CYFIRMA Research

A new threat is on the rise - Gunra Ransomware. This sophisticated ransomware not only encrypts files but also exfiltrates sensitive data, threatening to leak the data unless the ransom is paid. Read the latest report from the CYFIRMA research team to learn more! Stay informed and safeguard your systems!  Link to the Research Report: https://www.cyfirma.com/research/gunra-ransomware-a-brief-analys...

Donald Trump’s new tariff promises to revive American manufacturing, but evidence shows they are more likely to raise prices, reduce competitiveness, deter investment, and fuel geopolitical instability. The vision of millions of factory jobs ignores automation, labor shortages, and global supply chains. Instead of revitalizing the industry, tariffs risk slowing growth and driving inflation, puttin...

Read CYFIRMA’s report on the Hannibal Stealer, a rebranded variant of SHARP and TX Stealers, which has re-emerged with expanded data exfiltration capabilities and an updated command-and-control infrastructure. Hannibal Stealer is built in C# on the .NET framework. It targets a wide range of data sources, including browsers, cryptocurrency wallets, VPN configurations, FTP credentials, and system in...

A New Breed of Python-Based RATs is Abusing Discord for C2   The CYFIRMA research team has investigated an emerging class of Python malware that is turning popular platforms into weaponized control panels. One recent variant showcases just how accessible and disruptive these tools have become.   This lightweight Remote Access Trojan (RAT) uses Discord bots and interactive UI buttons to control inf...

Cybercriminals are impersonating trusted business executives and financial experts to trap unsuspecting investors. These scammers are creating fake investment firms with fraudulent registration details, professional-looking websites and manipulated social media engagement to appear legitimate. They are actively using Telegram channels, WhatsApp groups, and fake company domains to lure victims.   M...

The CYFIRMA research team provides a comprehensive analysis of how diplomacy, defense, and digital strategy are colliding: As trade friction intensifies especially under the 2025 U.S. tariff regime, cyberspace is becoming the frontier of quiet competition between traditional allies. While full-scale cyber warfare remains unlikely, behind-the-scenes intelligence gathering is rising fast. Our latest...

U.S. President Donald Trump, once a critic but now a supporter of TikTok, is granting the app’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, a second 75-day extension to finalize a deal that would transfer ownership of TikTok to an American entity. While the legislation allowed only one extension for a sale, the U.S. Congress has yet to push back against Trump’s decision to offer another. However, the m...

Stay ahead of evolving ransomware threats with CYFIRMA’s Monthly Ransomware Report – March 2025.  The month of March saw shifting dynamics, with Safepay experiencing a huge surge of 223%, while RansomHub and Akira declined. Babuk2 has possibly leveraged fake extortion claims. Manufacturing, IT, and Consumer sectors remained prime targets as total incidents dropped 30.7% from February. The U.S. led...

CYFIRMA researchers have identified a dangerous new version of Neptune RAT being actively shared online. This malware spreads through GitHub, Telegram, and YouTube, often advertised as the "Most Advanced RAT." The attack starts when victims run malicious PowerShell commands. First, the "irm" command downloads harmful code from the file hosting website. Then "iex" exec...

CYFIRMA’s research team has conducted an in-depth investigation into Konni RAT,  a sophisticated remote access trojan (RAT) that uses advanced evasion techniques to bypass detection. It exploits Windows features, such as file extension hiding and the 260-character limit for LNK files, to conceal malicious activity. After gaining access, Konni RAT maintains persistence through registry modification...

Hackers are leveraging Python-based Discord RATs to exploit Discord’s API as a Command and Control (C2) platform. This sophisticated malware allows attackers to gain complete control over compromised systems, making it a serious cybersecurity risk. Steals credentials from browsers Execute remote system commands Capture live screenshots for surveillance Manipulate Discord servers for persistence Wi...

The CYFIRMA research team has identified a fake Indian Post Office website leveraging the Clickfix technique to target Indian users. The report details how a Pakistani threat actor is targeting both Windows and Android users by dropping APK files for Android devices, copying PowerShell commands to the clipboard, and dropping Clickfix instructions pdf file. Link to the Research Report: https://www....

Critical Alert: Immediate action is required for all organizations using Apache Tomcat! CVE-2025-24813 is a critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability that allows attackers to bypass security controls via a path equivalence flaw, leading to arbitrary code execution. Active exploitation has been observed, with public PoC exploits available, increasing the urgency for mitigation. Given Tomca...

Stay ahead of evolving ransomware threats with CYFIRMA’s Monthly Ransomware Report – February 2025. Ransomware activity surged by 87.45% in February month, with Cl0p witnessing an alarming 453% rise. Manufacturing, FMCG, and Transportation sectors faced the highest spike in attacks. The U.S. remained the top target, followed by Canada, the U.K., Germany, and France. Notably, China-linked actors ex...

Hacktivists often become active participants in cyber conflicts whenever geopolitical tensions arise. This has been evident during events like the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war. Recently, tensions flared between Malaysia and Indonesia following the death of a migrant worker attempting to cross the Malaysian border with four others. This incident sparked public outrage agains...

The CYFIRMA research has identified a new ransomware variant named LithiumWare, showcasing advanced capabilities designed to disrupt, encrypt, and steal.  Key Features of LithiumWare: Data Theft: Exhibits activities indicative of stealing personal data, including detecting crypto-addresses. Persistence: Creates files in the startup directory, manipulates desktop.ini for cloaking, and executes serv...

China's DeepSeek recently shocked the AI world, challenging US dominance and raising serious security concerns. Did US export controls backfire, fuelling China's AI rise and a new era of cyber threats?  Link to the Research Report: https://www.cyfirma.com/blogs/deepfake-or-the-sputnik-moment-in-the-ai-race/ #Geopolitics   #CyfirmaResearch   #ThreatIntelligence   #cybersecurity   #ETLM  ...

Cybercriminals have developed a new sophisticated method to distribute malware via fake CAPTCHA pages, tricking users into executing malicious scripts. Our investigation reveals that the Lumma Stealer is leveraging this tactic to harvest sensitive data, including credentials, cryptocurrency assets, and credit card info. Link to the Research Report: https://www.cyfirma.com/research/fake-captcha-mal...

This report explores a fake financial management app on the Google Play Store named Finance Simplified, which has been downloaded over 100,000 times. The app reportedly downloads an additional fraudulent loan application targeting Indian users. Once installed, users attempting to secure loans are subjected to cyber blackmail and bullying.  The malicious app gains unauthorized access to sensitive u...

The cyber threat landscape is evolving, with hackers deploying multi-stage malware using obfuscation, steganography, and covert communication channels to evade detection. Attacks start with an Obfuscated JavaScript, fetching encoded commands from a URL and executing an obfuscated PowerShell script, downloading a JPG image and obfuscated text file concealing malicious MZ DOS executables. The Steale...

Stay informed about the latest developments in cybersecurity with CYFIRMA's Tracking Ransomware – January 2025 Report.    January witnessed 510 ransomware victims globally, with Akira emerging as the most active group while new threats like MORPHEUS surfaced. The Manufacturing, sector is the most targeted, and the USA remained the top victim region with 259 reported cases.    Notably, Akira’s...

Our Q4 2024 APT Quarterly Highlights Report unveils a surge of dynamic and innovative cyber activities from APT groups across Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China. These groups intensified operations with a sharp focus on credential theft through phishing, MFA push-bombing, and fake job scams. RomCom (Russia) and Lazarus (North Korea) exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in Mozilla, Windows, and Goo...

A malware disguised as a banking app is spreading through phishing and unofficial app stores. Built with Kotlin, this malware steals personal info and card details, leaking everything to criminals via Telegram bots and hidden servers. Stay safe! Only download apps from official stores, check permissions and NEVER share sensitive info on unsecured platforms.   Link to the Research Report: https://w...

Flesh Stealer, a newly identified malware first observed in August 2024 and written in C#, targets browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge to harvest saved passwords, cookies, and browsing history. It also extracts data from applications such as Telegram and Signal, including stored chats and databases.  Interestingly, it avoids executing on systems configured with regional settings for CIS (Commo...

Astral Stealer: A Sophisticated Threat!  Our latest research uncovers Astral Stealer, a powerful malware designed to exfiltrate sensitive data using browser injections, credential dumping, and sophisticated evasion techniques. As a publicly available threat, it provides cybercriminals with the means to bypass security defenses and exploit vulnerable systems. The developer is potentially based in F...