Malware

Pierluigi Paganini January 02, 2026
Two U.S. cybersecurity professionals plead guilty in BlackCat/Alphv ransomware case

Two U.S. cybersecurity professionals pleaded guilty to charges tied to their roles in BlackCat/Alphv ransomware attacks. The U.S. cybersecurity professionals Ryan Goldberg and Kevin Martin pleaded guilty to charges tied to their roles in BlackCat/Alphv ransomware attacks that occurred in 2023. Court records show Ryan Goldberg, Kevin Martin, and a co-conspirator deployed ALPHV BlackCat ransomware […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 30, 2025
Mustang Panda deploys ToneShell via signed kernel-mode rootkit driver

China-linked APT Mustang Panda used a signed kernel-mode rootkit driver to load shellcode and deploy its ToneShell backdoor. China-linked APT Mustang Panda (aka Hive0154, HoneyMyte, Camaro Dragon, RedDelta or Bronze President) was observed using a signed kernel-mode rootkit driver with embedded shellcode to deploy its ToneShell backdoor. Mustang Panda has been active since at least 2012, targeting American and European entities such as […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 30, 2025
Lithuanian suspect arrested over KMSAuto malware that infected 2.8M systems

A Lithuanian national was arrested for allegedly spreading KMSAuto malware that stole clipboard data and infected 2.8 million Windows and Office systems. A Lithuanian man (29) was arrested for allegedly spreading KMSAuto-based clipboard-stealing malware that infected about 2.8 million Windows and Office systems. The man was extradited from Georgia to South Korea under Interpol coordination. […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 29, 2025
Romania’s Oltenia Energy Complex suffers major ransomware attack

A ransomware attack hit Romania’s Oltenia Energy Complex on December 26, knocking out IT systems at the country’s largest coal power producer. A ransomware attack disrupted Oltenia Energy Complex, Romania’s largest coal-based power producer, shutting down its IT systems on December 26. The Oltenia Energy Complex (CE Oltenia) is Romania’s leading state-controlled lignite mining and […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 29, 2025
Evasive Panda cyberespionage campaign uses DNS poisoning to install MgBot backdoor

China-linked APT Evasive Panda used DNS poisoning to deliver the MgBot backdoor in targeted cyber-espionage attacks in Türkiye, China, and India. Kaspersky researchers spotted the China-linked APT group Evasive Panda (aka Daggerfly, Bronze Highland, and StormBamboo) running a targeted cyber-espionage campaign using DNS poisoning to deliver the MgBot backdoor against victims in Türkiye, China, and […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 28, 2025
SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 77

Security Affairs Malware newsletter includes a collection of the best articles and research on malware in the international landscape Malware Newsletter Choose Your Fighter: A New Stage in the Evolution of Android SMS Stealers in Uzbekistan From Linear to Complex: An Upgrade in RansomHouse Encryption   Prince of Persia: A Decade of Iranian Nation-State APT Campaign […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 27, 2025
NPM package with 56,000 downloads compromises WhatsApp accounts

An NPM package with over 56,000 downloads stole WhatsApp credentials, hid its activity, and installed a backdoor. Koi Security researchers warned that the NPM package ‘Lotusbail’, a WhatsApp Web API library and fork of ‘Baileys’, has been stealing users’ credentials and data. The package has been available for six months and has had over 56,000 […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 22, 2025
Romanian Waters confirms cyberattack, critical water operations unaffected

Romania’s national water management authority, Romanian Waters, was hit by a ransomware attack over the weekend. Romanian Waters (Administrația Națională Apele Române), the country’s water management authority, suffered a ransomware attack over the weekend. According to the National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC), the incident affected around 1,000 computer systems across the central organization and 10 […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 22, 2025
Ukrainian hacker pleads guilty to Nefilim Ransomware attacks in U.S.

Ukrainian Artem Stryzhak (35) pleaded guilty in the U.S. for Nefilim ransomware attacks; he was arrested in Spain in 2024, extradited in April 2025. A 35-year-old Ukrainian, Artem Aleksandrovych Stryzhak (35), pleaded guilty in the U.S. for Nefilim ransomware attacks. The Ukrainian citizen was arrested in Spain in 2024 and extradited to the US in […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 21, 2025
SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 76

Security Affairs Malware newsletter includes a collection of the best articles and research on malware in the international landscape Malware Newsletter CyberVolk | A Deep Dive into the Hacktivists, Tools and Ransomware Fueling Pro-Russian Cyber Attacks Operation MoneyMount-ISO — Deploying Phantom Stealer via ISO-Mounted Executables     Inside GhostPoster: How a PNG Icon Infected 50,000 Firefox Users […]