phishing email Archives

Tech Optimizer

September 15, 2025

New Evite phishing scam uses emotional event invitations to target victims

A recent phishing scam involved an email titled "Special Celebration of Life," which appeared to be a legitimate Evite invitation. Clicking the "View Invitation" button triggered antivirus software that flagged the site as a phishing attempt. Scammers use emotionally charged subject lines and mimic Evite's branding to deceive recipients. Consequences of clicking on such links include stealing personal information, capturing login credentials, and installing malware. To protect against these scams, individuals should use strong antivirus software, check the sender's email address, hover over links before clicking, use personal data removal services, and verify with the sender directly.

Winsage

June 10, 2025

APT Hackers Exploited WebDAV 0-Day RCE Vulnerability in the Wild to Deploy Malware

A cyberattack campaign by the advanced persistent threat group Stealth Falcon targeted a prominent Turkish defense company using a zero-day vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-33053. This vulnerability allowed attackers to manipulate the working directory of legitimate Windows tools to execute malware from their WebDAV servers. The attack was initiated through a spear-phishing email containing a malicious .url file that directed the system to a legitimate Internet Explorer utility, which was then exploited to execute malicious files. The attackers employed process hollowing to bypass traditional defenses. Stealth Falcon, also known as FruityArmor, has been conducting cyber espionage since at least 2012, targeting government and defense sectors in Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, and Yemen. The attack involved a multi-stage infection chain leading to the deployment of "Horus Agent," a custom implant designed for advanced reconnaissance and equipped with anti-analysis techniques. Researchers identified additional custom tools used by Stealth Falcon, including a DC Credential Dumper and a custom keylogger. The group utilizes repurposed legitimate domains to blend their infrastructure with legitimate traffic, complicating detection efforts.

Tech Optimizer

May 29, 2025

Xanthorox, the AI that promotes itself as an easy resource for committing cybercrimes

Xanthorox is an AI developed in 2023 by an anonymous creator, claiming to surpass WormGPT and EvilGPT. It promotes itself as a tool for illicit online activities, offering features like ransomware creation, deepfake generation, phishing email production, and malware development. The AI operates on open-source models without typical security measures, allowing for unregulated content generation. Its pricing includes a free tier for limited features and negotiable rates for full access. Security experts note that while Xanthorox is effective, its actual impact on large-scale cybercrime is uncertain. The legality of Xanthorox stems from its open-source nature, which allows for its use as long as it does not violate laws, although using it for illegal activities remains unlawful.

Tech Optimizer

May 29, 2025

Antivirus alone won’t protect you: The real danger is social engineering

Social engineering is a manipulation tactic that exploits human trust to obtain sensitive information or access, posing a significant cybersecurity threat. Unlike traditional cyber threats that rely on malware, social engineering targets individuals through deception, often invoking emotions like fear or urgency. Common examples include fraudulent phone calls, phishing emails, and deceptive text messages. Antivirus software primarily protects against malware but is ineffective against social engineering attacks, which do not involve malicious code. The consequences of falling victim to such attacks can include financial losses, identity theft, and compromised networks. Effective defenses against social engineering include skepticism towards unsolicited contact, verifying requests independently, never disclosing sensitive information, using strong passwords, and enabling two-factor authentication. Awareness and education are crucial in combating these threats.

Winsage

May 4, 2025

Do Not Open This PDF On A Microsoft Windows PC

Microsoft has warned about the increasing use of PDF attachments in cyberattacks, particularly during the U.S. tax season. Attackers have been using PDFs with embedded links that redirect users to counterfeit pages, such as a fake DocuSign site. TrustWave SpiderLabs has identified a new campaign involving a fake payment SWIFT copy that leads to a malicious PDF containing obfuscated JavaScript, which downloads a script that conceals the RemcosRAT payload using steganography. This technique involves hiding links within images, making them difficult to detect. The latest attacks begin with phishing emails containing malicious PDFs that direct victims to harmful webpages, facilitating the delivery of RemcosRAT, a trojan that allows remote control of compromised systems. Users are advised to be cautious of emails labeled “SWIFT Copy” and to delete suspicious emails immediately.

Winsage

April 19, 2025

Windows vulnerability with NTLM hash abuse exploited for phishing

A vulnerability in Windows, identified as CVE-2025-24054, is being exploited in phishing campaigns targeting government and private organizations. Initially considered low-risk, it was addressed in Microsoft's March 2025 Patch Tuesday updates. Following the release of these patches, Check Point observed a rise in exploitation attempts, particularly linked to the Russian group APT28. Attackers sent phishing emails with Dropbox links containing .library-ms files, which, when accessed, connected to an external SMB server controlled by the attackers, allowing interception of NTLM hashes. A subsequent wave of attacks involved .library-ms files sent as direct attachments, requiring minimal user interaction to exploit the vulnerability. The malicious ZIP archive also contained files exploiting older NTLM vulnerabilities. Check Point identified the attackers' SMB servers with specific IP addresses. Despite being classified as medium-severity, the vulnerability's potential impact is significant, prompting organizations to apply the March 2025 updates and consider disabling NTLM authentication if not essential.

Winsage

April 17, 2025

Windows NTLM hash leak flaw exploited in phishing attacks on governments

A vulnerability in Windows, identified as CVE-2025-24054, is being actively exploited in phishing campaigns targeting government and private sectors. Initially addressed in Microsoft's March 2025 Patch Tuesday, it was not considered actively exploited at that time. Researchers from Check Point reported increased exploitation activities shortly after the patches were released, particularly between March 20 and 25, 2025. Some attacks were linked to the Russian state-sponsored group APT28, but definitive attribution is lacking. The vulnerability allows attackers to capture NTLM hashes through phishing emails containing manipulated .library-ms files that trigger the flaw when interacted with. Check Point noted that subsequent attacks involved .library-ms files sent directly, requiring minimal user interaction to exploit. The malicious files also included additional components that exploit older vulnerabilities related to NTLM hash leaks. The attacker-controlled SMB servers were traced to specific IP addresses. Although rated as medium severity, the potential for authentication bypass and privilege escalation makes it a significant concern, prompting recommendations for organizations to install updates and disable NTLM authentication if not necessary.

Winsage

December 17, 2024

Hackers Exploit Microsoft Management Console to Drop Backdoor Payloads on Windows

The Securonix Threat Research team has identified a phishing campaign called the “FLUX#CONSOLE campaign,” which targets tax-related themes using Microsoft Common Console Document (MSC) files to deliver a backdoor payload. The attack begins with a phishing email containing a decoy PDF titled “Income-Tax-Deduction-and-Rebates202441712.pdf,” which conceals an MSC file that executes malicious payloads. The campaign employs various tactics, including tax-themed lures, exploitation of MSC files, DLL sideloading using DISM.exe, persistence through scheduled tasks, and advanced obfuscation techniques. The attack chain involves tricking users into opening a malicious MSC file disguised as a PDF, which contains XML commands to download or extract a malicious DLL named DismCore.dll. The DLL is sideloaded using Dism.exe, and the malware communicates with a Command-and-Control server at “hxxps://siasat[.]top,” exfiltrating data via encrypted HTTPS traffic. The attackers maintained access for about 24 hours, targeting victims in Pakistan. The tactics used do not align with known advanced persistent threat groups, highlighting the growing threat of MSC files as a delivery method for malware. Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) include the C2 address siasat[.]top and analyzed file hashes for the malicious files involved in the campaign.

Tech Optimizer

December 3, 2024

Hackers are now using corrupted files to bypass your antivirus software — how to stay safe

Cybersecurity experts from ANY.RUN have discovered that hackers are using a new method to distribute malware on Windows PCs through phishing emails containing intentionally corrupted Microsoft Office or ZIP files. This tactic is designed to evade detection by users and antivirus software. The corrupted files complicate the identification of malicious content, as security tools fail to extract any files from them, leading to undetected malware. An example of this phishing tactic includes an email impersonating an HR department, which suggests a salary increase while concealing a malicious Word document and a QR code that may lead to a harmful domain. Users are advised to be cautious with emails from unknown senders, verify sender addresses, and ensure robust antivirus software is installed on all devices. It is also recommended to contact senders directly for verification and to avoid downloading attachments from unknown sources.

Winsage

November 12, 2024

Revamped Remcos RAT Deployed Against Microsoft Users

Threat actors have enhanced the Remcos remote access tool, making it a more sophisticated malware variant by using multiple layers of scripting languages to evade detection. This new campaign exploits a known remote code execution vulnerability in unpatched Microsoft Office and WordPad applications, initiated through a phishing email containing a disguised Excel file. The malware employs various encoding methods and obfuscation techniques to avoid analysis, including the use of PowerShell scripts and API hooking. It gathers information from the victim's device and transmits it to a command and control server. Experts emphasize the importance of patching, employee training, and robust endpoint protection to defend against such attacks.