Cyber Defense Advisors

Year: 2024

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  • August 16, 2024

Attackers Exploit Public .env Files to Breach Cloud Accounts in Extortion Campaign

A large-scale extortion campaign has compromised various organizations by taking advantage of publicly accessible environment variable files (.env) that contain credentials associated with cloud and social media applications. “Multiple security missteps were present in the course of this campaign, including the following: Exposing environment variables, using long-lived credentials, and absence of least privilege architecture,” Palo […]

Cyber News
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  • August 16, 2024

Russian Hacker Jailed 3+ Years for Selling Stolen Credentials on Dark Web

A 27-year-old Russian national has been sentenced to over three years in prison in the U.S. for peddling financial information, login credentials, and other personally identifying information (PII) on a now-defunct dark web marketplace called Slilpp. Georgy Kavzharadze, 27, of Moscow, Russia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire […]

Cyber News
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  • August 16, 2024

Russian Hackers Using Fake Brand Sites to Spread DanaBot and StealC Malware

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a sophisticated information stealer campaign that impersonates legitimate brands to distribute malware like DanaBot and StealC. The activity cluster, orchestrated by Russian-speaking cybercriminals and collectively codenamed Tusk, is said to encompass several sub-campaigns, leveraging the reputation of the platforms to trick users into downloading the malware using bogus sites […]

Cyber News
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  • August 16, 2024

Multi-Stage ValleyRAT Targets Chinese Users with Advanced Tactics

Chinese-speaking users are the target of an ongoing campaign that distributes a malware known as ValleyRAT. “ValleyRAT is a multi-stage malware that utilizes diverse techniques to monitor and control its victims and deploy arbitrary plugins to cause further damage,” Fortinet FortiGuard Labs researchers Eduardo Altares and Joie Salvio said. “Another noteworthy characteristic of this malware […]

Cyber News
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  • August 16, 2024

The Hidden Security Gaps in Your SaaS Apps: Are You Doing Due Diligence?

SaaS applications have become indispensable for organizations aiming to enhance productivity and streamline operations. However, the convenience and efficiency these applications offer come with inherent security risks, often leaving hidden gaps that can be exploited. Conducting thorough due diligence on SaaS apps is essential to identify and mitigate these risks, ensuring the protection of your […]

Cyber News
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  • August 16, 2024

New Windows IPv6 Zero-Click Vulnerability

The press is reporting a critical Windows vulnerability affecting IPv6. As Microsoft explained in its Tuesday advisory, unauthenticated attackers can exploit the flaw remotely in low-complexity attacks by repeatedly sending IPv6 packets that include specially crafted packets. Microsoft also shared its exploitability assessment for this critical vulnerability, tagging it with an “exploitation more likely” label, […]

Cyber News
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  • August 16, 2024

New Banshee Stealer Targets 100+ Browser Extensions on Apple macOS Systems

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered new stealer malware that’s designed to specifically target Apple macOS systems. Dubbed Banshee Stealer, it’s offered for sale in the cybercrime underground for a steep price of $3,000 a month and works across both x86_64 and ARM64 architectures. “Banshee Stealer targets a wide range of browsers, cryptocurrency wallets, and around 100 […]

Cyber News
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  • August 16, 2024

Google to Remove App that Made Google Pixel Devices Vulnerable to Attacks

A large percentage of Google’s own Pixel devices shipped globally since September 2017 included dormant software that could be used to stage nefarious attacks and deliver various kinds of malware. The issue manifests in the form of a pre-installed Android app called “Showcase.apk” that comes with excessive system privileges, including the ability to remotely execute […]

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  • August 15, 2024

NationalPublicData.com Hack Exposes a Nation’s Data

A great many readers this month reported receiving alerts that their Social Security Number, name, address and other personal information were exposed in a breach at a little-known but aptly-named consumer data broker called NationalPublicData.com. This post examines what we know about a breach that has exposed hundreds of millions of consumer records. We’ll also […]

Cyber News