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14 stories in the last 30d

Infostealers Are Hijacking Claude Sessions and Draining Subscriptions

Infostealers hijacked active Claude sessions to bypass 2FA, drain paid usage and run unauthorized charges; Anthropic is revoking sessions and refunding.

Anthropic confirmed that infostealer malware on user machines stole active Claude login sessions, letting attackers bypass passwords, MFA, and SSO and drain paid usage and run unauthorized charges. Affected families identified on Windows include Vidar, LummaC2, StealC, RedLine, and Acreed, plus Atomic Stealer on a small number of Macs; the malware typically arrived via unofficial downloads or malicious apps. Anthropic signed users out, removed saved payment cards, revoked affected sessions, and is refunding unauthorized charges, noting phones and tablets were not involved.

Security Affairs · 16d agoMalware in the wild

TuxBot v3: Inside an IoT Botnet Framework With LLM

Unit 42 uncovers TuxBot v3, an LLM-assisted IoT botnet framework with 17-architecture builds, Telnet brute-forcing, and DDoS capabilities.

Palo Alto Unit 42 identified TuxBot v3 Evolution, a modular IoT botnet framework derived from AISURU, Wuhan-lineage botnets, and MHDDoS. The C-based bot brute-forces Telnet with 1,496 credential pairs, targets over 30 IoT device families, and communicates with a Go-based C2 over encrypted TCP with multiple fallback mechanisms including DGA, P2P, and DNS TXT. LLM-assisted development left hallucinated crypto implementations and broken exploit modules in the analyzed samples, though roughly 70% of core functionality works. Researchers warn polished production builds likely exist, raising the threat potential.

Palo Alto Unit 42 · 28d agoMalware1

When scanners miss the attack: how Cloudflare Client-Side Security protects storefronts

Cloudflare's Page Shield ML uncovered four malicious JavaScript campaigns on storefronts, including affiliate fraud and a remote-backdoor script, that VirusTotal and URLScan missed.

Cloudflare's Page Shield ML detected four client-side JavaScript operations (eight payloads) in live traffic on online storefronts, enabling affiliate commission hijacking, clickless affiliate theft via hidden iframes, user tracking with a remote-code backdoor, and cloaking of paid mobile visitors. Seven of the eight payloads were absent from VirusTotal and URLScan returned no malicious verdict for any, including a Lnkr-family payload indexed unclassified for roughly 2.5 years. Detection relies on a graph neural network over JavaScript syntax trees, an LLM second opinion on Workers AI, and a frontier-model ensemble voting across benign, magecart, other malware, and cryptomining labels.

Cloudflare Blog · 10h agoMalware in the wild

HBO Max’s verified Reddit account hijacked to spread malware

Cybercriminals hijacked HBO Max's verified Reddit account to run 108 ClickFix ads pushing AMOS and Amatera infostealers via fake HBO app sites.

Hudson Rock found that hijackers used HBO Max's verified Reddit account to run 108 malicious ads over roughly 48 hours promoting fake AI tools and macOS utilities. The ads led to HBO lookalike sites instructing victims to paste commands into Terminal or PowerShell, a ClickFix social-engineering technique ADAMnetworks dubbed PasteSwitch. macOS payloads included MacSync and AMOS infostealers targeting browser credentials, Telegram data, Apple Notes, passwords, and crypto recovery phrases; Windows users received the in-memory Amatera infostealer. The operation is also linked to cryptocurrency clipboard hijackers, and Reddit admins paused the ads and opened an investigation.

Malwarebytes Labs · 1d agoMalware in the wild 7 sources1

Twitch extension with 30K installs exposes users’ OAuth tokens

Twitch extension with 30,000+ installs exfiltrates users' OAuth session tokens to Russian-run JeetBot proxy servers.

Socket analysis shows the "Twitch Enhanced Viewer | JeetBot" browser extension, with over 30,000 installs on the official Chrome and Firefox stores, captures the Twitch web client's authorization header and extracts the user's OAuth token. The token is appended as an auth= URL parameter to video playlist requests routed through JeetBot proxy servers, landing in cleartext request logs retrievable by the Russian-language bot service vendor; ten hardcoded Russian-language channels are exempted. Earlier versions used more explicit token exfiltration, and the extension remained live in both stores at publication. Socket recommends removing the extension, disconnecting all Twitch sessions, and re-authenticating.

BleepingComputer · 2d agoMalware in the wild

The extension you never installed: KREMLIN forges Chrome's own integrity checks to steal banking sessions

Elastic details KREMLIN, a Brazilian banking malware whose malicious Chrome/Edge extension forges Chromium integrity checks to steal sessions.

Elastic Security Labs tracked operation REF9334 and its KREMLIN toolkit, a Brazilian banking malware campaign impersonating twelve banks across seven campaigns since May 2025. The infection chain uses multi-stage obfuscated JavaScript loaders with sandbox checks (file and process counting), scheduled-task persistence, and an Ethereum smart contract acting as a dead-drop resolver for C2 and payload URLs, abusing Archive.org for hosting. The malicious browser extension bypasses Chromium integrity mechanisms by manipulating Secure Preferences and regenerating required HMACs and App-Bound encrypted hashes. Threat Command disrupted over 1,500 infections by registering the kill-switch canary domain.

Elastic Security Labs · 3d agoMalware in the wild

Google’s Early Access is creating a blind spot for malicious apps

Bitdefender found thousands of Google Play Early Access apps with deceptive behavior, including ad-fraud-capable utilities requesting excessive permissions on Android devices.

Bitdefender Labs analyzed Google Play apps installed by its users and identified thousands of Early Access applications that appeared deceptive, including fake casino and reward games, misleading utilities, and apps using third-party trademarks, many promoted via social ads with AI deepfakes. Early Access apps cannot receive public reviews, removing a key warning signal users normally rely on. Some apps requested unusual permissions, such as a QR scanner seeking to replace the device launcher, which could enable hidden web views that click ads and potentially display fake login screens or capture two-factor codes. Bitdefender recommends Android Enterprise Work Profiles and notes Google Workspace admins can disable Early Access apps for their organization.

CSO Onlineupdated · 5d agofirst · 5d agoMalware 6 sources

Hackers Use Fake GTA 6 Downloads to Deploy RATs, Infostealers and Data-Wiping Malware

Huntress tracked fake GTA 6 downloads distributing NJRAT, DCRAT, Mercurial Grabber, and Chaos ransomware used as a wiper against gamers.

Cybercriminals are pushing fake Grand Theft Auto VI downloads through poisoned search results, gaming forums, torrent sites, and social media, targeting players seeking a leaked build before release. Huntress analyzed a sample bundling NJRAT, DCRAT, Mercurial Grabber, and Chaos ransomware in one package; fake ISO files exceed 100GB largely with junk data, and Russian-language prompts suggest the operators target Russian-speaking gamers. Chaos ransomware acts as a wiper, overwriting files larger than 200MB with random data, deleting shadow copies for admin users, and disabling recovery options rather than offering genuine ransom payment paths.

Cyber Security News · 6d agoMalware in the wild 3 sources

Gigabud Creates Android Work Profiles to Hide From Banking App Malware Checks

Group-IB reports the Gigabud Android banking trojan uses a cloned work profile to hide from banking app malware checks, with infections confirmed in Indonesia.

Group-IB says Gigabud installs a helper app called Vwork, derived from the open-source Shelter tool, which creates an Android work profile and drops a tampered banking app inside it, hiding the trojan from banking apps' malware scans. Gigabud, active since 2022 and linked by Group-IB to the GoldFactory group, abuses Accessibility access and overlay screens to steal credentials and run fraudulent payments while a black screen conceals the operator's actions. Group-IB confirmed the full attack chain on infected devices in Indonesia, counting about 1,469 compromised devices and estimated losses of roughly $960,000 between February and July 2026. Vwork-compatible Gigabud samples have been found targeting 11 countries including Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, and Türkiye, though only the Indonesian chain is confirmed.

The Hacker Newsupdated · 5d agofirst · 6d agoMalware in the wild 3 sources1

Gigabud Uses Android App Cloning to Evade Fraud Detection

Group-IB reports the Gigabud Android banking trojan clones bank apps into isolated work profiles via the Vwork tool to evade fraud detection, with roughly $960,000 in losses in Indonesia.

Group-IB found Gigabud now ships dedicated code to work with Vwork, a weaponized fork of the open-source Android cloning app Shelter it attributes to GoldFactory, exposing cloning functions so any installed app can call them. After installing via phishing sites and messengers posing as airline, tax and government apps, operators request accessibility and overlay permissions, then clone the victim's banking app into a new work profile where it is invisible to signature-based detection in the personal profile. Fake login screens and overlays capture credentials while cloned-app transactions appear to banks as coming from an unrecognized, malware-free device. Between February and July 2026 in Indonesia, Group-IB observed about 1,469 compromised devices, 1,281 potentially compromised logins and estimated losses of roughly $960,939, with Vwork-enabled samples targeting 11 countries including Brazil, Mexico, Egypt and Thailand.

Infosecurity Magazine · 7d agoMalware in the wild

Grand Theft Auto VI hype leads to malware

Fake GTA6 ISO downloads spread via SEO poisoning, torrents, and forums deliver NJRAT, DCRAT, an infostealer, and wiper ransomware.

Huntress analyzed a malicious ISO masquerading as a leaked Grand Theft Auto VI build; there is no official GTA6 demo or leaked playable copy. The fake gta6installer.exe shows a Russian 'license' message asking victims to email the attacker if the crack fails, then drops GTA6-branded files into %TEMP%. It installs multiple repurposed NJRAT copies (2023-era files) connecting to AWS-hosted IPs 35.157.111.131, 3.68.56.232, 3.67.15.169 and an ngrok tunnel, plus DCRAT communicating with a0700877.xsph.ru (141.8.197.42). The bundle also includes an infostealer and ransomware used as a wiper, in what appears to be an opportunistic, everything-at-once campaign.

Huntress · 7d agoMalware in the wild

Fake Minecraft Sites Are Still Spreading WeedHack After C2 Takedown

McAfee says WeedHack infostealer MaaS still spreads via ten fake Minecraft client sites and SEO poisoning despite C2 takedown, with 116,464 infections logged.

McAfee Labs' follow-up on the WeedHack Malware-as-a-Service operation, first documented in June 2026, found ten active fake Minecraft client sites and multiple file-hosting accounts still distributing the infostealer even after its C2 server went dark; over 6,300 user attempts were blocked in the past month. The campaign, running since January with 116,464 infected systems and 2,000-3,000 daily new victims, offered a free Discord-gated tier and a $5/month premium tier with webcam surveillance, and stole session cookies, passwords, browser data, and cryptocurrency wallets. Distribution relies on SEO poisoning that ranked fake sites such as nova-client.com above genuine GitHub repositories, with most malicious links coming via Discord (49.6%) and MediaFire (23.4%), and one fake site built with the AI website builder lovable.app.

Security Affairs · 22d agoMalware

Malware Hijacks Android Car Head Units

Kaspersky reports first known malware infecting Android car head units via firmware updaters, repurposing vehicles as BADBOX proxy nodes for ad fraud.

Kaspersky documented the first known malware infection of Android-based car head units, delivered through the built-in TWCore firmware updater on DoFun devices via an MQTT-driven installation flag. A multi-stage chain installs the JarService dropper and a loader that pulls a clicker and reverse proxy module ('zhima') used for ad fraud and proxy botnet infrastructure. The malware supports nine commands, including clipboard changes, HTTP requests, and JavaScript loading, checking in with C2 every 90 minutes. Kaspersky attributes the campaign with high confidence to MoYu Group, linked to the BADBOX botnet.

Security Affairs · 25d agoMalware in the wild

FrostyGoop’s Zoom-In: A Closer Look into the Malware Artifacts, Behaviors and Network Communications

Unit 42 dissects FrostyGoop OT malware, which sent Modbus TCP commands to disrupt heating for 600+ apartment buildings in Ukraine.

Palo Alto Unit 42 analyzed new FrostyGoop/BUSTLEBERM samples, the ninth known ICS-centric malware, first used against a Ukrainian municipal energy company by sending Modbus TCP commands to ENCO control devices. The attack caused a two-day heating outage affecting over 600 apartment buildings during sub-zero temperatures. The Go-compiled malware accepts Modbus register operations and timing parameters via command-line arguments or a JSON configuration file, uses an obscure open-source Modbus library, and checks the Windows BeingDebugged flag to evade debuggers. Unit 42 telemetry recorded over 1 million Modbus TCP devices exposed to the internet between September and October 2024.

Palo Alto Unit 42 · 28d agoMalware in the wild