2025
September 22, 2025

CISA Shares Lessons Learned from an Incident Response Engagement

Advisory at a Glance Executive Summary CISA began incident response efforts at a U.S. federal civilian executive branch (FCEB) agency following the detection of potential malicious activity identified through security alerts generated by the agency’s endpoint detection and response (EDR) tool. CISA identified three lessons learned from the engagement that illuminate how to effectively mitigate...
August 25, 2025

Countering Chinese State-Sponsored Actors Compromise of Networks Worldwide to Feed Global Espionage System

Executive summary People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored cyber threat actors are targeting networks globally, including, but not limited to, telecommunications, government, transportation, lodging, and military infrastructure networks. While these actors focus on large backbone routers of major telecommunications providers, as well as provider edge (PE) and customer edge (CE) routers, they also leverage compromised...
July 29, 2025

CISA and USCG Identify Areas for Cyber Hygiene Improvement After Conducting Proactive Threat Hunt at US Critical Infrastructure Organization

Summary The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are issuing this Cybersecurity Advisory to present findings from a recent CISA and USCG hunt engagement. The purpose of this advisory is to highlight identified cybersecurity issues, thereby informing security defenders in other organizations of potential similar issues and encouraging them to...
July 21, 2025

#StopRansomware: Interlock

Summary Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov to...
June 12, 2025

Ransomware Actors Exploit Unpatched SimpleHelp Remote Monitoring and Management to Compromise Utility Billing Software Provider

Summary The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is releasing this advisory in response to ransomware actors leveraging unpatched instances of a vulnerability in SimpleHelp Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) to compromise customers of a utility billing software provider. This incident reflects a broader pattern of ransomware actors targeting organizations through unpatched versions of SimpleHelp...
May 20, 2025

Threat Actors Deploy LummaC2 Malware to Exfiltrate Sensitive Data from Organizations

Summary The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are releasing this joint advisory to disseminate known tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with threat actors deploying the LummaC2 information stealer (infostealer) malware. LummaC2 malware is able to infiltrate victim computer networks and exfiltrate...
May 12, 2025

Russian GRU Targeting Western Logistics Entities and Technology Companies

Executive Summary This joint cybersecurity advisory (CSA) highlights a Russian state-sponsored cyber campaign targeting Western logistics entities and technology companies. This includes those involved in the coordination, transport, and delivery of foreign assistance to Ukraine. Since 2022, Western logistics entities and IT companies have faced an elevated risk of targeting by the Russian General Staff...
April 1, 2025

Fast Flux: A National Security Threat

Executive summary Many networks have a gap in their defenses for detecting and blocking a malicious technique known as “fast flux.” This technique poses a significant threat to national security, enabling malicious cyber actors to consistently evade detection. Malicious cyber actors, including cybercriminals and nation-state actors, use fast flux to obfuscate the locations of malicious...
March 11, 2025

#StopRansomware: Medusa Ransomware

Summary Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders detailing various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov to see...
February 19, 2025

#StopRansomware: Ghost (Cring) Ransomware

Summary Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov to see...
January 15, 2025

Threat Actors Chained Vulnerabilities in Ivanti Cloud Service Applications

Note: The CVEs in this advisory are unrelated to vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-0282 and CVE-2025-0283) in Ivanti’s Connect Secure, Policy Secure and ZTA Gateways. For more information on mitigating CVE -2025-0282 and CVE-2025-0283, see Ivanti Releases Security Updates for Connect Secure, Policy Secure, and ZTA Gateways. Summary The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal Bureau of...
2024
November 8, 2024

2023 Top Routinely Exploited Vulnerabilities

Summary The following cybersecurity agencies coauthored this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (hereafter collectively referred to as the authoring agencies): United States: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and National Security Agency (NSA) Australia: Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Canada: Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) New...
October 8, 2024

Microsoft Releases October 2024 Security Updates

Microsoft released security updates to address vulnerabilities in multiple products. A cyber threat actor could exploit some of these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system. CISA encourages users and administrators to review the following and apply necessary updates: Microsoft Security Update Guide for October Source: US-CERT Alerts
September 30, 2024

Iranian Cyber Actors’ Brute Force and Credential Access Activity Compromises Critical Infrastructure Organizations

Summary The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE), the Australian Federal Police (AFP), and Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory to warn network defenders of Iranian cyber actors’ use...
September 19, 2024

CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog

CISA has added one new vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation. CVE-2024-8963 Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance (CSA) Path Traversal Vulnerability These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise. Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk...
September 4, 2024

Russian Military Cyber Actors Target US and Global Critical Infrastructure

Summary The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and National Security Agency (NSA) assess that cyber actors affiliated with the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) 161st Specialist Training Center (Unit 29155) are responsible for computer network operations against global targets for the purposes of espionage, sabotage, and reputational...
August 29, 2024

#StopRansomware: RansomHub Ransomware

Summary Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov to see...
August 23, 2024

Iran-based Cyber Actors Enabling Ransomware Attacks on US Organizations

Summary The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to warn network defenders that, as of August 2024, a group of Iran-based cyber actors continues to exploit U.S. and foreign organizations. This includes organizations across...
August 12, 2024

CISA Adds Six Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalog

CISA has added six new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation. CVE-2024-38189 Microsoft Project Remote Code Execution Vulnerability CVE-2024-38178 Microsoft Windows Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability CVE-2024-38213 Microsoft Windows SmartScreen Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability CVE-2024-38193 Microsoft Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Privilege Escalation Vulnerability CVE-2024-38106 Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability CVE-2024-38107 Microsoft Windows...
July 24, 2024

North Korea Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs

Summary The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the following authoring partners are releasing this Cybersecurity Advisory to highlight cyber espionage activity associated with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) 3rd Bureau based in Pyongyang and Sinuiju: U.S. Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF) U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency...
July 9, 2024

CISA Red Team’s Operations Against a Federal Civilian Executive Branch Organization Highlights the Necessity of Defense-in-Depth

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In early 2023, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) conducted a SILENTSHIELD red team assessment against a Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) organization. During SILENTSHIELD assessments, the red team first performs a no-notice, long-term simulation of nation-state cyber operations. The team mimics the techniques, tradecraft, and behaviors of sophisticated threat actors and...
July 8, 2024

People’s Republic of China (PRC) Ministry of State Security APT40 Tradecraft in Action

Overview Background This advisory, authored by the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC), the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the United States National Security Agency (NSA), the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United Kingdom National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-UK), the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS),...
May 10, 2024

#StopRansomware: Black Basta

SUMMARY Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov to...
April 17, 2024

#StopRansomware: Akira Ransomware

SUMMARY Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov to...
February 26, 2024

#StopRansomware: Phobos Ransomware

SUMMARY Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov to see...
February 23, 2024

SVR Cyber Actors Adapt Tactics for Initial Cloud Access

How SVR-Attributed Actors are Adapting to the Move of Government and Corporations to Cloud Infrastructure OVERVIEW This advisory details recent tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of the group commonly known as APT29, also known as Midnight Blizzard, the Dukes, or Cozy Bear. The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and international partners assess that APT29...
February 21, 2024

Threat Actors Exploit Multiple Vulnerabilities in Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure Gateways

SUMMARY The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the following partners (hereafter referred to as the authoring organizations) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory to warn that cyber threat actors are exploiting previously identified vulnerabilities in Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure gateways. CISA and authoring organizations appreciate the cooperation of Volexity, Ivanti,...
February 14, 2024

Threat Actor Leverages Compromised Account of Former Employee to Access State Government Organization

SUMMARY The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) conducted an incident response assessment of a state government organization’s network environment after documents containing host and user information, including metadata, were posted on a dark web brokerage site. Analysis confirmed that an unidentified threat actor compromised network...
February 1, 2024

PRC State-Sponsored Actors Compromise and Maintain Persistent Access to U.S. Critical Infrastructure

SUMMARY The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assess that People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored cyber actors are seeking to pre-position themselves on IT networks for disruptive or destructive cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure in the event of a major crisis or conflict with...
January 12, 2024

Known Indicators of Compromise Associated with Androxgh0st Malware

SUMMARY The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to disseminate known indicators of compromise (IOCs) and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) associated with threat actors deploying Androxgh0st malware. Multiple, ongoing investigations and trusted third party reporting yielded the IOCs and TTPs,...
2023
December 19, 2023

#StopRansomware: ALPHV Blackcat

SUMMARY Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov...
December 13, 2023

Enhancing Cyber Resilience: Insights from the CISA Healthcare and Public Health Sector Risk and Vulnerability Assessment

SUMMARY In January 2023, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) conducted a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) at the request of a Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) sector organization to identify vulnerabilities and areas for improvement. An RVA is a two-week penetration test of an entire organization, with one week spent on external testing...
December 12, 2023

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Exploiting JetBrains TeamCity CVE Globally

SUMMARY The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), Polish Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW), CERT Polska (CERT.PL), and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) assess Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) cyber actors—also known as Advanced Persistent Threat 29 (APT 29), the Dukes, CozyBear,...
December 11, 2023

#StopRansomware: Play Ransomware

SUMMARY Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov...
December 6, 2023

Russian FSB Cyber Actor Star Blizzard Continues Worldwide Spear-phishing Campaigns

The Russia-based actor is targeting organizations and individuals in the UK and other geographical areas of interest. OVERVIEW The Russia-based actor Star Blizzard (formerly known as SEABORGIUM, also known as Callisto Group/TA446/COLDRIVER/TAG-53/BlueCharlie) continues to successfully use spear-phishing attacks against targeted organizations and individuals in the UK, and other geographical areas of interest, for information-gathering activity....
December 4, 2023

Threat Actors Exploit Adobe ColdFusion CVE-2023-26360 for Initial Access to Government Servers

SUMMARY The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is releasing a Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) in response to confirmed exploitation of CVE-2023-26360 by unidentified threat actors at a Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agency. This vulnerability presents as an improper access control issue impacting Adobe ColdFusion versions 2018 Update 15 (and earlier) and 2021 Update 5...
December 1, 2023

IRGC-Affiliated Cyber Actors Exploit PLCs in Multiple Sectors, Including U.S. Water and Wastewater Systems Facilities

SUMMARY The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD)—hereafter referred to as “the authoring agencies”—are disseminating this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to highlight continued malicious cyber activity against operational technology devices by Iranian Government Islamic Revolutionary...
November 21, 2023

#StopRansomware: LockBit 3.0 Ransomware Affiliates Exploit CVE 2023-4966 Citrix Bleed Vulnerability

SUMMARY Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov...
November 15, 2023

Scattered Spider

SUMMARY The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) in response to recent activity by Scattered Spider threat actors against the commercial facilities sectors and subsectors. This advisory provides tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) obtained through FBI investigations as recently as November 2023....
November 14, 2023

#StopRansomware: Rhysida Ransomware

SUMMARY Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders detailing various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov to see...
October 13, 2023

Threat Actors Exploit Atlassian Confluence CVE-2023-22515 for Initial Access to Networks

SUMMARY The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) in response to the active exploitation of CVE-2023-22515. This recently disclosed vulnerability affects certain versions of Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server, enabling malicious cyber threat actors...
October 11, 2023

#StopRansomware: AvosLocker Ransomware (Update)

SUMMARY Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov...
October 5, 2023

NSA and CISA Red and Blue Teams Share Top Ten Cybersecurity Misconfigurations

A plea for network defenders and software manufacturers to fix common problems. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The National Security Agency (NSA) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are releasing this joint cybersecurity advisory (CSA) to highlight the most common cybersecurity misconfigurations in large organizations, and detail the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) actors use to exploit...
September 26, 2023

People's Republic of China-Linked Cyber Actors Hide in Router Firmware

Executive Summary The United States National Security Agency (NSA), the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Japan National Police Agency (NPA), and the Japan National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) (hereafter referred to as the “authoring agencies”) are releasing this joint cybersecurity...
September 18, 2023

#StopRansomware: Snatch Ransomware

SUMMARY Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov...
September 6, 2023

Multiple Nation-State Threat Actors Exploit CVE-2022-47966 and CVE-2022-42475

SUMMARY The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF) identified the presence of indicators of compromise (IOCs) at an Aeronautical Sector organization as early as January 2023. Analysts confirmed that nation-state advanced persistent threat (APT) actors exploited CVE-2022-47966 to gain unauthorized access to a public-facing...
August 29, 2023

Identification and Disruption of QakBot Infrastructure

SUMMARY The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to disseminate QakBot infrastructure indicators of compromise (IOCs) identified through FBI investigations as of August 2023. On August 25, FBI and international partners executed a coordinated operation to disrupt QakBot infrastructure worldwide. Disruption operations...
August 2, 2023

2022 Top Routinely Exploited Vulnerabilities

SUMMARY The following cybersecurity agencies coauthored this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA): United States: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Australia: Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Canada: Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) New Zealand: New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ)...
August 1, 2023

Threat Actors Exploiting Ivanti EPMM Vulnerabilities

SUMMARY The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Norwegian National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NO) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) in response to active exploitation of CVE-2023-35078 and CVE-2023-35081. Advanced persistent threat (APT) actors exploited CVE-2023-35078 as a zero day from at least April 2023 through July 2023 to gather information from...
July 26, 2023

Preventing Web Application Access Control Abuse

SUMMARY The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory to warn vendors, designers, and developers of web applications and organizations using web applications about insecure direct object reference (IDOR) vulnerabilities. IDOR vulnerabilities are access control...
July 20, 2023

Threat Actors Exploiting Citrix CVE-2023-3519 to Implant Webshells

SUMMARY The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is releasing this Cybersecurity Advisory to warn network defenders about exploitation of CVE-2023-3519, an unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability affecting NetScaler (formerly Citrix) Application Delivery Controller (ADC) and NetScaler Gateway. In June 2023, threat actors exploited this vulnerability as a zero-day to drop a webshell on...
July 11, 2023

Enhanced Monitoring to Detect APT Activity Targeting Outlook Online

SUMMARY In June 2023, a Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agency identified suspicious activity in their Microsoft 365 (M365) cloud environment. The agency reported the activity to Microsoft and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Microsoft determined that advanced persistent threat (APT) actors accessed and exfiltrated unclassified Exchange Online Outlook data. CISA and...
July 5, 2023

Increased Truebot Activity Infects U.S. and Canada Based Networks

SUMMARY The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) in response to cyber threat actors leveraging newly identified Truebot malware variants against organizations in the United States...
June 12, 2023

Understanding Ransomware Threat Actors: LockBit

SUMMARY In 2022, LockBit was the most deployed ransomware variant across the world and continues to be prolific in 2023. Since January 2020, affiliates using LockBit have attacked organizations of varying sizes across an array of critical infrastructure sectors, including financial services, food and agriculture, education, energy, government and emergency services, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation....
June 6, 2023

#StopRansomware: CL0P Ransomware Gang Exploits CVE-2023-34362 MOVEit Vulnerability

SUMMARY Note: this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov...
May 23, 2023

People's Republic of China State-Sponsored Cyber Actor Living off the Land to Evade Detection

Summary The United States and international cybersecurity authorities are issuing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to highlight a recently discovered cluster of activity of interest associated with a People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored cyber actor, also known as Volt Typhoon. Private sector partners have identified that this activity affects networks across U.S. critical infrastructure...
May 15, 2023

#StopRansomware: BianLian Ransomware Group

Summary Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov...
May 10, 2023

Malicious Actors Exploit CVE-2023-27350 in PaperCut MF and NG

SUMMARY The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) in response to the active exploitation of CVE-2023-27350. This vulnerability occurs in certain versions of PaperCut NG and PaperCut MF and enables an unauthenticated actor to execute malicious code remotely without credentials. PaperCut released...
May 8, 2023

Hunting Russian Intelligence “Snake” Malware

SUMMARY The Snake implant is considered the most sophisticated cyber espionage tool designed and used by Center 16 of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) for long-term intelligence collection on sensitive targets. To conduct operations using this tool, the FSB created a covert peer-to-peer (P2P) network of numerous Snake-infected computers worldwide. Many systems in this P2P...
April 17, 2023

APT28 Exploits Known Vulnerability to Carry Out Reconnaissance and Deploy Malware on Cisco Routers

APT28 accesses poorly maintained Cisco routers and deploys malware on unpatched devices using CVE-2017-6742. Overview and Context The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the US National Security Agency (NSA), US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are releasing this joint advisory to provide details of tactics, techniques...
March 15, 2023

#StopRansomware: LockBit 3.0

SUMMARY Note: this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov to...
March 13, 2023

Threat Actors Exploit Progress Telerik Vulnerability in U.S. Government IIS Server

SUMMARY From November 2022 through early January 2023, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and authoring organizations identified the presence of indicators of compromise (IOCs) at a federal civilian executive branch (FCEB) agency. Analysts determined that multiple cyber threat actors, including an APT actor, were able to exploit a .NET deserialization vulnerability (CVE-2019-18935) in...
February 9, 2023

AA23-040A: #StopRansomware: Ransomware Attacks on Critical Infrastructure Fund DPRK Malicious Cyber Activities

Original release date: February 9, 2023 Summary Note: This Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and various ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories detail historically and recently observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help...
February 8, 2023

AA23-039A: ESXiArgs Ransomware Virtual Machine Recovery Guidance

Original release date: February 8, 2023 Summary The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) in response to the ongoing ransomware campaign, known as “ESXiArgs.” Malicious actors may be exploiting known vulnerabilities in VMware ESXi servers that are likely running unpatched and...
January 25, 2023

AA23-025A: Protecting Against Malicious Use of Remote Monitoring and Management Software

Original release date: January 25, 2023 Summary The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), and Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) (hereafter referred to as the “authoring organizations”) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to warn network defenders about malicious use of legitimate remote monitoring and management (RMM) software....
2022
December 1, 2022

AA22-335A: #StopRansomware: Cuba Ransomware

Original release date: December 1, 2022 Summary Actions to take today to mitigate cyber threats from ransomware: • Prioritize remediating known exploited vulnerabilities. • Train users to recognize and report phishing attempts. • Enable and enforce phishing-resistant multifactor authentication. Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories...
November 17, 2022

AA22-321A: #StopRansomware: Hive Ransomware

Original release date: November 17, 2022 Summary Actions to Take Today to Mitigate Cyber Threats from Ransomware: • Prioritize remediating known exploited vulnerabilities. • Enable and enforce multifactor authentication with strong passwords • Close unused ports and remove any application not deemed necessary for day-to-day operations. Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of...
November 16, 2022

AA22-320A: Iranian Government-Sponsored APT Actors Compromise Federal Network, Deploy Crypto Miner, Credential Harvester

Original release date: November 16, 2022 Summary From mid-June through mid-July 2022, CISA conducted an incident response engagement at a Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) organization where CISA observed suspected advanced persistent threat (APT) activity. In the course of incident response activities, CISA determined that cyber threat actors exploited the Log4Shell vulnerability in an unpatched...
October 21, 2022

AA22-294A: #StopRansomware: Daixin Team

Original release date: October 21, 2022 Summary Actions to take today to mitigate cyber threats from ransomware: • Install updates for operating systems, software, and firmware as soon as they are released. • Require phishing-resistant MFA for as many services as possible. • Train users to recognize and report phishing attempts. Note: This joint Cybersecurity...
October 6, 2022

AA22-279A: Top CVEs Actively Exploited By People’s Republic of China State-Sponsored Cyber Actors

Original release date: October 6, 2022 Summary This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) provides the top Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) used since 2020 by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored cyber actors as assessed by the National Security Agency (NSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). PRC state-sponsored cyber...
October 4, 2022

AA22-277A: Impacket and Exfiltration Tool Used to Steal Sensitive Information from Defense Industrial Base Organization

Original release date: October 4, 2022 Summary Actions to Help Protect Against Russian State-Sponsored Malicious Cyber Activity: • Enforce multifactor authentication (MFA) on all user accounts. • Implement network segmentation to separate network segments based on role and functionality. • Update software, including operating systems, applications, and firmware, on network assets. • Audit account usage....
September 22, 2022

AA22-265A: Control System Defense: Know the Opponent

Original release date: September 22, 2022 Summary Traditional approaches to securing OT/ICS do not adequately address current threats. Operational technology/industrial control system (OT/ICS) assets that operate, control, and monitor day-to-day critical infrastructure and industrial processes continue to be an attractive target for malicious cyber actors. These cyber actors, including advanced persistent threat (APT) groups, target...
September 21, 2022

AA22-264A: Iranian State Actors Conduct Cyber Operations Against the Government of Albania

Original release date: September 21, 2022 Summary The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory to provide information on recent cyber operations against the Government of Albania in July and September. This advisory provides a timeline of activity observed, from initial access to...
September 14, 2022

AA22-257A: Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Affiliated Cyber Actors Exploiting Vulnerabilities for Data Extortion and Disk Encryption for Ransom Operations

Original release date: September 14, 2022 Summary Actions to take today to protect against ransom operations: • Keep systems and software updated and prioritize remediating known exploited vulnerabilities. • Enforce MFA. • Make offline backups of your data. This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is the result of an analytic effort among the Federal Bureau of...
September 6, 2022

AA22-249A: #StopRansomware: Vice Society

Original release date: September 6, 2022 Summary Actions to take today to mitigate cyber threats from ransomware: • Prioritize and remediate known exploited vulnerabilities. • Train users to recognize and report phishing attempts. • Enable and enforce multifactor authentication. Note: This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for...
August 16, 2022

AA22-228A: Threat Actors Exploiting Multiple CVEs Against Zimbra Collaboration Suite

Original release date: August 16, 2022 Summary Actions for ZCS administrators to take today to mitigate malicious cyber activity: • Patch all systems and prioritize patching known exploited vulnerabilities. • Deploy detection signatures and hunt for indicators of compromise (IOCs). • If ZCS was compromised, remediate malicious activity. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)...
August 11, 2022

AA22-223A: #StopRansomware: Zeppelin Ransomware

Original release date: August 11, 2022 Summary Actions to take today to mitigate cyber threats from ransomware: • Prioritize remediating known exploited vulnerabilities. • Train users to recognize and report phishing attempts. • Enable and enforce multifactor authentication. Note: this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for...
August 4, 2022

AA22-216A: 2021 Top Malware Strains

Original release date: August 4, 2022 Summary Immediate Actions You Can Take Now to Protect Against Malware: • Patch all systems and prioritize patching known exploited vulnerabilities. • Enforce multifactor authentication (MFA). • Secure Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and other risky services. • Make offline backups of your data. • Provide end-user awareness and training...
July 6, 2022

AA22-187A: North Korean State-Sponsored Cyber Actors Use Maui Ransomware to Target the Healthcare and Public Health Sector

Original release date: July 6, 2022 Summary The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to provide information on Maui ransomware, which has been used by North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors since at least May 2021 to...
June 30, 2022

AA22-181A: #StopRansomware: MedusaLocker

Original release date: June 30, 2022 Summary Actions to take today to mitigate cyber threats from ransomware: • Prioritize remediating known exploited vulnerabilities. • Train users to recognize and report phishing attempts. • Enable and enforce multifactor authentication. Note: this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for...
June 23, 2022

AA22-174A: Malicious Cyber Actors Continue to Exploit Log4Shell in VMware Horizon Systems

Original release date: June 23, 2022 Summary Actions to take today: • Install fixed builds, updating all affected VMware Horizon and UAG systems to the latest versions. If updates or workarounds were not promptly applied following VMware’s release of updates for Log4Shell in December 2021, treat all affected VMware systems as compromised. • Minimize the...
June 1, 2022

AA22-152A: Karakurt Data Extortion Group

Original release date: June 1, 2022 Summary Actions to take today to mitigate cyber threats from ransomware: • Prioritize patching known exploited vulnerabilities. • Train users to recognize and report phishing attempts. • Enforce multifactor authentication. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Department of the Treasury (Treasury),...
May 18, 2022

AA22-138B: Threat Actors Chaining Unpatched VMware Vulnerabilities for Full System Control

Original release date: May 18, 2022 Summary The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is releasing this Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to warn organizations that malicious cyber actors, likely advanced persistent threat (APT) actors, are exploiting CVE-2022-22954 and CVE-2022-22960 separately and in combination. These vulnerabilities affect certain versions of VMware Workspace ONE Access, VMware Identity Manager...
May 18, 2022

AA22-138A: Threat Actors Exploiting F5 BIG-IP CVE-2022-1388

Original release date: May 18, 2022 Summary Actions for administrators to take today: • Do not expose management interfaces to the internet. • Enforce multi-factor authentication. • Consider using CISA’s Cyber Hygiene Services. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory...
May 17, 2022

AA22-137A: Weak Security Controls and Practices Routinely Exploited for Initial Access

Original release date: May 17, 2022 Summary Best Practices to Protect Your Systems: • Control access. • Harden Credentials. • Establish centralized log management. • Use antivirus solutions. • Employ detection tools. • Operate services exposed on internet-accessible hosts with secure configurations. • Keep software updated. Cyber actors routinely exploit poor security configurations (either misconfigured...
May 11, 2022

AA22-131A: Protecting Against Cyber Threats to Managed Service Providers and their Customers

Original release date: May 11, 2022 Summary Tactical actions for MSPs and their customers to take today: • Identify and disable accounts that are no longer in use. • Enforce MFA on MSP accounts that access the customer environment and monitor for unexplained failed authentication. • Ensure MSP-customer contracts transparently identify ownership of ICT security...
April 27, 2022

AA22-117A: 2021 Top Routinely Exploited Vulnerabilities

Original release date: April 27, 2022 Summary This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) was coauthored by cybersecurity authorities of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom: the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security...
April 20, 2022

AA22-110A: Russian State-Sponsored and Criminal Cyber Threats to Critical Infrastructure

Original release date: April 20, 2022 Summary Actions critical infrastructure organizations should implement to immediately protect against Russian state-sponsored and criminal cyber threats: • Patch all systems. Prioritize patching known exploited vulnerabilities. • Enforce multifactor authentication. • Secure and monitor Remote Desktop Protocol and other risky services. • Provide end-user awareness and training. The cybersecurity...
April 18, 2022

AA22-108A: TraderTraitor: North Korean State-Sponsored APT Targets Blockchain Companies

Original release date: April 18, 2022 Summary Actions to take today to mitigate cyber threats to cryptocurrency: • Patch all systems. • Prioritize patching known exploited vulnerabilities. • Train users to recognize and report phishing attempts. • Use multifactor authentication. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the...
April 13, 2022

AA22-103A: APT Cyber Tools Targeting ICS/SCADA Devices

Original release date: April 13, 2022 Summary Actions to Take Today to Protect ICS/SCADA Devices: • Enforce multifactor authentication for all remote access to ICS networks and devices whenever possible. • Change all passwords to ICS/SCADA devices and systems on a consistent schedule, especially all default passwords, to device-unique strong passwords to mitigate password brute...
March 24, 2022

AA22-083A: Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures of Indicted State-Sponsored Russian Cyber Actors Targeting the Energy Sector

Original release date: March 24, 2022 Summary Actions to Take Today to Protect Energy Sector Networks: • Implement and ensure robust network segmentation between IT and ICS networks. • Enforce MFA to authenticate to a system. • Manage the creation of, modification of, use of—and permissions associated with—privileged accounts. This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA)—coauthored by...
March 17, 2022

AA22-076A: Strengthening Cybersecurity of SATCOM Network Providers and Customers

Original release date: March 17, 2022 Summary Actions to Take Today: • Use secure methods for authentication. • Enforce principle of least privilege. • Review trust relationships. • Implement encryption. • Ensure robust patching and system configuration audits. • Monitor logs for suspicious activity. • Ensure incident response, resilience, and continuity of operations plans are...
March 15, 2022

AA22-074A: Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Actors Gain Network Access by Exploiting Default Multifactor Authentication Protocols and “PrintNightmare” Vulnerability

Original release date: March 15, 2022 Summary Multifactor Authentication (MFA): A Cybersecurity Essential • MFA is one of the most important cybersecurity practices to reduce the risk of intrusions—according to industry research, users who enable MFA are up to 99 percent less likely to have an account compromised. • Every organization should enforce MFA for...
February 26, 2022

AA22-057A: Destructive Malware Targeting Organizations in Ukraine

Original release date: February 26, 2022 | Last revised: March 1, 2022 Summary Actions to Take Today: • Set antivirus and antimalware programs to conduct regular scans. • Enable strong spam filters to prevent phishing emails from reaching end users. • Filter network traffic. • Update software. • Require multifactor authentication. Leading up to Russia’s...
February 24, 2022

AA22-055A : Iranian Government-Sponsored Actors Conduct Cyber Operations Against Global Government and Commercial Networks

Original release date: February 24, 2022 Summary Actions to Take Today to Protect Against Malicious Activity * Search for indicators of compromise. * Use antivirus software. * Patch all systems. * Prioritize patching known exploited vulnerabilities. * Train users to recognize and report phishing attempts. * Use multi-factor authentication. Note: this advisory uses the MITRE...
2018
October 12, 2018

IT が「ゼロトラスト」に注目している理由

複雑な環境に埋もれている SOC は今、セキュリティの強化に威力を発揮する統合ソリューションに熱い視線を送っています。 Publish to Facebook:  No 当ブログの以前の記事でも指摘したように、クラウドとモバイルが主流となった今、セキュリティの範囲は不明瞭になってきました。 企業情報の保護を、ファイアウォールだけに頼ることはできません。あまりにも多くのデータが飛び交っており、クラウドとの間を行き来するデータと、ファイアウォールの内側にとどまるデータの量はほとんど変わらなくなってきたからです。そのため、企業各社はさまざまな経路からしかけられる攻撃に備えるべく、多面的なアプローチを重視しています。 read more Source: Symantec
June 21, 2018

Thrip: 人工衛星、通信、防衛産業を狙うスパイ集団

シマンテックによる人工知能ベースの TAA(Targeted Attack Analytics)で、広範囲にわたる新しいスパイ活動が明らかになりました。 Publish to Facebook:  No 最近のサイバースパイ活動で特に大きい変化のひとつは、「現地調達型」の戦術を多くのグループが採用するようになったことです。「現地調達型」というのはシマンテックの呼び方で、オペレーティングシステムの機能や正規のネットワーク管理ツールを利用して被害者のネットワークに侵入する行為を指します。その狙いは 2 つです。まず、既存の機能やツールを使うことで、攻撃者は被害者のネットワークに紛れ込み、無数にある正規のプロセスにその攻撃活動を隠そうとします。次に、そうしたツールを利用する悪質な動作が発覚したとしても、攻撃元の特定を困難にすることができます。 read more Source: Symantec
March 14, 2018

2018 年 2 月の最新インテリジェンス

攻撃グループ「Chafer」が盛んな活動を続け、全世界のスパム率は下がった一方、メールマルウェアはわずかながら上昇に転じました。 Publish to Facebook:  No 2 月の「Latest Intelligence(最新インテリジェンス)」が発表されました。脅威を取りまく環境の概況も踏まえながら、その内容をご紹介します。2 月には、攻撃グループ「Chafer」が中東の組織を狙って活発な活動を展開しました。メールマルウェアの比率は依然として低かった一方、Facebook のアカウントにログインしてアカウント情報を盗み出そうとするモバイルマルウェアが出現しています。 read more Source: Symantec
2017
November 10, 2017

Latest Intelligence for October 2017

Symantec research shows users to be twice as likely to encounter threats through email as any other infection vector, and the spam rate declines slightly for the second month in a row. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from October’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general,...
November 7, 2017

Sowbug: Cyber espionage group targets South American and Southeast Asian governments

Group uses custom Felismus malware and has a particular interest in South American foreign policy. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec has identified a previously unknown group called Sowbug that has been conducting highly targeted cyber attacks against organizations in South America and Southeast Asia and appears to be heavily focused on...
October 27, 2017

Ramnit worm: Still turning up in unlikely places

Over 90 Ramnit-infected apps removed from Google Play. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributors: Shaun Aimoto, Martin Zhang Click to Tweet:  Nope, Ramnit worm not ported to #Android. It’s an infected HTML file that drops Ramnit on Win PCs Click to Tweet Acct:  @threatintel read more Source: Symantec
October 25, 2017

BadRabbit: New strain of ransomware hits Russia and Ukraine

BadRabbit is self-propagating and has many similarities to the June 2017 Petya / NotPetya outbreak. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary A new strain of ransomware called BadRabbit (Ransom.BadRabbit) began spreading yesterday, October 24, 2017, with the vast majority of infection attempts seen in Russia. Click to Tweet:  BadRabbit ransomware uses at least...
October 18, 2017

Android malware on Google Play adds devices to botnet

Symantec has found eight apps infected with the Sockbot malware on Google Play that can add compromised devices to a botnet and potentially perform DDoS attacks. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributor: Martin Zhang Click to Tweet:  Not all #Android #Minecraft PE skin apps are made equal. Some are malware in disguise....
October 17, 2017

Necurs attackers now want to see your desktop

The Necurs botnet is back again, this time spreading a downloader that takes screen grabs of victims’ desktops and reports encountered errors back to the attackers. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributors: Eduardo Altares, Wei Wang Dai, and Mingwei Zhang Click to Tweet:  Attackers need operational intelligence too. #Necurs downloader now also...
October 10, 2017

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – October 2017

This month the vendor has patched 62 vulnerabilities, 27 of which are rated Critical. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor has patched 62 vulnerabilities, 27 of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these...
October 6, 2017

Latest Intelligence for September 2017

September saw Symantec uncover new activity by the Dragonfly group, and the start of several new Locky spam campaigns. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from September’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include new activity by the Dragonfly attack group, new Locky spam campaigns, and...
October 4, 2017

Users encounter threats through email twice as often as other infection vectors

The latest ISTR special report, Email Threats 2017, casts a light on a threat landscape where attackers are actively spreading malicious threats, BEC scams, and a variety of spam through email. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello Sir, Thanks for your response to our order inquiry, I am very sorry to reply...
September 8, 2017

Latest Intelligence for August 2017

August saw increases in the malware and spam rates, and new phishing warnings from the IRS Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from August’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include increases in the email malware and spam rates, new ransomware functionalities, and new phishing warnings...
September 6, 2017

Dragonfly: Western energy sector targeted by sophisticated attack group

Resurgence in energy sector attacks, with the potential for sabotage, linked to re-emergence of Dragonfly cyber espionage group Background Image on Blogs "Quilted" Page:  EB-Header-image-102_1.jpg Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary The energy sector in Europe and North America is being targeted by a new wave of cyber attacks that could provide attackers...
August 30, 2017

Businesses most at risk from new breed of ransomware

The ransomware landscape has shifted dramatically in 2017 and organizations bore the brunt of the damage caused by new, self-propagating threats such as WannaCry and Petya. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Click to Tweet:  Ransomware attacks trending upwards in first half of 2017, driven by #WannaCry and #Petya During first 6 months...
August 24, 2017

Mobile malware factories: Android apps for creating ransomware

Mobile ransomware can now be created automatically without the need to write code. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Having little to no coding experience is no longer a problem for wannabe mobile malware authors, thanks to Trojan Development Kits (TDKs). Criminals can now install an app that will allow them to quickly...
August 9, 2017

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – August 2017

This month the vendor has patched 48 vulnerabilities, 26 of which are rated Critical. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary This month Microsoft has patched 48 vulnerabilities, 26 of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices: read more Source: Symantec
August 4, 2017

Latest Intelligence for July 2017

Email malware rate continues to increase and WannaCry, Petya inspire other threats to add self-spreading components. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
July 12, 2017

Attackers are increasingly living off the land

The use of fileless threats and dual-use tools by attackers is becoming more common. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Click to Tweet:  Attackers increasingly using legitimate tools to hide in plain sight All 10 APTs Symantec looked at used system tools in their attacks Click to Tweet Acct:  @threatintel @threatintel read more...
July 12, 2017

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – July 2017

This month the vendor has patched 54 vulnerabilities, 19 of which are rated Critical. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary This month Microsoft has patched 54 vulnerabilities, 19 of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices: read more Source: Symantec
July 11, 2017

Latest Intelligence for June 2017

A rise in instances of a particular bitcoin mining malware for Macs, the chaos causing Petya outbreak, and an increase in phishing emails for the third month in a row. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from June’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include an...
June 27, 2017

Petya ransomware outbreak: Here’s what you need to know

Petya ransomware impacting large organizations in multiple countries Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary A new strain of the Petya ransomware started propagating on June 27, 2017, infecting many organizations.  Similar to WannaCry, Petya uses the Eternal Blue exploit to propagate itself. Click to Tweet:  What we know so far about the #Petya...
June 14, 2017

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – June 2017

This month the vendor has released 94 vulnerabilities, 18 of which are rated Critical. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor has released 94 vulnerabilities, 18 of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these...
June 13, 2017

Latest Intelligence for May 2017

The WannaCry outbreak dominated the news cycle, while the phishing rate reached a high for 2017. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from May’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include another increase in the number of web attacks blocked, a peculiar Google phishing scam, and...
June 6, 2017

Criminals increasingly using malvertising to direct victims to exploit kits

Once popular exploit kit redirection campaigns see a significant decline as redirection through malvertising increases Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary The exploit kit scene these days strongly resembles a sinking ship—with very few survivors, struggling to keep themselves afloat. read more Source: Symantec
June 1, 2017

Financial malware more than twice as prevalent as ransomware

Three Trojans dominated the financial threat landscape in 2016 and attackers increased their focus on corporate finance departments Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Click to Tweet:  Financial threat space 2.5 times bigger than that of ransomware 38% of financial threats were detected in business locations in 2016 Click to Tweet Acct:  @threatintel...
May 22, 2017

WannaCry: Ransomware attacks show strong links to Lazarus group

Similarities in code and infrastructure indicate close connection to group that was linked to Sony Pictures and Bangladesh Bank attacks Background Image on Blogs "Quilted" Page:  wannacry.jpg Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Tools and infrastructure used in the WannaCry ransomware attacks have strong links to Lazarus, the group that was responsible for...
May 17, 2017

Adylkuzz Cryptocurrency Miner Is Not The Next WannaCry

Adylkuzz impact and prevalence is much lower than WannaCry Background Image on Blogs "Quilted" Page:  commandcenter.jpg Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary There have been reports of another threat, known as Adylkuzz, leveraging MS17-010 to propagate to vulnerable machines. read more Source: Symantec
May 12, 2017

What you need to know about the WannaCry Ransomware

The WannaCry ransomware struck across the globe in May 2017. Learn how this ransomware attack spread and how to protect your network from similar attacks. Background Image on Blogs "Quilted" Page:  WannaCry-SR-Header-image43_5.jpg Publish to Facebook:  No UPDATE: May 23, 2017 00:30 GMT: read more Source: Symantec
May 12, 2017

What you need to know about the WannaCry Ransomware

WannaCry ransomware spreads aggressively across networks, holds files to ransom. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary What has happened? On May 12, 2017 a new variant of the Ransom.CryptXXX family (Detected as Ransom.Wannacry) of ransomware began spreading widely impacting a large number of organizations, particularly in Europe. read more Source: Symantec
May 10, 2017

Latest Intelligence for April 2017

Number of web attacks blocked by Symantec rises to more than 1 million per day and Longhorn cyber espionage group linked to malware detailed in Vault 7 leak. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from April’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include an increase in...
May 10, 2017

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – May 2017

This month the vendor has released 56 vulnerabilities, 17 of which are rated Critical. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor has released 56 vulnerabilities, 17 of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these...
April 18, 2017

Hajime worm battles Mirai for control of the Internet of Things

The Hajime worm appears to be the work of a white hat hacker attempting to wrestle control of IoT devices from Mirai and other malicious threats. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary A battle is raging for control of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. There are many contenders, but two families stand out:...
April 14, 2017

Latest Intelligence for March 2017

Number of blocked web attacks increases to highest level since July 2016 and Necurs botnet returns with new spam campaigns. Background Image on Blogs "Quilted" Page:  EB-Stats-01.jpg.jpeg Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from March’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include the number of blocked...
April 12, 2017

Android O no! Android O causes problems for mobile ransomware developers

Changes in Google’s newest mobile OS will impact the functionality of many Android ransomware threats. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary The first developer preview of Google’s latest mobile operating system, Android O, has been released. As usual, the newest version of Android has several new features and updates. One of those updates...
April 11, 2017

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – April 2017

This month the vendor has released 44 vulnerabilities, 13 of which are rated Critical. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor has released 44 vulnerabilities, 13 of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these...
April 11, 2017

Kelihos/Waledac: US law enforcement hits botnet with major takedown

Alleged botnet operator arrested in Spain, faces multiple charges in the US. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary The US Justice Department has launched a coordinated takedown operation to disrupt and dismantle the Kelihos botnet (also known as Waledac). Click to Tweet:  Spam botnet #Kelihos/#Waledac hit by major FBI takedown and arrest of...
April 10, 2017

Longhorn: Tools used by cyberespionage group linked to Vault 7

First evidence linking Vault 7 tools to known cyberattacks. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Spying tools and operational protocols detailed in the recent Vault 7 leak have been used in cyberattacks against at least 40 targets in 16 different countries by a group Symantec calls Longhorn. Symantec has been protecting its customers from...
March 30, 2017

Free Nintendo Switch emulators are fake

Fake emulators for newly released Nintendo console used as bait to get users to fill out survey scams and download potentially unwanted applications. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Over the last few weeks, scammers have been trying to dupe users into believing that a software emulator exists for the Nintendo Switch, the...
March 28, 2017

Necurs: Mass mailing botnet returns with new wave of spam campaigns

Unexplained three-month absence resulted in a seven-fold decrease in rate of emails containing malware. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary After a near three-month period of inactivity, the Necurs botnet sprang back to life last week and resumed the mass mailing spam campaigns for which it has become notorious. Click to Tweet:  #Necurs...
March 20, 2017

Personalized spam campaign targets Germany

A new spam campaign targeting German users uses victims’ real details and installs banking malware on compromised computers. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary A spam campaign Symantec observed in January 2017 targeting people who live in Germany appears to be, once again, using detailed, real personal information to enhance the believability of...
March 14, 2017

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – March 2017

This month the vendor is releasing 18 bulletins, nine of which are rated Critical. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor is releasing 18 bulletins, nine of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these...
March 13, 2017

Spam campaign targets financial institutions with fake security software

Emails claim to be from HSBC and ask recipients to install fake Rapport security software. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Last month, Symantec detected a spam campaign mainly targeting financial institutions, which used social engineering to try trick victims into installing “virus detection software” that was in fact an information stealing Trojan...
March 10, 2017

Latest Intelligence for February 2017

Number of new malware variants reaches highest level since October 2016 and Symantec uncovers a wider campaign carried out by Shamoon attackers. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from February’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include the highest increase in malware variants since October 2016,...
February 27, 2017

Shamoon: Multi-staged destructive attacks limited to specific targets

Recent attacks involving the destructive malware Shamoon appear to be part of a much wider campaign in the Middle East and beyond. Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Recent attacks involving the destructive malware Shamoon (W32.Disttrack.B) were launched by attackers conducting a much wider campaign in the Middle East. While the attackers have...
February 22, 2017

Android ransomware requires victim to speak unlock code

Latest Android.Lockdroid.E variant uses speech recognition instead of typing for unlock code input. Blog Feature Image:  EB-Header-image109.jpeg Publish to Facebook:  No Twitter Card Style:  summary Being a good listener is normally considered an admirable quality in a person; however, it isn’t a quality you necessarily want to find in a piece of malware. The latest...
February 14, 2017

Symantec and other industry leaders announce expanded Cyber Threat Alliance

Cybersecurity consortium formally establishes rapid security intelligence sharing system to combat cybercrime and advanced attacks. Blog Feature Image:  EB-Stats-02.jpeg Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec is one of the six founding members of the Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA) which yesterday announced its formal incorporation as a not-for-profit entity. The organization also announced the appointment of former...
February 13, 2017

Sage 2.0 ransomware delivered by Pandex spambot, mimics Cerber routines

New variants of Sage ransomware sport Cerber-like behavior, although no definitive link was found between the two families. Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec Security Response has recently discovered the Sage 2.0 ransomware (Ransom.Cry) being delivered by the Trojan.Pandex spambot, which we have previously seen sending JS downloaders with spambots, banki Click to Tweet:  Sage 2.0...
February 12, 2017

Attackers target dozens of global banks with new malware

Watering hole attacks attempt to infect more than 100 organizations in 31 different countries. Blog Feature Image:  virtual_abstraction.jpg Twitter Card Style:  summary Organizations in 31 countries have been targeted in a new wave of attacks which has been underway since at least October 2016. The attackers used compromised websites or “watering holes” to infect pre-selected...
February 10, 2017

Latest Intelligence for January 2017

The email malware rate drops due to Necurs botnet inactivity and two new Android malware families appeared. Blog Feature Image:  intelligence.jpg Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from January’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include a lull in activity from the Necurs botnet affecting the email malware rate, new...
February 10, 2017

Latest Intelligence for January 2017

The email malware rate drops due to Necurs botnet inactivity and the Angler exploit kit makes a surprise comeback. Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from January’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include a lull in activity from the Necurs botnet affecting the email malware rate, the return of...
February 6, 2017

Android ransomware repurposes old dropper techniques

Android ransomware is now using dropper techniques to drop malware on rooted devices as well as an inefficient 2D barcode ransom demand. Blog Feature Image:  phone-alert.jpg Twitter Card Style:  summary Android.Lockdroid.E has been seen using a dropper technique to drop a version of itself on rooted Android devices. While this is not an uncommon technique,...
February 6, 2017

Android ransomware repurposes old dropper techniques

Android ransomware is now using dropper techniques to drop malware on rooted devices as well as an inefficient 2D barcode ransom demand. Twitter Card Style:  summary Android.Lockdroid.E has been seen using a dropper technique to drop a version of itself on rooted Android devices. While this is not an uncommon technique, this is the first...
February 3, 2017

Android ad malware on Google Play combines three deception techniques

Three apps on Google Play use delayed attacks, self-naming tricks, and an attack list dictated by a command and control server to click on ads in the background without the user's knowledge. Blog Feature Image:  EB-generic-tablet.jpeg Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributor: Martin Zhang Summary: Three apps on Google Play use delayed attacks, self-naming tricks, and...
February 3, 2017

Android ad malware on Google Play combines three deception techniques

Three apps on Google Play use delayed attacks, self-naming tricks, and an attack list dictated by a command and control server to click on ads in the background without the user's knowledge. Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributor: Martin Zhang Summary: Three apps on Google Play use delayed attacks, self-naming tricks, and an attack list dictated...
January 23, 2017

Greenbug cyberespionage group targeting Middle East, possible links to Shamoon

Greenbug may answer the question of how Shamoon obtains the stolen credentials needed to carry out its disk-wiping attacks. Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec is currently investigating reports of yet another new attack in the Middle East involving the destructive disk-wiping malware used by the Shamoon group (W32.Disttrack, W32.Disttrack.B). Click to Tweet:  Is there a...
January 23, 2017

Greenbug cyberespionage group targeting Middle East, possible links to Shamoon

Greenbug may answer the question of how Shamoon obtains the stolen credentials needed to carry out its disk-wiping attacks. Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec is currently investigating reports of yet another new attack in the Middle East involving the destructive disk-wiping malware used by the Shamoon group (W32.Disttrack, W32.Disttrack.B). Click to Tweet:  Is there a...
January 10, 2017

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – January 2017

This month the vendor has released four bulletins, one of which is rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor has released four bulletins, one of which is rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices: read...
January 10, 2017

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – January 2017

This month the vendor has released 4 bulletins, one of which is rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor has released 4 bulletins, one of which is rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices: read...
January 10, 2017

Airport boarding gate display leaks booking codes, puts passenger data at risk

Attackers could gain full control over passenger bookings, cancel flights, and steal sensitive information with leaked booking codes. Twitter Card Style:  summary While waiting for my flight to begin boarding at a European airport recently, I noticed that one of the screens at the gate showed a timed-out web browser window. Being curious and more...
January 10, 2017

Airport boarding gate display leaks booking codes, puts passenger data at risk

Attackers could gain full control over passenger bookings, cancel flights, and steal sensitive information with leaked booking codes. Twitter Card Style:  summary While waiting for my flight to begin boarding at a European airport recently, I noticed that one of the screens at the gate showed a timed-out web browser window. Being curious and more...
January 6, 2017

Latest Intelligence for December 2016

The number of web attacks blocked per day were up by almost 100,000, and Symantec helps law enforcement crack down on cybercrime. Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from December’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include an increase in the number of web attacks blocked by Symantec, the return...
January 6, 2017

Latest Intelligence for December 2016

The number of web attacks blocked per day were up by almost 100,000, and Symantec helps law enforcement crack down on cybercrime. Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from December’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include an increase in the number of web attacks blocked by Symantec, the return...
2016
December 16, 2016

Bayrob: Three suspects extradited to face charges in US

Symantec’s assistance paves way for long-running FBI investigation into gang that stole up to $35 million from victims. Blog Feature Image:  ThinkstockPhotos-517416880.jpg Twitter Card Style:  summary Three Romanian men have been indicted in the US for allegedly operating a longstanding fraud operation known as Bayrob that conned victims out of millions of dollars. read more...
December 16, 2016

Bayrob: Three suspects extradited to face charges in US

Symantec’s assistance paves way for long-running FBI investigation into gang that stole up to $35 million from victims. Twitter Card Style:  summary Three Romanian men have been indicted in the US for allegedly operating a longstanding fraud operation known as Bayrob that conned victims out of millions of dollars. read more Source: Symantec
December 14, 2016

Latest Intelligence for November 2016

Email malware nearly doubles to one in 85 emails and spam rate rises for third month in a row. Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from November’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include an increase in phishing emails, a drop in the number of new malware variants, the return...
December 13, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – December 2016

This month the vendor is releasing 12 bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor is releasing 12 bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices: read...
December 8, 2016

PowerShell threats surge: 95.4 percent of analyzed scripts were malicious

Symantec analyzed 111 threat families that use PowerShell, finding that they leverage the framework to download payloads and traverse through networks. Twitter Card Style:  summary Click to Tweet:  PowerShell threats are on the rise: 95.4% of the scripts Symantec analyzed were malicious Click to Tweet Acct:  @threatintel read more Source: Symantec
December 1, 2016

Avalanche malware network hit with law enforcement takedown

Symantec plays part in takedown of the Avalanche malware-hosting network. Twitter Card Style:  summary The Avalanche malware-hosting network has been dealt a severe blow following the takedown of infrastructure used by at least 17 malware families. read more Source: Symantec
November 30, 2016

Shamoon: Back from the dead and destructive as ever

Malware hit targets in Saudi Arabia and was configured to wipe disks on November 17. Twitter Card Style:  summary Shamoon (W32.Disttrack), the aggressive disk-wiping malware which was used in attacks against the Saudi energy sector in 2012, has made a surprise comeback and was used in a fresh wave of attacks against targets in Saudi...
November 29, 2016

Mirai: New wave of IoT botnet attacks hits Germany

New variant of malware used in attacks that knocked 900,000 home internet users offline. Blog Feature Image:  exploit_skull.jpg Twitter Card Style:  summary A new wave of attacks involving the Mirai botnet has crippled internet access for nearly a million home users in Germany. The latest attacks used a new version of the Mirai malware (Linux.Gafgyt.B)...
November 21, 2016

Gatak: Healthcare organizations in the crosshairs

Mysterious threat group infects organizations using malicious key generators for pirated software. Twitter Card Style:  summary The group behind the Gatak Trojan (Trojan.Gatak) continues to pose a threat to organizations, with the healthcare sector in particular heavily affected by attacks. Gatak is known for infecting its victims through websites promising product licensing keys for pirated...
November 17, 2016

Android banking malware whitelists itself to stay connected with attackers

New Android.Fakebank.B variants use social engineering to bypass a battery-saving process and stay active in the background. Twitter Card Style:  summary Recent variants of Android.Fakebank.B have been updated to work around the battery-saving process Doze. The variants display a pop-up message asking the user to add the threat to the Battery Optimizations exceptions whitelist. read...
November 10, 2016

Latest Intelligence for October 2016

Number of new malware variants rises to over 96 million and global spam hits highest rate in nearly a year. Twitter Card Style:  summary Some of the key takeaways from October’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include a sudden spike in new malware variants, spam reaching the highest rate in almost a...
November 9, 2016

New BEC scams seek to build trust first, request wire transfer later

Business email compromise scammers have gradually changed their tactics to improve their scam success rate. Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec has been continuously tracking scam emails targeting businesses with fake wire transfer requests, and found that scammers behind these Business Email Compromise (BEC) emails have added some tricks to increase their chances of success. Click...
November 8, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – November 2016

This month the vendor is releasing 14 bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor is releasing 14 bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices: read...
October 27, 2016

Mirai: what you need to know about the botnet behind recent major DDoS attacks

Botnet has grown by exploiting weak security on a range of IoT devices. Twitter Card Style:  summary A distributed denial of service attack (DDoS) on DNS provider Dyn last week managed to disrupt an array of the internet’s biggest websites, including Spotify, Twitter, and PayPal. read more Source: Symantec
October 27, 2016

Android ransomware gets around auto-start restrictions by pretending to be a launcher

The latest Android.Lockscreen variants declare their activity as part of the launcher category to get around Android's security restrictions. Twitter Card Style:  summary New variants of Android.Lockscreen are using a simple, yet effective technique to improve their chances of successfully compromising devices. Click to Tweet:  Android.Lockscreen variant masquerades as launcher to sidestep security restrictions Click...
October 27, 2016

Flash Player zero-day being exploited in targeted attacks

Adobe patches vulnerability (CVE-2016-7855) which was being used in a limited number of targeted attacks. Twitter Card Style:  summary A newly discovered zero-day vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player is being exploited by attackers in the wild. Adobe released a Security Bulletin (APSB16-36) yesterday which patches the vulnerability (CVE-2016-7855). read more Source: Symantec
October 27, 2016

Flash zero-day being exploited in targeted attacks

Adobe patches vulnerability (CVE-2016-7855) which was being used in a limited number of targeted attacks. Twitter Card Style:  summary A newly discovered zero-day vulnerability in Adobe Flash player is being exploited by attackers in the wild. Adobe released a Security Bulletin (APSB16-36) yesterday which patches the vulnerability (CVE-2016-7855). read more Source: Symantec
October 26, 2016

Tech support scams increasing in complexity

Tech support scammers have begun using code obfuscation to avoid detection. Twitter Card Style:  summary Tech support scams remain one of the major and evolving forces in the computer security landscape. Between January 1 and April 30 this year, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 3,668 complaints related to tech support scams, which amounted...
October 20, 2016

Attackers use Discord VoIP chat servers to host NanoCore, njRAT, SpyRAT

Malicious actors are abusing a free VoIP service for gamers to distribute remote access Trojans, as well as infostealers and downloaders. Twitter Card Style:  summary Discord, a free VoIP service designed for gaming communities, has had its chat servers abused to host malware. Click to Tweet:  Attackers abuse Discord chat servers to deliver remote access...
October 19, 2016

Malware and spam groups exploit US election fever

As the presidential election draws near, the level of malware and spam activity attempting to capitalize on interest in the campaigns of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton has risen. Twitter Card Style:  summary Over the past month, Symantec has blocked almost 8 million spam emails relating to the US presidential election. The volume of spam...
October 14, 2016

TA16-288A: Heightened DDoS Threat Posed by Mirai and Other Botnets

Original release date: October 14, 2016 Systems Affected Internet of Things (IoT)—an emerging network of devices (e.g., printers, routers, video cameras, smart TVs) that connect to one another via the Internet, often automatically sending and receiving data Overview Recently, IoT devices have been used to create large-scale botnets—networks of devices infected with self-propagating malware—that can...
October 13, 2016

Beware of the student loan forgiveness scam spam

Trojan.Ascesso has been observed trying to send out thousands of student loan forgiveness scam emails. Twitter Card Style:  summary According to reports, 42 million people owe US$1.3 trillion in student debt in America today. With most of these student loans being government-backed, the student debt industry in America is big business and estimated to be...
October 12, 2016

Surge of email attacks using malicious WSF attachments

Ransomware attack groups among the most frequent users of new tactic. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image Symantec has seen a major increase in the number of email-based attacks using malicious Windows Script File (WSF) attachments over the past three months. Ransomware groups in particular have been employing this new tactic. read more Source: Symantec
October 11, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – October 2016

This month the vendor is releasing 10 bulletins, five of which are rated Critical. Blog Feature Image:  microsoftpatch.png Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor is releasing 10 security bulletins, five of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow...
October 11, 2016

Odinaff: New Trojan used in high level financial attacks

Multiple banks attacked by Carbanak-linked group. Blog Feature Image:  globepoints.jpg Twitter Card Style:  summary Since January 2016, discreet campaigns involving malware called Trojan.Odinaff have targeted a number of financial organizations worldwide. These attacks appear to be extremely focused on organizations operating in the banking, securities, trading, and payroll sectors. Click to Tweet:  Banks & other...
October 11, 2016

Odinaff: New Trojan used in high level financial attacks

Multiple banks attacked by Carbanak-linked group. Twitter Card Style:  summary Since January 2016, discreet campaigns involving malware called Trojan.Odinaff have targeted a number of financial organizations worldwide. These attacks appear to be extremely focused on organizations operating in the banking, securities, trading, and payroll sectors. Click to Tweet:  Banks & other financial targets hit by...
October 11, 2016

Odinaff: New Trojan used in high level financial attacks

Multiple banks attacked by Carbanak-linked group. Twitter Card Style:  summary Since January 2016, discreet campaigns involving malware called Trojan.Odinaff have targeted a number of financial organizations worldwide. These attacks appear to be extremely focused on organizations operating in the banking, securities, trading, and payroll sectors. Click to Tweet:  Banks & other financial targets hit by...
October 7, 2016

Latest Intelligence for September 2016

The RIG exploit kit was the most active web attack toolkit in September and the number of new malware variants reached its highest point of the last year. Twitter Card Style:  summary The Latest Intelligence page has been refreshed through September 2016, providing the most up-to-date analysis of cybersecurity threats, trends, and insights concerning malware,...
October 7, 2016

Latest Intelligence for September 2016

The RIG exploit kit was the most active web attack toolkit in September and the number of new malware variants reached its highest point of the last year. Twitter Card Style:  summary The Latest Intelligence page has been refreshed through September 2016, providing the most up-to-date analysis of cybersecurity threats, trends, and insights concerning malware,...
October 3, 2016

Zero Days film puts two Symantec researchers in the spotlight

Alex Gibney's film highlights Eric Chien and Liam O'Murchu's research on Stuxnet and cyberattacks. Blog Feature Image:  zero_days_trailer.png Twitter Card Style:  summary This summer, we saw the release of Zero Days, a documentary by Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney which examines the impact of cyberattacks perpetrated by countries around the world. As national governments move towards...
October 3, 2016

Zero Days film puts two Symantec researchers in the spotlight

Alex Gibney's film highlights Eric Chien and Liam O'Murchu's research on Stuxnet and cyberattacks. Twitter Card Style:  summary This summer, we saw the release of Zero Days, a documentary by Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney which examines the impact of cyberattacks perpetrated by countries around the world. As national governments move towards using covert attacks on...
September 27, 2016

Android.Lockscreen ransomware now using pseudorandom numbers

The latest Android.Lockscreen variants are using new techniques to improve their chances of obtaining ransom money. Blog Feature Image:  ThinkstockPhotos-503266042.jpg Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image New variants of Android.Lockscreen are using pseudorandom passcodes to prevent victims from unlocking devices without paying the ransom. read more Source: Symantec
September 27, 2016

Android.Lockscreen ransomware now using pseudorandom numbers

The latest Android.Lockscreen variants are using new techniques to improve their chances of obtaining ransom money. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image New variants of Android.Lockscreen are using pseudorandom passcodes to prevent victims from unlocking devices without paying the ransom. read more Source: Symantec
September 26, 2016

Scammers spoof TaiG, offer fake iOS jailbreak

Scammers are spoofing the popular TaiG jailbreaking site to offer a fake iOS 9.2.1 jailbreak tool that leads to a donation page. Twitter Card Style:  summary With each new iOS release, a large number of users wait eagerly for the corresponding and inevitable jailbreak solution. Although jailbreaking compromises the security of the device, users resort...
September 23, 2016

Five ways Android malware is becoming more resilient

Newly observed techniques used by Android malware authors attempt to make things more difficult for victims and security products. Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributors: Tommy Dong, Martin Zhang Recently, a number of new techniques have been discovered that not only help Android malware evade detection but also help it stay installed even when detection has...
September 22, 2016

IoT devices being increasingly used for DDoS attacks

Malware is infesting a growing number of IoT devices, but their owners may be completely unaware of it. Twitter Card Style:  summary Malware targeting the Internet of Things (IoT) has come of age and the number of attack groups focusing on IoT has multiplied over the past year. 2015 was a record year for IoT...
September 13, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – September 2016

This month the vendor released 13 bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor released 13 bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices: read more Source:...
September 8, 2016

Latest Intelligence for August 2016

Our Latest Intelligence reveals that the number of new malware variants hit 45.5 million in August, the highest level seen since last year. Twitter Card Style:  summary The Latest Intelligence page has been refreshed through August 2016, providing the most up-to-date analysis of cybersecurity threats, trends, and insights concerning malware, spam, and other potentially harmful...
September 6, 2016

TA16-250A: The Increasing Threat to Network Infrastructure Devices and Recommended Mitigations

Original release date: September 06, 2016 Systems Affected Network Infrastructure Devices  Overview The advancing capabilities of organized hacker groups and cyber adversaries create an increasing global threat to information systems. The rising threat levels place more demands on security personnel and network administrators to protect information systems. Protecting the network infrastructure is critical to preserve...
September 6, 2016

Buckeye cyberespionage group shifts gaze from US to Hong Kong

Several organizations in Hong Kong are being targeted by a cyberespionage group known as Buckeye. Twitter Card Style:  summary Buckeye (also known as APT3, Gothic Panda, UPS Team, and TG-0110) is a cyberespionage group that is believed to have been operating for well over half a decade. Traditionally, the group attacked organizations in the US...
August 26, 2016

Trident: Trio of iOS zero-days being exploited in the wild

Users of iPhones and other iOS devices are advised to upgrade to the latest version of the operating system. Twitter Card Style:  summary Three zero-day vulnerabilities in Apple’s iOS mobile operating system are being exploited in the wild in targeted attacks. The vulnerabilities, collectively dubbed “Trident”, can be exploited by attackers to remotely jailbreak Apple...
August 17, 2016

Non-existent video involving Hillary Clinton and ISIS leader used as bait in malicious spam

Malicious attachment contains Adwind cross-platform remote access Trojan. Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributors: Paul Mangan, Kevin Savage Cybercriminals are using clickbait, promising a video showing Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton exchanging money with an ISIS leader, in order to distribute malicious spam emails. read more Source: Symantec
August 16, 2016

Equation: Has secretive cyberespionage group been breached?

A new attack group has released a data dump of leaked exploits and hacking tools they claim belong to the Equation group. Twitter Card Style:  summary An attack group calling itself the Shadow Brokers has released a trove of data it claims to have stolen from the Equation cyberespionage group. The data contains a range...
August 15, 2016

Shark: New Ransomware-as-a-Service threat takes bite of proceeds

The creators of Shark have made it freely available, but demand a 20 percent cut of its profits. Blog Feature Image:  currency.jpg Twitter Card Style:  summary A new type of ransomware known as Shark (Trojan.Ransomcrypt.BG) is being distributed on the cyberunderground. read more Source: Symantec
August 15, 2016

Shark: New Ransomware-as-a-Service threat takes bite of proceeds

The creators of Shark have made it freely available, but demand a 20 percent cut of its profits. Twitter Card Style:  summary A new type of ransomware known as Shark (Trojan.Ransomcrypt.BG) is being distributed on the cyberunderground. read more Source: Symantec
August 10, 2016

Instagram accounts hacked, altered to promote adult dating spam

Scammers are hacking Instagram accounts and altering profiles with sexually suggestive imagery to lure users to adult dating and porn spam. Twitter Card Style:  summary Earlier this year, we reported an influx of fake Instagram profiles luring users to adult dating sites. Over the last few months, we have observed Instagram accounts being hacked and...
August 9, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – August 2016

This month the vendor is releasing nine bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor is releasing nine bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices: read...
August 7, 2016

Strider: Cyberespionage group turns eye of Sauron on targets

Low-profile group uses Remsec malware to spy on targets in Russia, China, and Europe. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image A previously unknown group called Strider has been conducting cyberespionage-style attacks against selected targets in Russia, China, Sweden, and Belgium. The group uses an advanced piece of malware known as Remsec (Backdoor.Remsec) to conduct its attacks. read...
August 5, 2016

New ransomware mimics Microsoft activation window

A new ransomlock variant, which mainly affects the US, tricks users into calling a toll-free number to reactivate their Windows computer. Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec has discovered a new ransomware variant that pretends to originate from Microsoft and uses social engineering techniques to trick the victim into calling a toll-free number to “reactivate” Windows....
August 5, 2016

Latest Intelligence for July 2016

Our latest intelligence reveals that the Neutrino toolkit’s activity rose more than 10 percentage points in July. Twitter Card Style:  summary The Latest Intelligence page has been refreshed through July 2016, providing the most up-to-date analysis of cybersecurity threats, trends, and insights concerning malware, spam, and other potentially harmful business risks. Here are some key...
August 5, 2016

Backdoor.Remvio: Highly customizable remote access Trojan sold online

The new Trojan can be used to steal information and passwords from compromised computers. Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec recently noticed that an Italian malware author called z3r0 is selling a new remote access Trojan in an underground forum. The software is a back door threat that can be purchased for somewhere between US$58 and...
July 27, 2016

Another media-stealing app found on Google Play

The HTML Source Code Viewer app by Sunuba Gaming poses as a development tool then steals pictures and videos from mobile devices. Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributor: Tommy Dong Click to Tweet:  Another app that steals your pictures and videos found on Google Play Norton's AppAdvisor can warn you before you download a malicious app...
July 25, 2016

Patchwork cyberespionage group expands targets from governments to wide range of industries

Symantec finds that Patchwork now targets a variety of industries in the US, China, Japan, South East Asia, and the UK. Twitter Card Style:  summary The Patchwork attack group has been targeting more than just government-associated organizations. Our research into the group found that it’s been attacking a broad range of industries, including aviation, broadcasting,...
July 21, 2016

Tinder safe dating spam uses safety to scam users out of money

Scammers drive users to fake verification site that signs them up to adult webcam and erotic video websites. Twitter Card Style:  summary In recent weeks, we have noticed spam activity on Tinder claiming to promote safety in online dating in messages to users. This is used as a lure to funnel affiliate money into the...
July 18, 2016

Malicious macros arrive in phishing emails, steal banking information

Malicious macros made a comeback in 2015 to deliver malware. Now we’re seeing phishing emails use macros in Excel attachments to steal sensitive banking details. Twitter Card Style:  summary In 2015, we saw malicious Microsoft Office macros return with a vengeance, delivering a plethora of threats ranging from ransomware to banking Trojans. Now, we’ve found...
July 14, 2016

Android banking malware blocks victims’ outgoing calls to customer service

New Android.Fakebank variants intercept calls to banks’ customer care centers to stop victims from cancelling their stolen payment cards. Twitter Card Style:  summary In March 2016, newer variants of the Android.Fakebank.B family arrived with call-barring functionality. The feature aims to stop customers of Russian and South Korean banks from cancelling payment cards that the malware...
July 13, 2016

Pokemon Go: How to protect your device from scams, malware, and privacy issues

Pokemon Go has become a global sensation, but it has also attracted the attention of scammers and attackers. Find out how to protect your mobile device on your quest to become a Pokemon master. Twitter Card Style:  summary Pokemon Go has generated huge interest around the world. Despite only being launched in a limited amount...
July 12, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – July 2016

This month the vendor is releasing 11 bulletins, five of which are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
July 12, 2016

Billion-dollar scams: The numbers behind BEC fraud

More than 400 companies are targeted with BEC scams every day. Find out more and learn how to stay protected. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image Business email compromise (BEC), or CEO fraud, continues to be the bane of companies in 2016. BEC scams are low-tech financial fraud in which spoofed emails from CEOs are sent to...
July 7, 2016

Latest Intelligence for June 2016

Our latest intelligence reveals nearly a 30 percentage point drop in web attacks using Angler and a 20 percentage point increase in Manual Sharing social media scams. Twitter Card Style:  summary The Latest Intelligence page has been refreshed through June 2016, providing the most up-to-date analysis of cybersecurity threats, trends, and insights concerning malware, spam,...
July 5, 2016

TA16-187A: Symantec and Norton Security Products Contain Critical Vulnerabilities

Original release date: July 05, 2016 Systems Affected All Symantec and Norton branded antivirus products Overview Symantec and Norton branded antivirus products contain multiple vulnerabilities. Some of these products are in widespread use throughout government and industry. Exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow a remote attacker to take control of an affected system. Description The...
July 5, 2016

Android Nougat prevents ransomware from resetting device passwords

The upcoming version of Android introduces a new condition so the "resetPassword" API cannot be used to reset a device’s password. The change impacts both ransomware and disinfectors. Twitter Card Style:  summary Android.Lockdroid.E variants with new functionality emerged during the last quarter of 2015 as part of the continued Android ransomware evolution. read more Source:...
June 28, 2016

Malicious app found on Google Play, steals Viber photos and videos

The Beaver Gang Counter app uses a time-delay attack in an attempt to evade security measures. Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributor: Tommy Dong Symantec has discovered an app on Google Play that steals photos and videos from the popular social media app Viber. Beaver Gang Counter masquerades as a score keeping app for a popular card...
June 15, 2016

New Flash zero-day exploited in targeted attacks

Symantec customers protected against critical vulnerability (CVE-2016-4171) due to be patched tomorrow. Twitter Card Style:  summary A new zero-day vulnerability in Adobe Flash player is being exploited in limited, targeted attacks. The vulnerability (CVE-2016-4171) is due to be patched tomorrow, June 16. read more Source: Symantec
June 14, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – June 2016

This month the vendor is releasing 16 bulletins, five of which are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
June 9, 2016

Latest Intelligence for May 2016

Our latest intelligence reveals Angler responsible for over 51 percent of exploit kit attacks, and one email in every 134 is now malicious. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
June 7, 2016

Fake gaming torrents lead to potentially unwanted applications

PUA downloaders are disguising themselves as torrents for pirated copies of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and The Witcher 3 to install multiple different PUAs on users’ computers. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
May 26, 2016

SWIFT attackers’ malware linked to more financial attacks

Bank in Philippines was also targeted by attackers, whose malware shares code with tools used by Lazarus group. Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec has found evidence that a bank in the Philippines has also been attacked by the group that stole US$81 million from the Bangladesh central bank and attempted to steal over $1 million...
May 23, 2016

Hacked Twitter accounts are posting links to adult dating and sex personals

Over 2,500 Twitter accounts were compromised to post links to adult dating and sex personals. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image More than 2,500 Twitter accounts have been compromised to tweet links to websites specializing in adult dating and sex personals. The attackers also changed the profile photo, biography, and full name of the accounts to promote...
May 23, 2016

TA16-144A: WPAD Name Collision Vulnerability

Original release date: May 23, 2016 Systems Affected Windows, OS X, Linux systems, and web browsers with WPAD enabled Overview Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) Domain Name System (DNS) queries that are intended for resolution on private or enterprise DNS servers have been observed reaching public DNS servers [1]. In combination with the New generic Top...
May 11, 2016

TA16-132A: Exploitation of SAP Business Applications

Original release date: May 11, 2016 Systems Affected Outdated or misconfigured SAP systems Overview At least 36 organizations worldwide are affected by an SAP vulnerability [1]. Security researchers from Onapsis discovered indicators of exploitation against these organizations’ SAP business applications. The observed indicators relate to the abuse of the Invoker Servlet, a built-in functionality in...
May 10, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – May 2016

This month the vendor is releasing 16 bulletins, eight of which are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
May 6, 2016

Latest Intelligence for April 2016

Our latest intelligence reveals Nuclear exploit kit comprised 42 percent of all web attacks, and 71 percent of all social scams spread through manual sharing. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
April 28, 2016

Tick cyberespionage group zeros in on Japan

Compromised websites and spear-phishing emails used to infect targets with Daserf Trojan Blog Feature Image:  globepoints.jpg Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributor: Gavin O’Gorman read more Source: Symantec
April 14, 2016

TA16-105A: Apple Ends Support for QuickTime for Windows; New Vulnerabilities Announced

Original release date: April 14, 2016 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows with Apple QuickTime installed Overview According to Trend Micro, Apple will no longer be providing security updates for QuickTime for Windows, leaving this software vulnerable to exploitation. [1] Description All software products have a lifecycle. Apple will no longer be providing security updates for QuickTime...
April 12, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – April 2016

This month the vendor is releasing 13 bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
April 8, 2016

Latest Intelligence for March 2016

The Latest Intelligence for March 2016 reveals that the average number of mobile malware variants has reached 50 per family. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
April 6, 2016

New Flash zero-day exploited by attackers in the wild

Patch due to be published this week for critical new Adobe Flash vulnerability CVE-2016-1019. Twitter Card Style:  summary Adobe has said it will soon issue an update for Flash Player, following the discovery of a critical vulnerability that is being exploited in the wild. read more Source: Symantec
April 5, 2016

Four tax scams to watch out for this tax season

Symantec Security Response outlines tax-related scams that individuals and businesses should not fall for during each tax season. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
March 31, 2016

TA16-091A: Ransomware and Recent Variants

Original release date: March 31, 2016 Systems Affected Networked Systems Overview In early 2016, destructive ransomware variants such as Locky and Samas were observed infecting computers belonging to individuals and businesses, which included healthcare facilities and hospitals worldwide. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that infects a computer and restricts users’ access to it...
March 29, 2016

Taiwan targeted with new cyberespionage back door Trojan

Backdoor.Dripion was custom developed, deployed in a highly targeted fashion, and used command and control servers disguised as antivirus company websites. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
March 10, 2016

Latest Intelligence for February 2016

The Latest Intelligence for February 2016 reveals that one in every 125 emails sent last month contained malware. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
March 8, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – March 2016

This month the vendor is releasing 13 bulletins, five of which are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
February 15, 2016

Latest Intelligence for January 2016

The Latest Intelligence for January 2016 shows an increase in fake offer social media scams and a decrease in spear-phishing activity. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
February 11, 2016

Netflix malware and phishing campaigns help build emerging black market

Attackers steal users’ Netflix credentials and add them to black markets focused on providing access to the streaming service for cheaper prices. Twitter Card Style:  summary Netflix’s popularity has sharply grown since its creation in 1997. The company recently launched its streaming service globally. It is now available in more than 190 regions around the...
January 25, 2016

The rise of Japanese zero-click fraud

Scammers are using more aggressive tactics with new “zero-click” sites to try to con victims out of US$2,000. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image read more Source: Symantec
January 12, 2016

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – January 2016

This month the vendor is releasing nine bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor is releasing nine bulletins, six of which are rated Critical. read more Source: Symantec
January 11, 2016

What Symantec’s Intrusion Prevention System did for you in 2015

300 million reasons why you should improve the health of your computers in 2016 by using IPS. Twitter Card Style:  summary Without adequate and layered security, the web in 2015 was an incredibly threatening landscape, a trend that will no doubt continue in 2016. read more Source: Symantec
2015
December 14, 2015

Major TeslaCrypt ransomware offensive underway

Continually refined by its authors, this ransomware strain poses a serious threat to businesses and consumers. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
December 3, 2015

TA15-337A: Dorkbot

Original release date: December 03, 2015 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows Overview Dorkbot is a botnet used to steal online payment, participate in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and deliver other types of malware to victims’ computers. According to Microsoft, the family of malware used in this botnet “has infected more than one million personal computers in...
November 10, 2015

TA15-314A: Web Shells – Threat Awareness and Guidance

Original release date: November 10, 2015 Systems Affected Web servers that allow web shells Overview This alert describes the frequent use of web shells as an exploitation vector. Web shells can be used to obtain unauthorized access and can lead to wider network compromise. This alert outlines the threat and provides prevention, detection, and mitigation...
November 10, 2015

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – November 2015

This month the vendor is releasing 12 bulletins covering a total of 49 vulnerabilities. Twenty-six of this month's issues are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
November 9, 2015

Proof-of-concept threat is reminder OS X is not immune to crypto ransomware

Symantec analysis confirms that in the wrong hands, Mabouia ransomware could be used to attack Macs. Twitter Card Style:  summary Analysis by Symantec has confirmed that the proof-of-concept (PoC) threat known as Mabouia works as described and could be used to create functional OS X crypto ransomware if it fell into the wrong hands. read...
November 3, 2015

New XcodeGhost malware variant discovered

Serves as a reminder to app developers to only use verified versions of Apple’s integrated development environment. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
October 14, 2015

Dridex takedown sinks botnet infections

International police action hits gang that specialized in stealing banking credentials. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
October 13, 2015

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – October 2015

This month the vendor is releasing six bulletins covering a total of 33 vulnerabilities. Thirteen of this month's issues are rated Critical. Twitter Card Style:  summary Hello, welcome to this month’s blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor is releasing six bulletins covering a total of 33 vulnerabilities. Thirteen of this month’s...
October 13, 2015

TA15-286A: Dridex P2P Malware

Original release date: October 13, 2015 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows Overview   Dridex, a peer-to-peer (P2P) bank credential-stealing malware, uses a decentralized network infrastructure of compromised personal computers and web servers to execute command-and-control (C2). The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department...
October 1, 2015

Is there an Internet-of-Things vigilante out there?

Linux.Wifatch compromises routers and other IoT devices and appears to try and improve infected devices’ security. Twitter Card Style:  summary The following story could well work as the script of a Hollywood movie or superhero comic. read more Source: Symantec
September 30, 2015

WinRAR affected by new zero-day vulnerability

A new remote code execution vulnerability affecting the compression utility is less dangerous than first believed. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
September 30, 2015

Apple’s “Gatekeeper” in Mac OS X vulnerable to simple bypass

Researcher Patrick Wardle details security weakness in Apple’s “Gatekeeper” in Mac OS X that could allow attackers to run unverified, unsigned code. Twitter Card Style:  summary Tomorrow at the Virus Bulletin conference in Prague, researcher Patrick Wardle is set to highlight a security weakness in Apple’s Mac OS X “Gatekeeper” technology that could allow attackers...
September 10, 2015

Top tips to secure your new iPhone

Security advice on how to keep your Apple iDevice, and the data stored on it, safe. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
September 8, 2015

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – September 2015

This month the vendor is releasing 12 bulletins covering a total of 52 vulnerabilities. Twenty of this month's issues are rated 'Critical'. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
August 28, 2015

TA15-240A: Controlling Outbound DNS Access

Original release date: August 28, 2015 Systems Affected Networked systems Overview US-CERT has observed an increase in Domain Name System (DNS) traffic from client systems within internal networks to publically hosted DNS servers. Direct client access to Internet DNS servers, rather than controlled access through enterprise DNS servers, can expose an organization to unnecessary security...
August 27, 2015

Regin: Further unravelling the mysteries of a cyberespionage threat

Symantec’s investigation uncovers additional modules for the Regin spying tool and finds advanced infrastructure supporting it. Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec’s continuing investigation into the Regin Trojan has cast new light on the cyberespionage tool, revealing a wider range of capabilities and a complex infrastructure supporting the threat.  read more Source: Symantec
August 24, 2015

Sundown exploit kit adds Internet Explorer exploit before any other kit

The Sundown exploit kit has been the first to integrate an exploit for the CVE 2015-2444 bug, using it in a recent watering-hole attack. Twitter Card Style:  summary While tracking exploit activity, Symantec found that the Sundown exploit kit (EK) has started to take advantage of a recent Internet Explorer vulnerability known as CVE-2015-2444. read...
August 24, 2015

Android ransomware: Tricks of the trade

A look at some of the detection-evasion and anti-analysis tactics employed by Android ransomware. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
August 14, 2015

Is it time to start worrying about car hacking?

Every week brings a new story about a potential vehicle security vulnerability. Should drivers be concerned and how can they protect themselves? Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributor: Mario Ballano Barcena  read more Source: Symantec
August 13, 2015

Facebook comments on Buzzfeed, ESPN, and Huffington Post lead to technical support scams

Scammers promote links to free movies that lead to technical support scams for Windows, Mac OS X, and mobile users. Twitter Card Style:  summary Facebook comments sections on Buzzfeed, ESPN, and Huffington Post articles have become a popular target for scammers spreading links to spyware and adware, including tech support scam pages, in recent months....
August 11, 2015

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – August 2015

This month the vendor is releasing 14 bulletins covering a total of 52 vulnerabilities. Twenty-two of this month's issues are rated ’Critical’. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
August 1, 2015

TA15-213A: Recent Email Phishing Campaigns – Mitigation and Response Recommendations

Original release date: August 01, 2015 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows Systems, Adobe Flash Player, and Linux Overview Between June and July 2015, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) received reports of multiple, ongoing and likely evolving, email-based phishing campaigns targeting U.S. Government agencies and private sector organizations. This alert provides general and phishing-specific...
July 14, 2015

TA15-195A: Adobe Flash and Microsoft Windows Vulnerabilities

Original release date: July 14, 2015 | Last revised: July 15, 2015 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows systems with Adobe Flash Player installed. Overview Used in conjunction, recently disclosed vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash and Microsoft Windows may allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code with system privileges. Since attackers continue to target and find new...
July 14, 2015

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – July 2015

This month the vendor is releasing 14 bulletins covering a total of 58 vulnerabilities. Twenty-four of this month's issues are rated ’Critical’. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
July 8, 2015

Butterfly: Profiting from high-level corporate attacks

Multi-billion dollar corporations hit by secretive attack group. Twitter Card Style:  summary Note:  “Morpho” was used in the original publication to refer to this attack group. Symantec has renamed the group “Butterfly” to avoid any link whatsoever to other legitimate corporate entities named “Morpho” read more Source: Symantec
June 30, 2015

Team GhostShell hacking group back with a bang

Hackers claim to have hacked a growing list of websites, compromising credentials and other sensitive user information. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
June 26, 2015

Brazilian musician Christiano Araujo's tragic death used to spread malware

Famous singer’s death used as lure to spread financial Trojan Infostealer.Bancos. Twitter Card Style:  summary Unfortunately, as we’ve seen countless times before, tragic events involving famous people will almost certainly end up being used by cybercriminals as part of their social engineering scams. read more Source: Symantec
June 23, 2015

Dyre emerges as main financial Trojan threat

After takedowns against rival operations Dyre has filled the vacuum and now poses a major threat to banking customers in many countries. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
June 11, 2015

MERS outbreak used as bait to spread Trojan.Swort

Attackers are taking advantage of the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea and other regions to spread Trojan.Swort through spam emails. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image read more Source: Symantec
June 9, 2015

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – June 2015

This month the vendor is releasing eight bulletins covering a total of 45 vulnerabilities. Twenty of this month's issues are rated ’Critical’. Twitter Card Style:  summary read more Source: Symantec
June 4, 2015

Mac vulnerability could provide persistent and stealthy access

Symantec confirms flaw allows attackers to install rootkit malware that could survive hard disk reformat. Twitter Card Style:  summary Symantec has confirmed the existence of a critical vulnerability affecting most Apple Mac models that could enable attackers to overwrite firmware and gain persistent root access to the computer. read more Source: Symantec
June 2, 2015

Japanese one-click fraudsters target iOS users with malicious app delivered over the air

A Japanese one-click fraud campaign moved to iOS devices by delivering a malicious app through an adult video website and demanding a subscription fee. Twitter Card Style:  summary Last week, we published a blog on a malicious Android app that reappeared after a three-year absence for a new Japanese one-click fraud campaign. read more Source:...
May 21, 2015

SMS spammers hide adult site URLs in YouTube videos

In a recent adult site scam, SMS spammers were observed hiding links in YouTube videos in order to bypass URL filters. Twitter Card Style:  summary Contributor: Lamine Aouad read more Source: Symantec
May 14, 2015

Stolen funds from Starbucks customers another reminder to use unique passwords

Cybercriminals gain access to customer accounts, then transfer funds to other cards and gift cards. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image Starbucks Card holders who have a payment card linked to their online accounts may be at risk of having their account balances drained by cybercriminals. It appears cybercriminals are targeting Starbucks accounts as a result of...
May 12, 2015

Impersonation phishing scam on Yahoo highlights importance of two-step verification

Yahoo Mail accounts and address books used in family "emergency" impersonation scam. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image Last month, we learned of a phishing campaign targeting Yahoo Mail users. The phishing email claimed that the recipients’ mailbox had expired and asked them to click on a link to restore their email access. read more Source: Symantec
May 12, 2015

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – May 2015

This month the vendor is releasing 13 bulletins covering a total of 46 vulnerabilities. Twenty-one of this month's issues are rated ’Critical’. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image read more Source: Symantec
April 30, 2015

TA15-120A: Securing End-to-End Communications

Original release date: April 30, 2015 Systems Affected Networked systems Overview Securing end-to-end communications plays an important role in protecting privacy and preventing some forms of man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. Recently, researchers described a MITM attack used to inject code, causing unsecured web browsers around the world to become unwitting participants in a distributed denial-of-service attack....
April 29, 2015

TA15-120A: Securing End-to-End Communications

Original release date: April 30, 2015 Systems Affected Networked systems Overview Securing end-to-end communications plays an important role in protecting privacy and preventing some forms of man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. Recently, researchers described a MITM attack used to inject code, causing unsecured web browsers around the world to become unwitting participants in a distributed denial-of-service attack....
April 28, 2015

TA15-119A: Top 30 Targeted High Risk Vulnerabilities

Original release date: April 29, 2015 Systems Affected Systems running unpatched software from Adobe, Microsoft, Oracle, or OpenSSL.  Overview Cyber threat actors continue to exploit unpatched software to conduct attacks against critical infrastructure organizations. As many as 85 percent of targeted attacks are preventable [1]. This Alert provides information on the 30 most commonly exploited...
April 22, 2015

Ransomware increasingly turning to the Far East

Cybercriminals behind ransomware are increasingly targeting opportunities in the Far East to capitalize on potential new victims. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image read more Source: Symantec
April 15, 2015

TA15-105A: Simda Botnet

Original release date: April 15, 2015 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows Overview The Simda botnet – a network of computers infected with self-propagating malware – has compromised more than 770,000 computers worldwide [1]. The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in collaboration with Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has released this Technical...
April 14, 2015

2015 Internet Security Threat Report: Attackers are bigger, bolder, and faster

Volume 20 of Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR) reveals that cyberattackers are infiltrating networks and evading detection by hijacking company's infrastructures, while also extorting end-users via their smartphones and social media. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image read more Source: Symantec
April 14, 2015

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – April 2015

This month the vendor is releasing 11 bulletins covering a total of 26 vulnerabilities. Thirteen of this month's issues are rated ’Critical’. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image read more Source: Symantec
April 13, 2015

TA15-103A: DNS Zone Transfer AXFR Requests May Leak Domain Information

Original release date: April 13, 2015 Systems Affected Misconfigured Domain Name System (DNS) servers that respond to global Asynchronous Transfer Full Range (AXFR) requests. Overview A remote unauthenticated user may request a DNS zone transfer from a public-facing DNS server. If improperly configured, the DNS server may respond with information about the requested zone, revealing...
April 13, 2015

Simda botnet hit by Interpol takedown

Infrastructure owned by the Simda botnet (also known as Rloader) has been seized in an Interpol-led law enforcement operation. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image read more Source: Symantec
April 10, 2015

Ransomware: Return of the mac(ro)

Ransomware attackers have resorted to reviving a very old attack vector, the malicious Word macro. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image read more Source: Symantec
April 8, 2015

TA15-098A: AAEH

Original release date: April 09, 2015 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and 8 Microsoft Server 2003, Server 2008, Server 2008 R2, and Server 2012 Overview AAEH is a family of polymorphic downloaders created with the primary purpose of downloading other malware, including password stealers, rootkits, fake antivirus, and ransomware....
March 23, 2015

NanoCore: Another RAT tries to make it out of the gutter

The road to success is never straightforward. This is a tale of a RAT developer’s persistence in the face of endless setbacks. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image Contributor: Mark Anthony Balanza read more Source: Symantec
March 12, 2015

Is IoT in the Smart Home giving away the keys to your kingdom?

Symantec analyzed 50 smart home devices and found that many of them included several basic security issues, such as weak authentication and common web vulnerabilities. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image read more Source: Symantec
March 10, 2015

Microsoft Patch Tuesday – March 2015

This month the vendor is releasing fourteen bulletins covering a total of 45 vulnerabilities. Nineteen of this month's issues are rated ’Critical’. Twitter Card Style:  summary_large_image read more Source: Symantec
February 20, 2015

TA15-051A: Lenovo Superfish Adware Vulnerable to HTTPS Spoofing

Original release date: February 20, 2015 | Last revised: February 24, 2015 Systems Affected Lenovo consumer PCs that have Superfish VisualDiscovery installed. Overview Superfish adware installed on some Lenovo PCs install a non-unique trusted root certification authority (CA) certificate, allowing an attacker to spoof HTTPS traffic. Description Starting in September 2014, Lenovo pre-installed Superfish VisualDiscovery...
2014
December 19, 2014

TA14-353A: Targeted Destructive Malware

Original release date: December 19, 2014 | Last revised: December 25, 2014 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows Overview US-CERT was recently notified by a trusted third party of cyber threat actors using a Server Message Block (SMB) Worm Tool to conduct cyber exploitation activities recently targeting a major entertainment company. This SMB Worm Tool is equipped...
November 25, 2014

TA14-329A: Regin Malware

Original release date: November 25, 2014 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista, and 7 Overview On November 24, 2014, Symantec released a report on Regin, a sophisticated backdoor Trojan used to conduct intelligence-gathering campaigns. At this time, the Regin campaign has not been identified targeting any organizations within the United States. Description Regin...
November 19, 2014

TA14-323A: Microsoft Windows Kerberos KDC Remote Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Original release date: November 19, 2014 | Last revised: November 25, 2014 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 8.1 Microsoft Server 2003, Server 2008, Server 2008 R2, Server 2012, and Server 2012 R2 Overview A remote escalation of privilege vulnerability exists in implementations of Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC) in Microsoft Windows which...
November 14, 2014

TA14-318B: Microsoft Windows OLE Automation Array Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Original release date: November 14, 2014 Systems Affected Microsoft Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, RT, and RT 8.1 Microsoft Server 2003, Server 2008, Server 2008 R2, Server 2012, and Server 2012 R2 Overview A vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially-crafted web...