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Showing posts with label cybersecurity risks. Show all posts
malicious extensions
Chrome Extensions Cookies Cyber Security cybersecurity risks Google Chrome security malicious extensions

Malicious Chrome Extensions Target Enterprise HR and ERP Platforms to Steal Credentials

 

One after another, suspicious Chrome add-ons began appearing under false pretenses - each masquerading as helpful utilities. These were pulled from public view only after Socket, a cybersecurity group, traced them back to a single pattern of abuse. Instead of boosting efficiency, they harvested data from corporate systems like Workday, NetSuite, and SAP SuccessFactors. Installation counts climbed past 2,300 across five distinct apps before takedown. Behind the scenes, threat actors leveraged legitimate-looking interfaces to gain access where it mattered most. 

One investigation found that certain browser add-ons aimed to breach corporate systems, either by capturing login details or disrupting protective measures. Though appearing under distinct titles and author profiles, these tools carried matching coding patterns, operational frameworks, and selection methods - pointing to coordination behind their release. A person using the handle databycloud1104 was linked to four of them; another version emerged through a separate label called Software Access. 

Appearing alongside standard business applications, these extensions asked for permissions typical of corporate tools. One moment they promised better control over company accounts, the next they emphasized locking down admin functions. Positioned as productivity aids, several highlighted dashboard interfaces meant to streamline operations across teams. Instead of standing out, their behavior mirrored genuine enterprise solutions. Claiming to boost efficiency or tighten security, each framed its purpose around workplace demands. Not every feature list matched actual functionality, yet on the surface everything seemed aligned with professional needs. 

Yet the investigation revealed every extension hid its actual operations. Although privacy notices were present, they omitted details about gathering user data, retrieving login information, or tracking admin actions. Without visibility, these tools carried out harmful behaviors - such as stealing authentication cookies, altering webpage elements, or taking over active sessions - all while appearing legitimate. What seemed harmless operated differently beneath the surface. 

Repeated extraction of authentication cookies called "__session" occurred across multiple extensions. Despite user logout actions, those credentials kept reaching external servers controlled by attackers. Access to corporate systems remained uninterrupted due to timed transmissions. Traditional sign-in protections failed because live session data was continuously harvested elsewhere. 

Notably, two add-ons - Tool Access 11 and Data By Cloud 2 - took more aggressive steps. Instead of merely monitoring, they interfered directly with key security areas in Workday. Through recognition of page titles, these tools erased information or rerouted admins before reaching control panels. Pages related to login rules appeared blank or led elsewhere. Controls involving active sessions faced similar disruptions. Even IP-based safeguards vanished unexpectedly. Managing passwords became problematic under their influence. Deactivating compromised accounts grew harder. Audit trails for suspicious activity disappeared without notice. As a result, teams lost vital ground when trying to spot intrusions or contain damage. 

What stood out was the Software Access extension’s ability to handle cookies in both directions. Not only did it take cookies from users, but also inserted ones provided by attackers straight into browsers. Because of this, unauthorized individuals gained access to active sessions - no login details or extra verification steps required. The outcome? Full control over corporate accounts within moments. 

Even with few users impacted, Socket highlighted how compromised business logins might enable wider intrusions - such as spreading ransomware or extracting major datasets. After the discovery, the company alerted Google; soon after, the malicious add-ons vanished from the Chrome Web Store. Those who downloaded them should inform internal security staff while resetting access codes across exposed systems to reduce exposure. Though limited in reach, the breach carries serious downstream implications if left unchecked.
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Malicious Codes
AWS AWS Hijacking Cyber Attacks Cyber flaws cybersecurity risks GitHub Hacker attack Malicious Codes

AWS CodeBuild Misconfiguration Could Have Enabled Full GitHub Repository Takeover

 

One mistake in how Amazon Web Services set up its CodeBuild tool might have let hackers grab control of official AWS GitHub accounts. That access could spill into more parts of AWS, opening doors for wide-reaching attacks on software supplies. Cloud security team Wiz found the weak spot and called it CodeBreach. They told AWS about it on August 25, 2025. Fixes arrived by September that year. Experts say key pieces inside AWS were at stake - like the popular JavaScript SDK developers rely on every day. 

Into trusted repositories, attackers might have slipped harmful code thanks to CodeBreach, said Wiz team members Yuval Avrahami and Nir Ohfeld. If exploited, many apps using AWS SDKs could face consequences - possibly even disruptions in how the AWS Console functions or risks within user setups. Not a bug inside CodeBuild caused this, but gaps found deeper in automated build processes. These weak spots lived where tools merge and deploy code automatically. 

Something went wrong because the webhook filters had been set up incorrectly. They’re supposed to decide which GitHub actions get permission to start CodeBuild tasks. Only certain people or selected branches should be allowed through, keeping unsafe code changes out of high-access areas. But in a few open-source projects run by AWS, the rules meant to check user IDs didn’t work right. The patterns written to match those users failed at their job. 

Notably, some repositories used regex patterns missing boundary markers at beginning or end, leading to incomplete matches rather than full validation. This gap meant a GitHub user identifier only needed to include an authorized maintainer's number within a larger sequence to slip through. Because GitHub hands out IDs in order, those at Wiz showed how likely it became for upcoming identifiers to accidentally align with known legitimate ones. 

Ahead of any manual effort, bots made it possible to spam GitHub App setups nonstop. One after another, these fake apps rolled out - just waiting for a specific ID pattern to slip through broken checks. When the right match appeared, everything changed quietly. A hidden workflow fired up inside CodeBuild, pulled from what should have stayed locked down. Secrets spilled into logs nobody monitored closely. For aws-sdk-js-v3, that leak handed total control away - tied straight to a powerful token meant to stay private. If hackers gained that much control, they might slip harmful code into secure branches without warning. 

Malicious changes could get approved through rigged pull requests, while hidden data stored in the repo gets quietly pulled out. Once inside, corrupted updates might travel unnoticed through trusted AWS libraries to users relying on them. AWS eventually confirmed some repos lacked tight webhook checks. Still, they noted only certain setups were exposed. 

Now fixed, Amazon says it adjusted those flawed settings. Exposed keys were swapped out, safeguards tightened around building software. Evidence shows CodeBreach wasn’t used by attackers, the firm added. Yet specialists warn - small gaps in automated pipelines might lead to big problems down the line. Now worries grow around CI/CD safety, a new report adds fuel. 

Lately, studies have revealed that poorly set up GitHub Actions might spill sensitive tokens. This mistake lets hackers gain higher permissions in large open-source efforts. What we’re seeing shows tighter checks matter. Running on minimal needed access helps too. How unknown data is processed in builds turns out to be critical. Each step shapes whether systems stay secure.
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Malware Threat
AsyncRAT AsyncRAT attack Cloudfare Cyber Phishing Cyber Security Cyberattacks cybersecurity risks Malware Threat

AsyncRAT Campaign Abuses Cloudflare Services to Hide Malware Operations

 

Cybercriminals distributing the AsyncRAT remote access trojan are exploiting Cloudflare’s free-tier services and TryCloudflare tunneling domains to conceal malicious infrastructure behind widely trusted platforms. By hosting WebDAV servers through Cloudflare, attackers are able to mask command-and-control activity, making detection significantly more difficult for conventional security tools that often whitelist Cloudflare traffic. 

The campaign typically begins with phishing emails that contain Dropbox links. These links deliver files using double extensions, such as .pdf.url, which are designed to mislead recipients into believing they are opening legitimate documents. When the files are opened, victims unknowingly download multi-stage scripts from TryCloudflare domains. At the same time, a genuine PDF document is displayed to reduce suspicion and delay user awareness of malicious activity. 

A notable aspect of this operation is the attackers’ use of legitimate software sources. The malware chain includes downloading official Python distributions directly from Python.org. Once installed, a full Python environment is set up on the compromised system. This environment is then leveraged to execute advanced code injection techniques, specifically targeting the Windows explorer.exe process, allowing the malware to run stealthily within a trusted system component. 

To maintain long-term access, the attackers rely on multiple persistence mechanisms. These include placing scripts such as ahke.bat and olsm.bat in Windows startup folders so they automatically execute when a user logs in. The campaign also uses WebDAV mounting to sustain communication with command-and-control servers hosted through Cloudflare tunnels. 

The threat actors heavily employ so-called “living-off-the-land” techniques, abusing built-in Windows tools such as PowerShell, Windows Script Host, and other native utilities. By blending malicious behavior with legitimate system operations, the attackers further complicate detection and analysis, as their activity closely resembles normal administrative actions. 

According to research cited by Trend Micro, the use of Cloudflare’s infrastructure creates a significant blind spot for many security solutions. Domains containing “trycloudflare.com” often appear trustworthy, allowing AsyncRAT payloads to be delivered without triggering immediate alerts. This abuse of reputable services highlights how attackers increasingly rely on legitimate platforms to scale operations and evade defenses. 

Security researchers warn that although known malicious repositories and infrastructure may be taken down, similar campaigns are likely to reappear using new domains and delivery methods. Monitoring WebDAV connections, scrutinizing traffic involving TryCloudflare domains, and closely analyzing phishing attachments remain critical steps in identifying and mitigating AsyncRAT infections.
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Government attacks
Cyber Security Cyberattacks cybersecurity risks Data Breaches Data Theft Digital Risk Digital Security Government attacks

A Year of Unprecedented Cybersecurity Incidents Redefined Global Risk in 2025

 

The year 2025 marked a turning point in the global cybersecurity landscape, with the scale, frequency, and impact of attacks surpassing anything seen before. Across governments, enterprises, and critical infrastructure, breaches were no longer isolated technical failures but events with lasting economic, political, and social consequences. The year served as a stark reminder that digital systems underpinning modern life remain deeply vulnerable to both state-backed and financially motivated actors. 

Government systems emerged as some of the most heavily targeted environments. In the United States, multiple federal agencies suffered intrusions throughout the year, including departments responsible for financial oversight and national security. Exploited software vulnerabilities enabled attackers to gain access to sensitive systems, while foreign threat actors were reported to have siphoned sealed judicial records from court filing platforms. The most damaging episode involved widespread unauthorized access to federal databases, resulting in what experts described as the largest exposure of U.S. government data to date. Legal analysts warned that violations of established security protocols could carry long-term legal and national security ramifications. 

The private sector faced equally severe challenges, particularly from organized ransomware and extortion groups. One of the most disruptive campaigns involved attackers exploiting a previously unknown flaw in widely used enterprise business software. By silently accessing systems months before detection, the group extracted vast quantities of sensitive employee and executive data from organizations across education, healthcare, media, and corporate sectors. When victims were finally alerted, many were confronted with ransom demands accompanied by proof of stolen personal information, highlighting the growing sophistication of data-driven extortion tactics. 

Cloud ecosystems also proved to be a major point of exposure. A series of downstream breaches at technology service providers resulted in the theft of approximately one billion records stored within enterprise cloud platforms. By compromising vendors with privileged access, attackers were able to reach data belonging to some of the world’s largest technology companies. The stolen information was later advertised on leak sites, with new victims continuing to surface long after the initial disclosures, underscoring the cascading risks of interconnected software supply chains. 

In the United Kingdom, cyberattacks moved beyond data theft and into large-scale operational disruption. Retailers experienced outages and customer data losses that temporarily crippled supply chains. The most economically damaging incident struck a major automotive manufacturer, halting production for months and triggering financial distress across its supplier network. The economic fallout was so severe that government intervention was required to stabilize the workforce and prevent wider industrial collapse, signaling how cyber incidents can now pose systemic economic threats. 

Asia was not spared from escalating cyber risk. South Korea experienced near-monthly breaches affecting telecom providers, technology firms, and online retail platforms. Tens of millions of citizens had personal data exposed due to prolonged undetected intrusions and inadequate data protection practices. In one of the year’s most consequential incidents, a major retailer suffered months of unauthorized data extraction before discovery, ultimately leading to executive resignations and public scrutiny over corporate accountability. 

Collectively, the events of 2025 demonstrated that cybersecurity failures now carry consequences far beyond IT departments. Disruption, rather than data theft alone, has become a powerful weapon, forcing governments and organizations worldwide to reassess resilience, accountability, and the true cost of digital insecurity.
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Malwares
cyber espionage Cyber Espionage Campaign Cyberattacks cybersecurity risks Iran Iranian malware Malware Attack Malwares

Iranian Infy Prince of Persia Cyber Espionage Campaign Resurfaces

 

Security researchers have identified renewed cyber activity linked to an Iranian threat actor known as Infy, also referred to as Prince of Persia, marking the group’s re-emergence nearly five years after its last widely reported operations in Europe and the Middle East. According to SafeBreach, the scale and persistence of the group’s recent campaigns suggest it remains an active and capable advanced persistent threat. 

Infy is considered one of the longest-operating APT groups, with its origins traced back to at least 2004. Despite this longevity, it has largely avoided the spotlight compared with other Iranian-linked groups such as Charming Kitten or MuddyWater. Earlier research attributed Infy’s attacks to a relatively focused toolkit built around two primary malware families: Foudre, a downloader and reconnaissance tool, and Tonnerre, a secondary implant used for deeper system compromise and data exfiltration. These tools are believed to be distributed primarily through phishing campaigns. 

Recent analysis from SafeBreach reveals a previously undocumented campaign targeting organizations and individuals across multiple regions, including Iran, Iraq, Turkey, India, Canada, and parts of Europe. The operation relies on updated versions of both Foudre and Tonnerre, with the most recent Tonnerre variant observed in September 2025. Researchers noted changes in initial infection methods, with attackers shifting away from traditional malicious macros toward embedding executables directly within Microsoft Excel documents to initiate malware deployment. 

One of the most distinctive aspects of Infy’s current operations is its resilient command-and-control infrastructure. The malware employs a domain generation algorithm to rotate C2 domains regularly, reducing the likelihood of takedowns. Each domain is authenticated using an RSA-based verification process, ensuring that compromised systems only communicate with attacker-approved servers. SafeBreach researchers observed that the malware retrieves encrypted signature files daily to validate the legitimacy of its C2 endpoints.

Further inspection of the group’s infrastructure uncovered structured directories used for domain verification, logging communications, and storing exfiltrated data. Evidence also suggests the presence of mechanisms designed to support malware updates, indicating ongoing development and maintenance of the toolset. 

The latest version of Tonnerre introduces another notable feature by integrating Telegram as part of its control framework. The malware is capable of interacting with a specific Telegram group through its C2 servers, allowing operators to issue commands and collect stolen data. Access to this functionality appears to be selectively enabled for certain victims, reinforcing the targeted nature of the campaign. 

SafeBreach researchers also identified multiple legacy malware variants associated with Infy’s earlier operations between 2017 and 2020, highlighting a pattern of continuous experimentation and adaptation. Contrary to assumptions that the group had gone dormant after 2022, the new findings indicate sustained activity and operational maturity over the past several years. 

The disclosure coincides with broader research into Iranian cyber operations, including analysis suggesting that some threat groups operate with structured workflows resembling formal government departments. Together, these findings reinforce concerns that Infy remains a persistent espionage threat with evolving technical capabilities and a long-term strategic focus.
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Microsoft Defender
Cyber Attacks Cyber Defender cybersecurity risks Malware Attack Malware Service Microsoft Defender

CountLoader and GachiLoader Malware Campaigns Target Cracked Software Users

 

Cybersecurity analysts have uncovered a new malware campaign that relies on cracked software download platforms to distribute an updated variant of a stealthy and modular loader known as CountLoader. According to researchers from the Cyderes Howler Cell Threat Intelligence team, the operation uses CountLoader as the entry point in a layered attack designed to establish access, evade defenses, and deploy additional malicious payloads. 

CountLoader has been observed in real-world attacks since at least June 2025 and was previously analyzed by Fortinet and Silent Push. Earlier investigations documented its role in delivering widely used malicious tools such as Cobalt Strike, AdaptixC2, PureHVNC RAT, Amatera Stealer, and cryptomining malware. The latest iteration demonstrates further refinement, with attackers leveraging familiar piracy tactics to lure victims. 

The infection process begins when users attempt to download unauthorized copies of legitimate software, including productivity applications. Victims are redirected to file-hosting platforms where they retrieve a compressed archive containing a password-protected file and a document that supplies the password. Once extracted, the archive reveals a renamed but legitimate Python interpreter configured to run malicious commands. This component uses the Windows utility mshta.exe to fetch the latest version of CountLoader from a remote server.  

To maintain long-term access, the malware establishes persistence through a scheduled task designed to resemble a legitimate Google system process. This task is set to execute every 30 minutes over an extended period and relies on mshta.exe to communicate with fallback domains. CountLoader also checks for the presence of endpoint protection software, specifically CrowdStrike Falcon, adjusting its execution method to reduce the risk of detection if security tools are identified. 

Once active, CountLoader profiles the infected system and retrieves follow-on payloads. The newest version introduces additional capabilities, including spreading through removable USB drives and executing malicious code entirely in memory using mshta.exe or PowerShell. These enhancements allow attackers to minimize their on-disk footprint while increasing lateral movement opportunities. In incidents examined by Cyderes, the final payload delivered was ACR Stealer, a data-harvesting malware designed to extract sensitive information from compromised machines. 

Researchers noted that the campaign reflects a broader shift toward fileless execution and the abuse of trusted, signed binaries. This approach complicates detection and underscores the need for layered defenses and proactive threat monitoring as malware loaders continue to evolve.  

Alongside this activity, Check Point researchers revealed details of another emerging loader named GachiLoader, a heavily obfuscated JavaScript-based malware written in Node.js. This threat is distributed through the so-called YouTube Ghost Network, which consists of hijacked YouTube accounts used to promote malicious downloads. The campaign has been linked to dozens of compromised accounts and hundreds of thousands of video views before takedowns occurred. 

In some cases, GachiLoader has been used to deploy second-stage malware through advanced techniques involving Portable Executable injection and Vectored Exception Handling. The loader performs multiple anti-analysis checks, attempts to gain elevated privileges, and disables key Microsoft Defender components to avoid detection. Security experts say the sophistication displayed in these campaigns highlights the growing technical expertise of threat actors and reinforces the importance of continuously adapting defensive strategies.
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OpenAI
AI Model AI Models AI Systems ChatGPT ChatGPT. OpenAI Cyber Defenses Cyber Security cybersecurity risks OpenAI

OpenAI Warns Future AI Models Could Increase Cybersecurity Risks and Defenses

 

Meanwhile, OpenAI told the press that large language models will get to a level where future generations of these could pose a serious risk to cybersecurity. The company in its blog postingly admitted that powerful AI systems could eventually be used to craft sophisticated cyberattacks, such as developing previously unknown software vulnerabilities or aiding stealthy cyber-espionage operations against well-defended targets. Although this is still theoretical, OpenAI has underlined that the pace with which AI cyber-capability improvements are taking place demands proactive preparation. 

The same advances that could make future models attractive for malicious use, according to the company, also offer significant opportunities to strengthen cyber defense. OpenAI said such progress in reasoning, code analysis, and automation has the potential to significantly enhance security teams' ability to identify weaknesses in systems better, audit complex software systems, and remediate vulnerabilities more effectively. Instead of framing the issue as a threat alone, the company cast the issue as a dual-use challenge-one in which adequate management through safeguards and responsible deployment would be required. 

In the development of such advanced AI systems, OpenAI says it is investing heavily in defensive cybersecurity applications. This includes helping models improve particularly on tasks related to secure code review, vulnerability discovery, and patch validation. It also mentioned its effort on creating tooling supporting defenders in running critical workflows at scale, notably in environments where manual processes are slow or resource-intensive. 

OpenAI identified several technical strategies that it thinks are critical to the mitigation of cyber risk associated with increased capabilities of AI systems: stronger access controls to restrict who has access to sensitive features, hardened infrastructure to prevent abuse, outbound data controls to reduce the risk of information leakage, and continuous monitoring to detect anomalous behavior. These altogether are aimed at reducing the likelihood that advanced capabilities could be leveraged for harmful purposes. 

It also announced the forthcoming launch of a new program offering tiered access to additional cybersecurity-related AI capabilities. This is intended to ensure that researchers, enterprises, and security professionals working on legitimate defensive use cases have access to more advanced tooling while providing appropriate restrictions on higher-risk functionality. Specific timelines were not discussed by OpenAI, although it promised that more would be forthcoming very soon. 

Meanwhile, OpenAI also announced that it would create a Frontier Risk Council comprising renowned cybersecurity experts and industry practitioners. Its initial mandate will lie in assessing the cyber-related risks that come with frontier AI models. But this is expected to expand beyond this in the near future. Its members will be required to offer advice on the question of where the line should fall between developing capability responsibly and possible misuse. And its input would keep informing future safeguards and evaluation frameworks. 

OpenAI also emphasized that the risks of AI-enabled cyber misuse have no single-company or single-platform constraint. Any sophisticated model, across the industry, it said, may be misused if there are no proper controls. To that effect, OpenAI said it continues to collaborate with peers through initiatives such as the Frontier Model Forum, sharing threat modeling insights and best practices. 

By recognizing how AI capabilities could be weaponized and where the points of intervention may lie, the company believes, the industry will go a long way toward balancing innovation and security as AI systems continue to evolve.
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cybersecurity vulnerability
Critical security flaw critical vulnerabilities Cyber Security cybersecurity risks cybersecurity vulnerability

Critical FreePBX Vulnerabilities Expose Authentication Bypass and Remote Code Execution Risks

 

Researchers at Horizon3.ai have uncovered several security vulnerabilities within FreePBX, an open-source private branch exchange platform. Among them, one severity flaw could be exploited to bypass authentication if very specific configurations are enabled. The issues were disclosed privately to FreePBX maintainers in mid-September 2025, and the researchers have raised concerns about the exposure of internet-facing PBX deployments.  

According to Horizon3.ai's analysis, the disclosed vulnerabilities affect several FreePBX core components and can be exploited by an attacker to achieve unauthorized access, manipulate databases, upload malicious files, and ultimately execute arbitrary commands. One of the most critical finding involves an authentication bypass weakness that could grant attackers access to the FreePBX Administrator Control Panel without needing valid credentials, given specific conditions. This vulnerability manifests itself in situations where the system's authorization mechanism is configured to trust the web server rather than FreePBX's own user management. 

Although the authentication bypass is not active in the default FreePBX configuration, it becomes exploitable with the addition of multiple advanced settings enabled. Once these are in place, an attacker can create HTTP requests that contain forged authorization headers as a way to provide administrative access. Researchers pointed out that such access can be used to add malicious users to internal database tables effectively to maintain control of the device. The behavior greatly resembles another FreePBX vulnerability disclosed in the past and that was being actively exploited during the first months of 2025.  

Besides the authentication bypass, Horizon3.ai found various SQL injection bugs that impact different endpoints within the platform. These bugs allow authenticated attackers to read from and write to the underlying database by modifying request parameters. Such access can leak call records, credentials, and system configuration data. The researchers also discovered an arbitrary file upload bug that can be exploited as part of having a valid session identifier, thus allowing attacks to upload a PHP-based web shell and use command execution against the underlying server. 

This can be used for extracting sensitive system files or establishing deeper persistence. Horizon3.ai noted that the vulnerabilities are fairly low-complexity to exploit and may enable remote code execution by both authenticated and unauthenticated attackers, depending on which endpoint is exposed and how the system is configured. It added that the PBX systems are an attractive target because such boxes are very exposed to the internet and also often integrated deeply into critical communications infrastructure. The FreePBX project has made patches available to address the issues across supported versions, beginning the rollout in incremental fashion between October and December 2025.

In light of the findings, the project also disabled the ability to configure authentication providers through the web interface and required administrators to configure this setting through command-line tools. Temporary mitigation guidance issued by those impacted encouraged users to transition to the user manager authentication method, limit overrides to advanced settings, and reboot impacted systems to kill potentially unauthorized sessions. Researchers and FreePBX maintainers have called on administrators to check their environments for compromise-especially in cases where the vulnerable authentication configuration was enabled. 

While several vulnerable code paths remain, they require security through additional authentication layers. Security experts underscored that, whenever possible, legacy authentication mechanisms should be avoided because they offer weaker protection against exploitation. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of secure configuration practices, especially for systems that play a critical role in organizational communications.
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