CyberSecurity news
FlagThis - #supplychain
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Pierluigi Paganini@securityaffairs.com
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A new cybersecurity threat has emerged, with cheap Chinese Android phones being shipped with pre-installed malware disguised as popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. These trojanized applications contain cryptocurrency clippers, malicious programs designed to replace copied wallet addresses with those controlled by the attackers. This allows the theft of cryptocurrency during transactions without the user's knowledge. The campaign, active since June 2024, targets low-end devices, often mimicking premium brands like Samsung and Huawei, with models such as "S23 Ultra," "Note 13 Pro," and "P70 Ultra." At least four of the affected models are manufactured under the SHOWJI brand.
These counterfeit phones often spoof their technical specifications, falsely displaying that they are running the latest Android version and have improved hardware to avoid detection. According to researchers at Doctor Web, the infected devices ship with modified versions of WhatsApp that operate as clippers. These malicious programs quietly swap out wallet strings for popular coins like Ethereum and Tron whenever users send or receive them through chat. Victims remain unaware as the malware displays the correct wallet address on the sender’s screen but delivers the wrong one to the receiver, and vice versa, until the money disappears. The attackers have expanded their reach beyond WhatsApp and Telegram, with researchers identifying nearly 40 fake applications, including crypto wallets like Trust Wallet and MathWallet, and even QR code readers. The malware is injected using a tool called LSPatch, allowing modifications without altering the core app code, which helps evade detection and survive updates. Doctor Web reports that the malware hijacks the app update process to retrieve an APK file from a server under the attacker's control and searches for strings in chat conversations that match cryptocurrency wallet address patterns. Recommended read:
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@cyble.com
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New research has exposed a significant security vulnerability stemming from the increasing use of AI in code generation. The issue, termed "slopsquatting," arises when AI models, such as ChatGPT and CodeLlama, generate code snippets that include references to non-existent software libraries. Security experts warn that this tendency of AIs to "hallucinate" packages opens the door for malicious actors to create and distribute malware under these fictional package names. This new type of supply chain attack could potentially lead developers to unknowingly install harmful code into their software.
A recent study analyzed over half a million Python and JavaScript code snippets generated by 16 different AI models. The findings revealed that approximately 20% of these snippets contained references to packages that do not actually exist. While established tools like ChatGPT-4 hallucinate packages about 5% of the time, other open-source models demonstrated significantly higher rates. Researchers have found that these hallucinated package names are often plausible, making it difficult for developers to distinguish them from legitimate libraries. Attackers can then register these fabricated names on popular repositories and populate them with malicious code. This "slopsquatting" threat is further exacerbated by the fact that AI models often repeat the same hallucinated package names across different queries. The research demonstrated that 58% of hallucinated package names appeared multiple times, making them predictable and attractive targets for attackers. Experts warn that developers who rely on AI-generated code may inadvertently introduce these vulnerabilities into their projects, leading to widespread security breaches. The rise of AI in software development necessitates careful evaluation and implementation of security measures to mitigate these emerging risks. Recommended read:
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Mandvi@Cyber Security News
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Cybersecurity researchers have recently identified several malicious Python packages on the Python Package Index (PyPI) repository that were designed to steal sensitive information, particularly credit card details and cryptocurrency-related data. These packages, downloaded over 39,000 times before their removal, demonstrate an increasing threat to software supply chains and the vulnerability of developers relying on open-source repositories. The malicious packages targeted both e-commerce platforms and cryptocurrency users, employing various techniques to evade detection and compromise sensitive data.
The most prevalent of these packages, "disgrasya," which translates to 'accident' or 'disaster' in Filipino, was downloaded over 34,000 times and functioned as a fully automated carding toolkit. This package specifically targeted WooCommerce stores integrated with CyberSource payment gateways, automating the process of validating stolen credit card information. It emulated legitimate shopping activity, programmatically adding items to a cart, navigating to the checkout page, and filling out the payment form, effectively bypassing fraud detection systems. Stolen card data, including numbers, expiration dates, and CVVs, was then exfiltrated to an external server controlled by the attacker. Two other packages, "bitcoinlibdbfix" and "bitcoinlib-dev," masqueraded as fixes for issues in the legitimate "bitcoinlib" Python module. These packages attempted to overwrite the 'clw cli' command with malicious code designed to steal sensitive database files, potentially compromising cryptocurrency wallets and transactions. Researchers noted that the authors of these counterfeit libraries even engaged in GitHub issue discussions, attempting to trick users into downloading and running the malicious code. The discovery of these packages highlights the ongoing need for robust security measures and vigilance within the open-source software ecosystem. Recommended read:
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Ddos@Daily CyberSecurity
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North Korean Lazarus APT group has expanded its malicious activities within the npm ecosystem, deploying eleven new packages designed to deliver the BeaverTail malware and a new remote access trojan (RAT) loader. These malicious packages have been downloaded over 5,600 times before their removal, posing a significant risk to developer systems. The threat actors are utilizing previously identified aliases, as well as newly created accounts, to distribute these packages.
The campaign, dubbed "Contagious Interview," aims to compromise developer systems, steal sensitive credentials or financial assets, and maintain access to compromised environments. To evade detection, the attackers are employing hexadecimal string encoding and other obfuscation techniques. Some of the packages, such as "events-utils" and "icloud-cod," are linked to Bitbucket repositories, while others use command-and-control (C2) addresses previously associated with Lazarus Group campaigns, indicating the scale and coordination of this operation. Cybersecurity researchers are urging developers to be vigilant and carefully review all dependencies before installing them. The North Korean threat actors continue to create new npm accounts and deploy malicious code across platforms like the npm registry, GitHub, and Bitbucket, demonstrating their persistence and showing no signs of slowing down. This campaign highlights the increasing sophistication of supply chain attacks and the need for robust security measures to protect against such threats. Recommended read:
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Bill Toulas@BleepingComputer
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A malicious Python package, "disgrasya," has been discovered on the Python Package Index (PyPI) repository, posing a significant threat to e-commerce platforms. The package, which translates to "disaster" in Filipino slang, contains a fully automated carding script specifically designed to target WooCommerce stores that utilize the CyberSource payment gateway. This malicious tool allows attackers to test stolen credit card information against live e-commerce payment systems, streamlining the process of identifying valid cards for fraudulent activities. Unlike typical supply chain attacks, "disgrasya" made no attempt to conceal its malicious intent, openly serving as a distribution mechanism for fraudsters.
The "disgrasya" package automates the entire carding workflow, mimicking legitimate customer behavior to bypass fraud detection systems. The script starts by identifying a product on the targeted WooCommerce store and simulates adding items to the cart. It then gathers security tokens and proceeds to tokenize stolen credit card data using CyberSource's mechanisms, submitting it through WooCommerce's checkout endpoints. If the card is valid, the attacker receives confirmation without triggering typical fraud prevention measures like CAPTCHAs. Alarmingly, the script also exfiltrates stolen card data, including numbers, expiration dates, CVVs, and tokenized representations, to an external server controlled by the attacker. Before its discovery and removal from PyPI, "disgrasya" was downloaded over 37,217 times, highlighting the scale of the potential threat. This widespread distribution suggests that the tool may already be in active use across numerous fraud campaigns, posing a growing financial risk to businesses. The carding attack facilitated by "disgrasya" contributes to the rising costs of online payment fraud, which is estimated to cost merchants over $362 billion globally between 2023 and 2028. Security measures such as monitoring traffic patterns, implementing CAPTCHAs, and rate limiting on checkout and payment endpoints can help mitigate the threat posed by "disgrasya" and similar malicious packages. Recommended read:
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info@thehackernews.com (The@The Hacker News
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The PoisonSeed phishing campaign represents a new and evolving cyber threat, targeting individuals with access to critical systems like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms and bulk email services. This large-scale operation compromises corporate email marketing accounts to distribute emails containing crypto seed phrases, ultimately used to drain cryptocurrency wallets. Attackers focus on high-value targets, employing detailed reconnaissance to ensure their phishing emails reach the most impactful individuals. By mimicking legitimate services through carefully crafted emails and fake login pages, PoisonSeed exemplifies the evolving nature of phishing threats, deceiving victims into believing they are from legitimate sources.
PoisonSeed's attack methodology is distinguished by its sophisticated approach, targeting individuals with access to CRM systems and bulk email platforms. The first stage involves meticulous target identification, focusing on those with access to CRM systems and bulk email platforms, as these targets provide significant leverage for further attacks. The reconnaissance process includes analyzing the email services used by companies and identifying employees in relevant positions. Once targets are identified, the attackers craft professional phishing emails designed to deceive recipients, sending them from spoofed addresses to enhance their authenticity, often containing links to fake login pages hosted on carefully named domains. The phishing pages deployed by PoisonSeed are designed to capture sensitive information, particularly cryptocurrency wallet seed phrases. Victims are tricked into entering attacker-provided seed phrases while setting up new cryptocurrency wallets, allowing the attackers to monitor and eventually take control of these wallets once funds are deposited. Compromised accounts are then used to send bulk phishing emails, employing urgent lures, such as notifications about "restricted sending privileges" or fake wallet migration notices. Domains such as mail-chimpservices[.]com have been used to deceive MailChimp users, showcasing the campaign's attention to detail. Recommended read:
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Waqas@hackread.com
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Royal Mail is currently investigating a data breach after a threat actor leaked over 144GB of data allegedly stolen from its systems. The breach is believed to have originated from a compromise at Spectos GmbH, a third-party data collection and analytics service provider for Royal Mail. The leaked data includes sensitive information such as customer personally identifiable information (PII), internal communications including Zoom meeting recordings, operational data like delivery routes, and marketing infrastructure data including Mailchimp mailing lists.
The investigation is ongoing to determine the full extent of the breach and its potential impact. Royal Mail has stated that there is currently no impact on operations. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in modern supply chains and the critical need for robust vendor management and security protocols. The breach highlights the potential for identity theft, phishing attacks, and reputational damage arising from compromised vendor access. Recommended read:
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lucija.valentic@reversinglabs.com (Lucija@Blog (Main)
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A new malware campaign has been discovered targeting developers through malicious npm packages. Researchers at ReversingLabs identified two packages, ethers-provider2 and ethers-providerz, designed to inject reverse shells into locally installed instances of the popular 'ethers' library. This allows attackers to gain remote access to compromised systems. The attack cleverly hides its malicious payload, modifying legitimate files to ensure persistence even after the initial packages are removed.
This campaign showcases a sophisticated approach to software supply chain attacks. The malicious packages act as downloaders, patching the 'ethers' library with a reverse shell. Once 'ethers' is reinstalled, the modifications are reintroduced, granting attackers continued access. ReversingLabs detected the threat using their Spectra platform and have developed a YARA rule to identify compromised systems. While ethers-providerz has been removed, ethers-provider2 remains available, posing a substantial risk, especially if such tactics are deployed against more popular npm packages in the future. Recommended read:
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ross.kelly@futurenet.com (Ross@itpro.com
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On March 20, 2025, a user on the Breach Forums, identified as "rose87168," claimed to have stolen six million records from Oracle Cloud's Single Sign-On (SSO) and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) services. The user offered the data for sale or in exchange for zero-day exploits. The compromised database allegedly contains sensitive information, including Java KeyStore (JKS) files, encrypted SSO and LDAP passwords, key files, and Enterprise Manager Java Platform Security (JPS) keys. This could impact over 140,000 tenants, potentially creating a significant supply chain compromise.
Oracle has denied any breach of its cloud infrastructure. According to Oracle a spokesperson stated, "There has been no breach of Oracle Cloud...The published credentials are not for the Oracle Cloud. No Oracle Cloud customers experienced a breach or lost any data." However, the attacker claimed to have planted evidence on Oracle's login server, specifically login.us2.oraclecloud.com, creating a text file captured by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine as proof of access. Cybersecurity firm CloudSEK suggests that the US2 server might not have been patched against CVE-2021-35587, a known vulnerability in Oracle Access Manager within Fusion Middleware. Recommended read:
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Field Effect@Blog
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A sophisticated cyber threat is rapidly evolving, exploiting user familiarity with CAPTCHAs to distribute malware through social engineering tactics. The ClearFake malicious JavaScript framework now utilizes 'ClickFix' techniques to trick users into executing malicious PowerShell commands, often disguised as fake reCAPTCHA or Cloudflare Turnstile verifications. This framework injects a fraudulent CAPTCHA on compromised websites, enticing visitors to unknowingly copy and paste malicious commands that lead to malware installation.
https://blog.sekoia.io/clearfakes-new-widespread-variant-increased-web3-exploitation-for-malware-delivery/ https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/03/clickfix-how-to-infect-your-pc-in-three-easy-steps/ This 'ClickFix' attack redirects victims to malicious webpages delivering fake CAPTCHA verifications, ultimately deploying information-stealing malware such as Lumma Stealer and Vidar Stealer. Over 100 car dealerships have already been impacted by a supply-chain attack involving injected malicious code, and Microsoft has identified an ongoing Storm-1865 phishing campaign targeting the hospitality industry using the same 'ClickFix' technique. Security experts advise users to exercise extreme caution with unsolicited instructions, especially those prompting system commands. Recommended read:
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