LockBit, originating as ABCD ransomware in 2019, has evolved to version 5.0 in September 2025. After a period of inactivity, it resumed operations in December 2025 with a reduced affiliate sign-up fee. LockBit 5.0, nicknamed ChoungDong, consists of a Loader and Ransomware component. The Loader decrypts and executes the payload in memory, while the Ransomware uses ChaCha20 and Curve25519 for encryption. This update significantly enhances evasion techniques and attack efficiency, introducing features like Mutex, Execution Delay, and Wiper. The group's history includes affiliation with the Maze cartel, independent operations, and continuous upgrades. Mitigation strategies involve monitoring process behavior, applying security patches, and preparing for swift responses using provided IoCs and MITRE ATT&CK techniques.
A 2025 study analyzing 6 billion stolen passwords reveals that user password behavior remains stagnant, with common weak passwords like '123456', 'admin', and 'password' dominating. This widespread use of easily guessable passwords continues to expose organizations to credential-based attacks. Although no specific software vulnerability is identified, the persistence of weak passwords significantly increases risks of unauthorized access and data breaches. European organizations remain vulnerable due to reliance on password authentication and insufficient enforcement of strong password policies. Mitigation requires enforcing multi-factor authentication, implementing password blacklists, and user education to reduce weak password usage. Countries with large digital economies and high internet penetration, such as Germany, the UK, France, and the Netherlands, are particularly at risk. Given the ease of exploitation and potential for broad impact, the threat severity is assessed as high. Defenders must prioritize strengthening authentication controls and monitoring for credential abuse to mitigate this ongoing risk.
KRVTZ IDS alerts from January 21, 2026, report network reconnaissance targeting Fortigate VPN devices, specifically repeated GET requests to the /remote/logincheck endpoint associated with CVE-2023-27997. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary commands. Additional suspicious scanning includes anomalous HTTP user-agent strings and attempts to access sftp-config.json files to discover exposed credentials. No active exploitation or public patches are currently reported. European organizations, especially in critical infrastructure, finance, and government sectors, are at increased risk. The threat level is medium due to the potential impact if exploited combined with ease of reconnaissance. Defenders should prioritize patching when available, restrict access, and secure credentials to mitigate risk.
Under the new rules, measures for 5G cybersecurity would become mandatory. The post EU Plans Phase Out of High Risk Telecom Suppliers, in Proposals Seen as Targeting China appeared first on SecurityWeek .
Providing cyberespionage and remote code execution capabilities, the malware is executed via DLL sideloading. The post APT-Grade PDFSider Malware Used by Ransomware Groups appeared first on SecurityWeek .
A simple payload allowed attackers to create a new event leaking summaries of the victim’s private meetings. The post Weaponized Invite Enabled Calendar Data Theft via Google Gemini appeared first on SecurityWeek .
IDNs or “International Domain Names” have been with us for a while now (see RFC3490[1]). They are (ab)used in many attack scenarios because.. it works! Who can immediately spot the difference between:
A sophisticated spear-phishing campaign targeting Argentina's judicial sector has been uncovered. The operation uses a multi-stage infection chain to deploy a stealthy Remote Access Trojan (RAT). Attackers exploit trust in court communications by using authentic-looking judicial decoy documents. The campaign employs a weaponized LNK file, a BAT-based loader script, and a covert Rust-based RAT to establish persistent access within judicial environments. The malware performs extensive anti-VM and anti-debug checks, collects system information, and establishes resilient C2 connections. It supports various malicious activities including persistence, file transfer, data harvesting, encryption, and privilege escalation. The campaign demonstrates high operational sophistication and aims to gain long-term access to sensitive legal and institutional data.
Operating as an access broker, the defendant sold unauthorized access to compromised networks to an undercover agent. The post Jordanian Admits in US Court to Selling Access to 50 Enterprise Networks appeared first on SecurityWeek .
US officials told The New York Times that cyberattacks were used to turn off the lights in Caracas and disrupt air defense radars. The post New Reports Reinforce Cyberattack’s Role in Maduro Capture Blackout appeared first on SecurityWeek .
Posing as an ad blocker, the malicious extension crashes the browser to lure victims into installing malware. The post Malicious Chrome Extension Crashes Browser in ClickFix Variant ‘CrashFix’ appeared first on SecurityWeek .
The compromised personal information includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and employment-related data. The post 42,000 Impacted by Ingram Micro Ransomware Attack appeared first on SecurityWeek .
A data breach was disclosed by Spanish energy company Endesa following unauthorized access to a commercial platform managing customer information. Attackers reportedly exfiltrated over 1 terabyte of data, including sensitive financial details such as IBANs. This incident highlights risks to critical infrastructure sectors in Europe, particularly energy providers. The breach's medium severity reflects significant confidentiality impact but no known active exploits or public patches yet. European organizations, especially in energy and utilities, face potential risks from similar unauthorized access attacks. Mitigation should focus on strengthening access controls, continuous monitoring, and rapid incident response tailored to commercial platforms handling sensitive customer data. Spain and neighboring European countries with interconnected energy markets are most likely affected due to shared infrastructure and market penetration. Given the data volume and sensitivity, the threat severity is assessed as high, considering the potential for financial fraud and reputational damage. Defenders should prioritize securing customer data platforms and enhancing threat intelligence sharing within the sector.
The KRVTZ IDS alerts from January 19, 2026, report low-severity reconnaissance and scanning activities targeting AjaxPro Remote Code Execution vulnerability (CVE-2021-23758) and IIS 8.3 web servers. These include brute force attempts, suspicious user-agent strings linked to InfoBot malware, and directory brute forcing. No active exploits or patches are currently associated with these alerts, but early-stage probing could lead to more serious attacks. European countries such as Germany, France, the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Poland are highlighted as likely affected due to market presence. The overall threat severity is medium given the potential impact if exploitation occurs.
PDFSIDER is a newly identified malware variant that utilizes DLL side-loading to deploy a covert backdoor with encrypted command-and-control capabilities. It exploits vulnerabilities in legitimate software like PDF24 Creator to bypass endpoint detection mechanisms. The malware operates primarily in memory, minimizing disk artifacts, and employs advanced anti-VM technology to evade sandboxes and analysis labs. PDFSIDER features a robust cryptographic implementation using the Botan library for secure communications. It gathers system information and provides attackers with an interactive, hidden command shell for remote execution. The malware's characteristics align with APT tradecraft, suggesting its use in cyber-espionage operations. Distribution occurs through spear-phishing emails containing ZIP archives with legitimate-looking executables.
KongTuke, a threat actor tracked since 2025, has launched a new campaign using a malicious browser extension called NexShield that impersonates uBlock Origin Lite. The extension causes browser crashes and displays fake security warnings to trick users into executing malicious commands. The campaign targets both home and corporate users, with domain-joined machines receiving a more sophisticated Python-based RAT named ModeloRAT. The attack chain involves multiple stages of obfuscation, anti-analysis techniques, and a Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA) for C2 communication. KongTuke employs extensive fingerprinting to avoid detection in analysis environments. The campaign demonstrates evolving social engineering tactics and a focus on infiltrating enterprise networks for potential lateral movement and data exfiltration.
Nicholas Moore pleaded guilty to repeatedly hacking the U.S. Supreme Court’s filing system and illegally accessing computer systems belonging to AmeriCorps and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The post Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to Repeatedly Hacking Supreme Court’s Filing System appeared first on SecurityWeek .
