#threat-actor-operations
#threat-actor-operations

EU data protection

Europe's cyber agency blames hacking gangs for massive data breach and leak | TechCrunch

Information security

China-Linked TA416 Targets European Governments with PlugX and OAuth-Based Phishing

19 hours ago

Information security

After fighting malware for decades, this cybersecurity veteran is now hacking drones | TechCrunch

Iran-Linked Hackers Breach FBI Director Kash Patel's Email, Leak Messages Online

An Iran-linked hacking group breached FBI Director Kash Patel's personal email, releasing non-sensitive information as a retaliatory cyber attack.

3 Reasons Attackers Are Using Your Trusted Tools Against You (And Why You Don't See It Coming)

Cyber attackers increasingly exploit legitimate tools within environments, making detection difficult and expanding the attack surface organizations must manage.

fromSilicon Canals

5 hours ago

The man who discovered the ILOVEYOU virus is now fighting Russian drones using the same playbook - Silicon Canals

Mikko Hyppönen has transitioned from cybersecurity to anti-drone defense, focusing on systems for law enforcement and military clients.

EU data protection

Europe's cyber agency blames hacking gangs for massive data breach and leak | TechCrunch

A cybercriminal group known as TeamPCP hacked the EU's executive body, stealing 92 gigabytes of data, including personal information.

China-Linked TA416 Targets European Governments with PlugX and OAuth-Based Phishing

TA416 has intensified cyberattacks on European government and diplomatic organizations since mid-2025, utilizing advanced malware delivery techniques.

19 hours ago

After fighting malware for decades, this cybersecurity veteran is now hacking drones | TechCrunch

Mikko Hyppönen emphasizes the invisible nature of cybersecurity work, comparing it to Tetris where successes vanish and failures accumulate.

Iran-Linked Hackers Breach FBI Director Kash Patel's Email, Leak Messages Online

An Iran-linked hacking group breached FBI Director Kash Patel's personal email, releasing non-sensitive information as a retaliatory cyber attack.

3 Reasons Attackers Are Using Your Trusted Tools Against You (And Why You Don't See It Coming)

Cyber attackers increasingly exploit legitimate tools within environments, making detection difficult and expanding the attack surface organizations must manage.

more#cybersecurity

World news

fromThe Washington Post

23 hours ago

Chinese firms market Iran war intelligence 'exposing' U.S. forces

Chinese firms are leveraging AI and open-source data to track U.S. military movements, posing potential security risks amid the Iran conflict.

Suspected Chinese breach of FBI system exposed surveillance targets' phone numbers

A breach linked to China exposed phone numbers of FBI surveillance targets, raising concerns about counterintelligence risks.

Cryptocurrency

fromnews.bitcoin.com

21 hours ago

Human Error, Not Hacking, Cited as Top Cause for Crypto Access Loss

Human error is the leading cause of cryptocurrency access loss, affecting 35% of holders, primarily due to forgotten passwords and lost seed phrases.

Understanding the risks of OpenClaw

OpenClaw is an orchestration layer that requires external services to function effectively, rather than being a standalone cloud platform.

fromArs Technica

OpenClaw gives users yet another reason to be freaked out about security

OpenClaw's vulnerabilities pose severe security risks, allowing attackers to gain administrative access with minimal permissions.

DevOps

Understanding the risks of OpenClaw

OpenClaw is an orchestration layer that requires external services to function effectively, rather than being a standalone cloud platform.

fromArs Technica

OpenClaw gives users yet another reason to be freaked out about security

OpenClaw's vulnerabilities pose severe security risks, allowing attackers to gain administrative access with minimal permissions.

ICE says it bought Paragon's spyware to use in drug trafficking cases | TechCrunch

ICE has utilized spyware from Paragon Solutions to combat drug trafficking and foreign terrorist organizations' use of encrypted communications.

US politics

fromSilicon Canals

ICE confirms it deployed Paragon spyware inside the United States for drug trafficking cases - Silicon Canals

ICE is using commercial spyware domestically, raising constitutional concerns about warrantless surveillance and lack of oversight.

US politics

ICE says it bought Paragon's spyware to use in drug trafficking cases | TechCrunch

ICE has utilized spyware from Paragon Solutions to combat drug trafficking and foreign terrorist organizations' use of encrypted communications.

US politics

fromSilicon Canals

ICE confirms it deployed Paragon spyware inside the United States for drug trafficking cases - Silicon Canals

ICE is using commercial spyware domestically, raising constitutional concerns about warrantless surveillance and lack of oversight.

8 in 10 AI Chatbots Likely to Help Plan Attacks, Hate Crimes

Most AI chatbots fail to discourage violent actions and often provide assistance for planning attacks.

Old-school spycraft could make a comeback as AI undermines trust

AI may enhance intelligence gathering but also revive traditional espionage methods due to reliability issues with digital communications.

#axios

Node JS

North Korean hackers implicated in major supply chain attack

fromBleepingComputer

10 hours ago

Axios npm hack used fake Teams error fix to hijack maintainer account

A social engineering attack linked to North Korean hackers compromised Axios maintainers, leading to a supply chain attack with malicious npm package versions.

Information security

North Korea behind social engineering attack on Axios project

Node JS

North Korean hackers implicated in major supply chain attack

A compromised maintainer account for the Axios npm package led to the publication of malicious software versions targeting various operating systems.

fromBleepingComputer

10 hours ago

Axios npm hack used fake Teams error fix to hijack maintainer account

A social engineering attack linked to North Korean hackers compromised Axios maintainers, leading to a supply chain attack with malicious npm package versions.

North Korea behind social engineering attack on Axios project

Attackers compromised the Axios maintainer's account through social engineering, publishing malicious versions that installed a Remote Access Trojan on victims' systems.

Data science

IT lesson from the Iran war: AI makes your data problems so much worse

AI can exacerbate existing data issues in enterprises, as demonstrated by the US military's bombing due to outdated intelligence.

The Next Cybersecurity Crisis Isn't Breaches-It's Data You Can't Trust

Data integrity now encompasses data trust, emphasizing the importance of reliable data in AI-driven decision-making.

Data science

fromComputerworld

IT lesson from the Iran war: AI makes your data problems so much worse

AI can exacerbate existing data issues in enterprises, as demonstrated by the US military's bombing due to outdated intelligence.

The Next Cybersecurity Crisis Isn't Breaches-It's Data You Can't Trust

Data integrity now encompasses data trust, emphasizing the importance of reliable data in AI-driven decision-making.

We Are At War

Rising geopolitical tensions are increasingly intertwined with cyber operations and the politicization of technology.

DevOps

fromComputerWeekly.com

How 'Wikipedia of cyber' helps SAP make sense of threat data | Computer Weekly

SAP faces significant challenges in securing enterprise data amidst a complex threat landscape and evolving compliance requirements.

Hasbro says it was hacked, and may take 'several weeks' to recover | TechCrunch

Hasbro detected an intrusion on March 28, prompting the company to take down some of its systems. Parts of Hasbro's website appeared down, with error messages indicating maintenance.

Privacy professionals

fromHarvard Business Review

AI Agents Act a Lot Like Malware. Here's How to Contain the Risks.

An AI agent named MJ Rathbun published a blogpost attacking engineer Scott Shambaugh.

Cyber warfare starts to get personal in war between U.S., Israel and Iran

Iran-linked hackers are using data leaks and intimidation tactics against individuals to influence public perception during the current conflict.

Mobile Attack Surface Expands as Enterprises Lose Control

Mobile device security is inadequate, with many organizations using critically outdated operating systems and exposing sensitive data to potential attacks.

DevOps

Documentation can contain malicious instructions for agents

Context Hub may enhance API usage but poses risks of software supply chain attacks through unverified documentation.

The agent security mess

Most granted permissions are unused by humans, but AI agents will exploit them, leading to significant security risks.

Fortinet Patches Actively Exploited CVE-2026-35616 in FortiClient EMS

Fortinet released patches for a critical vulnerability in FortiClient EMS, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute unauthorized commands.

Exploitation of Critical Fortinet FortiClient EMS Flaw Begins

Threat actors exploit a critical SQL injection vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClient EMS, allowing remote code execution without authentication.

3 hours ago

Fortinet Patches Actively Exploited CVE-2026-35616 in FortiClient EMS

Fortinet released patches for a critical vulnerability in FortiClient EMS, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute unauthorized commands.

Exploitation of Critical Fortinet FortiClient EMS Flaw Begins

Threat actors exploit a critical SQL injection vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClient EMS, allowing remote code execution without authentication.

Researchers Uncover Mining Operation Using ISO Lures to Spread RATs and Crypto Miners

Operation REF1695 uses fake installers to deploy RATs and cryptocurrency miners, monetizing infections through CPA fraud since November 2023.

Information security

Sophisticated CrystalX RAT Emerges

Information security

New SparkCat Variant in iOS, Android Apps Steals Crypto Wallet Recovery Phrase Images

Information security

Fake Claude Code source downloads actually delivered malware

Microsoft: Hackers Are Using WhatsApp to Deliver Malware to Windows PCs

WhatsApp messages are being exploited to deliver malware to Windows users, creating significant security risks.

Information security

New DeepLoad Malware Dropped in ClickFix Attacks

Researchers Uncover Mining Operation Using ISO Lures to Spread RATs and Crypto Miners

Operation REF1695 uses fake installers to deploy RATs and cryptocurrency miners, monetizing infections through CPA fraud since November 2023.

Sophisticated CrystalX RAT Emerges

CrystalX RAT is a new malware-as-a-service combining spyware, stealer, and remote access capabilities, promoted on Telegram and YouTube.

New SparkCat Variant in iOS, Android Apps Steals Crypto Wallet Recovery Phrase Images

A new version of SparkCat malware targets cryptocurrency users on mobile platforms, concealing itself in benign apps and evolving its technical capabilities.

Fake Claude Code source downloads actually delivered malware

Leaked Claude Code source code led to malware downloads, including credential-stealing Vidar and proxy tool GhostSocks, via a malicious GitHub repository.

Microsoft: Hackers Are Using WhatsApp to Deliver Malware to Windows PCs

WhatsApp messages are being exploited to deliver malware to Windows users, creating significant security risks.

New DeepLoad Malware Dropped in ClickFix Attacks

DeepLoad malware steals credentials and intercepts browser interactions, utilizing ClickFix for distribution and evading detection through sophisticated techniques.

React2Shell Exploited in Large-Scale Credential Harvesting Campaign

Threat actor exploits Next.js vulnerabilities to exfiltrate credentials and compromise systems at scale, affecting over 766 systems and collecting more than 10,000 files.

Axios supply chain attack victim posts postmortem to prevent a repeat

Axios was compromised for three hours, distributing Remote Access Trojans due to a sophisticated social engineering attack by North Korean group UNC1069.

fromComputerworld

A core infrastructure engineer pleads guilty to federal charges in insider attack

Rhyne's attack involved unauthorized remote desktop sessions, deletion of network administrator accounts, and changing of passwords, showcasing significant security vulnerabilities.

Information security

fromFuturism

AI Tools Are Supercharging Hackers

AI systems are increasingly weaponized for cybercrime, enabling hackers to exploit vulnerabilities at scale with minimal technical expertise, as demonstrated by recent attacks on Mexican government networks and global firewall systems.

Drift Loses $285 Million in Durable Nonce Social Engineering Attack Linked to DPRK

Drift decentralized exchange lost $285 million due to a sophisticated attack involving unauthorized access and social engineering.

AI Startup Mercor, Which Works With Open AI and Anthropic, Confirms Data Breach

Mercor, an AI startup, experienced a data breach involving 4 terabytes of stolen data linked to a supply chain attack by hacking groups.

The company's biggest security hole lived in the breakroom

An internet-connected coffee machine caused a major data breach by exploiting security vulnerabilities in a corporate network.

fromDataBreaches.Net

Information security

Threat actors insisted that Resecurity's honeypot was real data. We found no evidence that it was. - DataBreaches.Net

AI Startup Mercor, Which Works With Open AI and Anthropic, Confirms Data Breach

Mercor, an AI startup, experienced a data breach involving 4 terabytes of stolen data linked to a supply chain attack by hacking groups.

The company's biggest security hole lived in the breakroom

An internet-connected coffee machine caused a major data breach by exploiting security vulnerabilities in a corporate network.

fromDataBreaches.Net

Information security

Threat actors insisted that Resecurity's honeypot was real data. We found no evidence that it was. - DataBreaches.Net

I knew about North Korean hackers-they still tricked me and got into my computer | Fortune

North Korean hackers are increasingly targeting individuals in the crypto industry, employing sophisticated deception tactics.

North Korea-linked hackers suspected in Axios open-source hijack, Google analysts say

North Korea-aligned hackers compromised the Axios JavaScript library, risking many developers' systems through a sophisticated supply chain attack.

fromDevOps.com

North Korean Hackers Suspected in Supply Chain Attack on Popular Axios Project - DevOps.com

North Korean hackers hijacked the npm account of an axios maintainer, publishing malicious versions that installed a remote access trojan.

fromFortune

I knew about North Korean hackers-they still tricked me and got into my computer | Fortune

North Korean hackers are increasingly targeting individuals in the crypto industry, employing sophisticated deception tactics.

North Korea-linked hackers suspected in Axios open-source hijack, Google analysts say

North Korea-aligned hackers compromised the Axios JavaScript library, risking many developers' systems through a sophisticated supply chain attack.

fromDevOps.com

North Korean Hackers Suspected in Supply Chain Attack on Popular Axios Project - DevOps.com

North Korean hackers hijacked the npm account of an axios maintainer, publishing malicious versions that installed a remote access trojan.

more#north-korea

The New Battleground of Cybersecurity

I've always had what I would consider a hacker mindset, a curiosity to take things apart, understand them, and use that knowledge to solve problems. That mindset took me on a circuitous route into the cybersecurity industry; after being kicked out of high school for hacking computer systems, I worked a range of jobs, managing office supply companies by day and cracking Wi-Fi networks by night until I started a Digital Forensics degree which led me to the world of security research.

Science

Claude Code is still vulnerable to an attack Anthropic has already fixed

The leak of Claude Code's source has exposed a vulnerability that compromises its security.

CERT-EU blames Trivy supply chain attack for Europa.eu data breach

TeamPCP exploited Trivy to access sensitive cloud credentials and data, creating significant vulnerabilities for organizations.

Stolen Logins Are Fueling Everything From Ransomware to Nation-State Cyberattacks

Stolen credentials significantly enhance ransomware attacks, enabling illegitimate access and operational disruption within networks.

#phishing

Information security

CERT-UA Impersonation Campaign Spread AGEWHEEZE Malware to 1 Million Emails

Information security

Casbaneiro Phishing Targets Latin America and Europe Using Dynamic PDF Lures

Major phishing campaign on GitHub using fake security alerts

A large-scale phishing campaign targets developers on GitHub, exploiting Discussions to spread fake security alerts about Visual Studio Code and distribute malware.

Information security

Tax Season Means Phishing Season: How Individuals and Businesses Can Protect Themselves

Information security

Hackers Use Fake Resumes to Steal Enterprise Credentials and Deploy Crypto Miner

CERT-UA Impersonation Campaign Spread AGEWHEEZE Malware to 1 Million Emails

A phishing campaign impersonating CERT-UA distributed malware called AGEWHEEZE targeting various organizations in Ukraine.

Casbaneiro Phishing Targets Latin America and Europe Using Dynamic PDF Lures

A phishing campaign targets Spanish-speaking users in Latin America and Europe, delivering banking trojans via malware called Horabot.

Major phishing campaign on GitHub using fake security alerts

A large-scale phishing campaign targets developers on GitHub, exploiting Discussions to spread fake security alerts about Visual Studio Code and distribute malware.

Tax Season Means Phishing Season: How Individuals and Businesses Can Protect Themselves

Phishing attacks during tax season have become more sophisticated, leveraging generative AI to impersonate trusted entities like the IRS.

Hackers Use Fake Resumes to Steal Enterprise Credentials and Deploy Crypto Miner

A phishing campaign targets French-speaking corporations with fake resumes, deploying malware for credential theft and cryptocurrency mining.

more#phishing

Mercor Hit by LiteLLM Supply Chain Attack

We believe that the compromise originated from the Trivy dependency used in our CI/CD security scanning workflow. Our security team moved promptly to contain and remediate the incident.

Information security

Hackers Exploit CVE-2025-55182 to Breach 766 Next.js Hosts, Steal Credentials

A large-scale credential harvesting operation exploits the React2Shell vulnerability to steal sensitive data from compromised hosts across multiple regions.

Venom Stealer Raises Stakes With Continuous Credential Harvesting

Stolen credentials via infostealers like Venom Stealer are central to modern cybercrime.

CrewAI Vulnerabilities Expose Devices to Hacking

Threat actors can exploit four vulnerabilities in CrewAI for remote code execution and other attacks.

The Rising Tide of Executive Protection: Corporations Ramp Up Security in an Era of Heightened Threats

Companies are increasingly investing in executive protection due to rising threats, making it a strategic necessity for business continuity and resilience.

Securing agentic AI is still about getting the basics right

Agentic AI workflows necessitate new security frameworks for identity management, authentication, and governance in organizations.

Exploitation of Fresh Citrix NetScaler Vulnerability Begins

Exploitation of a critical Citrix NetScaler vulnerability began shortly after its public disclosure, with active attempts detected within days.

Everyone's worried that AI's newest models are a hacker's dream weapon

New AI models enable sophisticated cyberattacks, making businesses vulnerable as employees unknowingly assist hackers by using these technologies.

fromZDNET

1 in 2 security leaders say they're not ready for AI attacks - 4 actions to take now

AI-powered cybercrime is a significant and growing threat to businesses, with many feeling unprotected.

6 days ago

Everyone's worried that AI's newest models are a hacker's dream weapon

New AI models enable sophisticated cyberattacks, making businesses vulnerable as employees unknowingly assist hackers by using these technologies.

fromZDNET

1 in 2 security leaders say they're not ready for AI attacks - 4 actions to take now

AI-powered cybercrime is a significant and growing threat to businesses, with many feeling unprotected.

more#ai-cybersecurity

fromEntrepreneur

This AI Security Strategy Is Redefining Cyberattack Recovery

Combining Zero Trust principles with AI enhances resilience, reduces downtime, and maintains strict access controls.

2 weeks ago

Identity has become malleable for cyber attackers

Modern cyberattacks combine psychological manipulation, deepfakes, voice phishing, and stolen data to breach even well-defended organizations without exploiting software vulnerabilities.

2 weeks ago

Security Firm Executive Targeted in Sophisticated Phishing Attack

A C-level executive at Outpost24 was targeted by a sophisticated phishing attack using the Kratos phishing-as-a-service kit that exploited legitimate services like Cisco and Nylas to bypass security defenses.

2 weeks ago

Threat Actor Targeting VPN Users in New Credential Theft Campaign

Storm-2561 uses SEO poisoning and GitHub hosting to distribute trojans impersonating VPN software, stealing credentials through signed malware that evades detection.

3 weeks ago

Attackers Don't Just Send Phishing Emails. They Weaponize Your SOC's Workload

Attackers deliberately overwhelm SOC analysts with high-volume phishing campaigns to delay investigations and create windows for successful breaches, making analyst capacity a critical vulnerability.

3 weeks ago

Fake job applications pack malware that disables EDR

Russian cybercriminals target HR teams with malicious CVs disguised as job applications to install malware that disables security tools and steals corporate data.

3 weeks ago

Manage attack infrastructure? AI agents can now help

AI agents enable cybercriminals and nation-state hackers to automate reconnaissance, infrastructure management, and attack planning, significantly increasing the speed and scale of cyberattacks.

Threat intelligence supply chain is full of weak links

China's ban on foreign security software threatens the global threat intelligence ecosystem by risking data fragmentation and weakening international cybersecurity collaboration.

Why cyberattacks don't require advanced hacking

Poor cyber hygiene, weak identity security, overdue IT maintenance, and incomplete logging make organizations vulnerable to financially motivated attacks such as ransomware and email fraud.

Vulnerability exploits now dominate intrusions

Exploit of disclosed vulnerabilities now causes most intrusions, with attackers weaponizing new flaws within hours while many organizations patch slowly.

Researchers hack malware gang via its own weak spot

An XSS flaw in StealC’s web panel allowed takeover of operator sessions, revealing millions of stolen cookies, passwords, and YouTube-based malware distribution.

Living off the AI: The Next Evolution of Attacker Tradecraft

AI assistants and MCP-connected agents create new attack surfaces that allow attackers to misuse sanctioned workflows, enabling low-skill actors to exfiltrate data and execute code.