Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Malware Targets Banks, Crypto Platforms and Social MediaNewly surfaced Android-based banking Trojan gives threat actors near-total control over infected devices, letting them steal user credentials for direct access to financial accounts, says researchers. Rokarolla tricks users into side-loading malicious versions of popular, high traffic apps.

Researchers Say PromptSpy Automates Persistence on Infected DevicesA newly discovered Android malware strain, "PromptSpy," is using Google's Gemini generative artificial intelligence model to automate part of its persistence mechanism, marking what researchers describe as the second known case of AI-driven mobile malware.

Unpatched Flaw in Open-Source Gogs Service Facilitates Remote Code ExecutionAn attacker has been exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Gogs, an open-source and popular Git service that allows for self-hosting, warned researchers. At least 700 internet-exposed servers running Gogs shows signs of being infected with command-and-control malware; no patch is yet available.

3 'Young IT Specialists' Arrested After Malware Tied to Government Agency InfectionRussian police have arrested "three young IT specialists" in Moscow, charging them with developing and selling the notorious Meduza information-stealing malware, and members of their group using the infostealer to breach a Russian government institution in May and exfiltrate data.

Trojan Poised for Use in Campaigns Across the GlobeAndroid malware advertised as "Herodotus" on cybercrime forums injects a randomized pause of up to three seconds whenever a hacker bypasses the keyboard on an infected device to enter account credentials. Systems that rely on indicators such as input timing may wave through the transaction.

PolarNet Has Hallmarks of an Operational Relay BoxNearly 40,000 enterprise-grade devices and consumer-class routers, IP cameras and more are infected with malware researchers codenamed PolarEdge, controlled by a botnet of the same name, which experts suspect is designed to hide traffic tied to cyberespionage operations.

New Variant Uses Virtualization to Weaponize Legit Apps, Stealing Data in Real TimeA banking Trojan known for mimicking mobile app login pages has gone to the next level by copying and pasting real mobile banking apps into a virtual environment it creates on infected smartphones, warn researchers. New Godfather malware "marks a significant leap in mobile threat capabilities."

Modular Mirai Malware Code Strikes AgainNo fewer than two separate Mirai botnets are on the hunt for unpatched servers hosting open source SIEM solution Wazuh, an unusual variation of hackers' typical focus on Internet of Things devices for stringing together infected computers. Akamai dates the first campaign to March, the other to May.

DanaBot Used to Steal and to SpyA top figure in the Russian cybercrime gang behind DanaBot infected his own computer with the malware, allowing an FBI agent to search an image of his system, U.S. federal prosecutors disclosed Thursday in indictments and an announced disruption of the malware's infrastructure.

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.

Also: Hackers Use npm Packages, MassJacker Malware and Fake $TrumpThis week, Garantex admin arrested, hackers used npm packages to steal crypto data and deployed MassJacker malware to steal coins, infected victims with $Trump lures. Also, U.S. authorities seized hacked Ripple funds and a California warning about scams.

Experts Express Surprise Over Major Social Platform Falling Victim to DDoS AttacksOne of the world's biggest social networks continued to face intermittent outages Tuesday, apparently due to unsophisticated, distributed denial-of-service attacks. Experts said the attacks were traced to malware-infected devices - many based in the U.S. - and pro-Palestinian hacktivists.

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.

Information-Stealing Malware Continues to Feed Markets for Stolen CredentialsDefense sector and military agency employees, and artificial intelligence service users, all show signs of having been infected by information-stealing malware, as the market for buying and selling stolen credentials continues to thrive, experts warn.

Murdoc Botnet Uses Over 100 Distinct C2 Servers to Manage Infected DevicesA new variant of the Mirai malware is exploiting vulnerabilities in cameras and routers to infiltrate devices, download payloads and integrate them into an expanding botnet. Qualys tracked over 1,300 active internet protocol addresses linked to the Murdoc Botnet since its emergence in July 2024.

Malware Used a Hardcoded IP Address for Command and ControlU.S. federal law enforcement said Tuesday it deleted more than 4,000 instances of PlugX malware used in a Chinese cyberespionage operation after a European partner gained control of the malware's command and control server. PlugX spreads through infected USB drives.

Around 30,000 German IoT Infected from Backdroored Android ApplicationsThe German federal information security agency disrupted a botnet that infected thousands of backdoored digital picture frames and media players made with knock-off Android operating systems shipped from China. The agency identified at least 30,000 infected devices.

Attackers Can Now Download, Alter and Delete Files - Plus Click, Scroll and SwipeThreat actors are sending SMS texts to trick banking customers into downloading new and improved Vultur banking malware that interacts with infected devices and alters files. Vultur typically misuses legitimate applications, enabling remote access to the VNC server on targeted devices.

2 Men Arrested in Malta, Nigeria for Hawking Malware on Hacking Forums Since 2012Federal authorities have seized internet domains and arrested two men in Malta and Nigeria who they say served as sales and customer service reps for a dark web business that sold RAT malware to cybercriminals over a 12-year period, leading to the "takeover and infection of computers worldwide."

2 Men Arrested in Malta, Nigeria for Hawking Malware on Hacking Forums Since 2012Federal authorities have seized internet domains and arrested two men in Malta and Nigeria who they say served as sales and customer service reps for a dark web business that sold RAT malware to cybercriminals over a 12-year period, leading to the "takeover and infection of computers worldwide."