Smishing messages that come with instructions to bypass iMessage's protection against links are on the rise

A smishing (SMS phishing) campaign is targeting iMessage users, attempting to socially engineer them into bypassing Apple’s built in phishing protection.

For months, iMessage users have been posting examples online of how phishers are trying to get around this protection. And, now, the campign is gaining traction, according to our friends at BleepingComputer.

It works like this: Under normal circumstances, iMessage will disable all links in messages from unknown senders to protect the user against clicking them by accident. However, if a user replies to a message or adds the sender to their contact list, the links are enabled, allowing the person to click on the link.

The text of the messages comes in all the variations that phishers love to use:

*   Undeliverable packages from USPS, EVRI, Royal Mail, DHL, Fedex, etc.
*   Unpaid road toll.
*   Owed shipping fees.
*   Other outstanding payments that you are unaware of.

But they all end in a similar way to this:

> “(Please reply Y, then exit the SMS, re-open the SMS activation link, or copy the link to open in Safari)”

Replying with Y (or actually anything) will enable the links and turn off iMessage’s built-in phishing protection. Clicking the link will then lead the recipient to whatever malicious website the phisher had in mind. Even if the user just replies with “Y” and then decides not to follow the link—because it looks slightly off—the phishers will know that they have found a likely target for more attacks.

It’s also important to know that there are similar instructions for the Chrome browser:

> “Reply with 1, exit the SMS message, and reopen the SMS activation link, or copy the link to Google Chrome to open it.)”

**How to avoid smishing scams**

*   Never reply to suspicious messages, even if it’s only a “Y” or “1.” It will tell the phishers they have a live number and they will bombard you with more attempts.
*   Never add a number you don’t know to your Contacts as that will disable the iMessage protection as well.
*   Don’t assume any message is the real deal. If you’re being asked to do something, contact the company directly via a known method you trust. If it turns out to be a fake, you should be able to report it to them, there and then.
*   If you live somewhere with a Do Not Call list or spam reporting service, make full use of it. Report bogus messages and numbers.
*   Your mobile device may already have some form of “safe” message ID enabled without you knowing. It’s tricky to give specific advice here because of the sheer difference of options available on models of phone, but the Options / Safety / Security / Privacy menus are a good place to start.
*   Check the link before you click it or copy it in your browser. Is it exactly what you would expect it to be? Scammers often use typosquatting techniques (for example evri\[.\]top instead of the legitimate evri\[.\]com, or they fabricate a link that uses the subdomain to make it look legitimate (for example usps.com-track.infoam\[.\]xyz). If it doesn’t look real then don’t click on it.
*   If a message sounds too good (or bad) to be true, it probably is.

**We don’t just report on threats—we remove them**

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your devices by downloading Malwarebytes today.

 iMessage text gets recipient to disable phishing protection so they can be phished 

Telefónica faces a data breach impacting its internal systems, linked to hackers using compromised credentials. Learn more about this alarming cyber threat.

****SUMMARY****

*   **Telefonica confirmed a data breach involving its internal Jira ticketing system, with stolen data leaked online.**

*   **Hackers used compromised employee credentials to access and scrape 2.3 GB of internal data.**

*   **The breach is linked to Hellcat Ransomware, also tied to a Schneider Electric cyberattack.**

*   **No extortion attempts were made; data was leaked without contacting Telefonica.**

*   **The attack highlights increasing cyber threats against global telecommunications firms.**

Telefonica, a Spanish multinational telecommunications company, confirmed a data breach of their internal ticketing system. The confirmation came after stolen data appeared on Breach Forums, a cybercrime and hacking forum.

Screenshot from Breach Forums (Credit: Hackread.com)

Telefonica, the largest telecommunications firm in Spain, operates in twelve countries with over 104,000 employees. The Telefonica cyberattack. The company has confirmed that its ticketing system was breached and that it is currently investigating the incident’s extent and has taken steps to prevent further unauthorized access. The leak on the hacking forum included a Telefonica Jira database. 

Four individuals using aliases DNA, Grep, Pryx, and Rey claimed responsibility for the breach. According to Pryx, one of the attackers, the “internal ticketing system” is an internal Jira development and ticketing server utilized by Telefonica for reporting and resolving internal issues. 

According to sources, compromised employee credentials were used to breach the system on the prior day. Telefonica responded by blocking their access and resetting passwords on impacted accounts. The attackers say they were able to scrape roughly 2.3 GB of documents, tickets, and various data using the compromised employee accounts. While some of this data was labeled as customers, the tickets were opened with @telefonica.com email addresses, indicating they might have been opened on behalf of customers.

Screenshot from the leaked data (Credit: Hackread.com)

Pryx claims they did not contact Telefonica or attempt extortion before leaking the data online. Three individuals behind the attack, Grep, Pryx, and Rey, are also part of a recently launched ransomware operation known as Hellcat Ransomware. Hellcat is responsible for a recent data breach at Schneider Electric, where 40GB of data was stolen from the company’s JIRA server.

This Telefonica cyberattack reportedly involves Fortinet, a crucial component of the company’s network infrastructure. While the extent of the data breach and the nature of the compromised data remain undisclosed, concerns have arisen regarding the potential impact. Despite the claim, Telefonica’s official website remains functional, raising questions about the authenticity of the alleged cyberattack.

This, however, is not the first time that Telefonica has suffered a data breach. In July 2018, millions of Telefonica customers had their data exposed after a security breach. Nevertheless, as the telecommunications industry faces cyber threats, companies must maintain their collaboration to establish proper cybersecurity measures against critical infrastructure. 

1.  **Telecom Giant BT Group Hit by Black Basta Ransomware**
2.  **8220 Gang Targets Telecom in Global Cryptojacking Attack**
3.  **Hackers Breach TPG Telecoms’ Email Host to Steal Client Data**
4.  **US Telecom Breaches Widen as 9 Firms Hit by Chinese Hackers**
5.  **New XorDdos-Linked Linux RAT Krasue Targeting Telecom Firms**

Hackers Breach Telefonica Network, Leak 2.3 GB of Data Online

Behind the scenes, companies and governments are feeding a trove of data about international travelers into opaque AI tools that aim to predict who’s safe—and who’s a threat.

Inside the Black Box of Predictive Travel Surveillance

Cybersecurity researchers are warning of a new stealthy credit card skimmer campaign that targets WordPress e-commerce checkout pages by inserting malicious JavaScript code into a database table associated with the content management system (CMS).
"This credit card skimmer malware targeting WordPress websites silently injects malicious JavaScript into database entries to steal sensitive payment

WordPress Skimmers Evade Detection by Injecting Themselves into Database Tables

No less than 4,000 unique web backdoors previously deployed by various threat actors have been hijacked by taking control of abandoned and expired infrastructure for as little as $20 per domain.
Cybersecurity company watchTowr Labs said it pulled off the operation by registering over 40 domain names that the backdoors had been designed to use for command-and-control (C2). In partnership with the

Expired Domains Allowed Control Over 4,000 Backdoors on Compromised Systems

SUMMARY Cybercriminals are deploying a tricky new phishing campaign impersonating the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike‘s recruiters to distribute a…

****SUMMARY****

*   **Phishing Scam Targets Job Seekers: Cybercriminals impersonate CrowdStrike recruiters to distribute cryptominer malware via fake job offers.**

*   **Malware Delivery: Victims are tricked into downloading a malicious app from a fake CrowdStrike website, and installing XMRig to mine Monero cryptocurrency.**

*   **Evasion Tactics: The malware limits CPU usage, scans for security tools, and uses startup scripts to remain undetected and persistent.**

*   **Rising Fake Job Scams: Similar tactics are increasingly common, with groups like Lazarus using fake job offers to deploy malware.**

*   **Safety Tips: Verify job offers through official channels, avoid unsolicited software downloads, and use endpoint protection to detect threats.**

Cybercriminals are deploying a tricky new phishing campaign impersonating the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike‘s recruiters to distribute a cryptominer on unsuspecting job seekers’ devices. This malicious scheme leverages the allure of employment at a reputable cybersecurity firm to trick victims into downloading malware.

According to CrowdStrike’s blog post, the attack was detected on 7 January 2025 and began with a phishing email that appears to be part of CrowdStrike’s recruitment process. The email entices the target with the prospect of a junior developer interview and provides a link to schedule the meeting. Clicking the link directs the victim to a cleverly designed imposter website that mimics CrowdStrike’s branding.

This deceptive website offers downloadable “employee CRM applications” for both Windows and macOS users. Regardless of the chosen platform, downloading the application triggers the installation of a malicious Windows executable written in Rust. This executable acts as a downloader for XMRig, a well-known cryptominer, which starts mining Monero cryptocurrency. This privacy coin is a popular choice for cybercriminals because it is hard to trace.

The screenshot shows the malicious phishing site containing download links for the fake CRM application (Via CrowdStrike)

The executable is designed to evade detection by scanning the system’s processes for malware analysis tools or virtualization software, verifying the presence of at least two CPU cores, and checking for debuggers. If successful, it displays a fake error message to lull the victim into a false sense of security, while downloading additional payloads to establish persistence on the infected device and initiate the XMRig cryptomining process.

However, in this attack, XMRig’s power consumption has been limited to 10% to avoid detection. Moreover, attackers added a batch script in the Start Menu Startup directory to ensure it runs on boot. 

For your information, cryptominers are a type of malware that surreptitiously hijack a computer’s processing power to mine cryptocurrency for the attacker’s benefit. This unauthorized use of resources can cause the device to overheat, potentially leading to hardware damage and a shortened lifespan.

This isn’t a new trend, as fake job scams are becoming more prevalent online, with North Korean group Lazarus persistently using this method to trick unsuspecting users. Hackread recently reported Lazarus group deploying a new macOS trojan called “RustyAttr” since May 2024 to carry out its operations undetected.

Remember, legitimate recruiters rarely request candidates to download software or conduct interviews through unconventional channels. Always verify the authenticity of any job offer before proceeding and rely on official company websites for career opportunities and application processes.

CrowdStrike advises job seekers to be cautious of unsolicited interview offers, including those conducted via instant messaging or group chat, requests for product purchases or payment processing, and software download requirements. 

> _“Organizations can reduce the risk of such attacks by educating employees on phishing tactics, monitoring for suspicious network traffic and employing endpoint protection solutions to detect and block malicious activity.”_
> 
> CrowdStrike

To verify the legitimacy of any communication from CrowdStrike, job seekers should contact the company’s recruiting team at \[email protected\].

1.  **World’s Leading Cybersecurity Firm Kaspersky Hacked**
2.  **X Account of Google Cybersecurity Firm Mandiant Hacked**
3.  **U.S. Sanctions Chinese Cybersecurity Firm Over Cyberattacks**
4.  **Cybersecurity Firm KnowBe4 Hired North Korean Hacker as IT Pro**
5.  **Cybersecurity Firm Hacks Itself, Finds DNS Flaw Leak AWS Credentials**

Fake CrowdStrike Recruiters Distribute Malware Via Phishing Emails

About Authentication Bypass – Hunk Companion WordPress plugin (CVE-2024-11972) vulnerability. ThemeHunk company develops commercial themes for WordPress CMS. And the Hunk Companion plugin is designed to complement and enhance the functionality of these themes. The plugin has over 10,000 installations. On December 10, WPScan reported a vulnerability in Hunk Companion plugin versions below 1.9.0, allowing […]

**About Authentication Bypass – Hunk Companion WordPress plugin (CVE-2024-11972) vulnerability.** ThemeHunk company develops commercial themes for WordPress CMS. And the Hunk Companion plugin is designed to complement and enhance the functionality of these themes. The plugin has over 10,000 installations.

On December 10, WPScan reported a vulnerability in Hunk Companion plugin versions below 1.9.0, allowing unauthenticated attackers to install and activate plugins from the WordPressOrg repository. The exploit has been on GitHub since December 28.

This way, attackers can install plugins that contain additional vulnerabilities. 👾 In the incident analyzed by WPScan, the attackers installed the WP Query Console plugin with RCE vulnerability CVE‑2024‑50498 on the website and exploited it to install a backdoor.

If you use WordPress, try to minimize the number of plugins and update them regularly!

На русском

Hi! My name is Alexander and I am a Vulnerability Management specialist. You can read more about me here. Currently, the best way to follow me is my Telegram channel @avleonovcom. I update it more often than this site. If you haven’t used Telegram yet, give it a try. It’s great. You can discuss my posts or ask questions at @avleonovchat.

А всех русскоязычных я приглашаю в ещё один телеграмм канал @avleonovrus, первым делом теперь пишу туда.

About Authentication Bypass – Hunk Companion WordPress plugin (CVE-2024-11972) vulnerability

Infoblox cybersecurity researchers investigating the mysterious activities of 'Muddling Meerkat' unexpectedly uncovered widespread use of domain spoofing in malicious spam campaigns.

****SUMMARY****

*   **Infoblox discovered widespread domain spoofing in spam campaigns while investigating ‘Muddling Meerkat.’**

*   **Collaboration with the cybersecurity community linked Muddling Meerkat’s DNS activities to spam distribution.**

*   **Researchers identified multiple spam campaigns through abuse reports and domain analysis.**

*   **Techniques included phishing with QR codes, impersonating brands, extortion, and mysterious financial spam.**

*   **The findings show domain spoofing remains highly effective, bypassing current security measures.**

In its latest report, cybersecurity firm Infoblox has revealed how scammers use domain spoofing in spam campaigns, a discovery made through a collaboration between the cybersecurity and networking community on research about **the Chinese Great Firewall**.

This research project was initially aimed at understanding the activities of a threat actor known as a Muddling Meerkat. Muddling Meerkat is known for conducting strange DNS operations involving fake Chinese Great Firewall responses. The researchers could not determine the ultimate purpose of Muddling Meerkat’s activities, but they did learn a lot about how domain spoofing is used in **malspam**.

The research team, initially perplexed by Muddling Meerkat’s activities, sought external perspectives by sharing their findings with the broader security community. One key observation pointed towards a potential connection between Muddling Meerkat’s operations and spam distribution. 

Several organizations reported receiving abuse notifications for domains they owned, often internal domains with limited external exposure. These notifications indicated large-scale spam campaigns originating from Chinese IP addresses, targeting major email providers. This observation resonated with the team’s own findings, as they had **previously observed** Muddling Meerkat generating fake mail server (MX) records emanating from Chinese IP space.

A significant breakthrough occurred when the researchers discovered that they owned several of the “target” domains identified in the Muddling Meerkat research. By analysing abuse reports related to their own domains, leveraging their authoritative DNS server logs, and examining their internal spam collection, the researchers gained unprecedented insights into the tactics employed by spammers.

The investigation yielded a treasure trove of information about modern **malspam techniques**. Several distinct campaigns were identified, each employing sophisticated domain spoofing tactics to deceive recipients. These include QR Code Phishing, targeting Chinese citizens with emails containing QR codes, which redirect victims to phishing websites. Japanese Phishing campaigns impersonate reputable brands like Amazon and major Japanese banks and lure users to fake login pages.

A phishing QR code and an Amazon phishing page (Via Infoblox)

Extortion campaigns demand ransom **payments in cryptocurrency** to prevent exposure. Mysterious Financial Campaigns, originating from China, send seemingly innocuous spreadsheet attachments purporting to be from a Chinese freight company. The purpose of these campaigns remains unclear, as they lack clear malicious content or motive, Infoblox researchers noted in their **technical blog** shared with Hackread.com.

Nevertheless, the research reveals a disturbing reality: domain spoofing remains a highly effective and prevalent tactic for spammers. Despite the existence of various security mechanisms designed to detect and prevent spoofing, these campaigns continue to evade detection and successfully reach their targets.

Infoblox’s research came just days after another domain abuse-related report was **published by WatchTowr**, which exposed more than 4,000 active hacker backdoors in expired domains and abandoned infrastructure worldwide. This shows the ongoing challenge of combating sophisticated spam techniques and the need for continuous implementation of cybersecurity measures.

1.  **Hackers Use Fake Domains in Trump Trading Card Scam**
2.  **99% of UAE’s .ae Domains Exposed to Phishing and Spoofing**
3.  **“Sitting Ducks” DNS Attack Lets Hackers Easy Domain Takeover**
4.  **Scammers Exploit Fake Domains in Dubai Police Phishing Scams**
5.  **DeFi Hack Alert: Squarespace Domains** **Vulnerable** **to DNS Hijacking**

Muddling Meerkat Linked to Domain Spoofing in Global Spam Scams

Cross Site Scripting vulnerability in Microweber v.2.0.9 allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code via the campaign Name (Internal Name) field in the Add new campaign function

**Exploitability Metrics**

Attack Vector: This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. This metric value (and consequently the resulting severity) will be larger the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable system. The assumption is that the number of potential attackers for a vulnerability that could be exploited from across a network is larger than the number of potential attackers that could exploit a vulnerability requiring physical access to a device, and therefore warrants a greater severity.

Attack Complexity: This metric captures measurable actions that must be taken by the attacker to actively evade or circumvent existing built-in security-enhancing conditions in order to obtain a working exploit. These are conditions whose primary purpose is to increase security and/or increase exploit engineering complexity. A vulnerability exploitable without a target-specific variable has a lower complexity than a vulnerability that would require non-trivial customization. This metric is meant to capture security mechanisms utilized by the vulnerable system.

Attack Requirements: This metric captures the prerequisite deployment and execution conditions or variables of the vulnerable system that enable the attack. These differ from security-enhancing techniques/technologies (ref Attack Complexity) as the primary purpose of these conditions is not to explicitly mitigate attacks, but rather, emerge naturally as a consequence of the deployment and execution of the vulnerable system.

Privileges Required: This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess prior to successfully exploiting the vulnerability. The method by which the attacker obtains privileged credentials prior to the attack (e.g., free trial accounts), is outside the scope of this metric. Generally, self-service provisioned accounts do not constitute a privilege requirement if the attacker can grant themselves privileges as part of the attack.

User interaction: This metric captures the requirement for a human user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise of the vulnerable system. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.

**Vulnerable System Impact Metrics**

Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the VULNERABLE SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.

Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).

Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.

**Subsequent System Impact Metrics**

Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.

Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).

Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.

GHSA-j4v9-cm37-h7c2: Microweber Cross-site Scripting vulnerability

Microweber Cross Site Scripting vulnerability in Microweber v.2.0.9 allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code via the create new backup function in the endpoint /admin/module/view?type=admin__backup

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