UH officials refused to provide key information, including which cancer research project had been affected or how much UH paid the hackers to regain access to files. The post Hackers Accessed University of Hawaii Cancer Center Patient Data; They Weren’t Immediately Notified appeared first on SecurityWeek .
The Knownsec leak exposes a state-aligned Chinese cyber contractor deeply integrated with national security and intelligence operations. Internal documents reveal Knownsec's role in developing offensive cyber capabilities, large-scale reconnaissance systems, and data fusion platforms for public security bureaus and military clients. Key products include ZoomEye for global IP scanning, GhostX for exploitation, and Passive Radar for covert network mapping. The leak provides unprecedented insight into Knownsec's organizational structure, personnel, and strategic targeting of foreign critical infrastructure, particularly in Taiwan and other Asian countries. It demonstrates how commercial entities like Knownsec function as core components of China's cyber-espionage ecosystem, blending state objectives with industrial-scale development of intrusion and surveillance technologies.
Other noteworthy stories that might have slipped under the radar: Jaguar Land Rover sales crash, hundreds of gen-AI data policy violations, and Chinese cyberattacks against Taiwan intensified. The post In Other News: 8,000 Ransomware Attacks, China Hacked US Gov Emails, IDHS Breach Impacts 700k appeared first on SecurityWeek .
The North Korean state-sponsored espionage group Kimsuky has targeted government organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions. The post FBI: North Korean Spear-Phishing Attacks Use Malicious QR Codes appeared first on SecurityWeek .
Gulshan Management Services has informed authorities about a recent data breach resulting from a ransomware attack. The post 377,000 Impacted by Data Breach at Texas Gas Station Firm appeared first on SecurityWeek .
CNCERT and Microstep Online jointly detected a cyberattack campaign launched by the "Black Cat" criminal gang. This gang uses search engine SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques to push meticulously crafted phishing websites to the top of search engine keyword results. After visiting these high-ranking phishing pages, users are lured by carefully designed download pages, attempting to download software installation packages bundled with malicious programs. Once installed, the program implants a backdoor Trojan without the user's knowledge, leading to the theft of sensitive data from their host computer by attackers.
The PHALT#BLYX campaign targets the hospitality sector using sophisticated social engineering and advanced techniques. It begins with a phishing email mimicking a Booking.com reservation cancellation, leading victims to a fake website. Users are tricked into executing malicious PowerShell commands through a fake BSOD and click-fix social engineering tactic. The malware leverages MSBuild.exe to bypass defenses and deploys a customized DCRat payload. It establishes persistence, disables Windows Defender, and uses process hollowing to inject into legitimate processes. The campaign shows evolution from earlier, simpler methods and demonstrates a deep understanding of modern endpoint protection. Attribution points to Russian-speaking threat actors, given the presence of Cyrillic debug strings and the use of DCRat, a popular tool in Russian underground forums.
Reverse engineers must have a good understanding of the environment where malware are executed (read: the operating system). In a previous diary, I talked about malicious code that could be executed when loading a DLL[1]. Today, I'll show you how a malware can hide suspicious information related to created processes.
CVE-2026-20974 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Samsung Mobile devices due to improper input validation related to network restrictions. This flaw allows a physical attacker to bypass the Carrier Relock feature, which is intended to restrict device use to specific carriers. The vulnerability requires physical access but no authentication or user interaction, and it does not impact confidentiality or availability directly but compromises device integrity. There are no known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. European organizations using Samsung Mobile devices could face risks of unauthorized carrier unlocking, potentially leading to unauthorized network access or device misuse. Mitigation involves monitoring for firmware updates from Samsung and restricting physical access to devices. Countries with high Samsung device penetration and significant mobile carrier infrastructure, such as Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and Spain, are most likely to be affected. Given the medium CVSS score of 5.2, the threat is moderate but should be addressed proactively to prevent exploitation.
ASEC discovered Guloader malware being distributed through phishing emails masquerading as employee performance reports. The emails, claiming to be about October 2025 performance, contain a RAR file with an NSIS executable named 'staff record pdf.exe'. This file is actually Guloader malware, which downloads and executes shellcode from a Google Drive URL. The final payload is Remcos RAT, enabling threat actors to perform various malicious remote control activities, including keylogging, screenshot capture, webcam and microphone control, and browser data extraction. The attackers are increasingly using legitimate platforms as C2 servers, making detection more challenging. Users are advised to exercise caution when opening emails from unknown sources and to change passwords regularly to prevent secondary damage.
The Boto Cor-de-Rosa campaign reveals Astaroth's new strategy of exploiting WhatsApp Web for propagation. This Brazilian banking malware now uses a Python-based worm module to retrieve victims' WhatsApp contact lists and automatically send malicious messages, expanding its infection reach. The attack begins with a malicious ZIP file sent via WhatsApp, containing a Visual Basic script that downloads additional components. The malware then operates two parallel modules: a propagation module for spreading through WhatsApp contacts, and a banking module for credential stealing. This campaign demonstrates Astaroth's evolution, combining traditional malware techniques with sophisticated social engineering and multi-platform propagation, primarily targeting Brazilian users.
MuddyWater APT group has launched a spearphishing campaign targeting various sectors in the Middle East, including diplomatic, maritime, financial, and telecom entities. The campaign employs icon spoofing and malicious Word documents to deliver a Rust-based implant dubbed 'RustyWater'. This new tool represents a significant upgrade from their traditional PowerShell and VBS loaders, offering capabilities such as asynchronous C2, anti-analysis features, registry persistence, and modular post-compromise expansion. The attack chain involves a malicious email with an attached document that triggers a multi-stage process, ultimately leading to the deployment of the RustyWater implant. This evolution in MuddyWater's toolkit demonstrates their adaptation to more sophisticated, structured, and stealthy attack methods.
UAT-7290, a sophisticated threat actor active since 2022, is targeting critical infrastructure entities in South Asia, particularly telecommunications providers. The group's arsenal includes malware families like RushDrop, DriveSwitch, SilentRaid, and Bulbature. UAT-7290 conducts extensive reconnaissance before intrusions, using one-day exploits and SSH brute force to compromise edge devices. The actor is believed to be a China-nexus APT, sharing similarities with APT10 and other known Chinese threat groups. UAT-7290 has recently expanded its targeting to Southeastern Europe and may establish Operational Relay Boxes for other China-nexus actors. Their malware suite primarily focuses on Linux systems but can also utilize Windows-based implants.
This analysis examines a sophisticated malware delivery chain that begins with a phishing email impersonating DocuSign. The attack employs multiple evasion techniques, including an access-code gate, time-based checks, and packing. The initial payload is a single-file .NET bundle with a valid code signing certificate. Static analysis revealed a second-stage native binary with additional obfuscation. The final payload is identified as Vidar malware. The investigation showcases the effectiveness of combining static and dynamic analysis tools to overcome advanced evasion tactics and reconstruct the full attack chain, from the initial phishing email to the final payload.
CISA advisory warns that unauthenticated Bluetooth access in WHILL devices allows for unauthorized movement. The post Researchers Expose WHILL Wheelchair Safety Risks via Remote Hacking appeared first on SecurityWeek .
Between February and September 2025, BlueDelta, a Russian state-sponsored threat group linked to the GRU, conducted multiple credential-harvesting campaigns. The group targeted individuals associated with energy research, defense cooperation, and government communication networks in Turkey, Europe, North Macedonia, and Uzbekistan. BlueDelta impersonated legitimate webmail and VPN services, using free hosting and tunneling services to host phishing content and capture user data. The campaigns incorporated PDF lures and customized JavaScript to increase authenticity and operational efficiency. This activity demonstrates BlueDelta's continued focus on low-cost, high-yield methods for collecting information supporting Russian intelligence objectives.
A malicious WordPress plugin named 'Modern Recent Posts' has been discovered, targeting administrators with fake browser update pop-ups. The plugin injects malicious JavaScript from an external domain, only affecting logged-in administrators on Windows machines. The campaign uses social engineering tactics to trick users into downloading potential malware. The plugin includes persistence mechanisms and can self-update. This sophisticated attack demonstrates a focused approach on high-value targets, leveraging trust in security updates to compromise local machines. The malware's stealthy nature and targeted delivery system make it particularly dangerous for WordPress site owners.
