests credentials from developer and CI environments, exfiltrates data via multiple channels, and uses stolen identities to propagate. The campaign also includes a weaponized GitHub Action for CI secret harvesting. The worm employs a multi-stage design with obfuscated loaders, time-gated execution, and extensive configuration options. It targets high-traffic developer utilities, crypto tooling, and AI coding tools, posing a significant threat to the software supply chain.
PayPal blamed an application error for the exposure of customer personal information for nearly 6 months. The post PayPal Data Breach Led to Fraudulent Transactions appeared first on SecurityWeek .
For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 23rd February, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES France’s Ministry of Economy has disclosed a data breach resulted from an unauthorized access to the national bank account registry FICOBA, impacting information tied to 1.2 million accounts. Exposed data includes names, […] The post 23rd February – Threat Intelligence Report appeared first on Check Point Research .
The KRVTZ-NET IDS alerts from 2026-02-23 report reconnaissance activity targeting Fortigate VPN devices via repeated GET requests to the /remote/logincheck endpoint linked to CVE-2023-27997. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication and potentially execute arbitrary commands. The alerts also note scanning for hidden environment files and PHP info pages to gather sensitive configuration data. No active exploitation or ransomware campaigns are currently associated with these activities. The threat is considered low severity and represents broad scanning efforts from diverse global sources.
A sophisticated ClickFix campaign has been uncovered, compromising legitimate websites to deliver a multi-stage malware chain. The attack culminates in MIMICRAT, a custom remote access trojan with advanced capabilities. The campaign uses compromised sites across industries and geographies for delivery, employing a five-stage PowerShell chain that bypasses security measures before deploying a Lua-scripted shellcode loader. MIMICRAT, the final payload, is a native C++ RAT featuring malleable C2 profiles, Windows token theft, and SOCKS5 proxy functionality. The attack chain involves multiple compromised websites, obfuscated scripts, and sophisticated evasion techniques, demonstrating a high level of operational sophistication.
The FBI has confirmed that the Ploutus malware, which has been around for over a decade, is still being used in the wild. The post FBI: $20 Million Losses Caused by 700 ATM Jackpotting Attacks in 2025 appeared first on SecurityWeek .
The malware leverages Gemini to analyze on-screen elements and ensure that it remains on the device even after a reboot. The post PromptSpy Android Malware Abuses Gemini AI at Runtime for Persistence appeared first on SecurityWeek .
Savvy Seahorse, a DNS threat actor, employs sophisticated techniques to lure victims into fake investment platforms through Facebook ads. They use DNS CNAME records to create a traffic distribution system, enabling dynamic IP address updates and evasion of detection. The campaigns target multiple languages and involve fake ChatGPT and WhatsApp bots. Victims are convinced to create accounts, make deposits, and unknowingly transfer funds to Russian banks. The actor has been operating since August 2021, using dedicated hosting and frequently changing IP addresses. Their infrastructure includes approximately 4,200 base domains with CNAME records linked to subdomains of b36cname[.]site. The campaigns are short-lived, typically lasting 5-10 days per subdomain.
Infoblox security researchers have discovered a group of malicious domains hosting cryptocurrency scams, some linked to hacked YouTube channels. The domains, initially registered under CryptDesignBot, frequently change registrars to conceal information. They use lookalike domains to impersonate legitimate brands. Hacked YouTube channels are exploited to promote scam crypto domains through fake livestreams. The scams often claim to double cryptocurrency, mimicking old RuneScape scams. Many domains use keywords associated with celebrities and brands like Elon Musk and Tesla. Protective measures include implementing protective DNS, securing cookies, using HTTPS, generating random session IDs, and setting session timeouts. Infoblox's BloxOne Threat Defense offers protective DNS capabilities to combat sophisticated threats.
A new phishing tactic involving fake Microsoft and Google Calendar invites has been identified, aimed at stealing login credentials. These sophisticated attacks mimic designs from well-known platforms, exploiting routine business activities like scheduling meetings. Threat actors use email spoofing and create fake urgent calendar invitations to deceive employees. The phishing emails often contain buttons or links that redirect to fake login pages, closely resembling official Microsoft or Google login screens. The campaigns exploit the popularity of calendar invitations in corporate environments, allowing attackers to gather sensitive information if users are not vigilant. To prevent falling victim to these attacks, it is crucial to verify the authenticity of calendar invites, carefully check sender details, and avoid clicking suspicious links from unknown senders.
A new malware-as-a-service (MaaS) called TrustConnect has been discovered masquerading as a legitimate remote monitoring and management (RMM) tool. The malware, classified as a remote access trojan (RAT), uses a fake business website as its command and control center and MaaS portal. Priced at $300 per month, it offers features like a web-based C2 dashboard, automated payload generation with digital signatures, and remote desktop capabilities. The malware has been distributed through various email campaigns, often alongside legitimate RMM tools. Proofpoint researchers identified links between TrustConnect's creator and previous users of Redline stealer. The emergence of this new MaaS demonstrates the ongoing evolution of the cybercrime market and the thriving ecosystem of RMM abuse.
This analysis reveals the growing threat of malicious OAuth applications in Microsoft Entra ID, which attackers use for persistence and privilege escalation. The report details how these apps blend in with legitimate integrations, making detection challenging. It describes the creation of OAuth Apps Scout, an automated detection pipeline that identifies emerging malicious OAuth apps. The research uncovered multiple campaigns, including one involving 19 apps impersonating well-known brands. The report compares tactics from 2019 to 2025, showing an evolution in attacker strategies from Microsoft impersonation to third-party SaaS spoofing. It concludes with actionable defense strategies for organizations to protect against these threats.
A new Android banking Trojan named Massiv has been discovered, posing a significant threat to mobile banking users. This malware allows remote control of infected devices and enables Device Takeover attacks, leading to fraudulent transactions from victims' accounts. Massiv is distributed through side-loading, often masquerading as IPTV applications. It features overlay functionality, keylogging, and SMS/Push message interception to steal sensitive data. The malware has targeted government applications and digital identity wallets, particularly in Portugal. Massiv supports screen streaming and UI-tree modes for remote control, bypassing screen capture protections. The trend of malware masquerading as IPTV apps is increasing, exploiting users' willingness to install from unofficial sources.
An investigation using Silent Push's Traffic Origin and residential proxy data revealed a suspicious Chinese VPN provider. The analysis focused on IP address 205.198.91.155, which showed unusual traffic from Russia, China, Myanmar, Iran, and Venezuela. This IP was linked to the domain lvcha.in, hosting a Chinese-language VPN. Further investigation uncovered nearly 50 related domains promoting the same VPN, suggesting attempts to bypass country-level firewalls. The VPN's infrastructure was found to use residential proxies and had connections to various high-risk countries. This case study demonstrates the importance of verifying physical and technical behaviors of connections to protect against fraud and state-sponsored actors using stolen identities and spoofed locations.
A new campaign targeting Indian government entities was uncovered, utilizing three backdoors: SHEETCREEP, FIREPOWER, and MAILCREEP. These tools leverage legitimate cloud services like Google Sheets, Firebase, and Microsoft Graph API for command and control, enabling the attackers to blend in with normal traffic. The campaign, named Sheet Attack, employed PDFs and malicious LNK files as initial infection vectors. Evidence suggests the use of generative AI in malware development. While sharing similarities with APT36, the campaign's unique characteristics point to either a new Pakistan-linked group or an APT36 subgroup. The attackers demonstrated hands-on-keyboard activity and deployed additional payloads, including a document stealer, to selected targets.
A Pakistan-linked APT group conducted two campaigns targeting Indian government entities. The Gopher Strike campaign used PDFs with malicious links to deliver an ISO file containing GOGITTER, a Golang downloader that fetches payloads from private GitHub repositories. GITSHELLPAD, a Golang backdoor, was used for C2 communication via GitHub. GOSHELL, a Golang shellcode loader, deployed Cobalt Strike Beacon on specific hostnames. The attackers used various techniques including scheduled tasks for persistence, obfuscation, and environmental keying. Post-compromise activities involved system reconnaissance and data exfiltration. The campaign demonstrated sophisticated TTPs and custom-built tools, indicating a potentially new subgroup or parallel Pakistan-linked threat actor.
APT SideWinder has launched a new targeted operation dubbed Operation SouthNet, focusing on the maritime sector in South Asia, particularly Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The group leverages free hosting platforms to deploy credential-harvesting portals and weaponized lure documents, while staging malware in open directories. Over 50 malicious domains were uncovered across various platforms, with Pakistan accounting for 40% of the identified domains. The campaign utilizes maritime and port-themed lures to target government and military entities. SideWinder's infrastructure overlaps with legacy C2 assets, indicating recycling across multiple years. The group maintains a high operational tempo, with new phishing domains emerging every 3-5 days.
