All news with #secrets exposure tag

Cybercriminals Exploit RMM Tools to Steal Truck Cargo

🚚 Proofpoint warns that cybercriminals are increasingly deploying legitimate remote monitoring and management tools to compromise trucking and logistics firms, enabling cargo theft and financial gain. Working with organized crime, they target asset-based carriers, brokers and integrated providers—especially food and beverage shipments—using compromised emails, fraudulent load-board listings and booby-trapped MSI/EXE installers to deliver ScreenConnect, SimpleHelp and other RMMs. Once inside, attackers conduct reconnaissance, harvest credentials with tools like WebBrowserPassView, delete bookings, block dispatcher alerts and reassign loads to facilitate physical theft, often selling stolen cargo online or overseas.

Open VSX Rotates Leaked Tokens After Supply-Chain Attack

🔒 Open VSX rotated access tokens after developers accidentally leaked credentials in public repositories, a lapse that allowed attackers to publish malicious VS Code–compatible extensions in a supply‑chain campaign. The Eclipse Foundation says the threat, linked to a campaign dubbed GlassWorm, was contained by Oct 21 after malicious extensions were removed and tokens revoked. The registry plans shorter token lifetimes, faster revocation workflows, automated publication scans, and increased collaboration with other marketplaces to reduce future risk.

Why Password Controls Still Matter in Cybersecurity

🔒 In January 2024, Russian attackers bypassed layered defenses at Microsoft, underscoring that passwords remain a primary attack vector in complex IT environments. The article identifies frequent failure points such as forgotten legacy accounts and predictable user patterns, and recommends adaptive controls: advanced banned password lists, nuanced rotation policies, long memorable passphrases, and risk-based authentication. It also advises a staged rollout with user education, clear KPIs, and practical self-service resets, and highlights Specops Password Policy as a tool that scans Active Directory against billions of compromised passwords.

Large-Scale AWS Credential Abuse and SES Exploitation

🔐 Identity compromise is driving large-scale AWS abuse, with attackers leveraging stolen access keys to test accounts and weaponize Amazon SES for Business Email Compromise and invoice fraud. FortiGuard Labs attributes the reconnaissance layer to a campaign named TruffleNet that uses TruffleHog and automated AWS CLI/Boto3 requests to validate credentials and probe SES quotas. Fortinet recommends continuous monitoring, least-privilege access, MFA, and integrated detection via FortiCNAPP and related controls to detect and block these activities.

Malicious npm Packages Use Invisible URL Dependencies

🔍 Researchers at Koi Security uncovered a campaign, PhantomRaven, that has contaminated 126 packages in Microsoft's npm repository by embedding invisible HTTP URL dependencies. These remote links are not fetched or analyzed by typical dependency scanners or npmjs.com, making packages appear to have 0 Dependencies while fetching malicious code at install time. The attackers aim to exfiltrate developer credentials and environment details, and they also exploit AI hallucinations to create plausible package names.

Ex-L3Harris Executive Pleads Guilty to Selling Exploits

🔒 Peter Williams, a former general manager at L3Harris Trenchant, pleaded guilty in U.S. court to stealing and selling protected cyber-exploit components between 2022 and 2025. Prosecutors say he removed at least eight sensitive trade-secret exploit components intended for exclusive government use and sold them to a broker that works with the Russian government for $1.3 million in cryptocurrency. He now faces up to 10 years in prison and significant fines.

Typosquatted npm Packages Deliver Cross-Platform Stealer

🚨 A multi-stage supply-chain campaign published ten typosquatted npm packages on July 4 that collectively reached nearly 10,000 downloads before removal, according to Socket. Each package abused npm’s postinstall lifecycle to open a new terminal, present a fake CAPTCHA prompt, and retrieve a PyInstaller-packed binary that harvests credentials from browsers, OS keyrings, SSH keys, tokens and cloud configuration files. The JavaScript installers combined four layers of obfuscation with social engineering to evade detection and delay scrutiny while exfiltrating collected secrets to the attacker’s host.

PhantomRaven: Malware in 126 npm Packages Steals Tokens

⚠️ Koi Security has identified a supply-chain campaign dubbed PhantomRaven that inserted malicious code into 126 npm packages, collectively installed more than 86,000 times, by pointing dependencies to an attacker-controlled host (packages.storeartifact[.]com). The packages include preinstall lifecycle hooks that fetch and execute remote dynamic dependencies, enabling immediate execution on developers' machines. The payloads are designed to harvest GitHub tokens, CI/CD secrets, developer emails and system fingerprints, and exfiltrate the results, while typical scanners and dependency analyzers miss the remote dependencies because npmjs.com does not follow those external URLs.

Typosquatted npm Packages Deploy Cross-Platform Infostealer

🚨 Ten typosquatted packages on npm were found delivering a 24 MB PyInstaller infostealer that targets Windows, Linux, and macOS. Uploaded on July 4 and downloaded nearly 10,000 times, the packages used heavy obfuscation and a fake CAPTCHA to evade detection. Researchers at Socket say the malware harvests keyrings, browser credentials, SSH keys and API tokens, then exfiltrates data to a remote server. Developers who installed these packages should remove them, perform remediation, and rotate all secrets.

Malicious npm Packages Steal Developer Credentials

⚠️ Security researchers revealed 10 typosquatted npm packages uploaded on July 4, 2025, that install a cross-platform information stealer targeting Windows, macOS, and Linux. The packages impersonated popular libraries and use a postinstall hook to open a terminal, display a fake CAPTCHA, fingerprint victims, and download a 24MB PyInstaller stealer. The obfuscated JavaScript fetches a data_extracter binary from an attacker server, harvests credentials from browsers, system keyrings, SSH keys and config files, compresses the data into a ZIP, and exfiltrates it to the remote host.

Atroposia RAT Kit Lowers Barrier for Cybercriminals

⚠️ Researchers at Varonis have identified a turnkey remote access trojan called Atroposia, marketed on underground forums with subscription tiers starting at $200 per month. The kit combines advanced features — hidden remote desktop takeover, encrypted C2 channels, UAC bypass for persistence, an integrated vulnerability scanner, clipboard capture, DNS hijacking and bulk exfiltration — into a low‑skill, plug‑and‑play package. Enterprises should prioritize behavioral monitoring, rapid containment, multi‑factor authentication, restricted admin access and rigorous patching to detect and mitigate attacks enabled by such commoditized toolsets.

Researchers Expose GhostCall and GhostHire Campaigns

🔍 Kaspersky details two tied campaigns, GhostCall and GhostHire, that target Web3 and blockchain professionals worldwide and emphasize macOS-focused infection chains and social-engineering lures. The attacks deploy a range of payloads — DownTroy, CosmicDoor, RooTroy and others — to harvest secrets, escalate access, and persist. Guidance stresses user vigilance, strict dependency vetting, and centralized secrets management. Kaspersky links the activity to the BlueNoroff/Lazarus cluster and notes the actor has increasingly used generative AI to craft imagery and accelerate malware development.

Qilin Ransomware Employs Linux Payloads and BYOVD Tactics

🔒 Qilin (aka Agenda, Gold Feather, Water Galura) has sharply increased operations in 2025, claiming dozens of victims monthly and peaking at 100 leak-site postings in June. Cisco Talos and Trend Micro analyses show affiliates gain initial access via leaked admin credentials, VPN interfaces and RDP, then harvest credentials with tools like Mimikatz and SharpDecryptPwd. Attackers combine legitimate remote-management software (for example AnyDesk, ScreenConnect, Splashtop) with a BYOVD vulnerable driver to disable defenses, exfiltrate data, and deploy a Linux ransomware binary on Windows systems before encrypting files and removing backups.

GlassWorm self-spreading worm targets VS Code extensions

🪲 Researchers have uncovered GlassWorm, a self-propagating worm that spreads through Visual Studio Code extensions on the Open VSX Registry and the Microsoft Extension Marketplace. First seen on October 17, 2025, the campaign uses the Solana blockchain for resilient command-and-control with Google Calendar as a fallback and hides malicious code using invisible Unicode variation selectors. Infected extensions harvest developer credentials, drain cryptocurrency wallets, install SOCKS proxies and hidden VNC servers, and deliver a JavaScript payload named Zombi to escalate and propagate.

Secure AI at Scale and Speed: Free Webinar Framework

🔐 The Hacker News is promoting a free webinar that presents a practical framework to secure AI at scale while preserving speed of adoption. Organizers warn of a growing “quiet crisis”: rapid proliferation of unmanaged AI agents and identities that lack lifecycle controls. The session focuses on embedding security by design, governing AI agents that behave like users, and stopping credential sprawl and privilege abuse from Day One. It is aimed at engineers, architects, and CISOs seeking to move from reactive firefighting to proactive enablement.

Google Careers Phishing Targets Job Seekers' Credentials

🔒 Scammers are impersonating Google’s Careers recruiting outreach to trick job seekers into a fake booking flow that ends on a spoofed Google login page, harvesting account credentials and cloud data. Researchers at Sublime Security documented HTML evasion techniques, abused delivery services, dynamic phishing kits and C2 servers. Organizations should enforce strong MFA, monitor anomalous logins, and train employees to treat unsolicited recruiter invitations with skepticism.

SnakeStealer Infostealer Surges to Top of Detections

🔒 SnakeStealer is an infostealer family that surged in early 2025 to top ESET's infostealer detection charts. First seen in 2019 and originally linked to tools marketed as 404 Keylogger/Crypter, it spread widely by abusing Discord and cloud hosting and through phishing attachments, archived payloads and pirated software. Offered as malware‑as‑a‑service, it harvests credentials, clipboard contents, screenshots and keystrokes while using evasion and persistence tricks. Reduce risk by keeping systems updated, enabling MFA, treating unsolicited attachments with caution, changing passwords from clean devices and running reputable security software.

Self-Propagating GlassWorm Targets VS Code Marketplaces

🪲 Researchers at Koi Security have uncovered GlassWorm, a sophisticated self-propagating malware campaign affecting extensions in the OpenVSX and Microsoft VS Code marketplaces. The worm hides executable payloads using Unicode variation selectors, harvests NPM, GitHub and Git credentials, drains 49 cryptocurrency wallets, and deploys SOCKS proxies and hidden VNC servers on developer machines. CISOs are urged to treat this as an immediate incident: inventory VS Code usage, monitor for anomalous outbound connections and long-lived SOCKS/VNC processes, rotate exposed credentials, and block untrusted extension registries.

Critical MinKNOW Vulnerabilities Allow Remote Access and DoS

⚠️ Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinKNOW sequencing software contains multiple remotely exploitable vulnerabilities (highest CVSS v4 8.3) that can permit unauthorized access, data manipulation, and denial-of-service on affected devices. Attackers can discover devices via network scanning, exploit authentication that trusts host IPs, and reuse tokens stored in world-readable temporary files to gain persistent access or redirect sequencing output. Oxford Nanopore advises upgrading to versions later than 24.11; CISA recommends minimizing network exposure, isolating control networks, and using secure remote access methods while applying other mitigations.

GlassWorm Worm Infects OpenVSX and VS Code Extensions

🛡️ A sophisticated supply-chain campaign called GlassWorm is propagating through OpenVSX and Microsoft VS Code extensions and is estimated to have about 35,800 active installs. The malware conceals malicious scripts using invisible Unicode characters, then steals developer credentials and cryptocurrency wallet data while deploying SOCKS proxies and hidden VNC clients for covert access. Operators rely on the Solana blockchain for resilient C2, with Google Calendar and direct-IP fallbacks.