Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Also, SmarterMail Flaw, Nike Breach Probe, Empire Market Co-Creator Pleads GuiltyThis week, researchers exposed an Android RAT abusing Hugging Face. Attackers exploited a SmarterMail flaw. Automakers raised cyber spending. CISA flagged a VMware bug. Microsoft patched Office. An Empire Market co-creator pleaded guilty. Nike probed a breach.

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.

Also, Cyberattack Disrupts Asahi’s Japan Operations, Halts ProductionThis week, FTC sued Sendit, another Harrods breach, Allianz data breach and a cyberattack disrupted Asahi's Japan operations. WestJet disclosed data theft. Hackers targeted Kido Nursery chain, a VMware privilege escalation flaw was exploited as zero-day, DarkCloud infostealer resurfaced.

Hacking Tactics Linked to Retail, Airline CompromisesThe loosely connected band of adolescent cybercriminals tracked as Scattered Spider has joined the VMware hypervisor hacking bandwagon, pivoting into virtual servers through corporate instances of Active Directory. vSphere integration with Active Directory adds a yet another layer of insecurity.

Retailer Continues to Recover From Ransomware IncidentBritish retailer Marks & Spencer was reportedly targeted by financial crime group Scattered Spider, who deployed ransomware on the company's VMware ESXi server. The retailer continues to recover from a cyber incident that disrupted operations in its online and offline stores.

Vulnerabilities Can Apparently Be Chained Together to Execute a Hypervisor EscapeBroadcom's VMware cloud infrastructure software division has issued updates to patch three actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in all supported versions of its ESXi hypervisor operating system, which can be used to escape from the hypervisor, in what's also known as a virtual machine escape.

UNC3886 Targeted Edge Devices for Persistence, Mandiant SaysA suspected Chinese hacking group used open-source rootkits to ensure persistence on compromised edge devices such as VMware ESXi servers for espionage campaigns, Google Mandiant said. The hacking group, which Mandiant tracks as UNC3886, is likely a Chinese threat group hacking for Beijing.

Citrix NetScaler ADC and Gateway Bugs Exploited in the WildIT infrastructure mainstays including Netscaler, Atlassain and VMWare on Tuesday released fixes for vulnerabilities including some allowing malicious takeover of appliances. NetScaler warned customers Tuesday of two zero day vulnerabilities that researchers say are being exploited in the wild.

North Korean Hackers Deploy Novel Malware FamiliesNorth Korean hacking group Lazarus Group is exploiting Log4Shell to target manufacturing, agriculture and physical security sectors, resulting in the deployment of a tailored implant on compromised systems. The attack campaign targeted publicly accessible VMware Horizon servers.

Big Overlap With Symantec Makes Carbon Black Redundant, Though Buyers May Be SparseIt looks as if Carbon Black's days as part of Broadcom are numbered. Broadcom CEO Hock Tan told staff at newly acquired VMware in both an email and town hall meeting that he plans to "review strategic alternatives." The move comes just four years after VMware purchased Carbon Black for $2.1 billion.