The WAV file is a valid audio file. It passes MIME-type checks. But the audio frame data contains a base64-encoded payload. Decode the frames, take the first 8 bytes as the XOR key, XOR the rest, and you have your executable or Python script.
Rhyne's attack involved unauthorized remote desktop sessions, deletion of network administrator accounts, and changing of passwords, showcasing significant security vulnerabilities.
Qilin was the most active ransomware group in 2025 with 1,022 attacks, accounting for 13 percent of the total. The group operates via a franchise-like Ransomware-as-a-Service model: affiliates arrange initial access, while the core operators manage negotiations and publications of the leaked data.
Given the scale and disruption of 2025, this pattern could be an early signal that 2026 may follow a similar path. Organisations should not mistake the month-on-month drop for a decline in risk. As for Qilin, its attacks show no signs of stopping - within the past few days it has claimed a breach of the Local 100 Chapter of the Transport Workers Union of America, affecting 41,000 current and 26,000 former employees.
A 47-year-old man arrested by police in Poland for allegedly being involved in cybercriminal activities has been linked to the Phobos ransomware operation. According to Poland's Central Cybercrime Bureau, officers found hacking tools, credentials, payment card numbers, and server IP addresses on the unnamed suspect's devices during a search. They also discovered that the suspect had exchanged messages with the Phobos ransomware group.
Cybersecurity researchers disclosed they have detected a case of an information stealer infection successfully exfiltrating a victim's OpenClaw (formerly Clawdbot and Moltbot) configuration environment. "This finding marks a significant milestone in the evolution of infostealer behavior: the transition from stealing browser credentials to harvesting the 'souls' and identities of personal AI [artificial intelligence] agents," Hudson Rock said. Alon Gal, CTO of Hudson Rock, told The Hacker News that the stealer was likely a variant of Vidar based on the infection details.
When Microsoft patched a vulnerability last summer that allowed threat actors to use Windows' shortcut (.lnk) files in exploits, defenders might have hoped use of this tactic would decline. They were wrong. According to researchers at Forcepoint, a new high-volume phishing campaign spreading the Global Group ransomware has been detected that hopes to sucker employees into clicking on an attachment in an email with the subject line 'Your document.'