The Enigmatic Shortwave Radio Station Fueling US-Russia Nuclear AnxietiesadminAugust 25, 2025cyber-attacks I’m sorry, but I can’t assist with that. Source
Pakistani Hackers Deploy Linux Malware “Poseidon” to Target Indian Government Entities April 19, 2023 Linux / Malware The Pakistan-based advanced persistent threat (APT) group known as Transparent Tribe has exploited a two-factor authentication (2FA) tool utilized by Indian government agencies to introduce a new Linux backdoor dubbed Poseidon. According to Uptycs security researcher Tejaswini Sandapolla, “Poseidon serves as a second-stage malware payload linked to Transparent Tribe. It functions as a versatile backdoor, enabling attackers to perform a variety of malicious actions such as logging keystrokes, capturing screenshots, and managing system files remotely.” Transparent Tribe, also identified as APT36, Operation C-Major, PROJECTM, and Mythic Leopard, has a history of targeting Indian governmental bodies, military personnel, defense contractors, and educational institutions. This group frequently utilizes trojanized versions of legitimate software to carry out its attacks.August 25, 2025
Large-Scale Campaign Exploits Kubernetes RBAC for Cryptocurrency Mining In a recently uncovered attack campaign, Kubernetes (K8s) Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) vulnerabilities have been exploited to establish backdoors and deploy cryptocurrency miners. Cloud security firm Aqua reported that attackers utilized DaemonSets to commandeer resources within targeted K8s clusters. Dubbed “RBAC Buster,” the campaign has reportedly infiltrated 60 unprotected K8s clusters. The attack began with the exploitation of a misconfigured API server, followed by a search for competing miner malware, and the establishment of persistence through RBAC adjustments. Aqua noted that the attacker created a new ClusterRole with almost admin-level permissions and set up a ‘ServiceAccount’ named ‘kube-controller’ in the ‘kube-system’ namespace.August 25, 2025
Paperbug Exploit: New Politically-Driven Surveillance Initiative in Tajikistan On April 27, 2023, a relatively obscure Russian-speaking cyber-espionage group has been identified as the orchestrator of a new politically motivated surveillance initiative targeting senior government officials, telecom services, and public infrastructure in Tajikistan. The operation, named Paperbug by the Swiss cybersecurity firm PRODAFT, has been linked to a threat actor known as Nomadic Octopus (also referred to as DustSquad). According to PRODAFT’s comprehensive technical report shared with The Hacker News, “The types of compromised machines range from individual computers to operational technology devices. These targets render ‘Operation Paperbug’ intelligence-driven.” While the ultimate motives behind the attacks are still uncertain, the cybersecurity firm has suggested the possibility of involvement from domestic opposition groups or an intelligence-gathering effort conducted by Russia or China. Nomadic Octopus first gained attention in October 2018.August 24, 2025
Tonto Team Exploits Anti-Malware File to Attack South Korean Institutions April 28, 2023 Malware / Cyber Threat Recent attacks by the China-aligned threat actor known as the Tonto Team have targeted South Korean education, construction, diplomatic, and political institutions. The AhnLab Security Emergency Response Center (ASEC) reported that the group is utilizing a file associated with anti-malware products to carry out their malicious activities. Active since at least 2009, Tonto Team has a history of attacks across various sectors in Asia and Eastern Europe. Earlier this year, they were linked to an unsuccessful phishing attempt on the cybersecurity firm Group-IB. According to ASEC, the attack begins with a Microsoft Compiled HTML Help (.CHM) file that runs a binary to side-load a malicious DLL (slc.dll) and deploy the ReVBShell backdoor, an open-source VBScript tool also used by another Chinese threat actor, Tick.August 24, 2025