While a number of threat groups have used TP-Link bugs to infiltrate networks, a proposed ban of the company's popular routers is more about geopolitics than actual cybersecurity — and that may not be a bad thing.

Source: metamorworks via Shutterstock

With US government agencies and lawmakers reportedly considering a ban on TP-Link's products in the United States, one might think the company would rank high on the list of networking vendors with the most vulnerabilities currently being exploited by cyberattackers.

Not by a long shot.

The Chinese firm, whose products are popular among consumers and small businesses, currently has two security issues gracing the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) list curated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), compared with 74 for Cisco Systems, 23 for Ivanti, and 20 for D-Link.

Yet US government officials' concern is less about known vulnerabilities, and more about unknown risks, including its routers' popularity in the United States — where it accounts for about two-thirds of the market — and the degree to which the company is beholden to China's government.

While no researcher has called out a specific backdoor or zero-day vulnerability in TP-Link routers, restricting products from a country that is a political and economic rival is not unreasonable, says Thomas Pace, CEO of extended Internet of Things (IoT) security firm NetRise and a former head of cybersecurity for the US Department of Energy.

"The value to me \[of a ban\] is almost more around economic policy value than pure technical cybersecurity value," he says. "To me, there is value in saying you shouldn't buy these things because of X, Y, and Z reasons \[and to make it\] more difficult for small businesses, or whoever, to get their hands on devices from these companies."

Related:BlackBerry to Sell Cylance to Arctic Wolf

**TP-Link — Not a Vulnerability Stand-Out**

In April 2024, one of two TP-Link vulnerabilities attracted the most vulnerability scanning by threat actors, according to an analysis by cloud and application-security firm F5. The issue, a command injection vulnerability for TP-Link's Archer AX21 router (CVE-2023-1389), allows an unauthenticated attacker to easily compromise a device via a simple POST request.

TP-Link ranks low on the list of networking vendors with known exploited vulnerabilities. Source: Author from CISA data

In another incident, security firm Check Point Software Technologies discovered that TP-Link devices were also compromised with an implant known as Camaro Dragon. The implanted components were discovered in modified TP-Link firmware images, and not the original software shipped by the company, says Itay Cohen, research lead at Check Point Research.

Yet Cohen stresses that the implants were written in a firmware-agnostic manner and not specific to any particular product or vendor.

"It is worth noting that this kind of attack is not aimed specifically at sensitive networks, but rather at regular residential and home networks," he says. "Therefore, infecting a home router does not necessarily mean that the homeowner was a specific target, but rather that their device was merely a means to an end for the attackers."

Related:Versa Introduces Integrated Endpoint Data Loss Prevention in SASE Solution

The threat posed by such vulnerabilities and implants are real, but the data from the KEV catalog shows that other manufacturers are just as likely to have their vulnerabilities exploited — and there are more of them. The lesson is that vulnerabilities in embedded devices are not unique to any one manufacturer or country of origin, says Sonu Shankar, chief product officer at Phosphorus Cybersecurity, an extended IoT cybersecurity provider.

"Nation-state actors frequently exploit weaknesses in devices from companies worldwide, including those sold by American manufacturers," he says. "Devices lacking basic security hygiene — such as the use of strong passwords, timely firmware patching, or proper configurations — can become easy targets for cyberattacks."

TP-Link stressed this fact in a statement sent to Dark Reading.

"Many brands of consumer electronics are targeted by hackers, and we support government efforts to hold all producers to the same standard," a company spokesperson said. "We welcome opportunities to engage with the federal government to demonstrate that our security practices are fully in line with industry security standards, and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the American market, American consumers, and addressing US national security risks."

Related:Test Your Cyber Skills With the SANS Holiday Hack Challenge

**China's Government Oversight Is Pervasive**

But those assertions may be minimizing the influence of the Chinese government on the company's operations: Most Western companies do not understand the degree to which Chinese officials monitor China's business sectors — and cybersecurity firms — as a component of government policy and national strategy, NetRise's Pace says.

"It's a totally different business culture," he says. "There is a member of the PRC in every company — that's not even like an opinion, it's just how it is. And if you think they're not there to exert their influence, then you're just an unbelievably naive person, because that's exactly what they do, \[including\] for the purposes of intelligence gathering."

Threat intelligence analysts have flagged the Chinese government national strategy documents and evidence showing their increasing efforts to compromise rival nations' infrastructure — such as the attacks by Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon.

"In recent years we see Chinese threat actors’ increasing interest in compromising edge devices, aiming to both build resilient and more anonymous C2 infrastructures, and to gain a foothold in certain targeted networks," Check Point stated in its analysis, but added that the "discovery of the firmware-agnostic nature of the implanted components indicates that a wide range of devices and vendors may be at risk."

China's networking products are not alone in being targeted by the US government, which also banned the products of antivirus firm Kaspersky because of national security concerns, given that it's a Russian company.

**The Global Cyber Reality of Home Routers: Buyer Beware**

Companies and consumers should do their due diligence, keep their devices up to date with the latest security patches, and consider whether the manufacturer of their critical hardware may have secondary motives, says Phosphorus Cybersecurity's Shankar.

"The vast majority of successful attacks on IoT are enabled by preventable issues like static, unchanged default passwords, or unpatched firmware, leaving systems exposed," he says. "For business operators and consumer end-users, the key takeaway is clear: adopting basic security hygiene is a critical defense against both opportunistic and sophisticated attacks. Don’t leave the front door open."

For companies worried about the origin of their networking devices or the security their supply chain, finding a trusted third party to manage the devices is a reasonable option. In reality, though, almost every device should be monitored and not trusted, says NetRise's Pace.

"It's a crazy world that exists when it comes to device security," he says. "You're accepting this device that you know nothing about — and that you really can't know anything about — unlike Windows \[or another operating system\] ... where you can also install three agents and a firewall in front of it to mitigate the risk of the software."

**About the Author**

Veteran technology journalist of more than 20 years. Former research engineer. Written for more than two dozen publications, including CNET News.com, Dark Reading, MIT's Technology Review, Popular Science, and Wired News. Five awards for journalism, including Best Deadline Journalism (Online) in 2003 for coverage of the Blaster worm. Crunches numbers on various trends using Python and R. Recent reports include analyses of the shortage in cybersecurity workers and annual vulnerability trends.

US Ban on TP-Link Routers More About Politics Than Exploitation Risk

KEY SUMMARY POINTS Krispy Kreme, the beloved doughnut chain, disclosed a data breach on December 11, 2024, in…

****KEY SUMMARY POINTS****

*   **Krispy Kreme Data Breach:** The notorious Play ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the data breach at Krispy Kreme and is threatening to leak the data within two days.
*   **Threatening to Leak Data:** Hackers threaten to leak sensitive company data within two days.
*   **Play Ransomware and Doube Extortion:** The group uses a double-extortion model, exfiltrating and encrypting data.
*   **Play Ransomware Does Not Play:** Play Ransomware has a history of targeting various global sectors.
*   **International Links:** Recent reports link the group to North Korean state-backed hackers.

Krispy Kreme, the beloved doughnut chain, **disclosed a data breach** on December 11, 2024, in which its operations across the United States were disrupted. At the time, the identity of the attackers was unknown. However, Hackread.com can now exclusively reveal that the Play Ransomware group, also known as PlayCrypt, has claimed responsibility for the breach.

The Play Ransomware group made the announcement earlier today, December 19, via its **dark web** leak site. While Krispy Kreme has not disclosed whether any data was stolen or the nature of such data, the ransomware group is threatening to release sensitive internal company information within two days. The data reportedly includes the following:

*   **IDs**
*   **Client documents**
*   **payroll information**
*   **Financial information**
*   **Budgeting information**
*   **Accounting information**
*   **Tax-related information**
*   **Private and personal confidential data**

Screenshot from Play ransomware group’s dark web leak site (Credit: Hackread.com)

For context, the Play Ransomware group, which emerged in June 2022, specializes in targeting a wide range of sectors, including business, government, critical infrastructure, healthcare, and media. Their attacks have spanned across North America, South America, and Europe, making them a significant threat to the **cybersecurity infrastructure**.

The Play Ransomware group uses a double-extortion model, exfiltrating data before encrypting systems and threatening to release the stolen information if their ransom demands are not met. One of their most notable attacks occurred in June 2023, targeting Swiss government entities and resulting in data breaches that impacted hundreds of thousands of individuals.

**In July 2024**, Play Ransomware introduced a new variant designed to target Linux ESXi environments. However, the most alarming development came **in October 2024**, when a report from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 revealed that the ransomware group was collaborating with North Korean government-backed hackers to carry out global attacks.

The Play Ransomware attack on Krispy Kreme is another reminder of the growing complexity and reach of cybercriminal groups. With their history of targeting critical sectors and recent collaboration with state-backed hackers, the group has now become a serious threat to businesses worldwide.

1.  **Aussie Food Giant Patties Foods Leaks Trove of Data**
2.  **Chowbus food delivery service suffers breach; data stolen**
3.  **FBI warns of ransomware attacks on Food, Agriculture sectors**
4.  **Dunkin Donuts Perks loyalty data breach: Change your password**
5.  **Hacker Claims Cisco Breach, Selling Stolen Data from Major Firms**

Play Ransomware Claims Krispy Kreme Breach, Threatens Data Leak

In the last newsletter of the year, Thorsten recalls his tech-savvy gift to his family and how we can all incorporate cybersecurity protections this holiday season.

Thursday, December 19, 2024 14:02

Welcome to the final Threat Source newsletter of 2024. 

Watching "Die Hard" during the Christmas season has become a widely recognized tradition for many, despite ongoing debates about its classification as a Christmas movie. I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Whether you like the movie or not, let me share a story about what didn't quite go as planned in my family last year.  

When  some celebrities had their social media accounts compromised, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to introduce my family to the world of multi-factor authentication (MFA) for their online accounts. Our home IT setup is diverse— With Linux, Macs, Windows; Androids, iOS, we needed something cross-platform. Also, we needed a user-friendly solution as we have both standard users and IT experts (never underestimate your users). From my professional standpoint, I decided to go “all in” with hardware tokens - they work cross platform and "survive" one or the other OS installs from scratch. Providing two for each person was mandatory in case one got lost, which had happened to me already. So it wasn't a cheap exercise. In my defense, this was before the side-channel attack EUCLEAK was discovered, which has since expanded to affect more products as noted in the first release. 

In the spirit of John McClane : “Now I know what a TV dinner feels like.” 

The kids found the gift "boring" and almost a year later, the adoption rate is still only 30%. Fortunately, my wife had the foresight to prepare real presents for the family, saving Christmas Eve from being a "bad guys win" scenario. (Only John Thor can drive somebody that crazy.) 

I share this anecdote not to discourage you, but to help you avoid making the same mistake and risking your celebrations. Unless everyone gathered around the Christmas tree is an infosec professional, it might not be the time to go "Yippee-ki-yay Mr Falcon" with tech gifts.  

However, spending time with loved ones is a great opportunity to discuss the trends and importance of cybersecurity. We've been highlighting compromised credentials for a long time, as seen in our previous posts \[here\], \[here\], \[here\] and \[here\]. For the fourth consecutive time in over a year, the most observed means of gaining initial access was the use of valid accounts, making it clear identity-based attacks are becoming more prevalent, and wont be gone anytime soon. 

 Advocate for the use of a password managers—there are paid versions with family plans on one end, and excellent open-source alternatives on the other. Avoid storing credentials in browsers, as they can be extracted by info-stealers. Consider using passkeys where possible. According to the fido alliance, more than 20% of the world's top 100 websites support passkeys already. If passkeys are not yet enabled for one of your services? Any MFA is better than none. Even using "just" TOTP in a software container is a significant improvement over just a password. 

But it's not just about enabling MFA. As Martin wrote last week, we need to close the gap by communicating and understanding the the threat landscape. When it comes to stolen credentials, share resources like https://haveibeenpwned.com/ or https://sec.hpi.de/ilc/?lang=en with your loved ones so they can check if their email has been part of a breach.   

If you decide not to bother your friends & famliy (though I strongly believe Mbappe, Sweeny and Odenkirk would have preferred a more secure account) with Account/Password Hygiene, there are some more work related recommendations in Hazel’s “How are attackers trying to bypass MFA” 

Whichever is your idea of Christmas, then, like Argyle said, "I gotta be here for New Year's!"  

We look forward to seeing you in 2025!   

**The one big thing**

At the time of writing, our Vulnerability Research Team Disclosed 207 Vulnerabilities, and had another 93 reported to the respective Vendor in 2024.  Di you know  Talos has a team which investigates software and operating system vulnerabilities in order to discover them before malicious threat actors do? Every day, they try to find vulnerabilities that have not yet been discovered, and then work to provide a fix for those before a zero-day threat could ever be executed. 

**Why do I care? **

We see threat actors exploiting known vulnerabilities constantly. Sometimes those CVEs are Years old.  

**So now what? **

Maybe you want to check for some CVEs or conduct a network security assessments.   
You can our team’s reports,roundups,spotlights and deep dives on our blog. 

**Top security headlines of the week **

 Blackhat Europe 2024 took place Dec 9-12 in London, UK. Loaded with a lot of interesting Sessions, my favorites are “Vulnerabilities in the eSIM download protocol” and “Over the Air: Compromise of Modern Volkswagen Group Vehicles” both showing how far an attack surface can possibly extend.  

Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) says it blocked communication between appr. 30.000 Android IoT Devices which were sold with BadBox malware preinstalled, and their command and control (C2) infrastructure by sinkholing DNS queries (Bleeping Computer)  

Law enforcement agencies worldwide disrupted a holiday tradition for cybercriminals: launching Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. Booter and stresser websites were taken down, administrators were arrested and over 300 users were identified for planned operational activities. (Europool) 

The Willow chip is not capable of breaking modern cryptography,” Google’s director of quantum tells The Verge.

**Can’t get enough Talos? **

*   The evolution and abuse of proxy networks 
*   Microsoft Patch Tuesday for December 2024 contains four critical vulnerabilities 

**Upcoming events where you can find Talos **

  Cisco Live EMEA (February 9-14, 2025) 

Amsterdam, Netherlands 

**Most prevalent malware files from Talos telemetry over the past week  **

**SHA256:**873ee789a177e59e7f82d3030896b1efdebe468c2dfa02e41ef94978aadf006f   
**MD5:** d86808f6e519b5ce79b83b99dfb9294d    
**VirusTotal:**  
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/873ee789a177e59e7f82d3030896b1efdebe468c2dfa02e41ef94978aadf006f   
**Typical Filename:** n/a   
**Claimed Product:** n/a    
**Detection Name:** Win32.Trojan-Stealer.Petef.FPSKK8  

**SHA256:**9f1f11a708d393e0a4109ae189bc64f1f3e312653dcf317a2bd406f18ffcc507   
**MD5:** 2915b3f8b703eb744fc54c81f4a9c67f    
**VirusTotal:**  
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/9f1f11a708d393e0a4109ae189bc64f1f3e312653dcf317a2bd406f18ffcc507    
**Typical Filename:** VID001.exe    
**Claimed Product:** n/a    
**Detection Name:** Win.Worm.Bitmin-9847045-0 

 **SHA 256:**  
7b3ec2365a64d9a9b2452c22e82e6d6ce2bb6dbc06c6720951c9570a5cd46fe5    
**MD5:** ff1b6bb151cf9f671c929a4cbdb64d86    
**VirusTotal:** https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/7b3ec2365a64d9a9b2452c22e82e6d6ce2bb6dbc06c6720951c9570a5cd46fe5   
**Typical Filename:** endpoint.query    
**Claimed Product:** Endpoint-Collector    
**Detection Name:** W32.File.MalParent  

 **SHA256:**47ecaab5cd6b26fe18d9759a9392bce81ba379817c53a3a468fe9060a076f8ca   
**MD5:** 71fea034b422e4a17ebb06022532fdde   
**VirusTotal:** https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/47ecaab5cd6b26fe18d9759a9392bce81ba379817c53a3a468fe9060a076f8ca   
**Typical Filename:** VID001.exe   
**Claimed Product:** n/a    
**Detection Name:** Coinminer:MBT.26mw.in14.Talos 

 **SHA 256:** a31f222fc283227f5e7988d1ad9c0aecd66d58bb7b4d8518ae23e110308dbf91    
**MD5:**  
7bdbd180c081fa63ca94f9c22c457376    
**VirusTotal:** https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/a31f222fc283227f5e7988d1ad9c0aecd66d58bb7b4d8518ae23e110308dbf91   
**Typical Filename:** IMG001.exe    
**Claimed Product:** N/A     
**Detection Name:** Trojan/Win32.CoinMiner.R174018

Welcome to the party, pal!

Cisco Talos’ Vulnerability Research team recently disclosed three out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat Reader, and two use-after-free vulnerabilities in Foxit Reader.  
These vulnerabilities exist in Adobe Acrobat Reader and Foxit Reader, two of the most popular and feature-rich PDF readers on the market. 
The vulnerabilities

Thursday, December 19, 2024 13:53

Cisco Talos’ Vulnerability Research team recently disclosed three out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat Reader, and two use-after-free vulnerabilities in Foxit Reader.  

These vulnerabilities exist in Adobe Acrobat Reader and Foxit Reader, two of the most popular and feature-rich PDF readers on the market. 

The vulnerabilities mentioned in this blog post have been patched by their respective vendors, all in adherence to Cisco’s third-party vulnerability disclosure policy. Adobe's patched this in version 24.005.20320, and Foxit's patch appears in PDF Editor version 12.1.9/11.2.12.

For Snort coverage that can detect the exploitation of these vulnerabilities, download the latest rule sets from Snort.org, and our latest Vulnerability Advisories are always posted on Talos Intelligence’s website.  

**Out-of-bounds read Adobe Acrobat Reader Vulnerabilities **

_Discovered by  KPC._  

Specially crafted font files embedded into a PDF can trigger out-of-bounds memory reads in TALOS-2024-2076 (CVE-2024-49534), TALOS-2024-2070 (CVE-2024-49533), and TALOS-2024-2064 (CVE-2024-49532), which could lead to the disclosure of sensitive information and further exploitation. An attacker must trick the user into opening a malicious file to trigger these vulnerabilities. 

**Foxit object use-after-free vulnerabilities **

_Discovered by KPC._ 

Two use-after-free vulnerabilities exist in the way Foxit Reader handles certain objects. TALOS-2024-2093 (CVE-2024-49576) and TALOS-2024-2094 (CVE-2024-47810) can be triggered by malicious JavaScript code in a PDF file. An attack needs to either trick a user into opening the malicious file, or the user must navigate to a maliciously crafted website while the Foxit browser extension is enabled. This vulnerability can lead to memory corruption and result in arbitrary code execution.

Acrobat out-of-bounds and Foxit use-after-free PDF reader vulnerabilities found

TP-Link is being investigated for alleged predatory pricing practices, which may be driven by ulterior motives.

The US government launched a national security investigation into the popular, Chinese-owned router maker TP-Link, with a potential eye on banning the company’s devices in the United States.

The investigation comes amid heightened tension between the US and the Chinese government, and after a public letter from members of the US House of Representatives this summer that alleged that TP-Link was engaged in predatory pricing practices, driven by ulterior motives, and possibly sponsored by China. US officials noted how TP-Link undercut the competition on price to become the market leader for Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) network appliances.

In doing this, TP-Link managed to grow their market share to 60% of the US retail market for WiFi systems and SOHO routers—from 10% in 2019. And the company reportedly has almost 80% of the US retail market for WiFi 7 mesh systems.

A WiFi 7 Mesh system is the latest advancement in wireless networking, combining the features of WiFi 7 technology with the benefits of mesh networking, which uses multiple nodes that work together to provide uniform WiFi coverage throughout the home, eliminating dead zones.

Because of TP-Link’s original founding in China, claims have been made of a so-called “Huawei playbook,” referring to allegations that Huawei Technologies Co. spies for the Chinese government and that it became a dominant player in the global networking equipment sector on the back of improper state subsidies. Huawei and China both deny these allegations, though.

Nonetheless, the US imposed restrictions that make it harder for Huawei to sell equipment in the US and buy parts from American suppliers.

Perhaps because of this type of scrutiny, TP-Link has made many efforts to distance itself from its Chinese ownership. TP-Link Systems is an entity based in Irvine, California, and no longer affiliated with the Chinese TP-Link Technologies.

Part of the attention paid to TP-Link this year could also be because a Chinese-backed Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) called Volt Typhoon has been using SOHO routers as gateways to get inside sensitive infrastructure. The cybercriminals used the routers to hide the actual origin of malicious attempts to reach inside the utilities and other targets.

But that argument doesn’t make sense since many of those routers were malware-infected NetGear and Cisco SOHO devices that no longer receive updates because they have reached their End-of-Life.

TP-Link said the market share percentages were overstated, but it did recently sign deals with internet service providers (ISPs) who then supply the routers to their customers. In such deals ISPs often rebrand the routers which makes it hard for customers to know which brand and type of router they have.

Representative John Moolenaar, the co-chairman of the US House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party—which sent the letter prompting the TP-Link probe—stayed fast in his concerns:

> “Chinese companies that, because of the technology they provide or the supply chains they impact, pose an unacceptable risk to our country’s security.”

Unfortunately, vulnerabilities in routers are very common and hardly ever patched by consumers, because they either don’t know how, or they may not even know that the patches are necessary because they don’t know which router model they have or that patches are available.

This makes it very hard to tell whether a vulnerability was an oversight or an intentional backdoor. This will make it hard for the investigators to find the “loaded gun” they are looking for.

**We don’t just report on privacy—we offer you the option to use it.**

Privacy risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep your online privacy yours by using Malwarebytes Privacy VPN.

 TP-Link faces US national security probe, potential ban on devices 

This post is the result of research into the real-world application of the Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) technique along with Cisco Talos’ series of posts about  malicious Windows drivers.

Exploring vulnerable Windows drivers

A free VPN app called Big Mama is selling access to people’s home internet networks. Kids are using it to cheat in a VR game while researchers warn of bigger security risks.

In the hit virtual reality game _Gorilla Tag_, you swing your arms to pull your primate character around—clambering through virtual worlds, climbing up trees and, above all, trying to avoid an infectious mob of other gamers. If you’re caught, you join the horde. However, some kids playing the game claim to have found a way to cheat and easily “tag” opponents.

Over the past year, teenagers have produced video tutorials showing how to side-load a virtual private network (VPN) onto Meta’s virtual reality headsets and use the location-changing technology to get ahead in the game. Using a VPN, according to the tutorials, introduces a delay that makes it easier to sneak up and tag other players.

While the workaround is likely to be an annoying but relatively harmless bit of in-game cheating, there’s a catch. The free VPN app that the video tutorials point to, Big Mama VPN, is also selling access to its users’ home internet connections—with buyers essentially piggybacking on the VR headset’s IP address to hide their own online activity.

This technique of rerouting traffic, which is best known as a residential proxy and more commonly happens through phones, has become increasingly popular with cybercriminals who use proxy networks to conduct cyberattacks and use botnets. While the Big Mama VPN works as it is supposed to, the company’s associated proxy services have been heavily touted on cybercrime forums and publicly linked to at least one cyberattack.

Researchers at cybersecurity company Trend Micro first spotted Meta’s VR headsets appearing in its threat intelligence residential proxy data earlier this year, before tracking down that teenagers were using Big Mama to play _Gorilla Tag_. An unpublished analysis that Trend Micro shared with WIRED says its data shows that the VR headsets were the third most popular devices using the Big Mama VPN app, after devices from Samsung and Xiaomi.

“If you’ve downloaded it, there’s a very high likelihood that your device is for sale in the marketplace for Big Mama,” says Stephen Hilt, a senior threat researcher at Trend Micro. Hilt says that while Big Mama VPN may be being used because it is free, doesn’t require users to create an account, and apparently doesn’t have any data limits, security researchers have long warned that using free VPNs can open people up to privacy and security risks.

These risks may be amplified when that app is linked to a residential proxy. Proxies can “allow people with malicious intent to use your internet connection to potentially use it for their attacks, meaning that your device and your home IP address may be involved in a cyberattack against a corporation or a nation state,” Hilt says.

"Gorilla Tag is a place to have fun with your friends and be playful and creative—anything that disturbs that is not cool with us,” a spokesperson for Gorilla Tag creator Another Axiom says, adding they use “anti-cheat mechanisms” to detect suspicious behavior. Meta did not respond to a request for comment about VPNs being side-loaded onto its headsets.

**Proxies Rising**

Big Mama is made up of two parts: There’s the free VPN app, which is available on the Google Play store for Android devices and has been downloaded more than 1 million times. Then there’s the Big Mama Proxy Network, which allows people (among other options) to buy shared access to “real” 4G and home Wi-Fi IP addresses for as little as 40 cents for 24 hours.

Vincent Hinderer, a cyber threat intelligence team manager who has researched the wider residential proxy market at Orange Cyberdefense, says there are various scenarios where residential proxies are used, both for people who are having traffic routed through their devices and also those buying and selling proxy services. “It’s sometimes a gray zone legally and ethically,” Hinderer says.

For proxy networks, Hinderer says, one end of the spectrum is where networks could be used as a way for companies to scrape pricing details from their competitors' websites. Other uses can include ad verification or people scalping sneakers during sales. They may be considered ethically murky but not necessarily illegal.

At the other end of the scale, according to Orange’s research, residential proxy networks have broadly been used for cyber espionage by Russian hackers, in social engineering efforts, as part of DDoS attacks, phishing, botnets, and more. “We have cybercriminals using them knowingly,” Hinderer says of residential proxy networks generally, with Orange Cyberdefense having frequently seen proxy traffic in logs linked to cyberattacks it has investigated. Orange’s research did not specifically look at uses of Big Mama's services.

Some people can consent to having their devices used in proxy networks and be paid for their connections, Hinderer says, while others may be included because they agreed to it in a service’s terms and conditions—something research has long shown people don’t often read or understand.

Big Mama doesn’t make it a secret that people who use its VPN will have other traffic routed through their networks. Within the app it says it “may transport other customer’s traffic through” the device that’s connected to the VPN, while it is also mentioned in the terms of use and on a FAQ page about how the app is free.

The Big Mama Network page advertises its proxies as being available to be used for ad verification, buying online tickets, price comparison, web scraping, SEO, and a host of other use cases. When a user signs up, they’re shown a list of locations proxy devices are located in, their internet service provider, and how much each connection costs.

This marketplace, at the time of writing, lists 21,000 IP addresses for sale in the United Arab Emirates, 4,000 in the US, and tens to hundreds of other IP addresses in a host of other countries. Payments can only be made in cryptocurrency. Its terms of service say the network is only provided for “legal purposes,” and people using it for fraud or other illicit activities will be banned.

Despite this, cybercriminals appear to have taken a keen interest in the service. Trend Micro’s analysis claims Big Mama has been regularly promoted on underground forums where cybercriminals discuss buying tools for malicious purposes. The posts started in 2020. Similarly, Israeli security firm Kela has found more than 1,000 posts relating to the Big Mama proxy network across 40 different forums and Telegram channels.

Kela’s analysis, shared with WIRED, shows accounts called “bigmama\_network” and “bigmama” posted across at least 10 forums, including cybercrime forums such as WWHClub, Exploit, and Carder. The ads list prices, free trials, and the Telegram and other contact details of Big Mama.

It is unclear who made these posts, and Big Mama tells WIRED that it does not advertise.

Posts from these accounts also said, among other things, that “anonymous” bitcoin payments are available. The majority of the posts, Kela’s analysis says, were made by the accounts around 2020 and 2021. Although, an account called “bigmama\_network” has been posting on the clearweb Blackhat World SEO forum until October this year, where it has claimed its Telegram account has been deleted multiple times.

In other posts during the last year, according to the Kela analysis, cybercrime forum users have recommended Big Mama or shared tips about the configurations people should use. In April this year, security company Cisco Talos said it had seen traffic from the Big Mama Proxy, alongside other proxies, being used by attackers trying to brute force their way into a variety of company systems.

**Mixed Messages**

Big Mama has few details about its ownership or leadership on its website. The company’s terms of service say that a business called BigMama SRL is registered in Romania, although a previous version of its website from 2022, and at least one live page now, lists a legal address for BigMama LLC in Wyoming. The US-based business was dissolved in April and is now listed as inactive, according to the Wyoming Secretary of State’s website.

A person using the name Alex A responded to an email from WIRED about how Big Mama operates. In the email, they say that information about free users’ connections being sold to third parties through the Big Mama Network is “duplicated on the app market and in the application itself several times,” and people have to accept the terms of conditions to use the VPN. They say the Big Mama VPN is officially only available from the Google Play Store.

“We do not advertise and have never advertised our services on the forums you have mentioned,” the email says. They say they were not aware of the April findings from Talos about its network being used as part of a cyberattack. “We do block spam, DDOS, SSH as well as local network etc. We log user activity to cooperate with law enforcement agencies,” the email says.

The Alex A persona asked WIRED to send it more details about the adverts on cybercrime forums, details about the Talos findings, and information about teenagers using Big Mama on Oculus devices, saying they would be “happy” to answer further questions. However, they did not respond to any further emails with additional details about the research findings and questions about their security measures, whether they believe someone was impersonating Big Mama to post on cybercrime forums, the identity of Alex A, or who runs the company.

During its analysis, Trend Micro’s Hilt says that the company also found a security vulnerability within the Big Mama VPN, which could have allowed a proxy user to access someone’s local network if exploited. The company says it reported the flaw to Big Mama, which fixed it within a week, a detail Alex A confirmed.

Ultimately, Hilt says, there are potential risks whenever anyone downloads and uses a free VPN. “All free VPNs come with a trade-off of privacy or security concerns,” he says. That applies to people side-loading them onto their VR headsets. “If you’re downloading applications from the internet that aren't from the official stores, there’s always the inherent risk that it isn’t what you think it is. And that comes true even with Oculus devices.”

This VPN Lets Anyone Use Your Internet Connection. What Could Go Wrong?

Attackers are using links to the popular Google scheduling app to lead users to pages that steal credentials, with the ultimate goal of committing financial fraud.

Source: Anatolii Babii via Alamy Stock Photo

Attackers are spoofing Google Calendar invites in a fast-spreading phishing campaign that can bypass email protections and aims to steal credentials, ultimately to defraud users for financial gain.

The campaign, discovered by researchers at Check Point Software, relies on modified "sender" headings to make emails appear as if they were sent via Google Calendar on behalf of a legitimate entity, such as a trusted brand or individual, they revealed in a blog post published Dec. 17.

Initially, messages included malicious Google Calendar .ics files that would lead to a phishing attack, the threat hunters wrote. However, "after observing that security products could flag malicious Calendar invites," attackers began aligning those files with links to Google Drawings and Google Forms to better disguise their activity.

**Mass-Scale Financial Scamming Is the Goal**

Given that Google Calendar is used by more than 500 million people and is available in 41 different languages, the campaign provides a massive attack surface, so "it is no wonder it has become a target for cybercriminals" seeking to compromise online accounts for financial gain, the team noted.

"After an individual unwittingly discloses sensitive data, the details are then applied to financial scams, where cybercriminals may engage in credit card fraud, unauthorized transactions or similar, illicit activities," the researchers wrote in the post. Stolen data also can be used to bypass security measures on other victim accounts to lead to further compromise, they added.

Related:Interpol: Can We Drop the Term 'Pig Butchering'?

Attackers also are moving fast with the campaign, with researchers observing more than 4,000 emails associated it in a four-week period. In those messages, attackers used references to about 300 brands in their fake invites to make them appear authentic, they wrote.

**What a Google Calendar Phish Looks Like**

A message associated with the campaign looks like a typical invite from Google Calendar in which someone known to or trusted by the individual targeted shares a calendar invite with them. The appearances of the messages vary, with some that really look almost identical to typical Google Calendar notifications, "while others use a custom format," the team wrote.

As noted previously, the emails include a calendar link or file (.ics) that includes a link to Google Forms or Google Drawings in an attempt to bypass email-scanning tools. Once a user takes the bait, they are then asked to click on another link, "which is often disguised as a fake reCAPTCHA or support button," that forwards them to a page "that looks like a cryptocurrency mining landing page or bitcoin support page," according to the post.

Related:Wallarm Releases API Honeypot Report Highlighting API Attack Trends

"These pages are actually intended to perpetrate financial scams," the team wrote. "Once users reach said page, they are asked to complete a fake authentication process, enter personal information, and eventually provide payment details."

**How to Avoid Becoming a "Google" Phishing Cyber Victim**

Check Point contacted Google about the campaign, which recommended that Google Calendar users enable the "known senders" setting in the app to help defend against this type of phishing. This setting will alert a user when they receive an invitation from someone not in their contact list or someone with whom they have not interacted with from their email address in the past, the company said.

Corporate defenders can used advanced email security solutions that can identify and block phishing attacks that manipulate trusted platforms with the inclusion of attachment scanning, URL reputation checks, and AI-driven anomaly detection, the Check Point team wrote.

Organizations also should monitor the use of third-party Google Apps and use cybersecurity tools that can specifically detect and warn its security teams about suspicious activity on third-party apps.

Related:Texas Tech Fumbles Medical Data in Massive Breach

Finally, two often-cited pieces advice for organizations when recommending phishing defense — the use of multifactor authentication (MFA) across business accounts and employee training on sophisticated phishing tactics — also can work in cases like this to shore up security.

**About the Author**

Elizabeth Montalbano is a freelance writer, journalist, and therapeutic writing mentor with more than 25 years of professional experience. Her areas of expertise include technology, business, and culture. Elizabeth previously lived and worked as a full-time journalist in Phoenix, San Francisco, and New York City; she currently resides in a village on the southwest coast of Portugal. In her free time, she enjoys surfing, hiking with her dogs, traveling, playing music, yoga, and cooking.

Phishers Spoof Google Calendar Invites in Fast-Spreading, Global Campaign

PRESS RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wallarm, the leader in real-time blocking of API attacks, on Dec. 17 unveiled a comprehensive security research report based on data collected from the world's first globally distributed API honeypot network. The findings reveal critical insights into the growing threat landscape for APIs, showcasing their increasing vulnerability to rapid discovery and exploitation.

APIs have surpassed web applications as the primary targets of attackers, underscoring the urgency for businesses to implement robust API security measures. Organizations are plagued by uncontrolled API sprawl and lack of API governance, leading to significant breaches from exposed APIs. Wallarm’s study highlights several alarming trends that demand immediate attention from organizations deploying APIs.

Key Findings from the Report:

*   APIs Are the Prime Target: APIs now attract more attacks than traditional web applications.
    
*   Rapid Discovery: Newly deployed APIs are discovered by attackers in as little as 29 seconds.
    
*   Immediate Exploitation: Unprotected APIs are exploited within one minute of discovery.
    
*   High Velocity Data Theft: Attackers using batched API requests can exfiltrate millions of user records in seconds.
    
*   Targeting Well-Known Products: Recognizable and widely used API products face heightened targeting by attackers.
    

Related:Interpol: Can We Drop the Term 'Pig Butchering'?

Wallarm’s globally distributed honeypot, spanning 14 locations, captures data from diverse geographies and providers, revealing critical trends. The honeypot provides targeted responses to API requests across multiple protocols, including REST, XML-RPC, GraphQL, and others. Over half (54%) of observed request types were API-specific, demonstrating that APIs are the preferred vector for attackers. Among these, 40% of requests targeted known vulnerabilities (CVEs). While port 80 emerged as the most commonly discovered entry point, interactions were distributed across many ports, demonstrating that protecting only common ports is insufficient.

“This report sheds light on a rapidly evolving attack surface and represents a groundbreaking effort in API security research,” said Ivan Novikov, CEO and founder at Wallarm. “APIs are the foundation of modern applications, but their widespread deployment and inadequate protection make them an attractive target for attackers. We hope this research helps organizations invest in strong protection for their APIs.”

Wallarm’s full report offers actionable insights and recommendations to safeguard APIs. To access the full research report and learn more about securing your APIs, visit http://www.wallarm.com/resources/api-honeypot-report.

Related:Phishers Spoof Google Calendar Invites in Fast-Spreading, Global Campaign

Wallarm Releases API Honeypot Report Highlighting API Attack Trends

Androxgh0st, a botnet targeting web servers since January 2024, is also deploying IoT-focused Mozi payloads, reveals CloudSEK’s latest research.

****KEY POINTS****

*   **Rapid Vulnerability Exploitation**: The Androxgh0st botnet has expanded its arsenal, exploiting 27 vulnerabilities across web servers, IoT devices, and various technologies, including Cisco ASA, Atlassian JIRA, and TP-Link routers.

*   **Integration with Mozi Botnet**: The botnet incorporates Mozi payloads, targeting IoT devices and potentially sharing command-and-control infrastructure, signaling increased coordination and sophistication.

*   **Focus on Weak Security Practices**: Androxgh0st employs brute-force attacks, credential stuffing, and exploitation of devices with default or weak passwords to gain administrative access and maintain persistence.

*   **Global and Chinese-Specific Targets**: The botnet exploits vulnerabilities in both global systems and Chinese-specific technologies, with evidence pointing to links to Chinese CTF communities and Mandarin-based phishing tactics.

*   **Urgent Call for Patching**: Researchers recommend immediate patching of all affected systems to mitigate risks, including remote code execution, data breaches, and ransomware attacks.

CloudSEK’s contextual AI digital risk platform Xvigil has uncovered a significant evolution in the Androxgh0st botnet, revealing its exploitation of over 20 vulnerabilities and operational **integration with the Mozi botnet** with expected rise of, at least, 75% more web-application vulnerabilities by mid- 2025.This indicates a significant increase in Androxgh0st’s initial attack vector arsenal from 11 in November 2024 to around 27 within a month.

For your information, CISA **issued** an advisory earlier this year regarding Androxgh0st’s expanding attack surface, including Cisco ASA, Atlassian JIRA, and PHP frameworks, allowing unauthorized access and remote code execution.

CloudSEK’s research highlights Androxgh0st’s expansion beyond its initial focus on web servers, now incorporating IoT-focused Mozi payloads. It is actively exploiting 27 vulnerabilities across various technologies.

These include exploiting a web script injection vulnerability (**CVE-2014-2120**) in Cisco ASA, leveraging a path traversal vulnerability (**CVE-2021-26086**) for remote file reading, exploiting a local file inclusion vulnerability (**CVE-2021-41277**) for arbitrary file downloads, and targeting vulnerabilities in PHPUnit, Laravel, PHP-CGI, TP-Link routers, Netgear devices, and GPON routers.

Numerous other vulnerabilities are exploited now, including those in Sophos Firewall, Oracle EBS, OptiLink ONT1GEW, Spring Cloud Gateway, and various Chinese-specific software. The Sophos Authentication bypass vulnerability leads to Remote Code Execution (RCE) in the firewall’s User Portal and Webadmin web interfaces, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code.

This vulnerability is also present in Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload, which can be exploited to gain remote code execution as an Oracle user. OptiLink ONT1GEW GPON 2.1.11\_X101 Build 1127.190306 also allows remote code execution (authenticated). Finally, PHP CGI argument injection issue (**CVE-2024-4577**) is another issue affecting PHP-CGI.

This exploitation enables unauthorized access and remote code execution, posing significant risks to global web servers and IoT networks. Moreover, the botnet’s growing sophistication is evident in its shared infrastructure, persistent backdoor tactics, and the incorporation of Mozi payloads, the **report** read.

The research indicates a significant operational overlap between Androxgh0st and the Mozi botnet, with Androxgh0st deploying Mozi payloads to infect IoT devices and potentially sharing command and control infrastructure, suggesting a high level of coordination or unified control structure.

Further probing revealed that Androxgh0st **employs sophisticated tactics** such as code injection and file appending to maintain persistent access to compromised systems. It targets WordPress installations using brute-force attacks and **credential stuffing** to gain administrative access, and frequently exploits devices with default, weak or easily guessable passwords.

Although definitive attribution is complex, the research suggests links to Chinese CTF communities due to targeting of Chinese-specific technologies and software. This includes the use of the “PWN\_IT” string in injected payloads and command infrastructure, using Mandarin in phishing baits and source code, and potential connections to Chinese Kanxue-hosted CTF events. Successful exploitation can lead to data breaches, theft, system disruption, ransomware attacks, botnet amplification, and espionage and surveillance activities.

Screenshot shoes countries where devices have been most impacted for and the Chinese connection detailed by researchers in their blog (Via CloudSec)

“CloudSEK recommends immediate patching of these vulnerabilities to mitigate risks associated with the Androxgh0st botnet, which is known for systematic exploitation and persistent backdoor access,” researchers noted.

1.  **Legion: Credential Harvesting Malware Sold on Telegram**
2.  **Malware in Fake Business Proposals Hits YouTube Creators**
3.  **Cisco Urges Immediate Patch for Decade-Old WebVPN Flaw**
4.  **Black Basta Uses MS Teams, Email Bombing to Spread Malware**
5.  **Goldoon Botnet Hits D-Link Devices by Exploiting 9-Year-Old Flaw  
    **

Tag

#cisco