All news in category "Incidents and Data Breaches"

Code-formatters leak credentials from major organizations

🔓 Researchers discovered that the code-formatting services JSONFormatter and CodeBeautify exposed more than 80,000 user-saved JSON pastes totaling over 5GB via an unprotected Recent Links feature. The listings and predictable URLs allowed simple crawlers to enumerate and retrieve sensitive data including credentials, API keys, private keys, and PII. The findings show active scraping and confirmed access attempts after uploads expired.

Cyberattack Forces Mainz University to Shut Down IT Systems

🔒 Mainz University of Applied Sciences reported a cyberattack on Monday, 24 November, and has shut down all IT systems. The university says most services are unavailable while IT teams and investigative authorities analyse the threat and potential damage. A crisis team was mobilised to maintain essential operations, but restoration timelines remain uncertain. No further details have been released and it is unclear how the attackers gained access.

ToddyCat Tools Target Outlook, Steal M365 Tokens Now

🛡️ Kaspersky researchers report that the ToddyCat APT has evolved tactics to harvest corporate email and Microsoft 365 access tokens. Operators deployed a C++ utility, TCSectorCopy, to copy Outlook OST files sector-by-sector and then extract messages with XstReader. They also used SharpTokenFinder to enumerate and steal JWTs and, when blocked, relied on ProcDump to obtain Outlook memory dumps. PowerShell variants of TomBerBil were observed stealing browser cookies, credentials and DPAPI keys across network shares.

Blender .blend Files Weaponized to Deliver StealC V2

🛡️ Cybersecurity researchers disclosed a campaign that leverages Blender .blend files hosted on public asset sites to deliver the information stealer StealC V2. Malicious .blend assets contain embedded Python scripts that execute when Blender's Auto Run is enabled, fetching PowerShell code and two ZIP archives — one deploying StealC V2 and the other a secondary Python stealer. Vendors advise keeping Auto Run disabled and verifying asset sources.

Dartmouth Confirms Data Breach After Clop Extortion

🔒 Dartmouth College says threat actors linked to the Clop extortion gang exploited a zero-day in Oracle E-Business Suite to steal files and leak them on a dark web site. The college reported unauthorized access between August 9 and August 12, 2025, and on October 30 identified files containing names and Social Security numbers. A filing with Maine's Attorney General lists 1,494 individuals whose data was found in reviewed files and notes that financial account information was also taken. Dartmouth has not provided details on any ransom demand or the full scope of impacted people.

Shai-Hulud Worm Resurfaces, Infects Hundreds of npm Packages

🐛 Security teams have warned of a rapidly spreading secret-stealing worm, Shai-Hulud, that has resurfaced in the npm ecosystem and already infected hundreds of packages with tens of millions of downloads. First seen in September, attackers hijack developer accounts to publish trojanized packages that exfiltrate AWS keys and GitHub tokens to attacker-controlled repositories. Vendors including Wiz Security and Mondoo report explosive scaling—hundreds of new repos discovered every 30 minutes—and urge urgent dependency audits. Recommended mitigations include rotating credentials, disabling npm postinstall scripts in CI, enforcing MFA, pinning versions, and using tools like Safe-Chain to block malicious packages.

Shai-Hulud 2.0 Worm Spreads Through npm and GitHub

⚠️ Researchers at Wiz, JFrog and others are tracking a renewed campaign of the Shai‑Hulud credentials‑stealing worm spreading through the npm registry and GitHub. The new Shai‑Hulud 2.0 executes during the preinstall phase, exfiltrates developer and CI/CD secrets to randomized repositories, and injects malicious payloads into other packages. Widely used modules, including @asyncapi/specs, Zapier, Postman and others, have been compromised, prompting immediate remediation steps for affected developers and organizations.

Blender model files used to deliver StealC infostealer

⚠️ Researchers at Morphisec observed a Russian-linked campaign using malicious Blender .blend files uploaded to 3D model marketplaces to deliver the StealC V2 infostealer. The embedded Python in the .blend fetches a loader from a Cloudflare Workers domain, which runs a PowerShell script to download two ZIP archives, unpack them into %TEMP%, drop LNK shortcuts into the Startup folder for persistence, and deploy both the StealC payload and an auxiliary Python stealer. Users are advised to disable Blender's Auto Run for Python scripts and treat downloaded 3D assets like executables, testing unknown files in sandboxed environments.

ClickFix Uses Fake Windows Update to Deliver Malware

🔒 Researchers warn of ClickFix attack variants that display a realistic full‑screen fake Windows Update animation in the browser to trick users into pasting commands that execute malware. Operators use steganography to hide AES‑encrypted shellcode inside PNG pixel data and leverage mshta, PowerShell, and a .NET Stego Loader to reconstruct and run payloads. Huntress observed delivery of LummaC2 and Rhadamanthys info stealers and a dynamic evasion ctrampoline technique to hinder analysis. A law enforcement takedown in November disrupted payload delivery on some fake update domains.

Superbox Android TV Boxes Found Relaying Malicious Traffic

⚠️ Superbox media streaming boxes sold through retailers like BestBuy and Walmart have been found running intrusive, unofficial apps that can enlist buyers' Internet connections into distributed residential proxy networks and botnets. Censys researchers observed devices phoning home to Tencent QQ and a proxy service called Grass IO, and installing tools such as tcpdump and netcat while performing DNS hijacking and ARP spoofing. The boxes require removing Google Play and installing a third-party app store, increasing the risk of unauthorized relays, advertising fraud, and account takeovers. Consumers are advised to avoid uncertified Android TV devices and follow FBI and EFF guidance on suspicious app marketplaces.

SitusAMC Data Breach Exposes Client and Customer Data

🔒 SitusAMC, a major real-estate finance services firm that supports banks and lenders, disclosed a November data breach that compromised some client and customer information. The company says business operations remain unaffected and investigators found no evidence of encrypting ransomware. External experts have been retained, and affected clients and residential customers are being notified directly as the scope is determined.

Shai-Hulud Malware Hits Hundreds of npm Packages, Leaks Secrets

⚠️ Hundreds of trojanized versions of popular npm packages — including toolkits linked to Zapier, ENS Domains, PostHog and others — have been published in a renewed Shai‑Hulud supply‑chain campaign designed to steal developer and CI/CD secrets. The malware runs during pre‑install, collects credentials into files like cloud.json and environment.json, and posts encoded data to quickly created GitHub repositories. Researchers at Aikido Security, Wiz and Step Security identified obfuscated payloads in setup_bun.js and a large, heavily obfuscated bun_environment.js dropper.

Harvard Alumni Systems Breached in Voice Phishing Attack

📞Harvard University disclosed that systems used by Alumni Affairs and Development were accessed in a phone‑based phishing attack discovered on November 18, 2025. Exposed information includes email addresses, phone numbers, home and business addresses, event attendance records, donation details, and biographical data for alumni, donors, some students, faculty and staff. The university stated the compromised systems did not contain Social Security numbers, passwords, payment card data, or financial account information. Harvard sent notifications on November 22 and is working with law enforcement and third‑party cybersecurity experts to investigate and remediate the incident.

StealC V2 Spread Through Malicious Blender .blend Files

🛠️ Morphisec researchers have uncovered a six-month campaign embedding StealC V2 inside weaponized Blender .blend files distributed via marketplaces such as CGTrader. When opened with Blender's Auto Run enabled, concealed Python scripts fetch loaders from workers.dev domains and initiate a multistage infection that deploys PowerShell components and Python-based stealers. The malware establishes persistence with LNK files and communicates with Pyramid-linked C2 servers to retrieve encrypted payloads. Morphisec says its deception-based protection thwarts credential theft by injecting decoy credentials and terminating processes before exfiltration.

Second Sha1-Hulud npm Wave Hits 25,000+ Repositories

⚠ Multiple security vendors report a second Sha1-Hulud campaign that has trojanized hundreds of npm packages and affected over 25,000 repositories. The attack leverages a preinstall script ("setup_bun.js") to install or locate the Bun runtime and execute a bundled payload ("bun_environment.js") that harvests credentials. The malware registers hosts as self-hosted GitHub runners named "SHA1HULUD", drops a vulnerable workflow (.github/workflows/discussion.yaml) to run arbitrary commands via repository discussions, exfiltrates secrets as artifacts, and then removes traces; when exfiltration fails it can attempt destructive wiping of the user home directory.

Major US Banks Assess Impact of SitusAMC Data Breach

🔒 Major US banks including JPMorgan Chase, Citi and Morgan Stanley are assessing potential customer data exposure after third-party mortgage servicer SitusAMC disclosed a breach discovered on Nov. 12 and confirmed on Nov. 22. SitusAMC says corporate records and 'certain data' related to clients' customers may have been accessed; the company reports services remain operational and the incident is contained. The FBI is investigating, has found no operational impact to banking services so far, and the company has implemented credential resets, disabled remote access tools, updated firewall rules and engaged third-party advisors while forensic analysis continues.

Fortinet, Chrome 0-days and Supply-Chain Attacks Recap

⚠️ This week’s recap spotlights multiple actively exploited vulnerabilities, supply‑chain compromises, and a record cloud DDoS that forced rapid vendor responses. Fortinet disclosed a FortiWeb OS command injection (CVE-2025-58034) that was observed chained with a recent critical fix, raising concerns about silent patching and disclosure timing. Google patched an actively exploited Chrome V8 0‑day (CVE-2025-13223), and attackers continued to abuse browser notifications, malicious updates, and SaaS integrations to phish and persist. The incidents underscore urgent priorities: patch quickly, scrutinize integrations, and strengthen monitoring and response.

IACR Election Nullified After Trustee Loses Decryption Key

🔐 The International Association of Cryptologic Research (IACR) nullified its 2025 online election after trustee Moti Yung irretrievably lost his private decryption key. The election used the Helios voting system with a strict 3-of-3 trustee decryption scheme, so the missing key meant the system could not compute the final decryption shares or verify the outcome. The loss was an honest human error; the IACR will rerun the vote under a 2-of-3 threshold to permit recovery, and the incident was reported by outlets including Ars Technica and The New York Times.

Iberia Alerts Customers After Supplier-Related Data Breach

⚠️ Iberia has notified customers that personal data was exposed after unauthorized access to a supplier's systems, potentially including names, email addresses and Iberia Club loyalty numbers. The carrier says no login credentials or payment card details were taken and that it has implemented additional verification checks and mitigation measures. Customers are urged to watch for phishing and suspicious communications. The airline is investigating and has informed authorities.

Operation Endgame 3.0 Disrupts Rhadamanthys Infostealer

🔒Operation Endgame 3.0, coordinated by Europol with over 30 national and private partners, dismantled more than 1,000 servers and seized 20 domains tied to the Rhadamanthys infostealer, VenomRAT and the Elysium botnet. Authorities say the disrupted infrastructure harboured hundreds of thousands of infected computers and millions of stolen credentials, with the Rhadamanthys operator allegedly accessing over 100,000 crypto wallets. The action included 11 searches and at least one arrest; users are advised to check accounts via national breach-check services or HaveIBeenPwned and to maintain strong defences as criminals can rebuild.