Threat actors continue to exploit Log4j flaws, Microsoft Warns
60
60
60
60
60
Iranian cyber targeting of dissidents, activists and journalists
UK NCSC, FBI, and Dutch AIVD expose CHOSEN BRICK spyware used by Iranian state actors against dissidents, activists, and journalists worldwide.
A joint advisory from the UK NCSC, FBI, and Dutch AIVD details CHOSEN BRICK, a Windows spyware family used by Iranian state cyber actors since at least 2025 against dissidents, activists, and journalists in the UK, US, and Netherlands. Actors build rapport on WhatsApp and Telegram impersonating known contacts or platform support, then deliver disguised payloads resembling apps such as Telegram, Norton, RunwayML, or fake MRI results. The malware persists via HKCU Run registry keys, adds Microsoft Defender exclusions, and uses a unique Telegram bot C2 per victim. Capabilities include screen capture, microphone recording, process enumeration, email and messaging data theft, file deletion, and system wiping; victim data has appeared on pro-Iranian leak sites.
78
Attackers Turn Trusted Node.js Runtime Into Malware Delivery Tool in Targeted Attacks
Symantec reports multiple threat actors, including KongTuke, abusing the trusted signed Node.js runtime and blockchain C2 (EtherHiding) to deliver backdoors in targeted attacks.
Symantec's Threat Hunter Team (Broadcom) reports that since February 2026 attackers have used the legitimate signed node.exe binary and interpreted scripts to deliver implants while evading signature-based detection, hitting government departments, technology companies, and hotels. One intrusion at an Asian technology firm (March 23–July 25, 2026) used ClickFix social engineering, the official Node.js installer, and EtherHiding to fetch commands via the Ethereum blockchain after AdaptixC2 and Cobalt Strike attempts were blocked. Related chains involve KongTuke (Woodgnat) using ModeloRAT, Mistic, NexShield, and GateKeeper, plus C2Looper, AsukaStealer, and EtherRAT; GuidePoint Security separately linked a fake-CAPTCHA ClickFix campaign to at least 31 compromised organizations using the Polygon blockchain as a dynamic C2 address book.
62
60
Hackers Disable Endpoint Protection and Deploy Sliver Across Compromised Windows Domain
The Hunter's Ledger tracked campaign UTA-2026-024 using Sliver C2, Domain Admin account creation, and Ethereum-based C2 rotation to compromise a US organization's Windows domain.
The Hunter's Ledger tracked an intrusion at one unnamed US organization as UTA-2026-024, staged from exposed server 193.233.202.17 with a Sliver beacon. Operators created a non-expiring Domain Admin account, enabled RDP with NLA disabled, dumped SAM, SYSTEM and SECURITY hives plus LSASS memory, and disabled eight endpoint protection services. A Node.js implant resolved its C2 server from an Ethereum smart contract that rotated domains five times in five months, while SYSTEM scheduled tasks with backdated dates and DNS allowlist manipulation provided persistence. The infrastructure ties to a confirmed ransomware incident, but no encryptor deployment was proven in this intrusion.
45
60
60
60
60
Iranian spies hit Windows machines with Chosen Brick data-stealing malware
FBI, UK NCSC, and Dutch AIVD warn Iranian intelligence uses Chosen Brick spyware against dissidents, stealing contacts, emails, and messaging data.
A joint advisory from the FBI, UK NCSC, and Dutch AIVD says Iranian state cyber actors have used the Chosen Brick Windows malware since at least 2025 to surveil dissidents, activists, and journalists. Attacks begin with heavily researched WhatsApp and Telegram messages impersonating trusted contacts, tricking victims into opening fake installers resembling Pictory, RunwayML, Norton Antivirus, Telegram, Adobe Flash Player, and KeePass. The malware persists via the HKCU Run registry key, adds Microsoft Defender exclusions, uses victim-specific Telegram bots for C2, captures screen and audio, steals emails and Telegram/WhatsApp data, and can wipe systems.
68
60
60
60
Financially Motivated Threat Actor BREEZE COMET Targets Brazil
Google Threat Intelligence details BREEZE COMET, a financially motivated group manipulating Brazilian payment systems and banking software to conduct fraudulent transfers since 2024.
Mandiant and Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) track this activity as BREEZE COMET (formerly UNC5669), active since 2024 against Brazilian financial services, retail, and eCommerce organizations. The actor specializes in manipulating payment systems and banking software to conduct fraudulent transfers. The activity overlaps with operations publicly reported as Plump Spider and SHADOW-AETHER-064. The report details the group's tactics, toolkit, mitigations, and detections for this active and developing threat.
55
UK and allies expose spyware used by Iranian state actors to target dissidents, activists and journalists
Joint advisory details Iranian spear-phishing campaign deploying CHOSEN BRICK spyware to surveil dissidents, activists, and journalists across UK, US, Netherlands.
The NCSC (part of GCHQ), FBI, and AIVD jointly warned that Iranian state actors impersonate trusted contacts on WhatsApp and Telegram to deploy the CHOSEN BRICK spyware against dissidents, activists, and journalists worldwide. The Windows-only malware is persistent across reboots and collects contacts, emails, social media messages, screen captures, and microphone audio. Stolen personal details of some victims have been published on pro-Iranian leak sites. The FBI published complementary technical analysis, and the NCSC offers free cyber defence services for high-risk individuals.
72
60
60
Hackers Compromised 14,500+ Dahua Devices Using Credential Attacks, Auth Bypasses, and P2P
Hunt.io disclosed Operation CameraSwarm, compromising 14,500+ Dahua cameras via credential attacks, auth bypass CVEs, and P2P relay techniques across Ukraine and Russia.
Hunt.io reconstructed a campaign codenamed Operation CameraSwarm that compromised over 14,530 Dahua devices between June 17 and July 22, 2026. Attack paths included credential attacks against 12,324 IPs, exploitation of CVE-2021-33044 and CVE-2021-33045 affecting 1,923 cameras, and P2P relay access to 283 devices behind NAT. The operator, assessed as Russian-speaking, left behind 2,616 files including tooling and campaign logs, with confirmed compromises concentrated in Ukraine and Russia. Dahua advises factory resets and firmware updates; both 2021 CVEs remain in CISA's KEV catalog.
64
Hackers Abuse VSSAdmin to Extract NTDS.dit and Delete Windows Recovery Copies
Huntress details intruders using PsExec and VSSAdmin on domain controllers to steal NTDS.dit credentials and delete shadow copies before ransomware.
Huntress analysts identified attackers launching SYSTEM-level command shells via PsExec on a domain controller, then running 'vssadmin create shadow' to snapshot and copy the NTDS.dit Active Directory database. Shadow copies were later deleted to destroy local recovery options ahead of a likely ransomware stage. Huntress recommends correlating VSS creation/deletion events with remote execution, DNS enumeration, and lateral movement rather than alerting on any single VSS event.
55
60
60
60
60
60
Claude Used to Automate Exploitation and Data Theft Across Multiple Victims
Anthropic's 154-page report details Generative Threat Groups, including APT29-linked GTG-20006 and ShinyHunters affiliates, using Claude for reconnaissance, exploitation, and data theft.
Anthropic reports that between December 2025 and August 2026 state-sponsored hackers, criminals, spyware vendors, and propaganda operators used its Claude models for cyber attacks, weapons design, propaganda, and mass surveillance. Notable clusters include GTG-50014, a ShinyHunters affiliate that scanned 1.8 million Android APKs for secrets via 10 AWS EC2 workers, GTG-10007, a Chinese-speaking group targeting roughly 50 organizations, and GTG-50029, a lone French-speaking actor exploiting a previously undocumented WordPress re-installation race condition. The report describes multi-agent frameworks autonomously executing reconnaissance, exploitation, and exfiltration against multiple victims, and influence operations that were disrupted before building authentic audiences.
78
NCSC and Allies Warn of Iranian Spyware Campaign
NCSC, FBI and AIVD warn Iranian-backed actors deliver Chosen Brick spyware to regime critics via social engineering; stolen data has surfaced on pro-Iranian leak sites.
NCSC, the FBI and the Netherlands' AIVD published a joint advisory warning that a Tehran-backed campaign, active since at least 2025, targets dissidents, activists and journalists with Chosen Brick spyware. The malware persists via Windows registry keys, adds Microsoft Defender exclusions, uses Telegram for C2, and captures screens, audio, emails and Telegram or WhatsApp messages. Stolen data has surfaced on pro-Iranian leak sites in some cases, raising risks to victims' personal safety.
76
Impersonating IT support: how threat actors turn a remote session into enterprise-wide access
Microsoft details Teams IT-support impersonation campaigns deploying Node.js implants, AD reconnaissance, and WinRM lateral movement toward domain controllers.
Microsoft Threat Intelligence describes a human-operated campaign where attackers impersonate IT/helpdesk staff via Microsoft Teams external collaboration, talk users into granting remote sessions, and use RMM tools for interactive access. During the session they run PowerShell to silently install a malicious MSI that stages a portable Node.js runtime and obfuscated JavaScript implant for C2, executing follow-on payloads via rundll32. Operators then perform host and Active Directory reconnaissance, capture desktop screenshots, and pivot via WinRM on port 5985 to domain controllers and certificate authorities. The hands-on-keyboard chain, which can precede data theft and ransomware, blends into normal operations by relying on Teams, Quick Assist, msiexec, and Node.js; Microsoft shares hunting and mitigation guidance.
82
60
Russian Cyber Threat Actor Uses GenAI to Compromise Fortinet Firewalls
60
North Korea-linked IT Workers Are Getting Hired Inside Western Companies
Huntress documented five DPRK-linked FAMOUS CHOLLIMA workers hired by Western companies in 2026 using fake identities, proxies and laptop farms.
Huntress published an investigation of five confirmed 2026 cases of North Korea-linked IT workers, tracked as FAMOUS CHOLLIMA, obtaining remote jobs at legitimate companies in IT, sales, marketing and healthcare. The workers use stolen or fabricated identity documents, VPNs and proxy services, and some were caught using PiKVM hardware-level control, travel routers and laptop farms to mask their true location. Detection relied on document forensics, behavioral anomalies and indicators like identical typo artifacts in electricity bills rather than network intrusions.
55
60
60
60
60
60
60