Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Researchers Trace Linux and Windows Toolsets to Suspected PRC Espionage ActivityNewly discovered malware tied to China-linked actors breached telecom providers across Asia and the Middle East, highlighting growing efforts to gain persistent access into interconnected communications infrastructure.

Also, YellowKey Gets CVE, 7-Eleven Breach, Linux Maintainers Warn on AI Bug SpamThis week, more incidents than we can list here. Among them: cloned Shai-Hulud malware, a new maximum CVSS Cisco flaw. Edge to stop loading passwords in plaintext. Tycoon 2FA offers a way around Microsoft multifactor. Convenience, taquitos and data breach: The 7-Eleven story. A MENA crackdown.

Researchers Link MSHTA Windows Utility to Lumma Stealer, ClickFix CampaignsCybercriminals continue abusing Microsoft’s legacy MSHTA utility to deliver malware, with researchers saying that the default-enabled Windows component remains a favored living-off-the-land tool for PowerShell attacks, info stealers and multi-stage malware loaders.

Also, HexDex Arrest, Black Axe Crackdown, LeRobot RCE FlawThis week, election threats resurfaced. A prolific hacker arrested. Black Axe network disrupted. China-linked disinformation targets Tibet. Exploited ScreenConnect and Windows flaws raise alarms. Minecraft gamers hit with stealer malware. A critical AI framework bug enables remote code execution.

Video of Industry Figures Harvested During Meetings and Used to Lure Future VictimsNorth Korean hackers are pretending to be cryptocurrency insiders, in an attempt to trick targets into accepting Calendly calendar invites. The social engineering ruse is designed to infect Windows and macOS systems with crypto stealers, and to harvest video of real-life people for future lures.

Also: Trojanized RedAlert App, Tycoon 2FA Takedown, CyberStrikeAI AttacksThis week, Cisco patches and hacks. Trojanized app targeted Israelis. Bye-bye, Tycoon 2FA. Also bye-bye LeakBase. A LexisNexis breach. Woman sentenced for trafficking Microsoft licenses. Silver Dragon targeted governments. Broadcom patch. A Mississippi medical clinic resumed operations.

Attackers Hid Malware in Vector ImageHackers behind a phishing campaign appear to have used artificial intelligence-generated code to hide malware behind a wall of overly complex and useless code, said Microsoft. "Not something a human would typically write from scratch due to its complexity, verbosity and lack of practical utility."

MuddyWater Also Embraces Bulletproof Hosts and Custom MalwareThe Iranian nation-state cyberespionage group MuddyWater is going back to the future with attacks featuring Microsoft Office documents with malicious macros. It is also shifting to homegrown malware in place of commercial remote monitoring and management tools, said researchers.

GhostRedirector Compromising Windows Servers in Brazil, Thailand and VietnamA suspected Chinese cybercrime group is deploying custom malware to compromise Windows servers in Brazil, Thailand, Portugal and Vietnam as part of search engine optimization fraud to promote gambling websites.

Russian Intelligence Tied to SSL Stripping Attacks Designed for EavesdroppingRussian intelligence since 2024 has been using their country's internet service providers to run adversary-in-the-middle attacks designed to infect diplomats inside the country's borders with intelligence-gathering malware, Microsoft warns.

Brazil-Targeting Malware Exploits Windows UIA to Evade DetectionA banking Trojan long confined to Brazil has become the first known malware to exploit Microsoft's UI Automation framework to extract credentials, signaling a new tactic that may evade conventional detection. Akamai's findings point to a growing trend of attackers using legitimate system features.

User Panels and Command and Control Domains SeizedLaw enforcement and Microsoft struck a blow against malware used to steal login credentials and financial data, seizing the central command structure and thousands of online domains used to control the Lumma Stealer. Lumma first appeared on Russian-language speaking cybercriminal forums in 2022.

Microsoft Researchers Link Turkish Spy Group to Output Messenger Zero-Day HackA Turkish-linked cyberespionage group known as Marbled Dust exploited a zero-day in the Output Messenger Server Manager application to spy on Kurdish military operations in Iraq. Microsoft reported the hack and called for immediate mitigation to block credential theft and malware delivery.

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.

Domain Controllers Commandeered to Distribute Malware, Warns MicrosoftRansomware hackers are hitting up Active Directory domain controllers to boost privileges within compromised networks, warns Microsoft. Nearly eight out of every 10 human-operated cyberattacks involves a breached domain controller. Securing the servers is a challenge.

Cybersecurity Firm Finds Rash of Apps Coded With Microsoft .NET MAUICybercriminals are using a Microsoft cross-platform app development framework to create Android malware that bypasses security measures, evades detection and steals user data. Malicious apps spotted by McAfee researchers aren't traditional Android malware.

Also: France Temporarily Lifts Pavel Durov's Travel Ban Amid Telegram ProbeThis week, Paragon Solutions spread through WhatsApp, France suspended Pavel Durov's travel ban, Vapor malware hit 60M Android users, state-backed hackers exploit a Windows flaw, Western Alliance Bank exposed customers data, Apple fixed a passwords bug, and a sperm bank exposed customer information.

Mustang Panda Uses MAVInject to Evade Antivirus DetectionA Chinese state-sponsored hacking group is abusing a legitimate Microsoft tool to evade security and install backdoors on government systems in the Asia-Pacific region. The threat actor uses MAVInject.exe to inject malware into waitfor.exe.

Microsoft Uncovered Flaw That Affects macOS System Integrity Protection FeatureApple patched a vulnerability that allows hackers to bypass a key security feature in macOS by through third-party kernel extensions. Microsoft researchers uncovered the flaw tracked as CVE-2024-44243. The flaw could enable hackers to install rootkits and create malware with privileged access.

Azure Data Factory's Apache Airflow Integration Flaw Can Expose Cloud EnvironmentsSecurity researchers say now-resolved vulnerabilities in a Microsoft Azure integration with the Apache Airflow workflow management platform showcase growing sophistication of attackers. Palo Alto Unit 42 researchers said the flaws could allow hackers to deploy malware and steal data.