Cyber Defense Advisors

Year: 2025

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Lucid PhaaS Hits 169 Targets in 88 Countries Using iMessage and RCS Smishing

A new sophisticated phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platform called Lucid has targeted 169 entities in 88 countries using smishing messages propagated via Apple iMessage and Rich Communication Services (RCS) for Android. Lucid’s unique selling point lies in its weaponizing of legitimate communication platforms to sidestep traditional SMS-based detection mechanisms. “Its scalable, subscription-based model enables cybercriminals to conduct […]

Cyber News

Apple Backports Critical Fixes for 3 Recent 0-Days Impacting Older iOS and macOS Devices

Apple on Monday backported fixes for three vulnerabilities that have come under active exploitation in the wild to older models and previous versions of the operating systems. The vulnerabilities in question are listed below – CVE-2025-24085 (CVSS score: 7.3) – A use-after-free bug in the Core Media component that could permit a malicious application already […]

Cyber News

Nearly 24,000 IPs Target PAN-OS GlobalProtect in Coordinated Login Scan Campaign

Cybersecurity researchers are warning of a spike in suspicious login scanning activity targeting Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS GlobalProtect gateways, with nearly 24,000 unique IP addresses attempting to access these portals. “This pattern suggests a coordinated effort to probe network defenses and identify exposed or vulnerable systems, potentially as a precursor to targeted exploitation,” threat intelligence […]

Cyber News

Case Study: Are CSRF Tokens Sufficient in Preventing CSRF Attacks?

Are your security tokens truly secure? Explore how Reflectiz helped a giant retailer to expose a Facebook pixel that was covertly tracking sensitive CSRF tokens due to human error misconfigurations. Learn about the detection process, response strategies, and steps taken to mitigate this critical issue. Download the full case study here. By implementing Reflectiz’s recommendations, […]

Cyber News

China-Linked Earth Alux Uses VARGEIT and COBEACON in Multi-Stage Cyber Intrusions

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a new China-linked threat actor called Earth Alux that has targeted various key sectors such as government, technology, logistics, manufacturing, telecommunications, IT services, and retail in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Latin American (LATAM) regions. “The first sighting of its activity was in the second quarter of 2023; back then, […]

Cyber News

Cell Phone OPSEC for Border Crossings

I have heard stories of more aggressive interrogation of electronic devices at US border crossings. I know a lot about securing computers, but very little about securing phones. Are there easy ways to delete data—files, photos, etc.—on phones so it can’t be recovered? Does resetting a phone to factory defaults erase data, or is it […]

Cyber News

Hackers exploit little-known WordPress MU-plugins feature to hide malware

A new security issue is putting WordPress-powered websites at risk. Hackers are abusing the “Must-Use” plugins (MU-plugins) feature to hide malicious code and maintain long-term access on hacked websites. In earlier 2025, security researchers at Sucuri noticed cybercriminals using the tactic, and they say that it has been increasingly used the technique in the months […]

Cyber News

Apple Fined €150 Million by French Regulator Over Discriminatory ATT Consent Practices

Apple has been hit with a fine of €150 million ($162 million) by France’s competition watchdog over the implementation of its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) privacy framework. The Autorité de la concurrence said it’s imposing a financial penalty against Apple for abusing its dominant position as a distributor of mobile applications for iOS and iPadOS […]

Cyber News

Russian Hackers Exploit CVE-2025-26633 via MSC EvilTwin to Deploy SilentPrism and DarkWisp

The threat actors behind the zero-day exploitation of a recently-patched security vulnerability in Microsoft Windows have been found to deliver two new backdoors called SilentPrism and DarkWisp. The activity has been attributed to a suspected Russian hacking group called Water Gamayun, which is also known as EncryptHub and LARVA-208. “The threat actor deploys payloads primarily […]

Cyber News