Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

'Opportunistic, Mass Exploitation' Campaign Surging, Say Cybersecurity ResearchersAttackers wielding Akira ransomware appear to be engaged in an "opportunistic, mass exploitation" of SonicWall SSL VPN servers, even when they're using the latest firmware and configured to require multifactor authentication one-time passwords, warn cybersecurity researchers.

Although it hasn't been seen in the wild yet A new ransomware strain dubbed HybridPetya was able to exploit a patched vulnerability to bypass Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) Secure Boot on unrevoked Windows systems, making it the fourth publicly known bootkit capable of punching through the feature and hijacking a PC before the operating system loads.…

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new ransomware strain dubbed HybridPetya that resembles the notorious Petya/NotPetya malware, while also incorporating the ability to bypass the Secure Boot mechanism in Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) systems using a now-patched vulnerability disclosed earlier this year

Akira Ransomware Exploited MFA-Protected SonicWall SSL VPNs, Say ResearchersSonicWall said it is probing a surge in attacks against its Gen 7 firewalls, running various firmware versions, which have SSL VPN enabled. Researchers said attackers may have been exploiting a zero-day vulnerability and that multiple victims have been infected with Akira ransomware.

Absolute Security's Herrema on Why Ransomware Is a Broader Business Problem TodayRansomware attacks have evolved from simple IT disruptions to systematic, ongoing data exfiltration attacks. John Herrema, chief product officer at Absolute Security, discusses why a 15% endpoint security gap creates critical exposure and why firmware-based persistence is key to closing it.

The threat actors behind the ransomware attack on Taiwanese PC maker MSI last month have leaked the company's private code signing keys on their dark website

Orqa, a maker of First Person View (FPV) drone racing goggles, claims that a contractor introduced code into its devices' firmware that acted as a time bomb designed to brick them. [...]

Three different security flaws have been disclosed in American Megatrends (AMI) MegaRAC Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) software that could lead to remote code execution on vulnerable servers

Don't leave those firmware patches to last The notorious Conti ransomware gang has working proof-of-concept code to exploit low-level Intel firmware vulnerabilities, according to Eclypsium researchers.…

Researchers analyzing the leaked chats of the notorious Conti ransomware operation have discovered that teams inside the Russian cybercrime group were actively developing firmware hacks. [...]

An analysis of leaked chats from the notorious Conti ransomware group earlier this year has revealed that the syndicate has been working on a set of firmware attack techniques that could offer a path to accessing privileged code on compromised devices