Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Unauthenticated Flaw Allows Full Router, Network TakeoverA hidden backdoor, disclosed by CERT/CC and found in multiple firmware versions made by Chinese manufacturer Tenda, bypasses authentication and could grant attackers administrative access. Researchers are reporting exploitation and an Nmap script is making vulnerable devices easier to identify.

Unauthenticated Flaw Allows Full Router, Network TakeoverA hidden backdoor, disclosed by CERT/CC and found in multiple firmware versions made by Chinese manufacturer Tenda, bypasses authentication and could grant attackers administrative access. Researchers are reporting exploitation and an Nmap script is making vulnerable devices easier to identify.

Researchers Identified Two Undocumented Variants Used Since 2023Eset uncovered two previously undocumented Windows variants of the China-linked SprySocks backdoor tied to FishMonger and iSoon, revealing expanded espionage capabilities, rootkit-based stealth and continued targeting of government organizations across Asia and Central America.

Researchers Say Nation-State Actors Are Evolving Persistence TechniquesAn apparent Chinese nation-state hacking group gussied up its tooling with new modular functionality, say security researchers who observed a cyberespionage campaign affecting Asia-Pacific governments. The activity resembles attack patterns of the threat actor tracked as Mustang Panda

Website Popular in Korean Ethnic Enclave in China Hosts Apps Laced With a BackdoorA North Korean hacking group has been spying on a Korean ethnic enclave in China by infiltrating the Android apps of a regional gaming platform that hosts digital card and board games. Researchers attributed the supply-chain attack to a threat actor that Eset tracks as ScarCruft.

Google Unmasks, Disrupts Group Using Sheets for Command-and-Control PurposesLikely Chinese nation-state hackers used online spreadsheets as infrastructure for hacking campaigns that affected at least 53 telecom operators across 42 countries, Google disclosed Wednesday. Incident responders discovered a backdoor being remotely controlled through Google Sheets.

Hacked Infrastructure Delivered Chinese Nation-State Group's Backdoor, Experts WarnThe widely used, open source text-editing software Notepad++ for Windows said attackers exploited a vulnerability to redirect some users to sites that pushed a backdoor onto their system. Security experts have tied the attack to a broader campaign perpetrated by Chinese nation-state actors.

Chinese-Linked Malware Campaign Targets Critical Environments With Weak MonitoringU.S. and Canadian cyber authorities say Chinese state-backed actors used a backdoor dubbed BRICKSTORM to maintain long-term access into critical infrastructure, exploiting VMware environments to exfiltrate credentials and evade detection through encrypted covert channels.

ShortLeash Backdoor Hijacks SOHO Linux DevicesLikely Chinese nation-state hackers are converting Internet of Things devices including Ruckus Wireless home routers into an operational relay box network - a run of infections creating more digital infrastructure almost certainly used for cyberespionage.

Intrusion Involved ShadowPad Malware, Wielded in Attacks Tied to Chinese APT GroupsCybersecurity firm SentinelOne said suspected Chinese attackers, wielding ShadowPad backdoor malware, infiltrated a logistics firm that it used for supplying hardware to its employees, but that the intrusion doesn't appear to have resulted in any infiltration of its own, corporate network.

Threat Actors Deploy Obfuscation Tactics to Targets Windows MachinesLikely Chinese nation-state hackers are targeting European companies using previously unseen malware backdoor variants with advanced network tunneling and evasion capabilities for data theft. Brussels-based security firm Nviso links the campaign to a threat actor tracked as UNC5221.

CISA Publishes Anatomy of Advanced Ivanti VPN MalwareHackers using Trojans connected to a malware family deployed by Chinese nation-state hackers are actively exploiting a now-patched vulnerability in Ivanti Connect Secure appliances. The malware "contains capabilities of a rootkit, dropper, backdoor, bootkit, proxy and tunneler."

MirrorFace Expands Operations, Revives Anel Backdoor for EspionageA threat actor associated with Chinese cyberespionage campaigns against Japan stepped outside its East Asian comfort zone to target a European organization with a refreshed set of hacking tools. A hacking group tracked as MirrorFace and Earth Kasha deployed a backdoor once exclusively used by APT10.

Juniper Networks Urges Immediate Updating and Malware Scans to Block AttackersHackers have been infecting outdated Juniper MX routers with backdoor malware as part of an apparent cyberespionage campaign that traces to a Chinese-affiliated hacking team tracked as UNC 3886, warned Google's Mandiant incident response group.

Off-Brand Android Devices Come Infrected With A TrojanA botnet infected more than 1 million off-brand Android devices manufactured in China, reached consumers with a backdoor already installed. Scammers used the devices for programmatic ad fraud, click fraud and converting the devices into a residential proxy.

Researcher Jason Sinchak on Recent Cyber Warnings About Contec CMS8000 DevicesA hidden reverse backdoor in low-cost patient vital sign monitors used globally is hardcoded with an IP address connecting to a Chinese government-funded education and research network, which poses both privacy and potential safety concerns, said security researcher Jason Sinchak of ELTON.

Hackers Targeted a PAN-OS Flaw Days After Its DisclosureA suspected Chinese hacking campaign that began in November is exploiting a vulnerability in Palo Alto firewalls to install a custom malware backdoor for espionage. UNC5325 activity aligns with the Chinese hacking strategy of targeting edge devices.

Malware Exploits Cybercrime Ecosystem for ProfitHackers are using a variant of a backdoor that's the hallmark of a Chinese threat actor suspected of ties to Beijing in order to target the cybercriminal underground. The malware t "shares near-complete similarity" with the a backdoor exclusively used by the Winnti Group.

Stealthy Backdoor Publicly Available on GitHub Can Be Weaponized for Larger AttacksGodzilla webshell, a Chinese-language backdoor known for its stealth and ability to execute commands and manipulate files, is now publicly available on GitHub, and federal authorities have issued a stern warning to the healthcare sector to prepare for this threat and inevitable cyberattacks.

Chinese Hackers Have Used DinodasRATHackers are using a new version of a backdoor to target Linux servers and gain and maintain access in what appears to be an espionage campaign, warn researchers from Kaspersky. The hallmark of DinodasRAT's strategy is its sophisticated victim identification and persistence mechanisms.