All news in category "Incidents and Data Breaches"

ShadowV2 Turns Misconfigured Docker into DDoS Service

🛡️ Darktrace researchers uncovered a ShadowV2 campaign that leverages exposed Docker APIs on AWS EC2 to provision containers and run a Go-based remote access trojan, converting misconfigured cloud containers into distributed DDoS nodes. The attackers create containers on victim hosts rather than importing malicious images, likely to reduce forensic traces, and use the Python Docker SDK to interact with exposed daemons. ShadowV2 operators employ advanced techniques including HTTP/2 rapid reset and Cloudflare evasion, and the platform includes APIs, a Tailwind/FastAPI UI and operator logins that turn botnet control into a commercialized DDoS-as-a-Service offering.

Phishing-to-PureRAT: Vietnamese Actor Upgrades Stealer

🛡️ Huntress researchers uncovered a multi-stage phishing operation that began with a Python-based infostealer and culminated in the deployment of PureRAT. The campaign used a ZIP lure containing a signed PDF reader and a malicious version.dll to achieve DLL sideloading, then progressed through ten staged loaders that shifted from obfuscated Python to compiled .NET binaries. Attackers used process hollowing against RegAsm.exe, patched Windows defenses (AMSI and ETW), and ultimately unpacked PureRAT, which communicates over encrypted C2 channels and can load additional modules. Metadata linking the activity to the handle @LoneNone and to the PXA Stealer family, plus a C2 server traced to Vietnam, supports attribution to Vietnamese threat actors.

North Korean hackers deploy new AkdoorTea backdoor

🛡️ ESET attributes a widespread recruitment-based intrusion campaign to the North Korea-linked cluster tracked as DeceptiveDevelopment, revealing a previously undocumented Windows backdoor called AkdoorTea. Active since late 2022, the operation targets software developers on Windows, Linux, and macOS, particularly in cryptocurrency and Web3, using fake recruiter outreach, video assessments and coding tasks to deliver multi-platform malware such as BeaverTail, TsunamiKit and Tropidoor. The group favors scale and social engineering while reusing dark-web projects and rented malware rather than developing wholly novel toolsets.

PXA Stealer Upgrades to Multi-Layer Chain Deploying PureRAT

🔒 A Vietnamese threat group has evolved its custom PXA Stealer campaign into a multi-layered delivery chain that ultimately deploys PureRAT, a feature-rich remote access trojan. Huntress analysts describe a ten-stage sequence beginning with a phishing copyright lure and proceeding through obfuscated Python loaders, layered encoding (Base84, AES, RC4, XOR), and .NET reflective loading. The chain includes AMSI and ETW patching, TLS certificate pinning, registry persistence, and hallowing techniques to evade detection. Huntress linked the activity to the Telegram handle @LoneNone and Vietnamese C2 infrastructure and remediated an intrusion before full module deployment.

17-Year-Old Suspected in Vegas Casino Cyberattacks Released

🔒 A 17-year-old hacker who surrendered on charges tied to sophisticated cyber intrusions against Las Vegas casinos between August and October 2023 has been released into his parents' custody under family court supervision. Authorities link the incidents to the Scattered Spider group and the deployment of BlackCat/ALPHV ransomware that disrupted operations and exposed staff and customer data. The judge imposed strict conditions including residence at a registered parental address, prohibition on leaving Clark County, internet use limited to educational purposes, and restrictions on phones and electronics, with immediate detention for violations. Prosecutors say the suspect may still control about $1.8 million in Bitcoin and are seeking additional charges and to try him as an adult.

Threatsday Bulletin: Rootkits, Supply Chain, and Arrests

🛡️ SonicWall released firmware 10.2.2.2-92sv for SMA 100-series appliances to add file checks intended to remove an observed rootkit, and moved SMA 100 end-of-support to 31 October 2025. The bulletin also flags an unpatched OnePlus SMS permission bypass (CVE-2025-10184), a GeoServer RCE compromise affecting a U.S. federal agency, and ongoing npm supply-chain and RAT campaigns. Defenders are urged to apply patches, rotate credentials, and enforce phishing-resistant MFA.

Chinese Group Uses BRICKSTORM Backdoor Against US Firms

⚠️ Google Threat Intelligence Group says a Chinese-aligned cluster has used the BRICKSTORM backdoor in intrusion campaigns since at least March 2025 against US legal and technology firms, SaaS providers and outsourcing companies. Attackers focused on harvesting emails and files from key individuals and establishing long-term footholds. The group, tracked as UNC5221, exploited zero-days, deployed BRICKSTORM on VMware appliances, and used credential theft and persistence mechanisms to evade detection. Google and partners have published detection guidance and a Mandiant scanner script to help identify infections.

Co-op Reports £206m Revenue Loss After Cyberattack

🛒 The Co-op revealed a £206m revenue shortfall resulting from a “malicious” cyber-attack in April after it temporarily shut down multiple systems to contain the threat. The retailer recorded an overall six-month loss of £80m to 5 July 2025 and said sales disruption is likely to continue into H2 2025. No remediation breakdown was provided, although a one-off non-underlying cost of £20m was logged. The intrusion has been linked to Scattered Spider, and UK authorities have made several arrests related to this and similar retail attacks.

NCA Arrests Man Linked to HardBit Ransomware Disruption

🔒 British investigators arrested a man in his forties in West Sussex in connection with a suspected ransomware outbreak that disrupted flights across Europe. The National Crime Agency said the suspect was released on conditional bail and the probe remains at an early stage. Security researchers have linked the incident to the HardBit variant, which affected ARINC vMUSE systems and forced airlines to revert to paper processes amid repeated reinfections.

Malicious Rust crates stole Solana and Ethereum keys

🛡️ Security researchers discovered two malicious Rust crates impersonating the legitimate fast_log library that covertly scanned source files for Solana and Ethereum private keys and exfiltrated matches to a hardcoded command-and-control endpoint. Published on May 25, 2025 under the aliases rustguruman and dumbnbased, the packages — faster_log and async_println — accumulated 8,424 downloads before crates.io maintainers removed them following responsible disclosure. Socket and crates.io preserved logs and artifacts for analysis, and maintainers noted the payload executed at runtime when projects were run or tested rather than at build time.

Chinese Backdoor Grants Year-Long Access to US Firms

🔐 Chinese state-linked actors deployed a custom Linux/BSD backdoor called BRICKSTORM on network edge appliances to maintain persistent access into U.S. legal, technology, SaaS and outsourcing firms. These implants averaged 393 days of undetected dwell time and were used to pivot to VMware vCenter/ESXi hosts, Windows systems, and Microsoft 365 mailboxes. Mandiant and Google TAG attribute the activity to UNC5221 and have released a scanner and hunting guidance to locate affected appliances.

Ransomware-Enabled Heist and npm Worm Supply-Chain Threats

🔒 Ransomware can do more than encrypt files — it can disable alarms and create physical security vulnerabilities. In a recent episode of the Smashing Security podcast, hosts discuss how a ransomware-related outage at the Natural History Museum in Paris preceded a late-night theft of €600,000 in gold. The show also covers a new npm supply-chain worm dubbed Shai Hulud that has infected over 180 packages and quietly exfiltrated secrets, plus odd stories about ads appearing on consumer appliances.

Retail at Risk: Single Alert Reveals Persistent Threat

🔍 A single Microsoft Defender alert triggered an investigation that uncovered a persistent cyberthreat against retail customers. Attackers exploited unpatched SharePoint flaws CVE-2025-49706 and CVE-2025-49704 using obfuscated ASPX web shells while also compromising identities through self-service password reset abuse and Microsoft Entra ID reconnaissance. DART swiftly contained the intrusions—removing web shells, isolating Entra ID, deprivileging accounts, and recommending Zero Trust measures, MFA enforcement, timely patching, and EDR deployment.

Chinese State-Linked RedNovember Targets Global Org

🛰️ Recorded Future has attributed a widespread cyber-espionage cluster to a Chinese state-sponsored actor it has named RedNovember, which overlaps with Microsoft's Storm-2077. From June 2024 to July 2025 the group targeted internet-facing perimeter appliances and used a mix of open-source and commercial tooling — notably Pantegana, Spark RAT and Cobalt Strike — to gain persistent access across government and private-sector networks worldwide. Attacks exploited known CVEs in VPNs, firewalls and other security appliances and leveraged a Go-based loader derived from LESLIELOADER, while administration infrastructure relied on VPN services such as ExpressVPN and Warp.

Malicious npm Package Uses QR Code to Steal Cookies

🔍 A malicious npm package named Fezbox was discovered using QR-code steganography to conceal and deliver a credential-stealing payload. The package fetched a QR image from a remote URL, waited roughly 120 seconds, decoded embedded code and executed it to extract usernames and passwords from browser cookies. Socket's AI-based scanner flagged the behavior; the package, which had at least 327 downloads, was removed after a takedown request to the npm security team.

Interpol-led Operation Seizes $439M From Cybercrime

🕵️‍♂️ In a five-month international campaign, Operation HAECHI VI led by Interpol and partner agencies recovered more than $439 million in cash and cryptocurrency tied to cyber-enabled financial crimes. Investigators from 40 countries across five continents targeted a broad range of scams — including voice phishing, investment fraud, BEC, sextortion and romance scams — freezing 400 crypto wallets and blocking over 68,000 bank accounts. The action included 45 arrests in Portugal and multimillion-dollar recoveries in Thailand, building on prior HAECHI phases that netted hundreds of millions and thousands of arrests.

ShadowV2 Botnet Highlights Growth of DDoS-as-a-Service

🛡️ Darktrace has uncovered a ShadowV2 campaign that combines a GitHub CodeSpaces-hosted Python command-and-control framework, a Docker-based spreader, and a Go-based RAT to operate a DDoS-as-a-service platform. Attackers target exposed Docker daemons on AWS EC2 to build on-victim images and deploy malware via environment variables, reducing forensic artifacts. The platform exposes an OpenAPI-driven UI and multi-tenant API enabling HTTP/HTTP2 floods, UAM bypasses, and other configurable attack options.

UNC5221 Deploys BRICKSTORM Backdoor Against US Targets

🛡️ Mandiant and Google’s Threat Intelligence Group report that the China‑nexus cluster UNC5221 has delivered the Go‑based backdoor BRICKSTORM to U.S. legal, SaaS, BPO, and technology organizations, frequently exploiting Ivanti Connect Secure zero‑days. BRICKSTORM uses a WebSocket C2, offers file and command execution, and provides a SOCKS proxy to reach targeted applications. The campaign prioritizes long, stealthy persistence on appliances that lack traditional EDR coverage, enabling lateral movement and access to downstream customer environments.

Obscura: New Ransomware Variant Targeting Domains Globally

🔒 On 29 August 2025 Huntress analysts identified a previously unseen ransomware variant they named Obscura after its embedded ransom note. The binary was placed in the domain NETLOGON scripts folder, enabling propagation via AD replication, and the actor created scheduled tasks to run it across hosts. Obscura requires administrative privileges, attempts to delete volume shadow copies and terminates roughly 120 security and backup processes. It uses Curve25519/X25519 key exchange and XChaCha20 for file encryption and writes a decoded ransom note to C:\README-OBSCURA.txt.

Google: Brickstorm malware stole data from U.S. orgs

🔒 Google researchers warn that the Go-based Brickstorm backdoor was used in prolonged espionage against U.S. technology, legal, SaaS, and BPO organizations, averaging a 393-day dwell time. Suspected activity from the UNC5221 cluster involved deploying the malware on appliances lacking EDR protection such as VMware vCenter/ESXi, where it acted as a web server, SOCKS proxy, file dropper, and remote shell. Operators used techniques like a malicious Java Servlet Filter (Bricksteal), VM cloning, and startup-script modifications to capture credentials and move laterally, then tunneled to exfiltrate emails via Microsoft Entra ID Enterprise Apps. Mandiant published a scanner and YARA rules to aid detection but cautions it may not catch all variants or persistence.