Security News

We look into Apple's recent emergency updates that closed off four in-the-wild browser bugs. We explain how the infamous "Flubot" home delivery scam works and how to stop it.

Unlike vendors such as Microsoft, Google Android and Mozilla, security updates emerge from Cupertino HQ whenever Apple thinks the time is right. For the protection of our customers, Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are generally available.

Pulse Secure has rushed a fix for a critical zero-day security vulnerability in its Connect Secure VPN devices, which has been exploited by nation-state actors to launch cyberattacks against U.S. defense, finance and government targets, as well as victims in Europe. Pulse Secure also patched three other security bugs, two of them also critical RCE vulnerabilities.

A week after Apple patched a macOS zero-day exploited by Shlayer malware for months for months, the company has released new security updates for macOS, iOS, iPadOS and watch OS that plug four additional zero-days that "May have been actively exploited". CVE-2021-30665 - a memory corruption issue in WebKit that could lead to arbitrary code execution when a user views maliciously crafted web content.

Apple's problems with zero-day attacks continued this week with news of another mysterious in-the-wild compromise affecting iPhones, iPads and macOS devices. News of the latest compromise was included in a one-line mention in an advisory from Apple that documents fixes for a pair of WebKit security flaws that have been exploited on both iPhones and macOS computers.

Today, Apple has released security updates that fix two actively exploited iOS zero-day vulnerabilities in the Webkit engine used by hackers to attack iPhones, iPads, iPods, macOS, and Apple Watch devices. "Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited," the company said in multiple security advisories published today.

Embattled VPN technology vendor Pulse Secure on Monday updated an "Out-of-cycle" advisory with patches for four major security vulnerabilities, including belated cover for an issue that's already been exploited by advanced threat actors. When Pulse Secure released its initial advisory for the bug on April 20, FireEye reported seeing this and three other Pulse Secure VPN appliance vulnerabilities being exploited as an initial access vector by at least two sophisticated threat actors.

Pulse Secure has fixed a zero-day vulnerability in the Pulse Connect Secure SSL VPN appliance that is being actively exploited to compromise the internal networks of defense firms and govt agencies. A day later, US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an emergency directive ordering federal agencies to mitigate the vulnerability within two days by disabling the Windows File Share Browser and Pulse Secure Collaboration features.

An "Aggressive" financially motivated threat group tapped into a zero-day flaw in SonicWall VPN appliances prior to it being patched by the company to deploy a new strain of ransomware called FIVEHANDS. The group, tracked by cybersecurity firm Mandiant as UNC2447, took advantage of an "Improper SQL command neutralization" flaw in the SSL-VPN SMA100 product that allows an unauthenticated attacker to achieve remote code execution. "UNC2447 monetizes intrusions by extorting their victims first with FIVEHANDS ransomware followed by aggressively applying pressure through threats of media attention and offering victim data for sale on hacker forums," Mandiant researchers said.

A zero-day vulnerability addressed by SonicWall in its Secure Mobile Access appliances earlier this year was exploited by a sophisticated and aggressive cybercrime group before the vendor released a patch, FireEye's Mandiant unit reported on Thursday. Over the past half a year, a new cybercrime group has been observed using a broad range of malware and employing aggressive tactics to pressure ransomware victims into making payments.