The Breach News

North Korean Hackers Unleash New KLogEXE and FPSpy Malware in Targeted Assaults

Date: Sep 26, 2024
Category: Cyber Attack / Malware

Cybercriminals linked to North Korea have been detected deploying two new malware variants, KLogEXE and FPSpy. These activities have been connected to the threat group known as Kimsuky, also referred to as APT43, ARCHIPELAGO, Black Banshee, Emerald Sleet (formerly Thallium), Sparkling Pisces, Springtail, and Velvet Chollima. “These new samples expand Sparkling Pisces’ already extensive toolkit and highlight the group’s ongoing evolution and enhanced capabilities,” stated Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 researchers Daniel Frank and Lior Rochberger. Active since at least 2012, this group has earned the moniker “king of spear-phishing” for its skill in deceiving victims into downloading malware via emails that appear to originate from trusted sources. Unit 42’s investigation into Sparkling Pisces’ infrastructure has revealed the emergence of two new portable executables, KLogEXE and FPSpy. “These malware strains are known to be…

N. Korean Hackers Unleash New KLogEXE and FPSpy Malware in Targeted Campaigns On September 26, 2024, cybersecurity experts revealed that threat actors associated with North Korea have introduced two new malware strains, KLogEXE and FPSpy, into their cyber offensive toolkit. This initiative is linked to a group known as Kimsuky,…

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North Korean Hackers Unleash New KLogEXE and FPSpy Malware in Targeted Assaults

Date: Sep 26, 2024
Category: Cyber Attack / Malware

Cybercriminals linked to North Korea have been detected deploying two new malware variants, KLogEXE and FPSpy. These activities have been connected to the threat group known as Kimsuky, also referred to as APT43, ARCHIPELAGO, Black Banshee, Emerald Sleet (formerly Thallium), Sparkling Pisces, Springtail, and Velvet Chollima. “These new samples expand Sparkling Pisces’ already extensive toolkit and highlight the group’s ongoing evolution and enhanced capabilities,” stated Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 researchers Daniel Frank and Lior Rochberger. Active since at least 2012, this group has earned the moniker “king of spear-phishing” for its skill in deceiving victims into downloading malware via emails that appear to originate from trusted sources. Unit 42’s investigation into Sparkling Pisces’ infrastructure has revealed the emergence of two new portable executables, KLogEXE and FPSpy. “These malware strains are known to be…

Navigating Diverse State AI Regulations Amid US Deregulation

Agentic AI, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Government Schellman CEO Avani Desai Discusses Balancing Innovation and Compliance Amid Market Changes Anna Delaney (annamadeline) • August 15, 2025 Avani Desai, CEO, Schellman The recent AI action plan initiated by the Trump administration marks a significant shift towards deregulation, effectively lifting a…

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Czech Republic Accuses China-Linked APT31 Hackers in 2022 Cyberattack on Foreign Ministry

May 28, 2025
Cybersecurity / Cyber Espionage

On Wednesday, the Czech Republic officially charged a threat actor connected to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with a cyber intrusion targeting its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a public announcement, the government revealed that it identified China as responsible for a malicious campaign affecting one of the Ministry’s unclassified networks. The full scope of the breach remains unclear. “The malicious activity […] began in 2022 and impacted an institution designated as critical infrastructure in the Czech Republic,” the statement said. The attack has been linked to the state-sponsored group APT31, which overlaps with threat clusters known as Altaire, Bronze Vinewood, Judgement Panda, PerplexedGoblin, RedBravo, Red Keres, and Violet Typhoon (formerly Zirconium). This hacking group, publicly associated with the Ministry of State Security (MSS) and the Hubei State Security Department, has been active since at least 2010, according to the U.S. Department of…

Czech Republic Accuses China-Linked APT31 of 2022 Cyberattack On May 28, 2025, the Czech Republic’s government officially attributed a cyberattack that took place in 2022 to a state-sponsored actor linked to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The targeted entity was the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specifically its unclassified…

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Czech Republic Accuses China-Linked APT31 Hackers in 2022 Cyberattack on Foreign Ministry

May 28, 2025
Cybersecurity / Cyber Espionage

On Wednesday, the Czech Republic officially charged a threat actor connected to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with a cyber intrusion targeting its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a public announcement, the government revealed that it identified China as responsible for a malicious campaign affecting one of the Ministry’s unclassified networks. The full scope of the breach remains unclear. “The malicious activity […] began in 2022 and impacted an institution designated as critical infrastructure in the Czech Republic,” the statement said. The attack has been linked to the state-sponsored group APT31, which overlaps with threat clusters known as Altaire, Bronze Vinewood, Judgement Panda, PerplexedGoblin, RedBravo, Red Keres, and Violet Typhoon (formerly Zirconium). This hacking group, publicly associated with the Ministry of State Security (MSS) and the Hubei State Security Department, has been active since at least 2010, according to the U.S. Department of…

AT&T Could Compensate Customers Up to $7,500 in $177 Million Data Breach Settlement – MSN

AT&T Agrees to $177 Million Settlement for Data Breach, Offering Customers Potential Compensation of Up to $7,500 In a significant development for data privacy, telecommunications giant AT&T has consented to a settlement of $177 million following a massive data breach that compromised sensitive information of millions of customers. This settlement…

Read MoreAT&T Could Compensate Customers Up to $7,500 in $177 Million Data Breach Settlement – MSN

CISA Updates KEV Catalog with 3 New Vulnerabilities Affecting AMI MegaRAC, D-Link, and Fortinet

On June 26, 2025, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added three security vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, all of which are subject to active exploitation. These vulnerabilities affect AMI MegaRAC, D-Link DIR-859 routers, and Fortinet FortiOS. The details of the vulnerabilities are as follows:

  • CVE-2024-54085 (CVSS score: 10.0): An authentication bypass vulnerability in the Redfish Host Interface of AMI MegaRAC SPx, which could enable a remote attacker to gain control.
  • CVE-2024-0769 (CVSS score: 5.3): A path traversal vulnerability in D-Link DIR-859 routers that facilitates privilege escalation and unauthorized control (currently unpatched).
  • CVE-2019-6693 (CVSS score: 4.2): A hard-coded cryptographic key issue in FortiOS, FortiManager, and FortiAnalyzer used for encrypting password data in CLI configurations, potentially allowing an attacker with access to the CLI configuration or backup file to decrypt sensitive information.

CISA Updates KEV Catalog with Three Critical Vulnerabilities Affecting AMI MegaRAC, D-Link, and Fortinet On June 26, 2025, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) expanded its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog to include three significant security flaws. These vulnerabilities have been identified as actively exploited and are associated…

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CISA Updates KEV Catalog with 3 New Vulnerabilities Affecting AMI MegaRAC, D-Link, and Fortinet

On June 26, 2025, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added three security vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, all of which are subject to active exploitation. These vulnerabilities affect AMI MegaRAC, D-Link DIR-859 routers, and Fortinet FortiOS. The details of the vulnerabilities are as follows:

  • CVE-2024-54085 (CVSS score: 10.0): An authentication bypass vulnerability in the Redfish Host Interface of AMI MegaRAC SPx, which could enable a remote attacker to gain control.
  • CVE-2024-0769 (CVSS score: 5.3): A path traversal vulnerability in D-Link DIR-859 routers that facilitates privilege escalation and unauthorized control (currently unpatched).
  • CVE-2019-6693 (CVSS score: 4.2): A hard-coded cryptographic key issue in FortiOS, FortiManager, and FortiAnalyzer used for encrypting password data in CLI configurations, potentially allowing an attacker with access to the CLI configuration or backup file to decrypt sensitive information.

New HTML Smuggling Scheme Distributes DCRat Malware to Russian-Speaking Users

On September 27, 2024

GenAI / Cybercrime

A recent campaign is specifically targeting Russian-speaking users by spreading the DCRat malware (also known as DarkCrystal RAT) through a method known as HTML smuggling. This marks the first instance of this malware being delivered via this technique, shifting away from traditional methods such as compromised websites or phishing emails that included malicious PDF attachments or Excel documents with macros. “HTML smuggling serves primarily as a means of delivering the payload,” explained Netskope researcher Nikhil Hegde in an analysis released Thursday. “The payload can either be embedded directly within the HTML or fetched from an external source.” The HTML files can be distributed via fake websites or malicious spam emails. When victims open the file in their web browser, the hidden payload is decoded and downloaded to their system. The success of this attack relies significantly on social engineering tactics to persuade the victim to execute the file.

New HTML Smuggling Campaign Targets Russian-Speaking Users with DCRat Malware September 27, 2024 GenAI / Cybercrime A recent cybersecurity development highlights a targeted campaign aimed at Russian-speaking users, delivering the commodity trojan known as DCRat, also referred to as DarkCrystal RAT, through a method known as HTML smuggling. This represents…

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New HTML Smuggling Scheme Distributes DCRat Malware to Russian-Speaking Users

On September 27, 2024

GenAI / Cybercrime

A recent campaign is specifically targeting Russian-speaking users by spreading the DCRat malware (also known as DarkCrystal RAT) through a method known as HTML smuggling. This marks the first instance of this malware being delivered via this technique, shifting away from traditional methods such as compromised websites or phishing emails that included malicious PDF attachments or Excel documents with macros. “HTML smuggling serves primarily as a means of delivering the payload,” explained Netskope researcher Nikhil Hegde in an analysis released Thursday. “The payload can either be embedded directly within the HTML or fetched from an external source.” The HTML files can be distributed via fake websites or malicious spam emails. When victims open the file in their web browser, the hidden payload is decoded and downloaded to their system. The success of this attack relies significantly on social engineering tactics to persuade the victim to execute the file.

Russia Intensifies Restrictions on End-to-End Encrypted Calls

A recent collaborative investigation by WIRED, The Markup, and CalMatters has unveiled that numerous data brokers are purposefully obscuring their opt-out and data deletion tools from Google Search results. This tactic complicates the ability of consumers to locate and utilize these privacy options, raising significant concerns about data privacy practices.…

Read MoreRussia Intensifies Restrictions on End-to-End Encrypted Calls

How Cybersecurity Positioned Estonia as a Leader in the Space Industry

Explore topics in Governance & Risk Management, Operational Technology (OT), and Video. Insights from Space Policy and Technology Director Paul Liias on Satellite Security Challenges By Tony Morbin (@tonymorbin) • August 15, 2025 Paul Liias, Head of Space Policy and Tech, Estonia The potential disruption of civil and military satellite…

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Iranian Hacker Admits Guilt in $19 Million Robbinhood Ransomware Attack Targeting Baltimore

Date: May 28, 2025
Category: Ransomware / Data Breach

An Iranian national has acknowledged his involvement in a major ransomware and extortion operation linked to the Robbinhood ransomware in the U.S. Sina Gholinejad (also known as Sina Ghaaf), 37, along with his accomplices, infiltrated the computer networks of multiple U.S. organizations, encrypting files and demanding Bitcoin ransoms. Arrested in North Carolina in early January, Gholinejad pleaded guilty to charges of computer fraud and abuse, as well as conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces up to 30 years in prison, with his sentencing set for August 2025. The U.S. Department of Justice reported that these cyberattacks led to significant disruptions and financial losses exceeding $19 million for cities like Greenville, North Carolina, and Baltimore, Maryland.

Iranian Hacker Pleads Guilty in $19 Million Robbinhood Ransomware Attack on Baltimore May 28, 2025 In a significant development in the realm of cybersecurity, an Iranian national, Sina Gholinejad, has entered a guilty plea in the United States for his role in an extensive ransomware operation that leveraged the notorious…

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Iranian Hacker Admits Guilt in $19 Million Robbinhood Ransomware Attack Targeting Baltimore

Date: May 28, 2025
Category: Ransomware / Data Breach

An Iranian national has acknowledged his involvement in a major ransomware and extortion operation linked to the Robbinhood ransomware in the U.S. Sina Gholinejad (also known as Sina Ghaaf), 37, along with his accomplices, infiltrated the computer networks of multiple U.S. organizations, encrypting files and demanding Bitcoin ransoms. Arrested in North Carolina in early January, Gholinejad pleaded guilty to charges of computer fraud and abuse, as well as conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces up to 30 years in prison, with his sentencing set for August 2025. The U.S. Department of Justice reported that these cyberattacks led to significant disruptions and financial losses exceeding $19 million for cities like Greenville, North Carolina, and Baltimore, Maryland.