Fake GitHub security tools are spreading malware that disables defenses, steals sensitive data and infects over 2,000 PCs. Cybersecurity firm Doctor Web has found malware hidden in GitHub projects that look like security tools. The campaign targets blockchain game fans and, more recently, information security professionals. The researchers discovered that more than 2,000 PCs were infected. “The attackers behind these compromised development projects target blockchain game enthusiasts and (most intriguingly) …information security professionals.” reads the report. “At the time of Doctor Web’s research into this matter, more than 2,000 PCs were infected.” The campaign started two years ago with Visual Studio projects related to blockchain games, game bots and cheats. The attackers targeted people who used crypto wallets. They hid malicious code in project files, including commands that ran before a project was built and PowerShell commands stored in configuration files. They even provided instructions on how to install Visual Studio and download the projects from GitHub, making it easy for people with limited technical knowledge to use them. Now the attackers are targeting cybersecurity professionals. Their new GitHub projects claim to offer tools for automated scanning, security testing and log analysis. Doctor Web found one that pretends to analyze and clean results from the Fscan security scanner. The attackers also hide malicious code in Python and Go files, using large blocks of blank spaces to make it harder to spot. Some of these fake security tools even remove the antivirus software installed on the victim’s computer. Once a victim opens the project, a PowerShell script runs and contacts the attackers’ servers and legitimate platforms, including YouTube, Telegram, Google Docs, GitCode and Pastebin. An encrypted string it retrieves holds a link to an archive, which unpacks into a folder disguised as a Windows Photos component. Its main program is Microsoft.exe, a modular app built with the Electron framework. It does most of the damage. The loader collects system information and sends it to a Telegram bot, keeps itself running, raises its privileges, and turns off Windows Defender, UAC, System Restore and shadow copies. It also adds its own Defender exclusions, injects code into legitimate processes, and removes McAfee, ESET and Malwarebytes antivirus products. Its default mode, called Mode3, stacks several evasion tricks. It fakes its parent process, disables Smart App Control, removes security software hooks from ntdll.dll, makes direct system calls, and patches event tracing and antivirus script scanning in memory. If that fails, Mode2 takes over, adding Defender exclusions and injecting through PowerShell. Three payloads follow. AsyncRAT, a remote access backdoor, runs as two identical copies on different ports, which probably lets two operators control one device. A clipper swaps crypto wallet addresses in the clipboard while taking screenshots, and a stealer takes browser data, FileZilla, MobaXterm and Total Commander configs, VPN settings, messenger files, game accounts and Discord tokens. Everything is zipped and sent through Telegram, and the malware edits the hosts file to block antivirus vendors’ domains. The attackers are still developing the malware. Doctor Web found an unfinished component that could install itself as a system service, download Microsoft.exe again if someone deletes it, manage startup and install updates. “Attackers are constantly updating the Trojans to introduce new features. For example, Doctor Web’s researchers discovered certain unused routines that facilitate downloading and decompressing yet another archive—Lodge.7z.” concludes the report. “It contains an Electron project that hasn’t been completed yet. The executable file’s name is WUDFHost.exe. Its code offers us a glimpse of some of the trojan’s future features.” Doctor Web advises users to keep their antivirus software up to date and scan every file they download. The researchers warn that attackers are constantly improving the Trojans and adding new features. Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs – hacking, Fake GitHub Security Tools)
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added a high-severity vulnerability impacting SonicWall SonicOS to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, following reports that it said may have been exploited in real-world attacks. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-19868 (CVSS score: 7.1 / 7.5), has been described as an authentication reinforcement
French cooperative bank Crédit Mutuel Arkéa was targeted in a cyberattack that enabled fraudulent transactions of up to $133 million, forcing it to respond by suspending certain systems. The bank says that the attacker used its own account to initiate transactions to other banking organizations, but customer assets remain unaffected. Crédit Mutuel Arkéa is a major French banking group with more than 5.8 million members and 211.5 billion euros in assets. Reports about the incident emerged on November 2, initially from blockchain fraud investigator ZachXBT, who warned of a large-scale unauthorized withdrawal from multiple centralized exchange accounts occurring a day earlier. According to the investigator, the attacker may have stolen up to 118 million euros ($133 million) and withdrawn it as USDC and USDT stablecoins.
Scammers are impersonating major brands and celebrities to lure consumers into fake gift card giveaways that collect personal information and trigger unwanted subscriptions. CTM360 reveals how these campaigns use deceptive verification steps and affiliate networks to generate revenue without delivering the promised rewards.
U.S. CISA adds SonicWall SonicOS SSLVPN vulnerability CVE-2026-19868 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added a SonicWall SonicOS SSLVPN flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-19868 (CVSS score of 7.5), to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. CVE-2026-19868 is an authentication bypass vulnerability affecting the SSL VPN service in SonicWall SonicOS. “An authentication enforcement vulnerability in SonicOS SSLVPN service may allow a user with valid credentials for an alternate authentication method to bypass SAML authentication controls. Successful exploitation may also bypass SAML-enforced multi-factor authentication (MFA).” reads the advisory. The flaw occurs when the system does not properly enforce SAML authentication controls. An attacker who already has valid credentials for an alternative authentication method may exploit this weakness to bypass SAML-based authentication. The impact is particularly serious when organisations rely on SAML to enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA). Successful exploitation may allow an attacker to access the SSL VPN without completing the expected SAML authentication process, potentially bypassing the additional MFA protection. In practical terms, the vulnerability could weaken an organisation’s remote access security by allowing users with alternative valid credentials to circumvent its intended authentication controls. It’s important to highlight that this is not an unauthenticated remote access vulnerability. The attacker needs valid credentials for an alternative authentication method, but may then bypass SAML-enforced security controls. SonicWall’s PSIRT team is investigating a report of possible exploitation of this flaw. The company strongly recommends that customers install the latest available update as soon as possible to reduce the risk of attacks. “SonicWall PSIRT has investigated a report indicating potential exploitation of this vulnerability. Customers are strongly urged to upgrade to the latest release as soon as possible to mitigate the associated risks.” reads the advisory. According to Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, FCEB agencies have to address the identified vulnerabilities by the due date to protect their networks against attacks exploiting the flaws in the catalog. Experts also recommend that private organizations review the Catalog and address the vulnerabilities in their infrastructure. CISA orders federal agencies to fix the flaw by November 20, 2026. Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs – hacking, CISA)
SonicWall has released security updates to fix seven vulnerabilities in SonicOS firewalls, including an SSL-VPN authentication bypass flaw exploited in attacks. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-19868, allows attackers with valid credentials for an alternate authentication method to bypass SAML authentication controls, potentially including SAML-enforced multi-factor authentication (MFA). The flaw has a CVSS severity score of 7.1 and only affects SonicOS SSL-VPN services configured to use SAML authentication. In a security advisory published Friday, SonicWall warned that it had investigated a report that the vulnerability was exploited in an attack and urged customers to install the latest security updates. "SonicWall PSIRT has investigated a report indicating potential exploitation of this vulnerability. Customers are strongly urged to upgrade to the latest release as soon as possible to mitigate the associated risks," the company warned.
Passwords and API keys that developers typed into commands they approved in Claude Code are sitting in public GitHub repositories, where anyone can read them. When a user selects "Yes, and don't ask again," Anthropic's AI coding assistant can save the command, word-for-word, including the secret, in a project settings file. Software security company Apiiro said yesterday that 1,122 public
WorkOS says an AI-powered hacking agent that breached its internal sales application and accessed customer information was operated by a security researcher who claims the tool escaped its testing environment and unintentionally attacked the company.
Unit 42 examines recent cyberattacks targeting European refrigeration systems and outlines defense and mitigation strategies. The post Turning Up the Heat: Inside the Attacks on Europe’s Refrigeration System appeared first on Unit 42.
OpenAI has revealed GPT-6 Cyber, a new artificial intelligence model that has discovered 81 previously unknown high-severity Firefox vulnerabilities and developed working exploits for 948 distinct Linux kernel flaws. The company announced the model on Thursday, saying it significantly improves on earlier AI models in finding software vulnerabilities, validating their impact, and helping developers create fixes. During security testing, GPT-6 Cyber discovered 81 previously unknown high-severity vulnerabilities in Firefox and helped develop patches, many of which Mozilla has already released. In separate Linux kernel research, the model identified 2,308 potential security flaws, successfully reproduced 1,724 vulnerabilities, and developed local privilege escalation exploits for 948 distinct vulnerabilities that could allow an unprivileged user to gain root access.
Confirm this action.
Leaving now will discard your changes.