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Technology
AI Apple Data Google Internet Microsoft Techno Technology

Experts Find Malicious Browser Extensions, Chrome, Safari, and Edge Affected


Threat actors exploit extensions

Cybersecurity experts found 17 extensions for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browsers which track user's internet activity and install backdoors for access. The extensions were downloaded over 840,000 times. 

The campaign is not new. LayerX claimed that the campaign is part of GhostPoster, another campaign first found by Koi Security last year in December. Last year, researchers discovered 17 different extensions that were downloaded over 50,000 times and showed the same monitoring behaviour and deploying backdoors. 

Few extensions from the new batch were uploaded in 2020, exposing users to malware for years. The extensions appeared in places like the Edge store and later expanded to Firefox and Chrome. 

Few extensions stored malicious JavaScript code in the PNG logo. The code is a kind of instruction on downloading the main payload from a remote server. 

The main payload does multiple things. It can hijack affiliate links on famous e-commerce websites to steal money from content creators and influencers. “The malware watches for visits to major e-commerce platforms. When you click an affiliate link on Taobao or JD.com, the extension intercepts it. The original affiliate, whoever was supposed to earn a commission from your purchase, gets nothing. The malware operators get paid instead,” said Koi researchers. 

After that, it deploys Google Analytics tracking into every page that people open, and removes security headers from HTTP responses. 

In the end, it escapes CAPTCHA via three different ways, and deploy invisible iframes that do ad frauds, click frauds, and tracking. These iframes disappear after 15 seconds.

Besides this, all extensions were deleted from the repositories, but users shoul also remove them personally. 

This staged execution flow demonstrates a clear evolution toward longer dormancy, modularity, and resilience against both static and behavioral detection mechanisms,” said LayerX. 

The PNG steganography technique is employed by some. Some people download JavaScript directly and include it into each page you visit. Others employ bespoke ciphers to encode the C&C domains and use concealed eval() calls. The same assailant. identical servers. many methods of delivery. This appears to be testing several strategies to see which one gets the most installs, avoids detection the longest, and makes the most money.

This campaign reflects a deliberate shift toward patience and precision. By embedding malicious code in images, delaying execution, and rotating delivery techniques across identical infrastructure, the attackers test which methods evade detection longest. The strategy favors longevity and profit over speed, exposing how browser ecosystems remain vulnerable to quietly persistent threats.

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Technology
AI Scanner Business Security LLM Microsoft Technology

Microsoft Unveils Backdoor Scanner for Open-Weight AI Models

 

Microsoft has introduced a new lightweight scanner designed to detect hidden backdoors in open‑weight large language models (LLMs), aiming to boost trust in artificial intelligence systems. The tool, built by the company’s AI Security team, focuses on subtle behavioral patterns inside models to reliably flag tampering without generating many false outcomes. By targeting how specific trigger inputs change a model’s internal operations, Microsoft hopes to offer security teams a practical way to vet AI models before deployment.

The scanner is meant to address a growing problem in AI security: model poisoning and backdoored models that act as “sleeper agents.” In such attacks, threat actors manipulate model weights or training data so the model behaves normally in most scenarios, but switches to malicious or unexpected behavior when it encounters a carefully crafted trigger phrase or pattern. Because these triggers are narrowly defined, the backdoor often evades normal testing and quality checks, making detection difficult. Microsoft notes that both the model’s parameters and its surrounding code can be tampered with, but this tool focuses primarily on backdoors embedded directly into the model’s weights.

To detect these covert modifications, Microsoft’s scanner looks for three practical signals that indicate a poisoned model. First, when given a trigger prompt, compromised models tend to show a distinctive “double triangle” attention pattern, focusing heavily on the trigger itself and sharply reducing the randomness of their output. Second, backdoored LLMs often leak fragments of their own poisoning data, including trigger phrases, through memorization rather than generalization. Third, a single hidden backdoor may respond not just to one exact phrase, but to multiple “fuzzy” variations of that trigger, which the scanner can surface during analysis.

The detection workflow starts by extracting memorized content from the model, then analyzing that content to isolate suspicious substrings that could represent hidden triggers. Microsoft formalizes the three identified signals as loss functions, scores each candidate substring, and returns a ranked list of likely trigger phrases that might activate a backdoor. A key advantage is that the scanner does not require retraining the model or prior knowledge of the specific backdoor behavior, and it can operate across common GPT‑style architectures at scale. This makes it suitable for organizations evaluating open‑weight models obtained from third parties or public repositories.

However, the company stresses that the scanner is not a complete solution to all backdoor risks. It requires direct access to model files, so it cannot be used on proprietary, fully hosted models. It is also optimized for trigger‑based backdoors that produce deterministic outputs, meaning more subtle or probabilistic attacks may still evade detection. Microsoft positions the tool as an important step toward deployable backdoor detection and calls for broader collaboration across the AI security community to refine defenses. In parallel, the firm is expanding its Secure Development Lifecycle to address AI‑specific threats like prompt injection and data poisoning, acknowledging that modern AI systems introduce many new entry points for malicious inputs.
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phishing
Credential Theft Data Breach Data Theft Emails IP Address Microsoft Microsoft SharePoint phishing

Attackers Hijack Microsoft Email Accounts to Launch Phishing Campaign Against Energy Firms

 


Cybercriminals have compromised Microsoft email accounts belonging to organizations in the energy sector and used those trusted inboxes to distribute large volumes of phishing emails. In at least one confirmed incident, more than 600 malicious messages were sent from a single hijacked account.

Microsoft security researchers explained that the attackers did not rely on technical exploits or system vulnerabilities. Instead, they gained access by using legitimate login credentials that were likely stolen earlier through unknown means. This allowed them to sign in as real users, making the activity harder to detect.

The attack began with emails that appeared routine and business-related. These messages included Microsoft SharePoint links and subject lines suggesting formal documents, such as proposals or confidentiality agreements. To view the files, recipients were asked to authenticate their accounts.

When users clicked the SharePoint link, they were redirected to a fraudulent website designed to look legitimate. The site prompted them to enter their Microsoft login details. By doing so, victims unknowingly handed over valid usernames and passwords to the attackers.

After collecting credentials, the attackers accessed the compromised email accounts from different IP addresses. They then created inbox rules that automatically deleted incoming emails and marked messages as read. This step helped conceal the intrusion and prevented account owners from noticing unusual activity.

Using these compromised inboxes, the attackers launched a second wave of phishing emails. These messages were sent not only to external contacts but also to colleagues and internal distribution lists. Recipients were selected based on recent email conversations found in the victim’s inbox, increasing the likelihood that the messages would appear trustworthy.

In this campaign, the attackers actively monitored inbox responses. They removed automated replies such as out-of-office messages and undeliverable notices. They also read replies from recipients and responded to questions about the legitimacy of the emails. All such exchanges were later deleted to erase evidence.

Any employee within an energy organization who interacted with the malicious links was also targeted for credential theft, allowing the attackers to expand their access further.

Microsoft confirmed that the activity began in January and described it as a short-duration, multi-stage phishing operation that was quickly disrupted. The company did not disclose how many organizations were affected, identify the attackers, or confirm whether the campaign is still active.

Security experts warn that simply resetting passwords may not be enough in these attacks. Because attackers can interfere with multi-factor authentication settings, they may maintain access even after credentials are changed. For example, attackers can register their own device to receive one-time authentication codes.

Despite these risks, multi-factor authentication remains a critical defense against account compromise. Microsoft also recommends using conditional access controls that assess login attempts based on factors such as location, device health, and user role. Suspicious sign-ins can then be blocked automatically.

Additional protection can be achieved by deploying anti-phishing solutions that scan emails and websites for malicious activity. These measures, combined with user awareness, are essential as attackers increasingly rely on stolen identities rather than software flaws.


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Microsoft
Bitlocker BitLocker encryption CPU CPU vulnerabilities Cyber Security Hardware Hardware Encryption Microsoft

Microsoft Introduces Hardware-Accelerated BitLocker to Boost Windows 11 Security and Performance

 

Microsoft is updating Windows 11 with hardware-accelerated BitLocker to improve both data security and system performance. The change enhances full-disk encryption by shifting cryptographic work from the CPU to dedicated hardware components within modern processors, helping systems run more efficiently while keeping data protected. 

BitLocker is Windows’ built-in encryption feature that prevents unauthorized access to stored data. During startup, it uses the Trusted Platform Module to manage encryption keys and unlock drives after verifying system integrity. While this method has been effective, Microsoft says faster storage technologies have made the performance impact of software-based encryption more noticeable, especially during demanding tasks. 

As storage speeds increase, BitLocker’s encryption overhead can slow down activities like gaming and video editing. To address this, Microsoft is offloading encryption tasks to specialized hardware within the processor that is designed for secure and high-speed cryptographic operations. This reduces reliance on the CPU and improves overall system responsiveness. 

With hardware acceleration enabled, large encryption workloads no longer heavily tax the CPU. Microsoft reports that testing showed about 70% fewer CPU cycles per input-output operation compared to software-based BitLocker, although actual gains depend on hardware configurations. 

On supported devices with NVMe drives and compatible processors, BitLocker will default to hardware-accelerated encryption using the XTS-AES-256 algorithm. This applies to automatic device encryption, manual activation, policy-based deployment, and script-driven setups, with some exceptions. 

The update also strengthens security by keeping encryption keys protected within hardware, reducing exposure to memory or CPU-based attacks. Combined with TPM protections, this moves BitLocker closer to eliminating key handling in general system memory.  

Hardware-accelerated BitLocker is available in Windows 11 version 24H2 with September updates installed and will also be included in version 25H2. Initial support is limited to Intel vPro systems with Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake) processors, with broader system-on-a-chip support planned. 

Users can confirm whether hardware acceleration is active by running the “manage-bde -status” command. Microsoft notes BitLocker will revert to software encryption if unsupported algorithms or key sizes are used, certain enterprise policies apply, or FIPS mode is enabled on hardware without certified cryptographic offloading.
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Social Engineering
AI Cyber Attacks Data Microsoft phishing Russia Scams Social Engineering

2FA Fail: Hackers Exploit Microsoft 365 to Launch Code Phishing Attacks


Two-factor authentication (2FA) has been one of the most secure ways to protect online accounts. It requires a secondary code besides a password. However, in recent times, 2FA has not been a reliable method anymore, as hackers have started exploiting it easily. 

Experts advise users to use passkeys instead of 2FA these days, as they are more secure and less prone to hack attempts. Recent reports have shown that 2FA as a security method is undermined. 

Russian-linked state sponsored threat actors are now abusing flaws in Microsoft’s 365. Experts from Proofpoint have noticed a surge in Microsoft 365 account takeover cyberattacks, threat actors are exploiting authentication code phishing to compromise Microsoft’s device authorization flow.

They are also launching advanced phishing campaigns that escape 2FA and hack sensitive accounts. 

About the attack

The recent series of cyberattacks use device code phishing where hackers lure victims into giving their authentication codes on fake websites that look real. When the code is entered, hackers gain entry to the victim's Microsoft 365 account, escaping the safety of 2FA. 

The campaigns started in early 2025. In the beginning, hackers relied primarily on code phishing. By March, they increased their tactics to exploit Oauth authentication workflows, which are largely used for signing into apps and services. The development shows how fast threat actors adapt when security experts find their tricks.

Who is the victim? 

The attacks are particularly targeted against high-value sectors that include:

Universities and research institutes 

Defense contractors

Energy providers

Government agencies 

Telecommunication companies 

By targeting these sectors, hackers increase the impact of their attacks for purposes such as disruption, espionage, and financial motives. 

The impact 

The surge in 2FA code attacks exposes a major gap, no security measure is foolproof. While 2FA is still far stronger than relying on passwords alone, it can be undermined if users are deceived into handing over their codes. This is not a failure of the technology itself, but of human trust and awareness.  

A single compromised account can expose sensitive emails, documents, and internal systems. Users are at risk of losing their personal data, financial information, and even identity in these cases.

How to Stay Safe

Verify URLs carefully. Never enter authentication codes on unfamiliar or suspicious websites.  

Use phishing-resistant authentication. Hardware security keys (like YubiKeys) or biometric logins are harder to trick.  

Enable conditional access policies. Organizations can restrict logins based on location, device, or risk level.  

Monitor OAuth activity. Be cautious of unexpected consent requests from apps or services.  

Educate users. Awareness training is often the most effective defense against social engineering.  


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Microsoft
AI recruitment India AI technology Amazon Artifcial Intelligence Cyber Security Data Center Indian Market Microsoft

Amazon and Microsoft AI Investments Put India at a Crossroads

 

Major technology companies Amazon and Microsoft have announced combined investments exceeding $50 billion in India, placing artificial intelligence firmly at the center of global attention on the country’s technology ambitions. Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella revealed the company’s largest-ever investment in Asia, committing $17.5 billion to support infrastructure development, workforce skills, and what he described as India’s transition toward an AI-first economy. Shortly after, Amazon said it plans to invest more than $35 billion in India by 2030, with part of that funding expected to strengthen its artificial intelligence capabilities in the country. 

These announcements arrive at a time of heightened debate around artificial intelligence valuations globally. As concerns about a potential AI-driven market bubble have grown, some financial institutions have taken a contrarian view on India’s position. Analysts at Jefferies described Indian equities as a “reverse AI trade,” suggesting the market could outperform if global enthusiasm for AI weakens. HSBC has echoed similar views, arguing that Indian stocks offer diversification for investors wary of overheated technology markets elsewhere. This perspective has gained traction as Indian equities have underperformed regional peers over the past year, while foreign capital has flowed heavily into AI-centric companies in South Korea and Taiwan. 

Against this backdrop, the scale of Amazon and Microsoft’s commitments offers a significant boost to confidence. However, questions remain about how competitive India truly is in the global AI race. Adoption of artificial intelligence across the country has accelerated, with increasing investment in data centers and early movement toward domestic chip manufacturing. A recent collaboration between Intel and Tata Electronics to produce semiconductors locally reflects growing momentum in strengthening AI infrastructure. 

Despite these advances, India continues to lag behind global leaders when it comes to building sovereign AI models. The government launched a national AI mission aimed at supporting researchers and startups with high-performance computing resources to develop a large multilingual model. While officials say a sovereign model supporting more than 22 languages is close to launch, global competitors such as OpenAI and China-based firms have continued to release more advanced systems in the interim. India’s public investment in this effort remains modest when compared with the far larger AI spending programs seen in countries like France and Saudi Arabia. 

Structural challenges also persist. Limited access to advanced semiconductors, fragmented data ecosystems, and insufficient long-term research investment constrain progress. Although India has a higher-than-average concentration of AI-skilled professionals, retaining top talent remains difficult as global mobility draws developers overseas. Experts argue that policy incentives will be critical if India hopes to convert its talent advantage into sustained leadership. 

Even so, international studies suggest India performs strongly relative to its economic stage. The country ranks among the top five globally for new AI startups receiving investment and contributes a significant share of global AI research publications. While funding volumes remain far below those of the United States and China, experts believe India’s advantage may lie in applying AI to real-world problems rather than competing directly in foundational model development. 

AI-driven applications addressing agriculture, education, and healthcare are already gaining traction, demonstrating the technology’s potential impact at scale. At the same time, analysts warn that artificial intelligence could disrupt India’s IT services sector, a long-standing engine of economic growth. Slowing hiring, wage pressure, and weaker stock performance indicate that this transition is already underway, underscoring both the opportunity and the risk embedded in India’s AI future.
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Microsoft
Critical Flaws Critical security flaw CVE CVEs CVSS Cyber Security Fortinet Ivanti Ivanti security flaws Microsoft

December Patch Tuesday Brings Critical Microsoft, Notepad++, Fortinet, and Ivanti Security Fixes

 


While December's Patch Tuesday gave us a lighter release than normal, it arrived with several urgent vulnerabilities that need attention immediately. In all, Microsoft released 57 CVE patches to finish out 2025, including one flaw already under active exploitation and two others that were publicly disclosed. Notably, critical security updates also came from Notepad++, Ivanti, and Fortinet this cycle, making it particularly important for system administrators and enterprise security teams alike. 

The most critical of Microsoft's disclosures this month is CVE-2025-62221, a Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver bug rated 7.8 on the CVSS scale. It allows for privilege escalation: an attacker who has code execution rights can leverage the bug to escalate to full system-level access. Researchers say this kind of bug is exploited on a regular basis in real-world intrusions, and "patching ASAP" is critical. Microsoft hasn't disclosed yet which threat actors are actively exploiting this flaw; however, experts explain that bugs like these "tend to pop up in almost every big compromise and are often used as stepping stones to further breach". 

Another two disclosures from Microsoft were CVE-2025-54100 in PowerShell and CVE-2025-64671, impacting GitHub Copilot for JetBrains. Although these are not confirmed to be exploited, they were publicly disclosed ahead of patching. Graded at 8.4, the Copilot vulnerability would have allowed for remote code execution via malicious cross-prompt injection, provided a user is tricked into opening untrusted files or connecting to compromised servers. Security researchers expect more vulnerabilities of this type to emerge as AI-integrated development tools expand in usage. 

But one of the more ominous developments outside Microsoft belongs to Notepad++. The popular open-source editor pushed out version 8.8.9 to patch a weakness in the way updates were checked for authenticity. Attackers were managing to intercept network traffic from the WinGUp update client, then redirecting users to rogue servers, where malicious files were downloaded instead of legitimate updates. There are reports that threat groups in China were actively testing and exploiting this vulnerability. Indeed, according to the maintainer, "Due to the improper update integrity validation, an adversary was able to manipulate the download"; therefore, users should upgrade as soon as possible. 

Fortinet also patched two critical authentication bypass vulnerabilities, CVE-2025-59718 and CVE-2025-59719, in FortiOS and several related products. The bugs enable hackers to bypass FortiCloud SSO authentication using crafted SAML messages, which only works if SSO has been enabled. Administrators are advised to disable the feature until they can upgrade to patched builds to avoid unauthorized access. Rounding out the disclosures, Ivanti released a fix for CVE-2025-10573, a severe cross-site scripting vulnerability in its Endpoint Manager. The bug allows an attacker to register fake endpoints and inject malicious JavaScript into the administrator dashboard. Viewed, this could serve an attacker full control over the session without credentials. There has been no observed exploitation so far, but researchers warn that it is likely attackers will reverse engineer the fix soon, making for a deployment environment of haste.
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Technology
AI Data Google Internet Microsoft Teams Technology

End to End-to-end Encryption? Google Update Allows Firms to Read Employee Texts


Your organization can now read your texts

Microsoft stirred controversy when it revealed a Teams update that could tell your organization when you're not at work. Google did the same. Say goodbye to end-to-end encryption. With this new RCS and SMS Android update, your RCS and SMS texts are no longer private. 

According to Android Authority, "Google is rolling out Android RCS Archival on Pixel (and other Android) phones, allowing employers to intercept and archive RCS chats on work-managed devices. In simpler terms, your employer will now be able to read your RCS chats in Google Messages despite end-to-end encryption.”

Only for organizational devices 

This is only applicable to work-managed devices and doesn't impact personal devices. In regulated industries, it will only add RCS archiving to existing SMS archiving. In an organization, however, texting is different than emailing. In the former, employees sometimes share about their non-work life. End-to-end encryptions keep these conversations safe, but this will no longer be the case.

The end-to-end question 

There is alot of misunderstanding around end-to-end encryption. It protects messages when they are being sent, but once they are on your device, they are decrypted and no longer safe. 

According to Google, this is "a dependable, Android-supported solution for message archival, which is also backwards compatible with SMS and MMS messages as well. Employees will see a clear notification on their device whenever the archival feature is active.”

What will change?

With this update, getting a phone at work is no longer as good as it seems. Employees have always been insecure about the risks in over-sharing on email, as it is easy to spy. But not texts. 

The update will make things different. According to Google, “this new capability, available on Google Pixel and other compatible Android Enterprise devices gives your employees all the benefits of RCS — like typing indicators, read receipts, and end-to-end encryption between Android devices — while ensuring your organization meets its regulatory requirements.”

Promoting organizational surveillance 

Because of organizational surveillance, employees at times turn to shadow IT systems such as Whatsapp and Signal to communicate with colleagues. The new Google update will only make things worse. 

“Earlier,” Google said, ““employers had to block the use of RCS entirely to meet these compliance requirements; this update simply allows organizations to support modern messaging — giving employees messaging benefits like high-quality media sharing and typing indicators — while maintaining the same compliance standards that already apply to SMS messaging."

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