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  • Joined: September 10, 2024
  • Articles: 5652

Advanced DownEx Malware Campaign Targets Central Asian Governments

May 10, 2023
Malware / Cyber Attack

Central Asian government entities are under threat from a sophisticated espionage operation utilizing a previously unidentified strain of malware known as DownEx. In a report shared with The Hacker News, cybersecurity firm Bitdefender indicated that the malicious activities are ongoing, with indications pointing towards involvement from Russia-based threat actors. The malware was first detected in a highly targeted assault on foreign government institutions in Kazakhstan in late 2022, followed by an attack in Afghanistan. The use of a diplomat-themed lure document and the campaign’s emphasis on data exfiltration imply the actions of a state-sponsored group, although the exact identity of the hacking organization remains unclear. The campaign’s initial breach method appears to involve spear-phishing emails containing a malicious payload disguised as a Microsoft Word file.

Sophisticated DownEx Malware Campaign Targets Central Asian Governments A newly identified malware campaign, known as DownEx, is targeting government institutions in Central Asia, raising significant concerns within the cybersecurity community. According to a recent report by Bitdefender, the ongoing campaign…

AI in Action: Key Real-World Applications Webinar

Presented by Red Hat 60 mins The rise of Generative AI is prompting organizations across various sectors to consider how they can integrate AI capabilities into their applications. Many anticipate that Generative AI will enhance enterprise operations by increasing employee…

RansomHub Disappears on April 1; Affiliates Shift to Qilin as DragonForce Takes Over

April 30, 2025
Cybercrime / Threat Intelligence

Cybersecurity experts have reported that RansomHub’s online operations unexpectedly went offline on April 1, 2025, raising alarm among its affiliates in the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) ecosystem. According to Singaporean cybersecurity firm Group-IB, this disruption has likely led to affiliates migrating to Qilin, with evidence showing that disclosures on its data leak site have surged since February. RansomHub, which debuted in February 2024, has reportedly compromised data from over 200 victims. It quickly eclipsed prominent RaaS groups LockBit and BlackCat, attracting affiliates like Scattered Spider and Evil Corp with enticing profit-sharing models. “After potentially acquiring the web application and source code for Knight (formerly Cyclops), RansomHub swiftly gained traction in the ransomware landscape, leveraging a feature-rich multi-platform encryptor and a robust, affiliate-friendly approach…”

RansomHub Disappears from the Cyber Landscape; Affiliates Shift to Qilin While DragonForce Claims Leadership April 30, 2025 In a significant turn of events within the cybercriminal ecosystem, the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation known as RansomHub has unexpectedly gone offline as of…

Two Separate Botnets Target Wazuh Server Vulnerability for Mirai-Based Attacks

June 09, 2025
Wazuh Server Vulnerability

A critical security flaw in the Wazuh Server, now patched, has been exploited by threat actors to deploy two distinct variants of the Mirai botnet for executing distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Akamai, which identified these exploitation efforts in late March 2025, reports that the campaign is targeting CVE-2025-24016 (CVSS score: 9.9), a dangerous deserialization vulnerability enabling remote code execution on affected Wazuh servers. This vulnerability impacts all server software versions from 4.4.0 onward and was addressed in February 2025 with the release of version 4.9.1. A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit became publicly available around the same time. The issue stems from the Wazuh API, where parameters in the DistributedAPI are serialized as JSON and then deserialized using “as_wazuh_object” in the framework/wazuh/core/cluster/common.py file. Malicious actors can exploit this vulnerability by injecting harmful JSON…

Two Separate Botnets Exploit Wazuh Server Vulnerability for Mirai-Based Attacks On June 9, 2025, cybersecurity experts reported that a critical vulnerability in the Wazuh Server is being actively exploited by malicious actors to deploy two different variants of the Mirai…

Researchers Discover Advanced Backdoor and Custom Implant in Year-Long Cyber Operation

May 15, 2023
Cyber Threat / Malware

A fresh cyber threat has emerged, targeting government, aviation, education, and telecom sectors across South and Southeast Asia. This campaign, linked to a newly identified hacking group, began in mid-2022 and extended into early 2023. Symantec, a division of Broadcom Software, has dubbed this activity “Lancefly,” identifying a sophisticated backdoor known as Merdoor. Investigation reveals that this custom implant may have been in use as early as 2018. The campaign’s objectives appear to focus on intelligence gathering, given the tools employed and the specific targets chosen. According to Symantec’s analysis shared with The Hacker News, “The backdoor is deployed very selectively, impacting only a limited number of networks and devices over the years, indicating a highly targeted approach.” Additionally, the attackers appear to possess an updated version of the ZXShell rootkit.

Researchers Identify Sophisticated Backdoor and Custom Implant Amid Extended Cyber Campaign May 15, 2023 A newly identified hacking group has executed a sustained cyber campaign impacting key sectors including government, aviation, education, and telecommunications across South and Southeast Asia. This…

US Government Pursues Medical Records of Transgender Youth

Concerns Rise as Doctor’s Safety and Cybersecurity Incidents Escalate A doctor whose hospital was recently targeted by a subpoena has expressed growing concerns for personal safety, stating, “I’m looking over my shoulder driving home.” This heightened sense of vulnerability is…