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Possible U.S.-developed exploits linked to first known ‘mass’ iOS attack

An exploit kit that may have originated from a leaked U.S. government framework is behind what researchers are calling the first mass-scale attack on iOS, the operating system for Apple’s iPhones. Traces of the exploits, found in the work of Chinese cybercriminals, also have been spotted in Russian attacks on Ukraine and used by a…

NCSC Warns UK Organisations to Prepare for Potential Iran-Linked Cyber Activity

Geopolitical conflict rarely stays confined to physical battlefields. Increasingly, it spills into the digital domain. The latest escalation of tensions in the Middle East has prompted the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to issue a warning to organisations to review their cyber security posture and prepare for possible cyber activity linked to Iran. While…

The FBI’s cyber chief is using Winter SHIELD to accelerate China prep, threat intelligence sharing

The FBI’s cyber chief is prioritizing preparation for stepped-up Chinese threats, enhanced confrontation of adversaries in cyberspace and quicker intelligence sharing with industry as the bureau enters the second and final month of a unique cybersecurity awareness campaign. Brett Leatherman, who took over as assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division last summer, listed those…

Claude code abused to steal 150GB in cyberattack on Mexican agencies

Hackers abused Claude Code to build exploits and steal 150GB of data in a cyberattack targeting Mexican government systems. Hackers abused Anthropic’s Claude Code AI assistant to develop exploits, create custom tools, and automatically exfiltrate more than 150GB of data in an attack on Mexican government systems, the Israeli cybersecurity firm Gambit Security reports. The…

Security Affairs newsletter Round 565 by Pierluigi Paganini – INTERNATIONAL EDITION

A new round of the weekly Security Affairs newsletter has arrived! Every week, the best security articles from Security Affairs are free in your email box. Enjoy a new round of the weekly SecurityAffairs newsletter, including the international press. Canadian Tire 2025 data breach impacts 38 million users Iran ’s Internet near-totally blacked out amid…

Trump administration bans Anthropic, escalating clash over military use of AI

The Trump administration on Friday moved to ban the use of products from artificial intelligence company Anthropic by federal businesses, escalating a high-stakes clash over whether private AI makers can limit how the US military uses their systems. Calling Anthropic “Leftwing nut jobs,” President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that he was…

China-linked hackers used Google Sheets to spy on telecoms and governments across 42 countries

Google has disrupted a China-linked espionage group that used Google’s spreadsheet application as a covert spy tool to compromise telecom providers and government agencies across 42 countries, sending commands and receiving stolen data through it, Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) said on Thursday. Working with Mandiant, GTIG confirmed intrusions at 53 organizations across 42 countries,…

Google GTIG disrupted China-linked APT UNC2814 halting attacks on 53 orgs in 42 countries

Google and partners disrupted UNC2814, a suspected China-linked group that hacked 53 organizations across 42 countries. Google, with industry partners, disrupted the infrastructure of UNC2814, a suspected China-linked cyber espionage group that breached at least 53 organizations in 42 countries. The group has been active since at least 2017, and was spotted targeting governments and…

Google Disrupts UNC2814 GRIDTIDE Campaign After 53 Breaches Across 42 Countries

Google on Wednesday disclosed that it worked with industry partners to disrupt the infrastructure of a suspected China-nexus cyber espionage group tracked as UNC2814 that breached at least 53 organizations across 42 countries. “This prolific, elusive actor has a long history of targeting international governments and global telecommunications organizations across Africa, Asia, and the Americas,”

Across party lines and industry, the verdict is the same: CISA is in trouble

“Decimated.”  “Amateur hour.” “Pretty much fallen apart.” “It’s really hard to find something positive to say right now.” It’s been a little more than one year into the second Trump administration, and there’s a large consensus, if not total unanimity, among those who have worked with and for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: It…

Chinese group’s ChatGPT use reveals worldwide harassment campaign against critics

A Chinese law enforcement official attempted to use ChatGPT to review its reports on cyber operations, subsequently revealing details of a worldwide online harassment and silencing campaign of China’s critics at home and abroad. In a new threat report released Wednesday, OpenAI said the activity concerned a single account that regularly used ChatGPT to review…

Anthropic alleges large-scale distillation campaigns targeting Claude

Anthropic has accused three Chinese AI developers of running large-scale campaigns to illicitly extract capabilities from its Claude model to improve their own systems. The company claims DeepSeek, Moonshot, and MiniMax used a distillation technique, where a less capable model is trained on the outputs of a more advanced one. More than 16 million interactions…

CrowdStrike says attackers are moving through networks in under 30 minutes

Cyberattacks reached victims faster and came from a wider range of threat groups than ever last year, CrowdStrike said in its annual global threat report released Tuesday, adding that cybercriminals and nation-states increasingly relied on predictable tactics to evade detection by exploiting trusted systems. The average breakout time — how long it took financially-motivated attackers…

The rise of the evasive adversary

Since the earliest days of the internet, there has never been a let-up in adversarial activity. According to CrowdStrike’s just-released 12th annual Global Threat Report, malicious activity in cyberspace continues to not only accelerate but also expand its scale and increasingly abuse the trust of targeted organizations. The good news is that, despite discussion of…

Anthropic accuses Chinese labs of trying to illicitly take Claude’s capabilities

Anthropic on Monday accused three Chinese artificial intelligence laboratories of stealthily trying to siphon Claude’s capabilities for their own models, potentially in a way that could fuel offensive cyber operations. The U.S. AI startup said the three labs, DeepSeek, Moonshot and MiniMax, ran “industrial-scale campaigns” with a tactic known as “distillation.” It involves sending bulk…

CVE-2026-1731 fuels ongoing attacks on BeyondTrust remote access products

Attackers are exploiting CVE-2026-1731 in BeyondTrust RS and PRA to deploy VShell, gain persistence, move laterally, and control compromised systems. Threat actors are actively exploiting a recently disclosed critical vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-1731 (CVSS score: 9.9), in BeyondTrust Remote Support (RS) and Privileged Remote Access (PRA). The flaw is being used to conduct a wide…

AI-powered campaign compromises 600 FortiGate systems worldwide

A Russian-speaking cybercriminal used commercial generative AI tools to hack over 600 FortiGate devices across 55 countries. Amazon Threat Intelligence reports that a Russian-speaking, financially motivated threat actor used commercial generative AI services to compromise more than 600 FortiGate devices in 55 countries. The activity, observed between January 11 and February 18, 2026, highlights how…

Security Affairs newsletter Round 564 by Pierluigi Paganini – INTERNATIONAL EDITION

A new round of the weekly Security Affairs newsletter has arrived! Every week, the best security articles from Security Affairs are free in your email box. Enjoy a new round of the weekly SecurityAffairs newsletter, including the international press. U.S. CISA adds RoundCube Webmail flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog PayPal discloses extended data…

State Dept. official says post-quantum transition plans will outlive current leadership

A cybersecurity official at the State Department called for the public and private sector to more tightly coordinate plans to transition their systems, devices and data to quantum-resistant encryption algorithms. Gharun Lacy, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Cyber and Technology Security Directorate at the Department of State, issued a challenge for cybersecurity defenders to view…

Texas Sues TP-Link Over Alleged Security Risks and Supply Chain Deception

Texas has filed a lawsuit against networking manufacturer TP-Link Systems, accusing the company of misleading consumers about the security and origins of its routers while exposing users to exploitation by Chinese state-backed threat actors.  The complaint alleges that TP-Link marketed its devices as secure and labeled them “Made in Vietnam,” despite sourcing nearly all components…

U.S. CISA adds Dell RecoverPoint and GitLab flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) adds Dell RecoverPoint and GitLab flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added Dell RecoverPoint and GitLab flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Below are the flaws added to the catalog: CVE-2021-22175 (CVSS score 6.8) GitLab Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)…

Notepad++ author says fixes make update mechanism ‘effectively unexploitable’

The recently compromised update mechanism for the popular open source text editor Notepad ++ has been hardened so it’s now ‘effectively unexploitable’, says the application’s author. Don Ho made the claim this week after the release of version 8.9.2 of Notepad++, which includes a double-lock verification that any download of the tool from this point…

Chinese hackers exploited zero-day Dell RecoverPoint flaw for 1.5 years

For the past 18 months, a Chinese cyberespionage group has been exploiting a prevously unknown vulnerability in Dell’s RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines, a VM disaster recovery solution. The flaw, patched by Dell this week, allows unauthenticated attackers to gain command execution on the underlying OS as root. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-22769, stems from hardcoded…

Zero-Day in Dell RecoverPoint Enables GRIMBOLT Backdoor 

A zero-day vulnerability in Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines is being actively exploited to deploy backdoors and pivot deeper into enterprise networks.  The flaw has reportedly been abused since at least mid-2024 by a suspected China-linked threat cluster. “Beyond the Dell appliance exploitation, Mandiant observed the actor employing novel tactics to pivot into VMware virtual…

Notepad++ patches flaw used to hijack update system

Notepad++ patched a vulnerability that attackers used to hijack its update system and deliver malware to targeted users. Notepad++ fixed a vulnerability that allowed a China-linked APT group to hijack its update mechanism and selectively push malware to chosen targets. In early February, the Notepad++ maintainer revealed that nation-state hackers compromised the hosting provider’s infrastructure,…

China-linked hackers exploited Dell zero-day since 2024 (CVE-2026-22769)

A suspected China-linked cyberespionage group has been covertly exploiting a critical zero-day flaw (CVE-2026-22769) in Dell’s RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines software since at least mid-2024, according to new research from Google’s threat intelligence team and Mandiant. The attackers deployed stealthy backdoors (BRICKSTORM and GRIMBOLT), a webshell (SLAYSTYLE) and maintained long-term access inside targeted networks. “Beyond…

China-linked APT weaponized Dell RecoverPoint zero-day since 2024

A suspected Chinese state-linked group exploited a critical Dell RecoverPoint flaw (CVE-2026-22769) in zero-day attacks starting mid-2024. Mandiant and Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) reported that a suspected China-linked APT group quietly exploited a critical zero-day flaw in Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines starting in mid-2024. “Mandiant and Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) have identified…

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CVE-2026-22769: Critical Dell RecoveryPoint Zero-Day Exploited in the Wild

SOC Prime has recently covered a wave of actively exploited zero-days across major ecosystems, including Apple’s CVE-2026-20700 and Microsoft’s CVE-2026-20805, alongside a fresh Chrome zero-day case. But the avalanche of threats keeps marching into 2026. Recently, researchers from Mandiant and Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) detailed the active exploitation of CVE-2026-22769, a maximum-severity hardcoded-credential vulnerability…

Dell RecoverPoint for VMs Zero-Day CVE-2026-22769 Exploited Since Mid-2024

A maximum severity security vulnerability in Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines has been exploited as a zero-day by a suspected China-nexus threat cluster dubbed UNC6201 since mid-2024, according to a new report from Google Mandiant and Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG). The activity involves the exploitation of CVE-2026-22769 (CVSS score: 10.0), a case of hard-coded…

Notepad++ Fixes Hijacked Update Mechanism Used to Deliver Targeted Malware

Notepad++ has released a security fix to plug gaps that were exploited by an advanced threat actor from China to hijack the software update mechanism to selectively deliver malware to targets of interest. The version 8.9.2 update incorporates what maintainer Don Ho calls a “double lock” design that aims to make the update process “robust…

Chinese hackers exploited a Dell zero-day for 18 months before anyone noticed

Researchers uncovered more worrying details about a long-running cyber espionage campaign suspected to be backed by the Chinese government, exemplifying how such attacks often go undetected until they’ve already caused significant damage. Google Threat Intelligence Group and Mandiant said the Chinese threat group UNC6201 has been exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual…

SmartLoader hackers clone Oura MCP project to spread StealC malware

Hackers used a fake Oura MCP server to trick users into downloading malware that installs the StealC info-stealer. Straiker’s AI Research (STAR) Labs team uncovered a SmartLoader campaign in which attackers cloned a legitimate MCP server linked to Oura Health to spread the StealC information stealer. The fake project appeared credible, complete with bogus forks…

MCSC 2026: „Politik und Wirtschaft müssen zusammenarbeiten“

Das Motto der Munich Cybersecurity Conference 2026: “Command Control, Really? Confronting The Illusion Of Deterrence In The Age Of Relentless Cyber Threats.” Julia Mutzbauer Auch in diesem Jahr waren wieder zahlreiche internationale Institutionen auf der Münchner Cybersicherheitskonferenz (MCSC) vertreten. Darunter das Weiße Haus, FBI, Europol, OECD, BSI, BND und die Europäische Kommission sowie das National…

Alibaba’s Qwen3.5 targets enterprise agent workflows with expanded multimodal support

Alibaba has unveiled Qwen3.5, a new multimodal AI model that the company says is intended to serve as a foundation for digital agents capable of advanced reasoning and tool use across applications. The release reflects the ongoing shift from standalone chatbot deployments toward AI systems that can execute multi-step workflows and operate with minimal human…

Why ‘secure-by-design’ systems are non-negotiable in the AI era

Moody’s recently reported that global investment in data centers will surpass $3 trillion over the next five years, driven by AI capacity growth and hyperscaler demand. As big tech companies, banks, and institutional investors pour capital into these projects, data center developers and their financial sponsors must prioritze cybersecurity. Moody’s said that data center investments…

Fake Winter Olympics 2026 Stores Target Fans With Data-Theft Scams

As excitement builds at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, cybercriminals have launched convincing fake merchandise stores to steal payment details and personal data from eager fans.  The campaign focuses heavily on high-demand mascot items that are sold out on the official site. In the “… past week alone, we’ve identified nearly 20 lookalike domains…

10 years later, Bangladesh Bank cyberheist still offers cyber-resiliency lessons

Ten years on, the Bangladesh Bank cyberheist — a landmark cybersecurity incident that rewrote the rules of nation state–sponsored hacking — continues to offer lessons for the cybersecurity community. Cyberspies hacked into Bangladesh Bank internal network and SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) messaging environment before sending 35 fraudulent SWIFT payment instructions that attempted…

Apple privacy labels often don’t match what Chinese smart home apps do

Smart home devices in many homes collect audio, video, and location data. The apps that control those devices often focus on the account owner, even when the technology also captures guests, neighbors, and other people who never agreed to be monitored. New research examined whether Chinese smart home apps provide privacy protections for these bystanders.…

Security Affairs newsletter Round 563 by Pierluigi Paganini – INTERNATIONAL EDITION

A new round of the weekly Security Affairs newsletter has arrived! Every week, the best security articles from Security Affairs are free in your email box. Enjoy a new round of the weekly SecurityAffairs newsletter, including the international press. Fintech firm Figure disclosed data breach after employee phishing attack U.S. CISA adds a flaw in…

Hackers Try to Clone Google’s Gemini With 100,000+ AI Probes

Google built Gemini to answer questions. Now attackers are using questions as lockpicks. In a surge of more than 100,000 carefully engineered prompts, threat actors have been hammering Google’s Gemini chatbot in what the company calls “model extraction” or “distillation” attacks. By systematically probing the system, adversaries attempt to reverse engineer the model’s underlying logic,…

Google Links China, Iran, Russia, North Korea to Coordinated Defense Sector Cyber Operations

Several state-sponsored actors, hacktivist entities, and criminal groups from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia have trained their sights on the defense industrial base (DIB) sector, according to findings from Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG). The tech giant’s threat intelligence division said the adversarial targeting of the sector is centered around four key themes: striking…

Google fears massive attempt to clone Gemini AI through model extraction

Google detected and blocked a campaign involving more than 100,000 prompts that it claimed were designed to copy the proprietary reasoning capabilities of its Gemini AI model, according to a quarterly threat report released by Google Threat Intelligence Group. The prompts looked like a coordinated attempt to perform model extraction or distillation, a machine-learning process…

Google fears massive attempt to clone Gemini AI through model extraction

Google detected and blocked a campaign involving more than 100,000 prompts that it claimed were designed to copy the proprietary reasoning capabilities of its Gemini AI model, according to a quarterly threat report released by the company’s Threat Intelligence Group. The prompts looked like a coordinated attempt to perform model extraction or distillation, a machine-learning…

Google: state-backed hackers exploit Gemini AI for cyber recon and attacks

Google says nation-state actors used Gemini AI for reconnaissance and attack support in cyber operations. Google DeepMind and GTIG report a rise in model extraction or “distillation” attacks aimed at stealing AI intellectual property, which Google has detected and blocked. While APT groups have not breached frontier models, private firms and researchers have tried to…

Google finds state-sponsored hackers use AI at ‘all stages’ of attack cycle 

A new report from Google found evidence that state-sponsored hacking groups have leveraged AI tool Gemini at nearly every stage of the cyber attack cycle. The research underscores how AI tools have matured in their cyber offensive capabilities, even as it doesn’t reveal novel or paradigm shifting uses of the technology. John Hultquist, chief analyst…

What CISOs need to know about the OpenClaw security nightmare

The new personal AI agent orchestration tool known as OpenClaw — formerly Clawdbot, then Moltbot — is a personal assistant that can do tasks for you without your personal supervision. It can operate across devices, interact with online services, trigger workflows — no wonder the Github repo has seen millions of visits and over 160,000…

BeyondTrust fixes critical RCE flaw in remote access tools

Companies using self-hosted versions of BeyondTrust Remote Support (RS) or Privileged Remote Access (PRA) should deploy patches for a critical vulnerability that allows attacks to execute OS commands without authentication. “Successful exploitation requires no authentication or user interaction and may lead to system compromise, including unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and service disruption,” BeyondTrust said in…

Stop comparing safety and cybersecurity, they have very little in common

Nearly a year ago, we hosted Dug Song, the legendary founder of Duo Security, on Inside the Network. During that conversation, Dug shared a powerful analogy that has stuck with me. He explained that in aviation, a plane crashes the same way only once, or maybe twice. Whenever it happens, we get to the bottom…

Singapore telcos breached in China-linked cyber espionage campaign

Singapore’s four major telecommunications companies were hit by a coordinated cyber espionage campaign last year, the country’s Cyber Security Agency (CSA) has revealed. An advanced persistent threat group known as UNC3886 has probed deep into the networks of M1, SIMBA Telecom, Singtel, and StarHub, spurring Singapore’s security agencies to mount a large cyber defence operation.…

China-linked APT UNC3886 targets Singapore telcos

China-linked group UNC3886 targeted Singapore ’s telecom sector in a cyber espionage campaign, Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency revealed. Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) ran Operation CYBER GUARDIAN to protect the telecom sector. Since July 2025, investigations showed China-linked UNC3886 launched a targeted campaign against all four major…

Critics warn America’s ‘move fast’ AI strategy could cost it the global market

The Trump administration has made U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence a national priority, but some critics say a light-touch approach to regulating security and safety in U.S. models is making it harder to promote adoption in other countries. White House officials have said since taking office that Trump intended to move away from predecessor Joe…

China-Linked UNC3886 Targets Singapore Telecom Sector in Cyber Espionage Campaign

The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore on Monday revealed that the China-nexus cyber espionage group known as UNC3886 targeted its telecommunications sector. “UNC3886 had launched a deliberate, targeted, and well-planned campaign against Singapore’s telecommunications sector,” CSA said. “All four of Singapore’s major telecommunications operators (‘telcos’) – M1, SIMBA Telecom, Singtel, and

DKnife targets network gateways in long running AitM campaign

A previously undocumented China-linked adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) framework known as “DKnife” has been identified operating at network gateways, where it intercepts and manipulates in-transit traffic. According to Cisco Talos’ findings, the framework has been active since at least 2019 and remains operational as of early 2026. Rather than targeting endpoints directly, DKnife is deployed at the…

DKnife targets network gateways in long running AitM campaign

A previously undocumented China-linked adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) framework known as “DKnife” has been identified operating at network gateways, where it intercepts and manipulates in-transit traffic. According to Cisco Talos’ findings, the framework has been active since at least 2019 and remains operational as of early 2026. Rather than targeting endpoints directly, DKnife is deployed at the…

BeyondTrust fixes easy-to-exploit pre-auth RCE vulnerability in remote access tools (CVE-2026-1731)

BeyondTrust fixed a critical remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2026-1731) in its Remote Support (RS) and Privileged Remote Access (PRA) solutions and is urging self-hosted customers to apply the patch as soon a possible. Unlike the Remote Support zero-day (CVE-2024-12356) that was flagged after having been exploited by China-nexus threat actors to breach the US Treasury…

BeyondTrust fixes easy-to-exploit pre-auth RCE vulnerability in remote access tools (CVE-2026-1731)

BeyondTrust fixed a critical remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2026-1731) in its Remote Support (RS) and Privileged Remote Access (PRA) solutions and is urging self-hosted customers to apply the patch as soon a possible. Unlike the Remote Support zero-day (CVE-2024-12356) that was flagged after having been exploited by China-nexus threat actors to breach the US Treasury…

AI security’s ‘Great Wall’ problem

The Great Wall of China was built to slow northern raiders and prevent steppe armies from riding straight into the empire’s heart. Yet in 1644, its most impregnable fortress fell without a siege. At Shanhai Pass, where the wall meets the Bohai Sea, General Wu Sangui commanded the eastern gate. Behind him: a rebel army…

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AI security’s ‘Great Wall’ problem

The Great Wall of China was built to slow northern raiders and prevent steppe armies from riding straight into the empire’s heart. Yet in 1644, its most impregnable fortress fell without a siege. At Shanhai Pass, where the wall meets the Bohai Sea, General Wu Sangui commanded the eastern gate. Behind him: a rebel army…

SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 83

Security Affairs Malware newsletter includes a collection of the best articles and research on malware in the international landscape Malware Newsletter ClawHavoc: 341 Malicious Clawed Skills Found by the Bot They Were Targeting   ù APT28 Leverages CVE-2026-21509 in Operation Neusploit Amaranth-Dragon: Weaponizing CVE-2025-8088 for Targeted Espionage in the Southeast Asia   Analyzing Dead#Vax: Analyzing Multi-Stage VHD…

SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 83

Security Affairs Malware newsletter includes a collection of the best articles and research on malware in the international landscape Malware Newsletter ClawHavoc: 341 Malicious Clawed Skills Found by the Bot They Were Targeting   ù APT28 Leverages CVE-2026-21509 in Operation Neusploit Amaranth-Dragon: Weaponizing CVE-2025-8088 for Targeted Espionage in the Southeast Asia   Analyzing Dead#Vax: Analyzing Multi-Stage VHD…

SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 83

Security Affairs Malware newsletter includes a collection of the best articles and research on malware in the international landscape Malware Newsletter ClawHavoc: 341 Malicious Clawed Skills Found by the Bot They Were Targeting   ù APT28 Leverages CVE-2026-21509 in Operation Neusploit Amaranth-Dragon: Weaponizing CVE-2025-8088 for Targeted Espionage in the Southeast Asia   Analyzing Dead#Vax: Analyzing Multi-Stage VHD…

Security Affairs newsletter Round 562 by Pierluigi Paganini – INTERNATIONAL EDITION

A new round of the weekly Security Affairs newsletter has arrived! Every week, the best security articles from Security Affairs are free in your email box. Enjoy a new round of the weekly SecurityAffairs newsletter, including the international press. Italian university La Sapienza still offline to mitigate recent cyber attack CISA pushes Federal agencies to…

Security Affairs newsletter Round 562 by Pierluigi Paganini – INTERNATIONAL EDITION

A new round of the weekly Security Affairs newsletter has arrived! Every week, the best security articles from Security Affairs are free in your email box. Enjoy a new round of the weekly SecurityAffairs newsletter, including the international press. Italian university La Sapienza still offline to mitigate recent cyber attack CISA pushes Federal agencies to…

DKnife toolkit abuses routers to spy and deliver malware since 2019

DKnife is a Linux toolkit used since 2019 to hijack router traffic and deliver malware in cyber-espionage attacks. Cisco Talos found DKnife, a powerful Linux toolkit that threat actors use to spy on and control network traffic through routers and edge devices. It inspects and alters data in transit and installs malware on PCs, phones,…

Record-breaking 31.4 Tbps DDoS attack hits in November 2025, stopped by Cloudflare

AISURU/Kimwolf botnet hit a record 31.4 Tbps DDoS attack lasting 35 seconds in Nov 2025, which Cloudflare automatically detected and blocked. The AISURU/Kimwolf botnet was linked to a record-breaking DDoS attack that peaked at 31.4 Tbps and lasted just 35 seconds. Cloudflare said the November 2025 incident was part of a surge in hyper-volumetric HTTP…

China-Linked DKnife AitM Framework Targets Routers for Traffic Hijacking, Malware Delivery

Cybersecurity researchers have taken the wraps off a gateway-monitoring and adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) framework dubbed DKnife that’s operated by China-nexus threat actors since at least 2019. The framework comprises seven Linux-based implants that are designed to perform deep packet inspection, manipulate traffic, and deliver malware via routers and edge devices. Its primary targets seem to

China-linked Amaranth-Dragon hackers target Southeast Asian governments in 2025

China-linked hackers tracked as Amaranth-Dragon targeted government and law enforcement agencies across Southeast Asia in 2025. CheckPoint says China-linked threat actors, tracked as Amaranth-Dragon, carried out cyber-espionage campaigns in 2025 targeting government and law enforcement agencies across Southeast Asia. The activity is linked to the APT41 ecosystem and affected countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and…

Cantwell claims telecoms blocked release of Salt Typhoon report 

More than a year after national security officials revealed that Chinese hackers had systematically infiltrated U.S. telecommunications networks, the top Senate Democrat on the committee overseeing the industry is calling for hearings with executives from the nation’s biggest telecom companies. In a public letter released Tuesday, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., called for the CEOs of…

OpenClaw’s Rapid Rise Exposes Thousands of AI Agents to the Public Internet

In just days, a viral open-source AI assistant went from niche experiment to a widespread internet-facing risk.  OpenClaw, a self-hosted personal AI agent capable of executing actions on a user’s behalf, saw explosive adoption in late January 2026 — along with widespread public exposure that has raised concerns among security researchers. It “… has already…

OpenClaw’s Rapid Rise Exposes Thousands of AI Agents to the Public Internet

In just days, a viral open-source AI assistant went from niche experiment to a widespread internet-facing risk.  OpenClaw, a self-hosted personal AI agent capable of executing actions on a user’s behalf, saw explosive adoption in late January 2026 — along with widespread public exposure that has raised concerns among security researchers. It “… has already…

Google’s disruption rips millions out of devices out of malicious network

Millions of devices used as proxies by cybercriminals, espionage groups and data thieves have been removed from circulation following Google’s disruption of IPIDEA, a China-based residential proxy network. The reduction in available proxy devices came after Google’s Threat Intelligence Group used legal action and intelligence sharing to target the company’s domain infrastructure, Google said in…

Cybersecurity can be America’s secret weapon in the AI race

Much of the public conversation about the U.S. “winning” the AI race with China centers exclusively on each nations’ ability to develop and implement leading AI models. But amid escalating cyber threats, the rising reality is that the race will not be won merely by the nation with the most advanced technology, but the one…

Cybercriminals and nation-state groups are exploiting a six-month old WinRAR defect

Google Threat Intelligence Group warned that a diverse and growing collection of attackers, including nation-state groups and financially motivated cybercriminals, are exploiting a path-traversal vulnerability affecting WinRAR that was disclosed and patched six months ago. The high-severity vulnerability — CVE-2025-8088 — was exploited in the wild almost two weeks before RARLAB, the vendor behind the…

China-linked APT UAT-9686 abused now patched maximum severity AsyncOS bug

Cisco fixed a maximum severity AsyncOS flaw in Secure Email products, previously exploited as a zero-day by China-linked APT group UAT-9686. Cisco fixed a critical AsyncOS flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-20393 (CVSS score of 10.0), affecting Secure Email Gateway and Email and Web Manager, previously exploited as a zero-day by China-linked APT group UAT-9686. Cisco detected attacks…

China bans U.S. and Israeli cybersecurity software over security concerns

China has told domestic firms to stop using U.S. and Israeli cybersecurity software, citing national security concerns amid rising tech tensions. Reuters reported that China has ordered domestic companies to stop using cybersecurity solutions from more than a dozen U.S. and Israeli firms, citing national security risks. Tensions remain high over China’s push in semiconductors…

China-linked groups intensify attacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, NSB warns

Taiwan says China-linked cyberattacks on its energy sector rose tenfold in 2025, hitting critical infrastructure across nine sectors, with total incidents up 6%. Taiwan reports China-linked cyberattacks on its energy sector surged tenfold in 2025, targeting critical infrastructure across nine sectors, with total incidents up 6% YoY. Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) reports China launched…

How to scam someone in seven days

Romance scammers have apparently discovered astrology… and Taurus is their secret weapon. In episode 449 of “Smashing Security”, we take a look inside an actual romance-fraud handbook – complete with scripts, personality “types”, corporate jargon, and a seven-day plan to get victims from hello to hand over the crypto. Then Lesley “hacks4pancakes” Carhart delivers a…