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Mobile Cyber Attacks
Cyber Attacks Data Safety User Data data security Information Security Malware Attack Malwares Mobile Cyber Attacks

SK Telecom Malware Attack Exposes USIM Data in South Korea

 

SK Telecom, South Korea’s top mobile carrier, has disclosed a security incident involving a malware infection that exposed sensitive information tied to users’ Universal Subscriber Identity Modules (USIMs). The breach was detected on the night of April 19, 2025, during the weekend when many companies operate with reduced cybersecurity staffing. 

With nearly half of South Korea’s mobile market share and around 34 million subscribers, SK Telecom holds a crucial position in the country’s telecommunications sector. In an official statement, the company explained that malware had infiltrated parts of its network, prompting immediate action to contain the threat. 

The affected systems were isolated swiftly, and the malicious software was removed. So far, SK Telecom has stated there is no confirmed misuse of customer data linked to this breach. This was reported to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) on April 20, and to the Personal Information Protection Commission. 
Investigations are ongoing to determine how the attackers gained access and the extent of the data exposed. USIM cards store essential data such as International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) numbers, phone numbers (MSISDN), encryption keys for network authentication, and sometimes even stored contacts or text messages. Unauthorized access to this information could enable cybercriminals to conduct targeted surveillance, track users’ locations, or perform SIM-swapping attacks that could compromise online accounts and digital assets. 

In response, SK Telecom has strengthened security around USIM card management, increasing checks on SIM card replacement activities and monitoring authentication processes for suspicious behavior. Accounts showing irregular activities could face automatic suspension to prevent potential fraud. Additionally, the carrier is advising customers to activate their USIM protection service, a preventive measure that restricts unauthorized SIM swaps, adding extra protection to user accounts. 

A hacking group is yet to claim responsibility for the breach. SK Telecom emphasized that while the malware was neutralized quickly, they remain vigilant and are working closely with cybersecurity authorities to uncover more details about the intrusion and enhance future protections. 

This breach highlights ongoing risks faced by large mobile operators, especially during periods when cyber defenses might be less robust. It also underscores the critical need for mobile carriers to adopt continuous security monitoring and proactive measures to protect customer data from emerging threats. 

As investigations continue, SK Telecom has committed to updating customers and regulators about any new findings or developments related to the incident.
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sensitive user information
Data Breach Data Safety User Data data security Extortion GitLab Sensitive Information sensitive user information

Europcar GitLab Breach Exposes Sensitive User Data and Configuration Files

 

A cybersecurity breach allegedly targeting Europcar has brought attention to vulnerabilities in corporate development platforms. A threat actor operating under the alias “Europcar” recently claimed on an underground forum that they had gained unauthorized access to the car rental giant’s GitLab repository, leading to the extraction of thousands of sensitive files. The attacker reportedly obtained over 9,000 SQL files and at least 269 .ENV files, which are commonly used to store application configuration settings, API keys, and other sensitive operational data. 

The scale of the breach raised concerns about the potential exposure of customer and internal company information. Europcar later confirmed the breach to BleepingComputer, clarifying that only a limited portion of its GitLab repository was compromised, and not the entire system as initially claimed. The company stated it is currently assessing the scope of the intrusion and is in the process of notifying affected users. Initial findings suggest that customer names and email addresses from affiliated brands such as Goldcar and Ubeeqo, generated between 2017 and 2020, may have been exposed. Importantly, payment data was not compromised in this incident. 

The Europcar data breach is believed to have been part of an extortion attempt, although it remains unclear whether any ransom was paid. The method used to access Europcar’s GitLab remains under investigation, but cybersecurity experts suspect phishing or infostealer malware as the most likely attack vectors. Credential theft through malware or social engineering continues to be a leading cause of repository leaks across industries.  

GitLab, a widely used platform for code collaboration and storage, is frequently targeted by cybercriminals. Attackers often exploit its popularity by spoofing repositories or distributing malicious packages. Developers are advised to exercise caution by verifying repository sources, reading user feedback, and implementing multi-layered security protocols. The GitLab repository leak highlights the broader issue of digital supply chain vulnerabilities. 

When attackers gain access to development environments, the consequences can include compromised applications, internal data leaks, and reputational damage. This incident reinforces the importance of robust cybersecurity hygiene, particularly for companies managing user-sensitive platforms. As Europcar continues to investigate the breach and tighten security protocols, the incident serves as another reminder of the growing sophistication of cyberattacks and the urgent need for proactive security measures.
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Malwares
Arcane Cyber Attacks Data Safety User Data data security Data Stealer Discord Infostealer Infostealer Malware Kaspersky Malwares

Arcane Malware Steals VPN, Gaming, and Messaging Credentials in New Cyber Threat

 

A newly identified malware strain, Arcane, is making headlines for its ability to steal a vast range of user data. This malicious software infiltrates systems to extract sensitive credentials from VPN services, gaming platforms, messaging apps, and web browsers. Since its emergence in late 2024, Arcane has undergone several modifications, increasing its effectiveness and expanding its reach. 

Unlike other cyber threats with long-established histories, Arcane is not linked to previous malware versions carrying a similar name. Analysts at Kaspersky have observed that the malware primarily affects users in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. This is an unusual pattern, as many Russian-based cybercriminal groups tend to avoid targeting their home region to steer clear of legal consequences. 

Additionally, communications linked to Arcane’s operators suggest that they are Russian-speaking, reinforcing its likely origin. The malware spreads through deceptive content on YouTube, where cybercriminals post videos promoting game cheats and cracked software. Viewers are enticed into downloading files that appear legitimate but contain hidden malware. Once opened, these files initiate a process that installs Arcane while simultaneously bypassing Windows security settings. 

This allows the malware to operate undetected, giving hackers access to private information. Prior to Arcane, the same group used a different infostealer known as VGS, a modified version of an older trojan. However, since November 2024, they have shifted to distributing Arcane, incorporating a new tool called ArcanaLoader. This fake installer claims to provide free access to premium game software but instead delivers the malware. 

It has been heavily marketed on YouTube and Discord, with its creators even offering financial incentives to content creators for promoting it. Arcane stands out because of its ability to extract detailed system data and compromise various applications. It collects hardware specifications, scans installed software, and retrieves login credentials from VPN clients, communication platforms, email services, gaming accounts, and cryptocurrency wallets. Additionally, the malware captures screenshots, which can expose confidential information visible on the victim’s screen. 

Though Arcane is currently targeting specific regions, its rapid evolution suggests it could soon expand to a broader audience. Cybersecurity experts warn that malware of this nature can lead to financial theft, identity fraud, and further cyberattacks. Once infected, victims must reset all passwords, secure compromised accounts, and ensure their systems are thoroughly cleaned. 

To reduce the risk of infection, users are advised to be cautious when downloading third-party software, especially from unverified sources. Game cheats and pirated programs often serve as delivery methods for malicious software, making them a significant security threat. Avoiding these downloads altogether is the safest approach to protecting personal information.
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Data Theft
Amazon class action lawsuits Data Breach Data Harvesting SDK Data Privacy Data Safety User Data data security Data Theft

Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Secret Collection and Sale of User Location Data

 

A new class action lawsuit accuses Amazon of secretly gathering and monetizing location data from millions of California residents without their consent. The legal complaint, filed in a U.S. District Court, alleges that Amazon used its Amazon Ads software development kit (SDK) to extract sensitive geolocation information from mobile apps. According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Felix Kolotinsky of San Mateo claims 

Amazon embedded its SDK into numerous mobile applications, allowing the company to collect precise, timestamped location details. Users were reportedly unaware that their movements were being tracked and stored. Kolotinsky states that his own data was accessed through the widely used “Speedtest by Ookla” app. The lawsuit contends that Amazon’s data collection practices could reveal personal details such as users’ home addresses, workplaces, shopping habits, and frequented locations. 

It also raises concerns that this data might expose sensitive aspects of users’ lives, including religious practices, medical visits, and sexual orientation. Furthermore, the complaint alleges that Amazon leveraged this information to build detailed consumer profiles for targeted advertising, violating California’s privacy and computer access laws. This case is part of a broader legal pushback against tech companies and data brokers accused of misusing location tracking technologies. 

In a similar instance, the state of Texas recently filed a lawsuit against Allstate, alleging the insurance company monitored drivers’ locations via mobile SDKs and sold the data to other insurers. Another legal challenge in 2024 targeted Twilio, claiming its SDK unlawfully harvested private user data. Amazon has faced multiple privacy-related controversies in recent years. In 2020, it terminated several employees for leaking customer data, including email addresses and phone numbers, to third parties. 

More recently, in June 2023, Amazon agreed to a $31 million settlement over privacy violations tied to its Alexa voice assistant and Ring doorbell products. That lawsuit accused the company of storing children’s voice recordings indefinitely and using them to refine its artificial intelligence, breaching federal child privacy laws. 

Amazon has not yet issued a response to the latest allegations. The lawsuit, Kolotinsky v. Amazon.com Inc., seeks compensation for affected California residents and calls for an end to the company’s alleged unauthorized data collection practices.
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Password Security
Account security blocking unauthorized access Customer Data Cyber Security Data Safety User Data Password Security

Zello Urges Password Resets Amid Potential Security Incident

 

Zello, a widely used push-to-talk mobile service with over 140 million users, has advised customers to reset their passwords if their accounts were created before November 2, 2024. This precautionary measure follows what appears to be a new security concern, though the exact nature of the issue remains unclear. Zello's actions suggest possible unauthorized access to user accounts. 
 

Zello’s Advisory and User Notification 

 
Starting November 15, 2024, users began receiving notifications from Zello recommending password changes. The notification stated: > 

“As a precaution, we are asking that you reset your Zello app password for any account created before November 2nd, 2024. We also recommend that you change your passwords for any other online services where you may have used the same password.” 
 
The notification also provided a link to a support page with instructions on how to reset passwords through the Zello app. 

Potential Causes: Data Breach or Credential Stuffing? 

 
While Zello has yet to provide further clarification, the lack of detailed communication has raised concerns among users. Efforts by media outlets to obtain a response from the company have been unsuccessful. 
 

The timing and scope of the notice suggest two possibilities: 

 
1. A Data Breach – Unauthorized access to Zello’s systems, potentially compromising user data. 
2. Credential Stuffing – A cyberattack method where attackers use stolen login credentials from other platforms to gain access to Zello accounts. 
 
Notably, the advisory affects only accounts created before November 2, 2024, indicating that the security event may have occurred around that date. 


Past Security Incidents 

This is not the first time Zello has faced a security issue. In 2020, the company experienced a data breach that compromised customer email addresses and hashed passwords, prompting a similar password reset. 

The Importance of Cybersecurity for Essential Services 

 
Zello plays a critical role in communication for sectors such as first responders, transportation, and hospitality, making robust security measures essential. The incident underscores the importance of adopting strong cybersecurity practices: 
- Use Unique, Complex Passwords: Avoid reusing passwords across multiple platforms. 
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Adds an additional layer of security and significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access. 

User Vigilance and the Need for Transparency 


While Zello’s proactive warning is a positive step, users are calling for greater transparency regarding the root cause of the issue and the measures being taken to prevent future incidents. Organizations like Zello, which support essential communication services, have a heightened responsibility to ensure platform integrity and promptly address security vulnerabilities. 
 
In the meantime, users are strongly encouraged to follow Zello’s instructions and reset their passwords immediately. Taking these precautions can help safeguard personal data and reduce exposure to potential cyber threats. 

As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, both service providers and users must remain vigilant to ensure the safety and security of their digital ecosystems.
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Mexican Users
Cybernews Data Breach Data Leak Data Safety User Data Data Visualisation healthcare data breach Mexican Users

Massive Data Breach in Mexican Health Care Sector Exposes 5.3 Million Users’ Data

 

In a significant data breach, Cybernews researchers discovered a 500GB unprotected database from a Mexican health care company on August 26, 2024, exposing sensitive details of approximately 5.3 million people. Information in the leak included names, CURP identification numbers, phone numbers, email addresses, and details of payment requests. This security lapse occurred due to a misconfigured Kibana visualization tool, which left the database publicly accessible. While health records were reportedly not taken, the exposed CURPs (Mexican ID numbers akin to Social Security numbers) create risks for identity theft and phishing attacks. 

The breach has been attributed to Ecaresoft, a Texas-based firm specializing in cloud-based Hospital Information Systems, which provides services like Anytime and Cirrus. Over 30,000 doctors and 65 hospitals rely on Ecaresoft’s solutions for scheduling, inventory management, and patient data handling. However, a lapse in securing this information has now exposed users to heightened cybersecurity risks. Besides personal details, the exposed database included patients’ ethnicities, nationalities, religions, blood types, dates of birth, and gender, along with specifics about medical visits and fees. Although hackers were not directly responsible for this breach, the open database left users’ data vulnerable to any threat actors actively scanning for unsecured files online. 

Ecaresoft has yet to release a statement addressing the issue. As the database has since been removed from public access, it remains unclear how long it was available or if the affected users are aware of the potential risk. The breach highlights a common yet preventable security oversight, where sensitive data left unprotected can be indexed by search engines or accessed by unauthorized parties. This incident underscores the broader importance of robust password management and server configuration practices. Past cases, such as Equifax’s breach in 2017 caused by the use of “admin” as a password, illustrate how easily weak configurations can lead to large-scale data theft. Such security lapses continue to raise awareness of the need for secure, authenticated access in cloud-based and digital health care systems. 

Data security in health care remains a global challenge as hospitals and medical systems rapidly digitize, exposing user data to increasingly sophisticated cyber risks. As this incident reveals, health organizations must adopt robust security measures, such as regularly auditing databases for vulnerabilities and ensuring all access points are secure.
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Spyware
AI Tool ChatGPT ChatGPT Vulnerabilities ChatGPT. OpenAI Data Breach Data Hackers Data Safety User Data Data Theft OpenAI Spyware

ChatGPT Vulnerability Exploited: Hacker Demonstrates Data Theft via ‘SpAIware

 

A recent cyber vulnerability in ChatGPT’s long-term memory feature was exposed, showing how hackers could use this AI tool to steal user data. Security researcher Johann Rehberger demonstrated this issue through a concept he named “SpAIware,” which exploited a weakness in ChatGPT’s macOS app, allowing it to act as spyware. ChatGPT initially only stored memory within an active conversation session, resetting once the chat ended. This limited the potential for hackers to exploit data, as the information wasn’t saved long-term. 

However, earlier this year, OpenAI introduced a new feature allowing ChatGPT to retain memory between different conversations. This update, meant to personalize the user experience, also created an unexpected opportunity for cybercriminals to manipulate the chatbot’s memory retention. Rehberger identified that through prompt injection, hackers could insert malicious commands into ChatGPT’s memory. This allowed the chatbot to continuously send a user’s conversation history to a remote server, even across different sessions. 

Once a hacker successfully inserted this prompt into ChatGPT’s long-term memory, the user’s data would be collected each time they interacted with the AI tool. This makes the attack particularly dangerous, as most users wouldn’t notice anything suspicious while their information is being stolen in the background. What makes this attack even more alarming is that the hacker doesn’t require direct access to a user’s device to initiate the injection. The payload could be embedded within a website or image, and all it would take is for the user to interact with this media and prompt ChatGPT to engage with it. 

For instance, if a user asked ChatGPT to scan a malicious website, the hidden command would be stored in ChatGPT’s memory, enabling the hacker to exfiltrate data whenever the AI was used in the future. Interestingly, this exploit appears to be limited to the macOS app, and it doesn’t work on ChatGPT’s web version. When Rehberger first reported his discovery, OpenAI dismissed the issue as a “safety” concern rather than a security threat. However, once he built a proof-of-concept demonstrating the vulnerability, OpenAI took action, issuing a partial fix. This update prevents ChatGPT from sending data to remote servers, which mitigates some of the risks. 

However, the bot still accepts prompts from untrusted sources, meaning hackers can still manipulate the AI’s long-term memory. The implications of this exploit are significant, especially for users who rely on ChatGPT for handling sensitive data or important business tasks. It’s crucial that users remain vigilant and cautious, as these prompt injections could lead to severe privacy breaches. For example, any saved conversations containing confidential information could be accessed by cybercriminals, potentially resulting in financial loss, identity theft, or data leaks. To protect against such vulnerabilities, users should regularly review ChatGPT’s memory settings, checking for any unfamiliar entries or prompts. 

As demonstrated in Rehberger’s video, users can manually delete suspicious entries, ensuring that the AI’s long-term memory doesn’t retain harmful data. Additionally, it’s essential to be cautious about the sources from which they ask ChatGPT to retrieve information, avoiding untrusted websites or files that could contain hidden commands. While OpenAI is expected to continue addressing these security issues, this incident serves as a reminder that even advanced AI tools like ChatGPT are not immune to cyber threats. As AI technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics used by hackers to exploit these systems. Staying informed, vigilant, and cautious while using AI tools is key to minimizing potential risks.
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Yahoo
Data Protection Bill Data Safety User Data Privacy Restricting app data usage Sensitive data Yahoo

Data Privacy Concerns Surround Period Tracking Apps

Period tracking apps have become increasingly popular among women seeking to monitor their menstrual cycles, plan pregnancies, or simply stay informed about their health. However, recent reports have raised serious concerns about the handling of user data by these apps. As a result, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK has announced plans to review period and fertility tracking apps to ensure they comply with data protection regulations.

The ICO's decision comes in response to growing apprehension regarding the handling of sensitive user data by these apps. According to the BBC, "Period trackers are among the most intimate apps available," as they collect highly personal information, such as menstrual cycle details, sexual activity, and fertility status. This wealth of sensitive data has prompted concerns about user privacy and data security

Many period tracking apps are developed by private companies, and their primary source of revenue often relies on advertising and partnerships. This business model may lead to the sharing of user data with third-party advertisers, raising questions about the transparency and consent mechanisms involved. As reported by Yahoo News, there is evidence to suggest that some apps may be sharing user data without clear consent, potentially violating data protection laws.

In response to these concerns, the ICO has decided to take action. Simon McDougall, Deputy Commissioner for Regulatory Innovation and Technology at the ICO, emphasized the importance of user trust in digital services: "These apps play a significant role in the lives of millions of people, and users deserve to know how their personal data is being used." The ICO's review aims to assess whether period tracking apps are in compliance with data protection regulations and to ensure that users' privacy rights are respected.

The ICO's investigation is expected to focus on several key areas, including data collection practices, user consent, data sharing with third parties, and the overall transparency of app operations. If any breaches of data protection laws are uncovered during the review, the ICO has the authority to take enforcement action, including imposing fines and requiring companies to make necessary changes to their data handling practices.

While period-tracking apps can provide valuable insights into women's health and fertility, the recent scrutiny highlights the importance of safeguarding user data in the digital age. Users should be able to trust that their most personal information is handled with the utmost care and respect for their privacy. As the ICO begins its review, it is a reminder that data protection and privacy considerations should be at the forefront of app development and usage, particularly when dealing with such sensitive data.

The ICO's move to examine period tracking applications highlights the need for more accountability and openness in the digital health industry. To safeguard user rights in the rapidly evolving digital environment, users must have faith that their personal data is treated properly. Any worries about data privacy and security should be swiftly addressed.

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