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Hackers Breach Polish Medical Software Firm Qbusoft, Expose Patient Data in Second Healthcare Attack in Weeks

  A cyberattack on Polish healthcare software company Qbusoft has left patient records from its Medyc platform potentially in the hands of a...

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healthcare data breach
customer data breach cybersecurity in healthcare Data Breach Data Leak data security Healthcare Data healthcare data breach

DC Health Agency Data Exposure Affects Nearly 400,000 Medicaid Beneficiaries

 

Almost 400,000 people who enrolled in Medicaid and the DC Healthcare Alliance may have been affected by a data breach, which occurred on the website of the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance. 

The issue concerned the reports published on the organization’s website, which showed aggregated data about the people who enrolled in the programs between 2023 and 2026. DHCF noted that the breach did not involve cybersecurity issues or intentional unauthorized access to the system. The problem was discovered by the agency in July, when it was revealed that two reports on the website contained fields with personally identifiable information that could have been accessed by unauthorized parties. 

The reports included only aggregated data, such as the number of people enrolled in the programs at specific times and other related information. Nevertheless, according to DHCF, the supporting information on its website could have been accessed by unauthorized parties since 2023. The personally identifiable information of the people who enrolled in Medicaid and the DC Healthcare Alliance includes their ID, providers, date of birth, race, gender, ethnicity, and wards. 

According to the agency, the reports do not contain Social Security numbers, names, and financial information of the affected people. DHCF announced that 399,086 people were affected by the issue and notified the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The latter added DHCF to its website, which keeps track of data breaches. It is unclear whether the affected people’s information was misused or will be misused in the future. Nevertheless, DHCF advised them to remain wary of potential fraudulent activities and unauthorized attempts to gain access to their information. 

According to the agency, the fact that the reports did not include Social Security numbers and financial accounts minimizes the risk of exploitation, but it remains present due to the inclusion of people’s IDs. After the breach was discovered, DHCF removed the reports from its website. In addition, it initiated an internal review process and responded to the problem by checking its systems for vulnerabilities and ensuring that its internal procedures were appropriate for addressing the issue. 

It is important to note that the breach illustrates how people’s information can be exposed even when it should not be. In this case, the data was not hacked or intentionally shared with unauthorized parties. Nevertheless, it became available to anyone who wanted to see it because the reports containing it were publicly available. 

Therefore, it is essential for people who enrolled in Medicaid and the DC Healthcare Alliance to ensure that they are not contacted by scammers and that their information is not misused. It is necessary for them to contact DHCF if they suspect that something is wrong. At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that, according to the agency, there is no information about the affected people’s information being viewed or misused.
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Technology
Agent safety AI Security NVIDIA OpenShell NVIDIA Sentry Technology

NVIDIA Unveils Layered Security Architecture for AI Agents

 

NVIDIA has introduced the Open Agent Safety Platform as a security architecture for controlling autonomous AI agents from testing through deployment. Announced on September 28, 2026, the architecture combines open-source runtime controls with hardware-based monitoring, placing security boundaries outside the AI model itself. This design recognizes that prompt-level safeguards alone may not prevent an agent from accessing unauthorized files, tools, networks or services. Instead, NVIDIA’s approach connects agent permissions to the wider software, compute and hardware stack. 

The software foundation is NVIDIA OpenShell, a secure runtime that places each AI agent inside an isolated execution environment. It can define and enforce rules governing filesystem access, processes, credentials, network connections, APIs and external tools. Operators can convert instructions into verifiable policies before an agent begins work, while OpenShell traces actions and records policy decisions in an audit trail. Because these restrictions operate outside the model and agent framework, they can apply to both open and closed AI models. 

OpenShell is designed to act as the first enforcement layer in the architecture. For example, an enterprise agent authorized to retrieve an invoice from one folder could be blocked from opening unrelated files, modifying records or connecting to unapproved services. NVIDIA says the software runs with minimal overhead on its Vera CPUs, while its open-source design can be extended to third-party computing platforms, including Arm and Intel systems. This makes the runtime layer more portable than a security system tied entirely to one model or application.

The second major layer is NVIDIA Sentry, an out-of-band watchdog included in the reference system design. Running on NVIDIA BlueField-4 data processing units, Sentry monitors agent behaviour independently of the agent’s operating environment. Through NVIDIA’s DOCA software, it can inspect requests and responses, verify identities and enforce access policies covering data, tools, APIs and services. If an agent attempts to cross its permitted boundary, Sentry is designed to quarantine and stop it in milliseconds, creating a hardware-backed response when software controls are bypassed. 

Together, OpenShell and Sentry form a layered AI-agent security architecture rather than a standalone product review. OpenShell governs what an agent is allowed to do, while Sentry provides independent monitoring and containment below the software layer. The broader model gives developers a way to combine policy verification, runtime isolation, continuous telemetry and hardware enforcement across agent deployments. NVIDIA has made OpenShell and related skills available through its developer resources and GitHub, allowing organisations to examine and adapt the architecture as autonomous systems move into production.
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Threat Intelligence
Cybersecurity DLL Sideloading malware NeedyMantis Malware Targeted Cyber Attacks Threat Intelligence

NeedyMantis Malware Expands the Post-Compromise Threat Landscape


A modular malware family dubbed NeedyMantis has been identified by Microsoft Threat Intelligence, and has been employed to maintain access to compromised systems in a limited number of targeted intrusions. 


Evidence of the malware dating back to at least October 2025 indicates that it has affected telecommunications organizations, universities, medical nonprofits, intergovernmental organizations, and government contractors. During an investigation into indicators associated with the DAEMON Tools supply chain compromise, Microsoft identified NeedyMantis. 

The company tracks activity associated with Storm-3069, and has observed the malware in use beyond that campaign. While Microsoft believes the observed operations are associated with activities associated with China-based threat actors, it has not attributed Storm-3069 to a Chinese nation state actor or confirmed that all NeedyMantis activity originated from a single operator. 

As a general rule, NeedyMantis is deployed after attackers have already gained access to the target environment. The malware serves primarily as an initial access tool, but it is also intended to maintain access and facilitate further activity within the compromised network, utilizing DLL sideloading as part of its delivery chain. It has been observed that attackers packaged malicious DLLs with legitimate applications and encrypted archives in an attempt to facilitate their delivery. 

Poedit, curl, Vim, and TightVNC were among the programs abused in this manner, while malicious DLLs were disguised as Microsoft Office, Broadcom, Intel, and NVIDIA components. One incident involved the use of Impacket toolkit to copy a legitimate software package from a network share into the malicious file, which was then executed on the targeted computer. It is important to note that NeedyMantis played a crucial role in the post-compromise phase of an intrusion, despite the attacker already having established access to the environment. 

Once the initial DLL is loaded, the malware continues to feature layered security. A second-stage component is extracted from the encrypted archive by the first-stage loader, which is the file used in the analysis, encryptbase64.ps1. Even though the file has a PowerShell extension, it contains x64 shellcode rather than a conventional PowerShell script. 

Once the embedded malware has been decoded and decompressed, a custom executable format based on a reduced version of the Windows PE format is loaded. An additional level of protection can be provided by the custom archive. Its contents can vary between samples, with file names and internal values varying. 

The analyzed WinSparkle archive contained legitimate components of 7-Zip and Sysinternals as well as files with familiar Windows library names, including dnsapi.dll and ws2_32.dll, mixed with legitimate components. Instead of the legitimate libraries represented by these files, NeedyMantis configuration and communication components were found in these files. The main component communicates with the malware's command-and-control infrastructure and manages additional modules. 

It is Microsoft's responsibility to observe an initial HTTPS request before switching the connection to a binary WebSocket protocol. The communications component utilizes WebSockets. A hard-coded user agent for Firefox 21.0 has also been used by the malware in one implementation. Through the C2 channel, operators can add and remove modules and exchange data with them, though Microsoft has not confirmed the specific functionality of the modules. 

A NeedyMantis sample collected in October of 2025 contained a persistence module based on Windows services, however the persistence method employed by the newer analyzed sample has not been identified. The malware is more challenging to analyze through a single file or indicator due to its staged loading, misleading file names, encrypted archives, and modular C2 communication. 

Detection points have been provided by Microsoft for hashes, file paths, the C2 hostname corp.tripswithengine[.]com, and the Firefox/21.0 user agent. As a result of the NeedyMantis campaign, security teams need to monitor suspicious loaders, C2 traffic, and unusual usage of legitimate software in order to recognize the risks posed by modular post-compromise malware.
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Zero-Day Exploits
Citrix NetScaler Cyber Security RCE Security Patch Zero-Day Exploits

Citrix NetScaler Zero-Days Exploited in Attacks

 

Two critical zero-day vulnerabilities in Citrix NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway appliances are reportedly being exploited in the wild, raising serious concerns for organisations that rely on the products for remote access and application delivery. Security firm watchTowr disclosed the activity on September 26, stating that attackers had used the flaws to achieve remote code execution before Citrix released patches or detailed technical guidance. The company warned that the vulnerabilities could allow attackers to compromise exposed appliances and potentially gain access to connected networks. 

According to watchTowr, the flaws were discovered during forensic investigations into suspected intrusions. Both vulnerabilities reportedly enable remote code execution, meaning an unauthenticated attacker could potentially execute malicious commands on a vulnerable NetScaler device. Because these appliances frequently sit at the edge of corporate networks and handle VPN or application access, a successful compromise could provide attackers with an important entry point for credential theft, lateral movement, data exfiltration or ransomware deployment. 

At the time of the initial disclosure, Citrix had not confirmed the vulnerabilities, published affected-version information or released a security update. The absence of official indicators of compromise or a reliable workaround left administrators with limited options. Some organisations reportedly chose to take NetScaler appliances offline to reduce the risk, although doing so can disrupt remote workers, business applications and customer-facing services. Researchers expected Citrix to issue communications and patches during the week beginning September 28. 

The situation later developed when Citrix confirmed that two critical NetScaler flaws had been exploited and released fixes alongside patches for six additional vulnerabilities. The issues were identified as CVE-2026-88771 and CVE-2026-88772, both carrying a CVSS score of 9.5. The first is an improper input-validation vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated attacker to run arbitrary commands, while the second involves improper memory-buffer restrictions and could lead to remote code execution or denial-of-service attacks. 

Security teams should treat these vulnerabilities as an emergency priority. Administrators should identify all internet-facing NetScaler ADC and Gateway systems, apply Citrix’s latest fixes immediately and review logs for unusual authentication, configuration or administrative activity. Organisations should also rotate potentially exposed credentials, inspect connected systems for signs of post-compromise activity and restrict management access wherever possible. CISA’s addition of both flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue further underlines the urgency of patching and incident investigation.
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cybercrime group
AI cybersecurity AI technology Critical Infrastructure critical infrastructure cybersecurity cyber espionage Cyber Security cybercrime group

Singapore Expands AI Cybersecurity After UNC3886 Attacks

 

Singapore is changing its cybersecurity strategy after a state-sponsored cyber espionage group targeted the country’s four major telecommunications companies. The attack by UNC3886, disclosed in July 2025, could have disrupted telecommunications and internet services had the attackers penetrated further and raised concerns about national security. 

The incident has pushed Singapore toward a more proactive approach that assumes sophisticated attackers may eventually enter protected networks. Instead of focusing only on preventing intrusions, authorities are emphasizing threat hunting and the detection of suspicious activity after attackers gain access. In an interview, Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) chief executive and Commissioner of Cybersecurity Gwenda Fong said advanced persistent threat actors such as UNC3886 pursue specific targets, meaning perimeter protection alone is not enough. 

Once inside a network, attackers still need to move toward sensitive systems and data, giving defenders opportunities to identify unusual internal activity. Singapore is using artificial intelligence to strengthen this detection and prevention work. The Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) has developed two AI-powered tools for government systems. One performs automated penetration testing across about 2,000 government systems, including systems containing citizen data and transactions. 

The second scans the source code of government applications and systems for security weaknesses so agencies can address vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them. The authorities have not disclosed which agencies are using the tools, but their use is being evaluated for expansion across Singapore’s 11 critical information infrastructure sectors, which include healthcare, aviation, banking and finance, energy, government and information and communications. 

CSA has also started regularly scanning internet-facing systems operated by critical infrastructure organizations to identify potential entry points such as unpatched software and weak configurations. The agency said these scans are external and do not involve active probing. Other measures include proprietary threat-detection tools developed by a technical agency under Singapore’s Ministry of Defence and the sharing of classified threat intelligence with critical infrastructure operators. CSA is also examining supply-chain security because compromised vendors could potentially expose data or disrupt services. 

The agency is considering requiring some vendors and suppliers working with critical infrastructure operators to obtain Cyber Essentials or Cyber Trust mark certifications, potentially as early as 2027. As of August, 874 Cyber Essentials and 346 Cyber Trust mark certifications had been issued. 

The shift reflects the growing importance of cybersecurity to national security, the digital economy and public trust. CSA reported that suspected advanced persistent threat activity in Singapore quadrupled between 2021 and 2024, while authorities expect threats to increase as attackers gain access to AI tools. 

For organizations connected to critical digital infrastructure, the message is clear: security cannot end at the network perimeter. Identifying weaknesses, monitoring internal activity and detecting attackers before they can reach sensitive systems are becoming essential parts of defending increasingly connected services.
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Windows
Android Antivirus apis Data Theft Firefox Linux macOS privacy Windows

File Notification APIs in Windows, Linux, and Android Are Leaking What You Do on Your Computer

 



A research team from Graz University of Technology in Austria has shown that a routine feature built into virtually every major operating system can be turned into a surveillance channel that tracks keystrokes, visited websites, and private messaging activity without needing administrator access.

The feature is the file-change notification system. Every major platform ships one: Linux has inotify and fanotify, Windows uses ReadDirectoryChangesW, and Android and macOS have their own equivalents. Text editors, antivirus software, cloud sync clients, and file managers depend on these APIs to react when files are created, modified, or deleted. The catch is that subscribing to those notifications requires no special privileges, only read access to the directory being watched.

What these APIs never hand over is actual file content. What they do leak, the researchers found, is file names and the exact timing of events. That combination is enough to reconstruct meaningful details about what other users on the same machine are doing throughout the day.


Linux: Keystrokes Through the Filesystem

On Linux, if a process is blocked from watching a specific file directly, it can still receive that file's events by watching the parent directory, as long as that directory is readable. The researchers applied this to device files under /dev that represent keyboard hardware. The result is that an unprivileged process can detect every keystroke another user makes, though not which key was pressed.

That gap offers less protection than it appears to. Research going back more than two decades has established that the rhythm of inter-keystroke timing can help reconstruct what was typed. In tests with seven participants, the attack scored between 93.1% and 100% on standard accuracy measures. Input that never echoes to the screen, such as a password entered during a sudo prompt, does not generate filesystem events and stays invisible to the attack.

The team also demonstrated website fingerprinting by watching which system fonts Firefox loads for a given page. Against the top 100 sites, that technique reached 87.9% accuracy. A third Linux attack targeted KDE Plasma 6 on Wayland: a malicious process running as the victim can detect when a real authentication dialog is about to appear and draw a counterfeit one over it to capture credentials before the legitimate prompt ever loads.


Android: No Permissions Required

On Android, an application requesting zero permissions can watch the private storage directory of a completely separate app. Testing against WhatsApp on a Google Pixel and a Samsung Galaxy device, the researchers extracted file names and event timing that revealed when photos, videos, and documents were sent or received. The attack also exposed when that media was later deleted, offering a window into communication patterns that the app's own privacy controls do not address.


Windows: One Watch, Every User's Files

The most consequential Windows scenario arises when a process watches the root of the system drive. Windows reports the full path of every file that changes anywhere on the machine, including paths inside other users' home directories that the monitoring account has no direct permission to access.

Because Firefox names profile subdirectories after associated websites, an unprivileged user watching the drive root can track which sites another logged-in account is browsing in near-real time. Across the top 1,000 websites, the researchers hit 97.8% accuracy against Firefox and 48.5% against Edge, which creates far fewer site-named folders.

This behavior comes from the same ReadDirectoryChangesW API that was flagged under CVE-2007-0843 for a similar class of issue almost two decades ago. Microsoft's position has not shifted. The company told the researchers the behavior is working as designed, on the grounds that file contents remain inaccessible. A Microsoft spokesperson told SecurityWeek that "the technique requires an attacker to already have the ability to run code locally on a device under a separate user account and does not provide access to file contents." Microsoft did note that administrators can enable optional protections it documented in April 2025 covering some path-disclosure scenarios tied to directory change notifications.

macOS came out the least exposed of the four platforms. Its equivalent API can only monitor globally readable files, which limits the attack surface, though the researchers still demonstrated tracking of application launches, app interactions, and settings changes.

The Linux kernel received a targeted patch under CVE-2025-68788, which stops the fsnotify subsystem from generating access and modify events for special files, including the device files representing keyboard input. The researchers describe this as addressing the most serious Linux issue, but other attack paths from their research remain open.

Apple and Google have not responded to requests for comment, and no fixes have been announced for Android or macOS. The researchers say they have found no evidence of active exploitation in the wild. Proof-of-concept code for the full set of attacks has been published on GitHub at isec-tugraz/file-notification-attacks.



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