The Hacker News

"How to streamline Zero Trust using Shared Signs Frameware."

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Russ Roberts (https://www.hawaiicybersecurityjournal.net).

How to Streamline Zero Trust Using the Shared Signals Framework

Dec 09, 2025Zero Trust / Security Automation

Zero Trust helps organizations shrink their attack surface and respond to threats faster, but many still struggle to implement it because their security tools don't share signals reliably. 88% of organizations admit they've suffered significant challenges in trying to implement such approaches, according to Accenture . When products can't communicate, real-time access decisions break down. The Shared Signals Framework (SSF) aims to fix this with a standardized way to exchange security events. Yet adoption is uneven. For example, Kolide Device Trust doesn't currently support SSF.  Scott Bean, Senior IAM and Security Engineer at MongoDB, proposed a way to solve the problem, giving teams an easy and intuitive way to operationalize SSF across their environment. In this guide, we'll share an overview of the workflow , plus step-by-step instructions for getting it up and running. The problem – IAM tools don't support SSF A core requirement of Zero Trust is continuous, reliable sig...

Google Adds Layered Defenses to Chrome to Block Indirect Prompt Injection Threats

Dec 09, 2025Browser Security / Artificial Intelligence

Google on Monday announced a set of new security features in Chrome, following the company's addition of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to the web browser. To that end, the tech giant said it has implemented layered defenses to make it harder for bad actors to exploit indirect prompt injections that arise as a result of exposure to untrusted web content and inflict harm. Chief among the features is a User Alignment Critic, which uses a second model to independently evaluate the agent's actions in a manner that's isolated from malicious prompts. This approach complements Google's existing techniques, like spotlighting , which instruct the model to stick to user and system instructions rather than abiding by what's embedded in a web page. "The User Alignment Critic runs after the planning is complete to double-check each proposed action," Google said . "Its primary focus is task alignment: determining whether the proposed action s...

STAC6565 Targets Canada in 80% of Attacks as Gold Blade Deploys QWCrypt Ransomware

Dec 09, 2025Malware / Cyber Espionage

Canadian organizations have emerged as the focus of a targeted cyber campaign orchestrated by a threat activity cluster known as STAC6565 . Cybersecurity company Sophos said it investigated almost 40 intrusions linked to the threat actor between February 2024 and August 2025. The campaign is assessed with high confidence to share overlaps with a hacking group known as Gold Blade , which is also tracked under the names Earth Kapre, RedCurl, and Red Wolf. The financially motivated threat actor is believed to be active since late 2018 , initially targeting entities in Russia, before expanding its focus to entities in Canada, Germany, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine, the U.K., and the U.S. The group has a history of using phishing emails to conduct commercial espionage. However, recent attack waves have found RedCurl to have engaged in ransomware attacks using a bespoke malware strain dubbed QWCrypt . One of the notable tools in the threat actor's arsenal is RedLoader, which s...

The 2026 CISO Budget Benchmark

WizEnterprise Security / Cloud Security

See how 300+ CISOs are planning 2026 budgets: top trends in AI, cloud, staffing, and tool consolidation shaping next year's security priorities.

Researchers Find Malicious VS Code, Go, npm, and Rust Packages Stealing Developer Data

Dec 09, 2025Malware / Threat Analysis

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered two new extensions on Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code) Marketplace that are designed to infect developer machines with stealer malware. The VS Code extensions masquerade as a premium dark theme and an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered coding assistant, but, in actuality, harbor covert functionality to download additional payloads, take screenshots, and siphon data. The captured information is then sent to an attacker-controlled server. "Your code. Your emails. Your Slack DMs. Whatever's on your screen, they're seeing it too," Koi Security's Idan Dardikman said . "And that's just the start. It also steals your WiFi passwords, reads your clipboard, and hijacks your browser sessions." The names of the extensions are below - BigBlack.bitcoin-black (16 installs) - Removed by Microsoft on December 5, 2025  BigBlack.codo-ai (25 installs) - Removed by Microsoft on December 8, 2025 Microsoft's l...

Experts Confirm JS#SMUGGLER Uses Compromised Sites to Deploy NetSupport RAT

Dec 08, 2025Malware / Enterprise Security

Cybersecurity researchers are calling attention to a new campaign dubbed JS#SMUGGLER that has been observed leveraging compromised websites as a distribution vector for a remote access trojan named NetSupport RAT . The attack chain, analyzed by Securonix, involves three main moving parts: An obfuscated JavaScript loader injected into a website, an HTML Application (HTA) that runs encrypted PowerShell stagers using "mshta.exe," and a PowerShell payload that's designed to download and execute the main malware. "NetSupport RAT enables full attacker control over the victim host, including remote desktop access, file operations, command execution, data theft, and proxy capabilities," researchers Akshay Gaikwad, Shikha Sangwan, and Aaron Beardslee said . There is little evidence at this stage to tie the campaign to any known threat group or country. The activity has been found to target enterprise users through compromised websites, indicative of a broad-strokes ...

2025 Cloud Security Survey Report

SentinelOneCloud Security / Identity Protection

Learn from 400+ security leaders and practitioners to get the latest insights and trends on cloud security

⚡ Weekly Recap: USB Malware, React2Shell, WhatsApp Worms, AI IDE Bugs & More

Dec 08, 2025Hacking News / Cybersecurity

It's been a week of chaos in code and calm in headlines. A bug that broke the internet's favorite framework, hackers chasing AI tools, fake apps stealing cash, and record-breaking cyberattacks — all within days. If you blink, you'll miss how fast the threat map is changing. New flaws are being found, published, and exploited in hours instead of weeks. AI-powered tools meant to help developers are quickly becoming new attack surfaces. Criminal groups are recycling old tricks with fresh disguises — fake apps, fake alerts, and fake trust. Meanwhile, defenders are racing to patch systems, block massive DDoS waves, and uncover spy campaigns hiding quietly inside networks. The fight is constant, the pace relentless. For a deeper look at these stories, plus new cybersecurity tools and upcoming expert webinars, check out the full ThreatsDay Bulletin. ⚡ Threat of the Week Max Severity React Flaw Comes Under Attack — A critical security flaw impacting React Server Components (RSC) has ...

How Can Retailers Cyber-Prepare for the Most Vulnerable Time of the Year?

Dec 08, 2025Cybersecurity / Password Security

The holiday season compresses risk into a short, high-stakes window. Systems run hot, teams run lean, and attackers time automated campaigns to get maximum return. Multiple industry threat reports show that bot-driven fraud, credential stuffing and account takeover attempts intensify around peak shopping events , especially the weeks around Black Friday and Christmas.  Why holiday peaks amplify credential risk Credential stuffing and password reuse are attractive to attackers because they scale: leaked username/password lists are tested automatically against retail login portals and mobile apps, and successful logins unlock stored payment tokens, loyalty balances and shipping addresses. These are assets that can be monetized immediately. Industry telemetry indicates adversaries "pre-stage" attack scripts and configurations in the days before major sale events to ensure access during peak traffic.  Retail history also shows how vendor or partner credentials exp...

Android Malware FvncBot, SeedSnatcher, and ClayRat Gain Stronger Data Theft Features

Dec 08, 2025Malware / Mobile Security

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of two new Android malware families dubbed FvncBot and SeedSnatcher , as another upgraded version of ClayRat has been spotted in the wild. The findings come from Intel 471 , CYFIRMA , and Zimperium , respectively. FvncBot, which masquerades as a security app developed by mBank, targets mobile banking users in Poland. What's notable about the malware is that it's completely written from scratch and is not inspired by other Android banking trojans like ERMAC that have had their source code leaked. The malware "implemented multiple features including keylogging by abusing Android's accessibility services, web-inject attacks, screen streaming and hidden virtual network computing (HVNC) to perform successful financial fraud," Intel 471 said. Similar to the recently uncovered Albiriox banking malware, the malware is protected by a crypting service known as apk0day that's offered by Golden Crypt. The malicious a...

Sneeit WordPress RCE Exploited in the Wild While ICTBroadcast Bug Fuels Frost Botnet Attacks

Dec 08, 2025Malware / Vulnerability

A critical security flaw in the Sneeit Framework plugin for WordPress is being actively exploited in the wild, per data from Wordfence. The remote code execution vulnerability in question is CVE-2025-6389 (CVSS score: 9.8), which affects all versions of the plugin prior to and including 8.3. It has been patched in version 8.4, released on August 5, 2025. The plugin has more than 1,700 active installations. "This is due to the [sneeit_articles_pagination_callback()] function accepting user input and then passing that through call_user_func()," Wordfence said . "This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute code on the server, which can be leveraged to inject backdoors or, for example, create new administrative user accounts." In other words, the vulnerability can be leveraged to call an arbitrary PHP function, such as wp_insert_user(), to insert a malicious administrator user, which an attacker can then weaponize to seize control of the site an...

MuddyWater Deploys UDPGangster Backdoor in Targeted Turkey-Israel-Azerbaijan Campaign

Dec 08, 2025Network Security / Vulnerability

The Iranian hacking group known as MuddyWater has been observed leveraging a new backdoor dubbed UDPGangster that uses the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) for command-and-control (C2) purposes. The cyber espionage activity targeted users in Turkey, Israel, and Azerbaijan, according to a report from Fortinet FortiGuard Labs. "This malware enables remote control of compromised systems by allowing attackers to execute commands, exfiltrate files, and deploy additional payloads – all communicated through UDP channels designed to evade traditional network defenses," security researcher Cara Lin said . The attack chain involves using spear-phishing tactics to distribute booby-trapped Microsoft Word documents that trigger the execution of a malicious payload once macros are enabled. Some of the phishing messages impersonate the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs and purport to invite recipients to an online seminar titled "Presidential Elections a...

Researchers Uncover 30+ Flaws in AI Coding Tools Enabling Data Theft and RCE Attacks

Dec 06, 2025AI Security / Vulnerability

Over 30 security vulnerabilities have been disclosed in various artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) that combine prompt injection primitives with legitimate features to achieve data exfiltration and remote code execution. The security shortcomings have been collectively named IDEsaster by security researcher Ari Marzouk (MaccariTA). They affect popular IDEs and extensions such as Cursor, Windsurf, Kiro.dev, GitHub Copilot, Zed.dev, Roo Code, Junie, and Cline, among others. Of these, 24 have been assigned CVE identifiers. "I think the fact that multiple universal attack chains affected each and every AI IDE tested is the most surprising finding of this research," Marzouk told The Hacker News. "All AI IDEs (and coding assistants that integrate with them) effectively ignore the base software (IDE) in their threat model. They treat their features as inherently safe because they've been there for years. However, once you add A...

Critical React2Shell Flaw Added to CISA KEV After Confirmed Active Exploitation

Dec 06, 2025Vulnerability / Patch Management

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Friday formally added a critical security flaw impacting React Server Components (RSC) to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities ( KEV ) catalog following reports of active exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability, CVE-2025-55182 (CVSS score: 10.0), relates to a case of remote code execution that could be triggered by an unauthenticated attacker without requiring any special setup. It's also tracked as React2Shell. "Meta React Server Components contains a remote code execution vulnerability that could allow unauthenticated remote code execution by exploiting a flaw in how React decodes payloads sent to React Server Function endpoints," CISA said in an advisory. The problem stems from insecure deserialization in the library's Flight protocol, which React uses to communicate between a server and client. As a result, it leads to a scenario where an unauthenticated, remote attacker can execute arbi...

Zero-Click Agentic Browser Attack Can Delete Entire Google Drive Using Crafted Emails

Dec 05, 2025Email Security / Threat Research

A new agentic browser attack targeting Perplexity's Comet browser that's capable of turning a seemingly innocuous email into a destructive action that wipes a user's entire Google Drive contents, findings from Straiker STAR Labs show. The zero-click Google Drive Wiper technique hinges on connecting the browser to services like Gmail and Google Drive to automate routine tasks by granting them access to read emails, as well as browse files and folders, and perform actions like moving, renaming, or deleting content. For instance, a prompt issued by a benign user might look like this: "Please check my email and complete all my recent organization tasks." This will cause the browser agent to search the inbox for relevant messages and perform the necessary actions. "This behavior reflects excessive agency in LLM-powered assistants where the LLM performs actions that go far beyond the user's explicit request," security researcher Amanda Rousseau said in ...