30
30
45
30
45
30
45
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
China-Aligned Hackers Hide PeckBirdy Malware C2 Inside Casino and Adult Websites
Infoblox found China-aligned actors hiding PeckBirdy malware C2 inside fake Chinese-language casino and adult websites, evading security scans via service workers and WebSockets.
Infoblox reported that China-aligned actors behind the PeckBirdy JScript C2 framework conceal command-and-control inside low-quality Chinese-language casino and adult websites, extending Trend Micro's earlier findings that tied the framework to backdoors including MKDOOR and HOLODONUT. One decoy, vip311[.]cc, embedded JavaScript linked to cache-mcp[.]com and registered a service worker connecting to mcp-source[.]online over WebSocket; at publication mcp-source[.]online had zero VirusTotal detections, showing how the layered design evades conventional scanning. The campaign has been active since at least 2023, and just over 3% of Infoblox enterprise customers resolved at least one PeckBirdy C2 domain, with education, IT, banking and government among observed sectors.
62
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.
60
Hackers Clone Banking Apps Into Hidden Android Work Profiles to Evade Fraud Detection
GoldFactory-linked Gigabud and Vwork malware clone banking apps into hidden Android work profiles to evade fraud detection across 11+ countries.
Group-IB links Vwork, a modified version of the open-source Shelter app cloner, to the GoldFactory group and its Gigabud Android RAT, which clones victim banking apps into an isolated work profile so fraud sessions look clean to banks. From February through July 2026, researchers observed about 1,469 compromised devices and 1,281 potentially compromised logins in Indonesia, with estimated losses near $960,939. Targets span Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, the Philippines, Thailand, Türkiye, Laos, and a GCC state; delivery uses fake airline, tax, government, and banking apps pushed via phishing sites, messaging apps, and social media.
58
GoldFactory Weaponizes Open-Source Vwork App Cloner in Gigabud Banking Malware Attacks
Group-IB says GoldFactory's Gigabud Android trojan uses Vwork, a weaponized Shelter fork, to clone banking apps into isolated Work Profiles and evade bank-side detection.
Group-IB's 'Hook for Gold' investigation found GoldFactory ships Vwork, a modified fork of the open-source Shelter app, alongside its Gigabud Android banking trojan, active since 2022. Vwork abuses Android Work Profile provisioning to clone banking apps into an isolated environment, weakening the link between detected malware signals and fraudulent transactions. Gigabud has targeted victims in Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond via fake airline, tax, and government apps requesting Accessibility and overlay permissions. In Indonesia, telemetry recorded about 1,469 compromised devices and roughly $960,939 in estimated losses between February and July 2026.
60
Risky Bulletin: Expired cards can be used for new transactions
Researchers show expired Visa contactless cards can be revived via NFC man-in-the-middle relay to run fraudulent transactions; roundup also covers major breaches.
University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers built an NFC man-in-the-middle rig that updates a card's expiration date in transit and relays the modified payment to POS terminals, reviving expired contactless cards; Visa terminals and the backends of all five banks studied failed to catch the manipulation. The same roundup reports Iranian hackers shut down a small UK power plant for four days, Lazarus breached South Korea's Presidential Office as part of a campaign exceeding 100 victims, and French telecom SFR suffered a breach affecting over 2.1 million customers.
55
The Fractured Block Campaign: CARROTBAT Used to Deliver Malware Targeting Southeast Asia
Unit 42 uncovers the Fractured Block campaign using the CARROTBAT dropper to deliver SYSCON and OceanSalt malware in cryptocurrency-themed attacks across Southeast Asia.
Unit 42 identified 29 CARROTBAT dropper samples used in the Fractured Block campaign, delivering decoy documents on cryptocurrencies, exchanges, and Korean political topics. Early samples delivered the SYSCON RAT, which uses FTP for command and control, while later ones dropped the previously reported OceanSalt malware. CARROTBAT supports 11 decoy file formats and uses certutil to download and execute payloads. Initial discovery stemmed from a December 2017 spear phishing attack on a British government agency, with infrastructure overlap tying the campaign to KONNI activity.
42
30
30
45
45
30
30
30
30
30
35
30
30
45
30
30
30
30
30
30