Intel Free'd: A CYBERSECURITY INTELLIGENCE FEEDby: buf0rd

LATEST

Aggregated cybersecurity reporting, advisories and research. 33 matching records.
AUTO-POLL // 2026-08-18 22:00 UTC
RESET
2026-08-18 12:49 UTC
Vendor Research

New Report: AI threats are here. Why Q2 2026 signals the end of traditional patch cycles

Rapid7 · Rapid7 Labs · indexed 2026-08-18 15:35 UTC

You can’t patch everything. So what do you fix first? Findings in Q2 2026 have changed traditional answers.The latest Quarterly Threat Landscape Report from Rapid7 Labs shows vulnerability disclosures still surging while attackers use automation and AI-assisted tooling to compress the time between disclosure and exploitation. The gap that patch cycles were built to fill is closing. Speed and volume are overwhelming security teams that have relied on traditional patch cycles and reactive program…

APT / Nation-StateCloud SecurityCybercrimeDFIRICS / OTMicrosoftPhishingRansomwareVulnerabilities
P15
2026-08-17 15:15 UTC
Vendor Research

Detecting cloud ransomware in Azure with Tenable One’s cloud detection and response capabilities

Tenable Blog · Clément Notin · indexed 2026-08-17 15:35 UTC

Learn how Tenable One Cloud Exposure helps you unmask the sophisticated tactics of cybercrime group Storm-0501, which carries out Azure-based cloud ransomware campaigns. Tenable One Cloud Exposure uses AI-powered threat stories to expose Storm-0501 TTPs, backed by precision-engineered threat detection alerts.Key takeawaysStorm-0501 demonstrates that cloud-first ransomware groups have shifted from simple endpoint encryption to the total hijacking of cloud tenants.Storm-0501 systematically neutra…

AppleCloud SecurityCybercrimeDFIRMalwareMicrosoftRansomwareThreat ActorsThreat Intelligence
P15
2026-08-17 11:29 UTC
Vendor Research

Operation ASTERIX: Anatomy of a Crypto Fraud Pipeline

Rapid7 · Anna Širokova · indexed 2026-08-18 15:35 UTC

Operation ASTERIX overviewRapid7 researchers identified an exposed web directory on infrastructure used to support a cryptocurrency fraud operation. The server contained raw phone-number datasets, account-validation tools, enriched lead records, phishing panels, voice-dialing scripts, fake wallet applications, persistence mechanisms, and Telegram exfiltration code. Among the artifacts was evidence that the operator relied on AI coding assistants throughout the campaign's development; recovered …

AI SecurityAppleCybercrimeMalwareMicrosoftNetwork SecurityPhishing
P0
2026-08-16 08:55 UTC
Other

Sophisticated Cyberattack Exposes Data of 678,000 French Taxpayers

Security Affairs · Pierluigi Paganini · indexed 2026-08-16 18:35 UTC

France’s tax agency says hackers stole data on 678,000 taxpayers, including income and tax details, in a sophisticated cyberattack. A threat actor claimed to have breached France’s tax agency in late June. France’s tax administration confirmed that a cyberattack exposed personal data of 678,000 individuals and businesses, prompting an immediate criminal investigation. The cybercrime unit […]

CybercrimeDFIRThreat Actors
P0
2026-08-14 07:54 UTC
Security Journalism

China-Linked Jewelbug Uses XG-Web for Government Espionage and Crypto Fraud

The Hacker News · info@thehackernews.com (The Hacker News) · indexed 2026-08-17 10:50 UTC

The China-linked threat actor known as Jewelbug has been observed carrying out cyber espionage operations targeting governments and militaries, while simultaneously engaging in cryptocurrency fraud. "Both missions are administered from a single control panel, XG-Web, a browser-centric remote-access and information-stealing framework that turns a victim's browser into a full remote-control

APT / Nation-StateCybercrimeThreat Actors
P0
2026-08-13 11:53 UTC
Security Journalism

WindRelay Android Malware Turns Victims' Phones Into NFC Relays for Payment Fraud

The Hacker News · info@thehackernews.com (The Hacker News) · indexed 2026-08-17 10:50 UTC

A previously unseen Android near field communication (NFC) relay malware family dubbed WindRelay is being deployed in conjunction with a known remote access trojan (RAT) called SpyNote as part of a contactless payment fraud scheme. The purpose-built malware, according to Group-IB, is designed to capture live card data via NFC and transmit it to fraudsters in real time. It was first detected in

CybercrimeMalwareMobile Security
P0
2026-08-06 17:00 UTC
Independent Research

Canadian Man Pleads Guilty in Snowflake Extortions

Krebs on Security · BrianKrebs · indexed 2026-08-15 14:33 UTC

A 26-year-old Canadian man once described as one of the most consequential cybercrime threat actors of 2024 has pleaded guilty to computer fraud and conspiracy to hack and extort more than 165 organizations that used the cloud data storage provider Snowflake. Connor Riley Moucka, of Kitchener, Ontario, also admitted to stealing call and text history records of more than 100 million AT&T customers.

CybercrimeThreat Actors
P0
2026-08-05 23:35 UTC
Security Journalism

AI Sends Global Crime Syndicates Into Fraud Nirvana

Dark Reading · Tara Seals · indexed 2026-08-15 18:55 UTC

Organized crime is convincingly scamming at scale, making billions thanks to AI-enabled voice cloning, deepfake real-time video overlays, LLM-driven persona management, and automated translation.

AI SecurityCybercrime
P0
2026-07-30 16:49 UTC
Independent Research

Read This Before You Buy That TV Streaming Stick

Krebs on Security · BrianKrebs · indexed 2026-08-15 14:33 UTC

Security experts have been sounding the alarm for years about the risks of using generic TV boxes that promise unlimited content streaming for a one-time fee, warning that they secretly rent the user's Internet connection out to strangers. But a groundbreaking new analysis finds these devices also routinely spoof themselves as mobile phones clicking ads on AI-generated websites as part of sprawling operation that seeks to defraud online merchants and advertising networks.

Cybercrime
P0
2026-07-30 14:00 UTC
Vendor Research

Batten Down Your Packages: Mitigation Guidance for Supply Chain Compromise

Google Threat Intelligence / Mandiant · Google Threat Intelligence Group · indexed 2026-08-15 18:55 UTC

Written by: Kelli Vanderlee, Stuart Carrera For years, the cybersecurity industry's understanding of software supply chain compromise has been anchored by a few watershed events, including Russian cyber espionage actor ICE RELIC’s (formerly known as APT29) 2020 compromise of SolarWinds and North Korean cyber espionage actor UNC4736's 2023 compromise of 3CX. However, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has been tracking growth in threat activity targeting open source software repositories to…

AI SecurityAppleAPT / Nation-StateCybercrimeData BreachesDFIRLinuxMalwareRansomwareThreat ActorsThreat Intelligence
P15
2026-07-28 13:00 UTC
Vendor Research

The Next Evolution of MDR: Preemptive Defense and Agentic Investigation

Rapid7 · Mikayla Wyman · indexed 2026-08-15 18:55 UTC

For years, security operations followed a familiar sequence: detect suspicious activity, investigate what happened, and respond before it caused significant harm. That model developed in a threat landscape where defenders had considerably more time to establish the facts and decide what to do next. In 2019, the average data breach took 206 days to identify and another 73 days to contain, creating a total breach lifecycle of 279 days.As the time between initial access and attacker movement conti…

AI SecurityCybercrimeData BreachesDFIRMicrosoftThreat IntelligenceVulnerabilities
P0
2026-07-08 12:31 UTC
Independent Research

Felons, Fraudsters Flog Offensive Cybersecurity Startup

Krebs on Security · BrianKrebs · indexed 2026-08-15 14:33 UTC

A cybersecurity startup dangling millions of dollars to acquire zero-day security vulnerabilities in popular software is run by a pair of far-right conspiracy theorists and convicted felons whose most recent ventures included fake intelligence companies and a now-defunct AI-based lobbying platform they operated under assumed names.

CybercrimeVulnerabilities
P25
2026-06-23 16:12 UTC
Independent Research

Scattered Spider Hackers Plead Guilty on Day 1 of Trial

Krebs on Security · BrianKrebs · indexed 2026-08-15 14:33 UTC

Two men pleaded guilty in the United Kingdom this week to criminal charges stemming from an August 2024 cyberattack that crippled Transport for London, the entity responsible for the public transport network in the Greater London area. The duo were key members of a prolific cybercrime group known as Scattered Spider, and their guilty pleas came on the first day of what was expected to be a six-week trial.

Cybercrime
P0
2026-05-25 14:00 UTC
Vendor Research

2 PhaaS 2 Furious: The Evolution of Chinese-Language Phishing Services

Google Threat Intelligence / Mandiant · Google Threat Intelligence Group · indexed 2026-08-15 18:55 UTC

While Russian-speaking threat actors have historically dominated the phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) landscape, a rival ecosystem is rapidly growing within the Chinese-language underground. Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) analyzed a dozen current PhaaS offerings in the Chinese underground, all of them mature services and many likely tied intricately to the broader criminal ecosystem in that region. These services not only lower the barrier to entry for Chinese cyber criminals, but reveal …

AppleCybercrimePhishingThreat ActorsThreat Intelligence
P0
2026-04-15 14:00 UTC
Vendor Research

The German Cyber Criminal Überfall: Shifts in Europe's Data Leak Landscape

Google Threat Intelligence / Mandiant · Google Threat Intelligence Group · indexed 2026-08-15 18:55 UTC

Written by: Jamie Collier, Robin Grunewald Germany has reclaimed its position as a primary focus for cyber extortion in Europe. While data leak site (DLS) posts rose almost 50% globally in 2025, Google Threat Intelligence (GTI) data shows that the surge is hitting German infrastructure harder and faster than its regional neighbors, marking a significant return to the high-pressure levels previously observed in the country during 2022 and 2023. Cyber Criminals Pivoting Back to Germany Germany mo…

CybercrimeData BreachesRansomwareThreat ActorsThreat Intelligence
P15
2026-04-09 17:07 UTC
Vendor Research

Protecting Cookies with Device Bound Session Credentials

Google Online Security Blog · Google · indexed 2026-08-15 14:33 UTC

Posted by Ben Ackerman, Chrome team, Daniel Rubery, Chrome team and Guillaume Ehinger, Google Account Security team Following our April 2024 announcement, Device Bound Session Credentials (DBSC) is now entering public availability for Windows users on Chrome 146, and expanding to macOS in an upcoming Chrome release. This project represents a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to combat session theft, which remains a prevalent threat in the modern security landscape. Session theft t…

AppleCybercrimeMalwareMicrosoftThreat Actors
P0
2026-02-25 15:17 UTC
Vendor Research

Staying One Step Ahead: Strengthening Android’s Lead in Scam Protection

Google Online Security Blog · Edward Fernandez · indexed 2026-08-15 14:33 UTC

Posted by Lyubov Farafonova, Product Manager, Phone by Google; Alberto Pastor Nieto, Sr. Product Manager Google Messages and RCS Spam and Abuse We’ve shared how Android’s proactive, multi-layered scam defenses utilize Google AI to protect users around the world from over 10 billion suspected malicious calls and messages every month1. While that scale is significant, the true impact of these protections is best understood through the stories of the individuals they help keep safe every day. This…

CybercrimeMobile Security
P0
2026-02-19 17:00 UTC
Vendor Research

Keeping Google Play & Android app ecosystems safe in 2025

Google Online Security Blog · Edward Fernandez · indexed 2026-08-15 14:33 UTC

Posted by Vijaya Kaza, VP and GM, App & Ecosystem Trust The Android ecosystem is a thriving global community built on trust, giving billions of users the confidence to download the latest apps. In order to maintain that trust, we’re focused on ensuring that apps do not cause real-world harm, such as malware, financial fraud, hidden subscriptions, and privacy invasions. As bad actors leverage AI to change their tactics and launch increasingly sophisticated attacks, we’ve deepened our investments…

CybercrimeMalwareMobile Security
P0
2026-01-27 16:59 UTC
Vendor Research

New Android Theft Protection Feature Updates: Smarter, Stronger

Google Online Security Blog · Edward Fernandez · indexed 2026-08-15 14:33 UTC

Posted by Nataliya Stanetsky, Fabricio Ferracioli, Elliot Sisteron, Irene Ang of the Android Security Team Phone theft is more than just losing a device; it's a form of financial fraud that can leave you suddenly vulnerable to personal data and financial theft. That’s why we're committed to providing multi-layered defenses that help protect you before, during, and after a theft attempt. Today, we're announcing a powerful set of theft protection feature updates that build on our existing protect…

CybercrimeMobile Security
P0
2025-12-10 20:00 UTC
Vendor Research

HTTPS certificate industry phasing out less secure domain validation methods

Google Online Security Blog · Google · indexed 2026-08-15 14:33 UTC

Posted by Chrome Root Program Team Secure connections are the backbone of the modern web, but a certificate is only as trustworthy as the validation process and issuance practices behind it. Recently, the Chrome Root Program and the CA/Browser Forum have taken decisive steps toward a more secure internet by adopting new security requirements for HTTPS certificate issuers. These initiatives, driven by Ballots SC-080, SC-090, and SC-091, will sunset 11 legacy methods for Domain Control Validation…

Cybercrime
P0
12