All news in category "Incidents and Data Breaches"

Class Action in Germany Targets Meta over 2021 Facebook Leak

⚖️ A German consumer association has launched a model declaratory action against Meta after data from more than 530 million Facebook users was posted on the dark web in April 2021. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations argues Meta failed to protect user data and to inform affected people adequately. Plaintiffs seek tiered compensation of €100–€600 and the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court will first address jurisdictional and formal matters in the hearing.

Cl0p-Linked Actors Exploit Oracle E-Business Suite

🔔 Google Threat Intelligence Group and Mandiant report a multi-stage zero-day campaign exploiting Oracle E-Business Suite (tracked as CVE-2025-61882, CVSS 9.8) that has impacted dozens of organizations since August 2025. The attackers combined SSRF, CRLF injection, authentication bypass and XSL template injection to achieve remote code execution and deploy multi-stage Java loaders. Observed payloads include GOLDVEIN.JAVA and a SAGEGIFT/SAGELEAF/SAGEWAVE chain; orchestration and extortion messaging bear the Cl0p signature. Oracle has released patches and investigations by GTIG and Mandiant are ongoing.

ClayRat Android spyware mimics popular apps to spread

📱 A new Android spyware campaign called ClayRat is tricking users by posing as well-known apps and services such as WhatsApp, Google Photos, TikTok, and YouTube and distributing APKs via Telegram channels and fraudulent websites. Researchers at Zimperium say they documented over 600 samples and 50 distinct droppers in three months, noting that some use a session-based installation and encrypted payloads to bypass Android defenses. Once installed, ClayRat can assume the default SMS handler, exfiltrate SMS and call logs, capture notifications and front-camera photos, make calls, send mass SMS for propagation, and communicate with C2 servers (recent versions use AES-GCM); Play Protect now blocks known variants.

Universities Targeted in 'Payroll Pirate' Workday Hijacks

🔐 Microsoft says the Storm-2657 gang has been targeting U.S. university HR employees since March 2025 in “payroll pirate” attacks that aim to hijack salary payments by compromising Workday accounts and Exchange Online mailboxes. Attackers use tailored phishing themes—campus illness, faculty misconduct, executive impersonation—and adversary‑in‑the‑middle (AITM) links to steal MFA codes and gain access. They then set inbox rules to hide warnings, adjust payroll SSO settings, and sometimes enroll attacker phone numbers as MFA devices; Microsoft urges deployment of phishing‑resistant MFA and offers investigative guidance.

Threat actors abusing Velociraptor in ransomware attacks

⚠️Researchers have observed threat actors leveraging the open-source DFIR tool Velociraptor to maintain persistent remote access and deploy ransomware families including LockBit and Babuk. Cisco Talos links the campaigns to a China-based group tracked as Storm-2603 and notes use of an outdated Velociraptor build vulnerable to CVE-2025-6264. Attackers synchronized local admin accounts to Entra ID, accessed vSphere consoles, disabled Defender via AD GPOs, and used fileless PowerShell encryptors with per-run AES keys and staged exfiltration prior to encryption.

From HealthKick to GOVERSHELL: UTA0388's Malware Evolution

🔎 Volexity attributes a series of tailored spear‑phishing campaigns to a China‑aligned actor tracked as UTA0388, which delivers a Go-based implant named GOVERSHELL. The waves used multilingual, persona-driven lures and legitimate cloud hosting (Netlify, Sync, OneDrive) to stage ZIP/RAR archives that deploy DLL side‑loading and a persistent backdoor. As many as five GOVERSHELL variants emerged between April and September 2025, succeeding an earlier C++ family called HealthKick. Volexity also observed the actor abusing LLMs such as ChatGPT to craft phishing content and automate workflows.

RondoDox botnet rapidly exploits 56 n-day flaws worldwide

⚠️ RondoDox is a large-scale botnet actively exploiting 56 n-day vulnerabilities across more than 30 device types, including DVRs, NVRs, CCTV systems, routers, and web servers. Trend Micro researchers describe the campaign as using an exploit shotgun strategy, firing numerous exploits simultaneously to maximize infection despite generating noisy activity. The actor has weaponized flaws disclosed at events such as Pwn2Own and continues to expand its arsenal, including both recent CVEs and older end-of-life vulnerabilities. Recommended defenses include applying firmware updates, replacing EoL devices, segmenting networks, and removing default credentials.

Investigating Payroll Pirate Attacks on US Universities

🔍 Microsoft Threat Intelligence observed a financially motivated actor tracked as Storm-2657 conducting targeted 'payroll pirate' intrusions against US universities to divert salary payments. The actor used realistic phishing and adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) links to harvest credentials and MFA codes, gained access to Exchange Online, abused SSO to reach Workday profiles, and created inbox rules to hide payroll notifications. Microsoft recommends adopting phishing-resistant, passwordless MFA and provides detections and remediation guidance.

SonicWall: Cloud backup breach exposed all firewall configs

🔒 SonicWall confirmed that unauthorized actors accessed firewall configuration backup files stored in its cloud backup portal, impacting all customers who used the service. The exposed .EXP files contain AES-256-encrypted credentials and other configuration data. Customers should log into MySonicWall to check impacted devices and follow the vendor's Essential Credential Reset checklist, prioritizing internet-facing firewalls.

Oracle EBS Zero-Day Exploitation and Extortion Campaign

⚠️ GTIG and Mandiant tracked a large-scale extortion campaign beginning Sept. 29, 2025, in which actors claiming affiliation with the CL0P brand alleged theft from Oracle E‑Business Suite (EBS) environments. Analysis indicates exploitation of a zero-day (CVE-2025-61882) as early as Aug. 9, 2025, with suspicious activity dating back to July 10. Attackers abused UiServlet and SyncServlet flows, embedding Java payloads via XSL templates to achieve unauthenticated RCE and deploy in-memory implants. Organizations are urged to apply Oracle emergency patches, hunt for malicious templates in XDO_TEMPLATES_B/XDO_LOBS, and restrict outbound traffic to disrupt C2.

SonicWall Cloud Firewall Backups Accessed, Urgent Checks

🔐 SonicWall disclosed that an unauthorized party accessed cloud-stored firewall configuration backups for customers using the Cloud Backup service. While the files contain encrypted credentials and configuration data, SonicWall warns that possession of these files could increase the risk of targeted attacks. The company is notifying customers, providing assessment and remediation tools, and urging users to log in and verify their devices immediately.

Hotel Booking Software Vulnerability Exposed Millions' Data

🔓 Security researchers from Zerforschung discovered a vulnerability in the Gubse AG hotel booking system that exposed customer data including names, addresses, identity documents and credit card details. Investigators estimate more than 35.5 million reservations and 48.5 million guest records were retrievable, with Motel One especially affected. A number of hostel and hotel groups, including DJH state hostels, AWO SANO and the DeHoGa campus, were named. Vendors report the gaps have been closed and say there is no confirmed misuse or public leak so far.

ClayRat Android Spyware Turns Phones Into SMS Hubs

🔔 A fast-evolving Android spyware campaign dubbed ClayRat has produced over 600 samples and 50 droppers in three months, researchers say. The malware is distributed via phishing sites and Telegram channels that impersonate popular apps like TikTok, YouTube and Google Photos to trick users into sideloading infected APKs. Once granted SMS privileges, ClayRat can read and send messages, harvest contacts and call logs, take front-camera photos, exfiltrate data to C2 servers, and automatically text malicious links to all contacts, turning each compromised device into a propagation hub.

ClayRat Android Spyware Campaign Targets Russian Users

🛡️Researchers at Zimperium zLabs have identified a rapidly evolving Android spyware campaign, dubbed ClayRat, targeting users in Russia via Telegram channels and phishing sites. The malware is distributed inside fake apps impersonating services such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Google Photos and YouTube, and operators are using fake reviews, download counts and step-by-step guides to trick victims. Once granted privileges, ClayRat can exfiltrate SMS, call logs and notifications, take front-camera photos, and even send messages or place calls while abusing Android's SMS handler role. Security firms report over 600 samples and coordinated disclosure to Google resulted in Play Protect protections.

Hacktivist Group TwoNet Targets Critical Infrastructure

🔍 Forescout observed pro‑Russian hacktivist group TwoNet compromise a realistic water‑treatment honeypot in September, moving from initial access to disruptive actions in roughly 26 hours. The attackers used default credentials and SQL enumeration, then exploited a stored XSS (CVE-2021-26829) to display the message "Hacked by Barlati," altered HMI PLC setpoints and disabled real‑time updates and logs. Researchers urge strong authentication, network segmentation, IP-based ACLs for admin interfaces, and protocol-aware detection to spot exploitation and HMI changes.

SonicWall Cloud Backups Accessed in Firewall Breach

🔒 SonicWall has confirmed that an unauthorized actor accessed firewall configuration backup files stored in its cloud backup service for customers. The files include encrypted credentials and device configuration data; while encryption remains in place, SonicWall warned that possession of these backups could increase the risk of targeted attacks. The vendor says access was achieved via brute-force attacks and that suspicious activity was first detected in early September 2025. Working with Mandiant, SonicWall has issued remediation tools, published impacted device lists in the MySonicWall portal, and is notifying affected partners and customers.

Velociraptor Abused in Ransomware Attacks by Storm-2603

🔐 Cisco Talos confirmed ransomware operators abused Velociraptor, an open-source DFIR endpoint tool, to gain arbitrary command execution in August 2025 by deploying an outdated agent vulnerable to CVE-2025-6264. Talos links the activity with moderate confidence to Storm-2603 based on overlapping tooling and TTPs. Operators used the tool to stage lateral movement, deploy fileless PowerShell encryptors, and deliver multiple ransomware families, severely disrupting VMware ESXi and Windows servers.

AI-Powered Cyberattacks Escalate Against Ukraine in 2025

🔍 Ukraine's SSSCIP reported a sharp rise in AI-enabled cyber operations in H1 2025, documenting 3,018 incidents versus 2,575 in H2 2024. Analysts found evidence that attackers used AI not only to craft phishing lures but also to generate malware samples, including a PowerShell stealer identified as WRECKSTEEL. Multiple UAC clusters—such as UAC-0219, UAC-0218, and UAC-0226—deployed stealers and backdoors via booby-trapped archives, SVG attachments, and ClickFix-style tactics. The report also details zero-click exploitation of Roundcube and Zimbra flaws and widespread abuse of legitimate cloud and collaboration services for hosting and data exfiltration.

Kantsu’s Ransomware Crisis: Recovery, Costs, and Lessons

🔒 Kantsu, a midsize Japanese logistics firm, was hit by ransomware on Sept. 12, 2024 that encrypted servers, cut communications, and halted shipping operations for hundreds of clients. The company refused to pay a ransom, shut down networks, replaced PCs, and rebuilt its cloud WMS Cloud Thomas on AWS while using analog processes to maintain critical shipments. Executives prioritized speed, cash availability, and employee welfare during an expensive recovery process that exposed gaps in cyber insurance.

Hackers Claim Discord Zendesk Breach Exposed 5.5M Users

🛡️ Discord says it will not pay extortionists who claim to have stolen data from a third‑party customer support service and disputes claims that 2.1 million ID photos were exposed. Attackers allege they obtained 1.6 TB of data from the company's Zendesk instance, impacting 5.5 million users and including partial payment and MFA‑related information. Discord says roughly 70,000 ID photos may have been exposed and characterizes the larger figures as part of an extortion attempt.