Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

North Korea-linked Lazarus APT Group is using a stealthy memory-only RAT that leaves almost no forensic traces behind. North Korea-linked APT group Lazarus has never been shy about its ambitions, the threat actor has been tied to some of the most audacious financial heists in recent memory, draining hundreds of millions from cryptocurrency exchanges and […]

Ariomex database reveals potential sanctions evasion and capital transfers tied to Iranian actors

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new botnet loader called Aeternum C2 that uses a blockchain-based command-and-control (C2) infrastructure to make it resilient to takedown efforts

Also: IoTex Bridge Exploit Linked to Private Key BreachThis week, Step Finance shuts down, IoTeX bridge exploit, Russia-linked exchanges help evade sanctions, Australian charged in $3.5 million scam, a hacker returned $21 million in seized bitcoin to South Korean prosecutors and Malaysia arrested 12 police officers in an extortion case.

Also: NodeCordRAT Malware, North Korean QR-Phishing CampaignThis week, U.K. crypto exchanges linked to Iranian sanctions evasion, NodeCordRAT malware spread via npm, an FBI alert on North Korean QR-code phishing, illicit crypto hit $154 billion in 2025 and U.S. President Donald Trump said he won't pardon Sam Bankman-Fried.

New crooks on the block get crafty with blockchain to evade defenses Researchers at Group-IB say the DeadLock ransomware operation is using blockchain-based anti-detection methods to evade defenders' attempts to analyze their tradecraft.…

A malware campaign presents fake websites that can check if a visitor is a potential victim or a security researcher, and then proceed accordingly to defraud or evade.

Justice Department Secures Guilty Pleas, $15M in Civil ForfeitureFederal prosecutors charged U.S. citizens and foreign nationals for aiding North Korean IT workers in infiltrating U.S. firms, laundering crypto and funneling illicit revenue back to Pyongyang’s weapons program in what the DOJ has described as a major sanctions-evasion scheme.

State, Criminal Hackers Use Blockchain Technique to Evade TakedownsGoogle's Threat Intelligence Group found hacking groups like North Korea's UNC5342 and criminal group UNC5142 using a public blockchain technique called EtherHiding to distribute malware. The method makes attacks tougher to trace, block or dismantle.

$7 Billion Illicit Bitcoin Horde: Malaysian National Latest to Plead GuiltyA Malaysian national pleaded guilty Tuesday in an English courtroom to assisting an investment fraud scammer who converted stolen assets into a cryptocurrency treasure trove now worth $7.1 billion, including helping her to evade arrest by lining up assistants and Airbnb rentals in Scotland.

Also: PowerShell-Based Cryptojacking Attack, a Malvertising CampaignThis week, El Salvador split its bitcoin reserve, an Indian court jailed cops for crypto kidnapping, a PowerShell-based cryptojacking attack, a malvertising campaign targeted Android users, a Venus Protocol hack, malware hid in npm packages using smart contracts for evasion and Bunni DEX exploit.

Also: Dismantling a 460 Million Euro Crypto Fraud NetworkThis week, a peek into Iran's largest crypto exchange blending privacy, scale and sanctions evasion, Europol and Spanish police dismantled a crypto fraud network, $9.5M Resupply hack, sentencing in a $40M ponzi scheme and a North Korean crypto theft and employment fraud ring.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) said it has filed a civil forfeiture complaint in federal court that targets over $7.74 million in cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and other digital assets allegedly linked to a global IT worker scheme orchestrated by North Korea

Also: 5 Guilty Pleas in Cambodia-linked $36.9 Million ScamEvery week, ISMG rounds up cybersecurity incidents in digital assets. This week, charges against a crypto firm founder in a $530M sanctions evasion and money laundering case, guilty pleas in a $36.9M scam, an $8.3M exploit of Alex Lab, and Cetus Protocol relaunched after a $223M hack.

Also: A $40M Block Penalty, US SEC Guidance on Crypto LawsThis week, a KiloEx exploit, Block fined $40M, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission guidance on crypto laws, Senate Democrats slammed NCET disbandment, $4.3M scam disrupted, guilty plea in $3.3M tax evasion and a South Korea ban on crypto apps.

Bad actors have been observed targeting Docker remote API servers to deploy the SRBMiner crypto miner on compromised instances, according to new findings from Trend Micro

A Linux malware named "perfctl" has been targeting Linux servers and workstations for at least three years, remaining largely undetected through high levels of evasion and the use of rootkits. [...]

Also: Angel Drainer Resurfaces; Russia's Sanctions Evasion PloyThis week, Indodax was hacked, Angel Drainer resurfaced, Russia developed Infra crypto, GS Partners settled with U.S. states, Caroline Ellison to be sentenced Sept. 24, FCA prosecuted first unregistered crypto case, Nigeria set new crypto regulations, and India may approve offshore crypto firms.

The US Treasury has designated several Russian blockchain and virtual currency firms for sanctions evasion

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three cryptocurrency exchanges for offering services used to evade economic restrictions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022