Tag: backdoor
-
New APT group breached gov and critical infrastructure orgs in 37 countries
Tags: apt, backdoor, computer, control, espionage, finance, framework, government, group, infrastructure, linux, malware, monitoring, network, software, threat, tool, usa, vulnerabilityA complex toolset of implants: In addition to Cobalt Strike, the group uses various other malware payloads and command-and-control (C2) frameworks, including VShell, Havoc, SparkRat, and Sliver. On compromised web servers, the attackers deploy a variety of web shells, including Behinder, Neo-reGeorg, and Godzilla.On Linux servers the group has been seen deploying a rootkit dubbed…
-
New APT group breached gov and critical infrastructure orgs in 37 countries
Tags: apt, backdoor, computer, control, espionage, finance, framework, government, group, infrastructure, linux, malware, monitoring, network, software, threat, tool, usa, vulnerabilityA complex toolset of implants: In addition to Cobalt Strike, the group uses various other malware payloads and command-and-control (C2) frameworks, including VShell, Havoc, SparkRat, and Sliver. On compromised web servers, the attackers deploy a variety of web shells, including Behinder, Neo-reGeorg, and Godzilla.On Linux servers the group has been seen deploying a rootkit dubbed…
-
Microsoft develops a new scanner to detect hidden backdoors in LLMs
Effectiveness of the scanner: Microsoft said the scanner does not require retraining models or prior knowledge of backdoor behavior and operates using forward passes only, avoiding gradient calculations or backpropagation to keep computing costs low.The company also said it works with most causal, GPT-style language models and can be used across a wide range of…
-
OpenClaw or Open Door? Prompt Injection Creates AI Backdoors
Zenity researchers show how indirect prompt injection can turn OpenClaw into a persistent AI backdoor without exploiting a software flaw. First seen on esecurityplanet.com Jump to article: www.esecurityplanet.com/threats/openclaw-or-open-door-prompt-injection-creates-ai-backdoors/
-
Microsoft Develops Scanner to Detect Backdoors in Open-Weight Large Language Models
Microsoft on Wednesday said it built a lightweight scanner that it said can detect backdoors in open-weight large language models (LLMs) and improve the overall trust in artificial intelligence (AI) systems.The tech giant’s AI Security team said the scanner leverages three observable signals that can be used to reliably flag the presence of backdoors while…
-
TAMECAT Exposed: APT42’s Fileless Backdoor Targets Defense Chiefs
The post TAMECAT Exposed: APT42’s Fileless Backdoor Targets Defense Chiefs appeared first on Daily CyberSecurity. First seen on securityonline.info Jump to article: securityonline.info/tamecat-exposed-apt42s-fileless-backdoor-targets-defense-chiefs/
-
HoneyMyte Hacker Group Expands CoolClient Malware With New Advanced Toolset
The HoneyMyte APT group, also known as Mustang Panda and Bronze President, continues expanding its cyber-espionage operations across Asia and Europe, with Southeast Asia being the most heavily targeted region. Recent investigations reveal that the group has significantly enhanced its malware arsenal during 2025, introducing new capabilities to the CoolClient backdoor and deploying multiple browser…
-
Frequently Asked Questions About Notepad++ Supply Chain Compromise
Tags: advisory, attack, backdoor, china, credentials, cve, cyber, cybercrime, defense, espionage, government, group, Hardware, infrastructure, malware, ransomware, security-incident, service, software, supply-chain, threat, update, vulnerability, windowsThreat actors compromised the update infrastructure for Notepad++, redirecting traffic to an attacker controlled site for targeted espionage purposes. Key takeaways: Beginning in June 2025, threat actors compromised the infrastructure Notepad++ uses to distribute software updates. The issue has been addressed and Notepad++ have released 8.9.1 which now includes XML signature validation (XMLDSig) for security…
-
Compromise of Notepad++ Equals Software Supply Chain Fallout
Tags: attack, backdoor, china, exploit, group, infrastructure, open-source, software, supply-chain, vulnerability, windowsHacked Infrastructure Delivered Chinese Nation-State Group’s Backdoor, Experts Warn. The widely used, open source text-editing software Notepad++ for Windows said attackers exploited a vulnerability to redirect some users to sites that pushed a backdoor onto their system. Security experts have tied the attack to a broader campaign perpetrated by Chinese nation-state actors. First seen on…
-
Notepad++ infrastructure hijacked by Chinese APT in sophisticated supply chain attack
Rapid7 identifies custom malware: Cybersecurity firm Rapid7 also published a detailed technical analysis corroborating Ho’s disclosure and identifying the attack as part of a broader campaign deploying previously undocumented malware. Rapid7’s investigation uncovered a custom backdoor the firm dubbed “Chrysalis,” alongside Cobalt Strike and Metasploit frameworks.”Forensic analysis conducted by the MDR team suggests that the…
-
Abuse of OpenClaw AI Capabilities Enables Stealthy Malware Campaigns
Tags: ai, attack, automation, backdoor, cyber, malicious, malware, marketplace, skills, supply-chain, threatHundreds of malicious skills are distributed through OpenClaw’s marketplace, transforming the popular AI agent ecosystem into a new supply chain attack vector. Threat actors are weaponizing the platform’s extensibility features to deliver droppers, backdoors, and infostealers disguised as legitimate automation tools.”‹ OpenClaw Skills Become Malware Distribution Channel OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI agent that executes…
-
Notepad++ Attack Breakdown Reveals Sophisticated Malware and Actionable IoCs
A complex espionage campaign attributed to Chinese APT group Lotus Blossom, active since 2009. The investigation uncovered a sophisticated compromise of Notepad++ distribution infrastructure that delivered Chrysalis, a previously undocumented custom backdoor with extensive remote access capabilities. The attack chain began at IP address 95.179.213.0, where execution of notepad++.exe and GUP.exe preceded download of a…
-
Shai-Hulud & Co.: The software supply chain as Achilles’ heel
Tags: access, ai, application-security, attack, backdoor, ciso, cloud, credentials, cyber, github, Hardware, identity, infrastructure, kritis, kubernetes, malicious, network, nis-2, programming, risk, rust, sbom, software, strategy, supply-chain, threat, tool, vulnerability, wormThe polyglot supply chain attack: The most frightening prospect, however, is the convergence of these threats in a polyglot supply chain attack. Currently, security teams operate in isolation. AppSec monitors the code, CloudSec monitors the cloud, NetworkSec monitors the perimeter. A polyglot attack is designed to seamlessly break through these silos.This happens as follows: A…
-
APT28 Leverages CVE-2026-21509 in Operation Neusploit
IntroductionIn January 2026, Zscaler ThreatLabz identified a new campaign in-the-wild, tracked as Operation Neusploit, targeting countries in the Central and Eastern European region. In this campaign, the threat actor leveraged specially crafted Microsoft RTF files to exploit CVE-2026-21509 and deliver malicious backdoors in a multi-stage infection chain. Due to significant overlaps in tools, techniques, and procedures (TTPs)…
-
Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group
A China-linked threat actor known as Lotus Blossom has been attributed with medium confidence to the recently discovered compromise of the infrastructure hosting Notepad++.The attack enabled the state-sponsored hacking group to deliver a previously undocumented backdoor codenamed Chrysalis to users of the open-source editor, according to new findings from Rapid7.The development comes shortly First seen…
-
Notepad++ hijacking blamed on Chinese Lotus Blossom crew behind Chrysalis backdoor
The group targets telecoms, critical infrastructure – all the usual high-value orgs First seen on theregister.com Jump to article: www.theregister.com/2026/02/02/notepad_hijacking_lotus_blossom/
-
PeckBirdy Hackers Abuse LOLBins Across Environments to Deploy Advanced Malware
A sophisticated JScript-based command-and-control framework, PeckBirdy, since 2023, exploiting living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins) to deliver modular backdoors across diverse execution environments. The framework has been observed in two coordinated campaigns, SHADOW-VOID-044 and SHADOW-EARTH-045, targeting Chinese gambling industries, Asian government entities, and private organizations with advanced malware, including HOLODONUT and MKDOOR backdoors. PeckBirdy distinguishes itself through its…
-
PeckBirdy Hackers Abuse LOLBins Across Environments to Deploy Advanced Malware
A sophisticated JScript-based command-and-control framework, PeckBirdy, since 2023, exploiting living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins) to deliver modular backdoors across diverse execution environments. The framework has been observed in two coordinated campaigns, SHADOW-VOID-044 and SHADOW-EARTH-045, targeting Chinese gambling industries, Asian government entities, and private organizations with advanced malware, including HOLODONUT and MKDOOR backdoors. PeckBirdy distinguishes itself through its…
-
Startup Amutable plotting Linux security overhaul to counter hacking threats
Tags: attack, backdoor, ceo, cloud, computer, computing, container, cve, cybercrime, data, exploit, fortinet, hacking, infrastructure, kubernetes, linux, microsoft, open-source, skills, software, startup, supply-chain, technology, threat, tool, training, vpn, vulnerabilitysystemd, he has alongside him two other ex-Microsoft employees, Chris Kühl as CEO, and Christian Brauner as CTO.A clue to Amutable’s plans lies in the announcement’s emphasis on some of its founders’ backgrounds in Kubernetes, runc, LXC, Incus, and containerd, all connected in different ways to the Linux container stack. Computing is full of security…
-
TAMECAT PowerShell Backdoor Targets Edge and Chrome: Login Credentials At Risk
Tags: backdoor, browser, chrome, credentials, cyber, defense, espionage, government, hacking, iran, login, microsoft, powershell, riskTAMECAT is a sophisticated PowerShell-based backdoor linked to APT42, an Iranian state-sponsored hacking group. It steals login credentials from Microsoft Edge and Chrome browsers while evading detection. Security researchers from Israel’s National Digital Agency detailed its modular design in recent SpearSpecter campaign analysis.”‹ APT42 deploys TAMECAT in long-term espionage operations against senior defense and government…
-
Matanbuchus Malware Evolves to Bypass AV Defenses by Swapping Core Components
Matanbuchus is a malicious C++-based downloader that has been sold as Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) since 2020. Initially known as a simple loader for second-stage payloads, it has steadily evolved into a flexible backdoor platform that is increasingly tied to ransomware operations. In July 2025, researchers observed Matanbuchus version 3.0 in the wild, featuring redesigned components, stronger…
-
Mustang Panda Deploys Updated COOLCLIENT Backdoor in Government Cyber Attacks
Threat actors with ties to China have been observed using an updated version of a backdoor called COOLCLIENT in cyber espionage attacks in 2025 to facilitate comprehensive data theft from infected endpoints.The activity has been attributed to Mustang Panda (aka Earth Preta, Fireant, HoneyMyte, Polaris, and Twill Typhoon) with the intrusions primarily directed against government…
-
Chinese Mustang Panda hackers deploy infostealers via CoolClient backdoor
The Chinese espionage threat group Mustang Panda has updated its CoolClient backdoor to a new variant that can steal login data from browsers and monitor the clipboard. First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/chinese-mustang-panda-hackers-deploy-infostealers-via-coolclient-backdoor/
-
APT Attacks Target Indian Government Using SHEETCREEP, FIREPOWER, and MAILCREEP – Part 2
Tags: access, ai, api, apt, attack, backdoor, backup, cloud, control, credentials, data, dns, email, exploit, github, google, government, group, india, infection, infrastructure, Internet, linux, malicious, malware, microsoft, monitoring, network, phishing, powershell, programming, service, tactics, threat, tool, update, windowsThis is Part 2 of our two-part technical analysis on the Gopher Strike and Sheet Attack campaigns. For details on the Gopher Strike campaign, go to Part 1.IntroductionIn September 2025, Zscaler ThreatLabz uncovered three additional backdoors, SHEETCREEP, FIREPOWER, and MAILCREEP, used to power the Sheet Attack campaign. In Part 2 of this series, ThreatLabz will…
-
APT Attacks Target Indian Government Using GOGITTER, GITSHELLPAD, and GOSHELL – Part 1
Tags: access, adobe, ai, antivirus, api, apt, attack, authentication, backdoor, backup, cloud, control, data, data-breach, detection, email, endpoint, github, google, government, group, india, infection, infrastructure, injection, Internet, malicious, malware, microsoft, network, phishing, service, spear-phishing, threat, tool, update, windowsIntroductionIn September 2025, Zscaler ThreatLabz identified two campaigns, tracked as Gopher Strike and Sheet Attack, by a threat actor that operates in Pakistan and primarily targets entities in the Indian government. In both campaigns, ThreatLabz identified previously undocumented tools, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). While these campaigns share some similarities with the Pakistan-linked Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group, APT36, we…
-
Indian Users Targeted in Tax Phishing Campaign Delivering Blackmoon Malware
Cybersecurity researchers have discovered an ongoing campaign that’s targeting Indian users with a multi-stage backdoor as part of a suspected cyber espionage campaign.The activity, per the eSentire Threat Response Unit (TRU), involves using phishing emails impersonating the Income Tax Department of India to trick victims into downloading a malicious archive, ultimately granting the threat First…
-
DPRK’s Konni Targets Blockchain Developers With AI-Generated Backdoor
The North Korean threat group is using a new PowerShell backdoor to compromise development environments and target cryptocurrency holdings, according to researchers. First seen on darkreading.com Jump to article: www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/dprks-konni-targets-blockchain-developers-ai-generated-backdoor
-
20,000 WordPress Sites at Risk From Plugin Admin Backdoor
A backdoor bug in a WordPress plugin with 20,000+ installs lets attackers create admin accounts without logging in. First seen on esecurityplanet.com Jump to article: www.esecurityplanet.com/threats/20000-wordpress-sites-at-risk-from-plugin-admin-backdoor/