by Paul Ducklin French researcher Gilles Lionel, who goes by @topotam77, recently published proof-of-concept code that attackers could use to take over a Windows network. The hack, which he has dubbed PetitPotam (which is a nod to the endangered Pygmy Hippopotamus, as far as we can tell), involves what’s known as an NTLM relay attack,
admin
There’s a lot of conversation going on right now around digital apps; only it’s not about TikTok or Twitch. Instead, it’s about the spike in the number of app scams taking place every day—many of them impacting younger consumers. In a recent report from The Washington Post, nearly two percent of the apps downloaded from the Apple store in a single day were scams costing consumers an estimated $48 million. A similar report this week in Tech Republic estimates more than
There is a saying that goes something like, “Do not judge a book by its cover.” Yet, we all know we can not help but do just that – especially when it comes to online security. Logos play a significant role in whether or not we open an email and how we assess the importance
Equipping and guiding your digitally connected child is one of the toughest challenges you will face as a parent. As your child grows and changes, so too will their online activities. Friend groups, favorite apps, and online interests can shift from one month to the next, which is why parental controls can be a parent’s
Law enforcement authorities in the Netherlands have arrested two alleged individuals belonging to a Dutch cybercriminal collective who were involved in developing, selling, and renting sophisticated phishing frameworks to other threat actors in what’s known as a “Fraud-as-a-Service” operation. The apprehended suspects, a 24-year-old software engineer, and a 15-year-old boy, are said to have been
People in their 20s and 30s are losing it online. And by it, I mean money—thanks to digital identity theft. In its simplest form, your digital identity is made up of a whole host of things that can be traced back to you and who you are. That can range anywhere from photos you post online to online shopping accounts, email accounts to telephone numbers,
After more than 20 years in the making, now it’s official: APIs are everywhere. In a 2021 survey, 73% of enterprises reported that they already publish more than 50 APIs, and this number is constantly growing. APIs have crucial roles to play in virtually every industry today, and their importance is increasing steadily, as they
by Paul Ducklin You can probably guess what we mean by “Twitter hack“. Some data breaches involve millions or even billions of accounts, perhaps compromised by a leaky cloud storage server or a poorly-secured customer database. In contrast, the Twitter hack we’re referring to ultimately led to the takeover of just 45 accounts. But what
How many rooms in your home contain a smart device? From security cameras to showerheads with Bluetooth speakers, smart home technology is rapidly making its way into every room in every household. In fact, the number of smart households (those that contain smart home technology) in the U.S. is expected to grow to 77.05 million by 2025. But with new technology comes new challenges. Many product designers rush to get their smart devices
The Zero Trust architecture offers an increasingly popular way to minimize cyber-risk in a world of hybrid cloud, flexible working and persistent threat actors. The post-pandemic normal for global organizations increasingly means using digital technology to support more flexible working practices. Although tech giants such as Twitter and Facebook made headlines by promising some employees they can work from home forever,
A malware known for targeting macOS operating system has been updated once again to add more features to its toolset that allows it to amass and exfiltrate sensitive data stored in a variety of apps, including apps such as Google Chrome and Telegram, as part of further “refinements in its tactics.” XCSSET was uncovered in
by Paul Ducklin [00’38”] Learning from computer virus history. [02’26”] The PrintNightmare saga continues. [05’27”] Apple puts out a patch, but doesn’t say why. [08’12”] Snitch on a crook and earn $10 million. [17’50”] Scammars do grammer and speeling correctly. [25’12”] And the Business Email Compromise that wasn’t. With Doug Aamoth and Paul Ducklin. Intro and outro music by Edith Mudge. LISTEN NOW Click-and-drag on the
Written by Shuborno, Principal Engineer At McAfee, architects and engineers continuously have opportunities to make decisions that impact customers and propel exciting and meaningful careers. They also work with leaders focused on supporting their learning and growth. These truths have been constant and driving forces for me throughout my 15+ years with the company. Today,
To mitigate the chances of their Wi-Fi home routers being compromised, users would do well to change the manufacturer’s default access credentials One in 16 home Wi-Fi routers is still sporting the manufacturer’s default admin password, a recent study conducted by technology website Comparitech revealed. This flaw could allow cybercriminals to conduct all manner of cyberattacks, including
Nearly three weeks after Florida-based software vendor Kaseya was hit by a widespread supply-chain ransomware attack, the company on Thursday said it obtained a universal decryptor to unlock systems and help customers recover their data. “On July 21, Kaseya obtained a decryptor for victims of the REvil ransomware attack, and we’re working to remediate customers
by Paul Ducklin As if one Windows Nightmare dogging all our printers were not enough… …here’s another bug, disclosed by Microsoft on 2021-07-20, that could expose critical secrets from the Windows registry. Denoted CVE-2021-36934, this one has variously been nicknamed HiveNightmare and SeriousSAM. The moniker HiveNightmare comes from the fact that Windows stores its registry
Over the past year and a half, workers everywhere have gotten used to working from home. They have adopted an entirely new work from home mindset and diverted their weekly commuting hours to other productive and more enjoyable pursuits. As parts of the world return to a “new normal,” another change is on the way: a gradual return to the
Cybercriminals may target the popular event with ransomware, phishing, or DDoS attacks in a bid to increase their notoriety or make money The United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a warning about threat actors potentially attempting to disrupt the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. It went on to warn that cybercriminals could utilize various
A software package available from the official NPM repository has been revealed to be actually a front for a tool that’s designed to steal saved passwords from the Chrome web browser. The package in question, named “nodejs_net_server” and downloaded over 1,283 times since February 2019, was last updated seven months ago (version 1.1.2), with its
by Paul Ducklin It’s already nearly two months since Apple’s last security update to iOS 14, which was back on 2021-05-24 when iOS 14.6 appeared. So we weren’t surprised to see that another patch is out, officially listed [2021-07-19] as covering iOS (now on 14.7), tvOS (now also 14.7) and watchOS (now on 7.6). Annoyingly,
With the increase in online activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are potentially becoming exposed to more online threats, and nearly 1 in 3 Americans are not confident in their ability to prevent a cyberattack. Through a partnership with American Express via the Amex Offers Program, McAfee is delighted to offer eligible American Express Card Members personal online
On iOS we have seen link shortener services pushing spam calendar files to victims’ devices. We hope you already know that you shouldn’t click on just any URLs. You might be sent one in a message; somebody might insert one under a social media post or you could be provided with one on basically any
Details have emerged about a high severity security vulnerability affecting a software driver used in HP, Xerox, and Samsung printers that has remained undetected since 2005. Tracked as CVE-2021-3438 (CVSS score: 8.8), the issue concerns a buffer overflow in a print driver installer package named “SSPORT.SYS” that can enable remote privilege and arbitrary code execution.
In 2021 ransomware attacks have been dominant among the bigger cyber security stories. Hence, I was not surprized to see that McAfee’s June 2021 Threat report is primarily focused on this topic. This report provides a large range of statistics using the McAfee data lake behind MVISION Insights, including the Top MITRE ATT&CK Techniques. In
A threat group likely based in Romania and active since at least 2020 has been behind an active cryptojacking campaign targeting Linux-based machines with a previously undocumented SSH brute-forcer written in Golang. Dubbed “Diicot brute,” the password cracking tool is alleged to be distributed via a software-as-a-service model, with each threat actor furnishing their own
by Paul Ducklin [01’32”] We explain how a format string bug could lock your iPhone out of your own network. [08’53”] We revisit the PrintNightmare saga, which is sort-of fixed but not really. [12’50”] We look back at the 20-year-old Code Red virus. [18’30”] We look at what cybercriminals spend money on (hint: more cybercrime). [29’10”] And in this week’s “Oh! No!”, we learn
Depending on where your travels take you, you might need a new passport—a COVID-19 vaccine passport. In an effort to kickstart travel and local economies, these so-called vaccine passports are more accurately a certificate. Such a “passport” can offer proof that the holder has been fully vaccinated against the virus, and there are several of these passports developing in the wings. With all of this in motion, I wanted to give families a look at
How can organizations mitigate the risk of damaging cyberattacks while juggling the constantly changing mix of office and off-site workers? The pandemic may finally be receding, but remote working is very much here to stay. The model that appears to be gaining most traction is a hybrid one, where most staff are allowed to spend
Instagram earlier this week introduced a new “Security Checkup” feature that aims to keep accounts safe and help users—whose accounts may have been compromised—to recover them. In order to gain access to accounts, users will be prompted to perform a series of steps, which include checking recent login activity, reviewing profile information, and updating contact
by Paul Ducklin Just over a week ago, we wrote about the REvil ransomware gang’s latest braggadoccio. As you probably know, ransomware operators like REvil, Clop and others don’t generally work on the front line themselves by conducting the actual network intrusions that deliver the final ransomware warhead. Instead, they recruit teams of “attack affiliates”