23andMe has provided more information about the scope and scale of its recent breach, but with these details come more unanswered questions.

More details are emerging about a data breach the genetic testing company 23andMe first reported in October. But as the company shares more information, the situation is becoming even murkier and creating greater uncertainty for users attempting to understand the fallout.

23andMe said at the beginning of October that attackers had infiltrated some of its users' accounts and piggybacked off of this access to scrape personal data from a larger subset of users through the company's opt-in, social sharing service known as DNA Relatives. At the time, the company didn't indicate how many users had been impacted, but hackers had already begun selling data on criminal forums that seemed to be taken from at least a million 23andMe users, if not more. In a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday, the company said that “the threat actor was able to access a very small percentage (0.1 %) of user accounts,” or roughly 14,000 given the company's recent estimate that it has more than 14 million customers.

Fourteen thousand is a lot of people in itself, but the number didn't account for the users impacted by the attacker's data-scraping from DNA Relatives. The SEC filing simply noted that the incident also involved “a significant number of files containing profile information about other users’ ancestry.”

On Monday, 23andMe confirmed to TechCrunch that the attackers collected the personal data of about 5.5 million people who had opted in to DNA Relatives, as well as information from an additional 1.4 million DNA Relatives users who “had their Family Tree profile information accessed." 23andMe subsequently shared this expanded information with WIRED as well.

From the group of 5.5 million people, hackers stole display names, most recent login, relationship labels, predicted relationships, and percentage of DNA shared with DNA Relatives matches. In some cases, this group also had other data compromised, including ancestry reports and details about where on their chromosomes they and their relatives had matching DNA, self-reported locations, ancestor birth locations, family names, profile pictures, birth years, links to self-created family trees, and other profile information. The smaller (but still massive) subset of 1.4 million impacted DNA Relatives users specifically had display names and relationship labels stolen and, in some cases, also had birth years and self-reported location data affected.

Asked why this expanded information wasn't in the SEC filing, 23andMe spokesperson Katie Watson tells WIRED that “we are only elaborating on the information included in the SEC filing by providing more specific numbers.”

23andMe has maintained that attackers used a technique known as credential stuffing to compromise the 14,000 user accounts—finding instances where leaked login credentials from other services were reused on 23andMe. In the wake of the incident, the company forced all of its users to reset their passwords and began requiring two-factor authentication for all customers. In the weeks after 23andMe initially disclosed its breach, other similar services. including Ancestry and MyHeritage, also began promoting or requiring two-factor authentication on their accounts.

In October and again this week, though, WIRED pressed 23andMe on its finding that the user account compromises were attributable solely to credential-stuffing attacks. The company has repeatedly declined to comment, but multiple users have noted that they are certain their 23andMe account usernames and passwords were unique and could not have been exposed somewhere else in another leak.

On Tuesday, for example, US National Security Agency cybersecurity director Rob Joyce noted on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account: “They disclose the credential stuffing attacks, but they don’t say how the accounts were targeted for stuffing. This was unique and not an account that could be scraped from the web or other sites.” Joyce, who was apparently a 23andMe user impacted by the breach, wrote that he creates a unique email address for each company he makes an account with. “That account is used NOWHERE else and it was unsuccessfully stuffed,” he wrote, adding: “Personal opinion: @23andMe hack was STILL worse than they are owning with the new announcement.”

23andMe has not clarified how such accounts can be reconciled with the company's disclosures. Furthermore, it may be that the larger numbers of impacted users were not in the SEC report because 23andMe (like many companies that have suffered security breaches) does not want to include _scraped_ data in the category of _breached_ data. These inconsistencies, though, ultimately make it difficult for users to grasp the scale and impact of security incidents.

“I firmly believe that cyber-insecurity is fundamentally a policy problem,” says Brett Callow, a threat analyst at the security firm Emsisoft. “We need standardized and uniform disclosure and reporting laws, prescribed language for those disclosures and reports, regulation and licensing of negotiators. Far too much happens in the shadows or is obfuscated by weasel words. It's counterproductive and helps only the cybercriminals.”

Meanwhile, apparent 23andMe user Kendra Fee flagged on Tuesday that 23andMe is notifying customers about changes to its terms of service related to dispute resolutions and arbitration. The company says that the changes will “encourage a prompt resolution of any disputes” and “streamline arbitration proceedings where multiple similar claims are filed.” Users can opt out of the new terms by notifying the company that they decline within 30 days of receiving notice of the change.

The 23andMe Data Breach Keeps Spiraling

By Waqas
iOS Security Flaw: Fake Lockdown Mode Can Be Used to Trick Users, Leaving Them Exposed.
This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: Fake Lockdown Mode Exposes iOS Users to Malware Attacks

It turns out that visually mimicking this Fake Lockdown Mode without incorporating any of the original mode’s security features is possible.

Cybersecurity researchers at Jamf Threat Labs have discovered a new technique that allows malware to bypass **Lockdown Mode** on iOS devices. For your information, Lockdown Mode is a security feature introduced by Apple in iOS 16 to limit certain features/functions on an iOS device so that compromising the device becomes difficult for attackers.

Researchers found that the mode’s primary control is through user-space components, and it isn’t integrated deeply into the iOS kernel. This flaw offers threat actors an opportunity for malware to bypass the Lockdown Mode’s restrictions by altering the user’s default database or using method hooking techniques.

Jamf Threat Labs’ researchers **noted** that visually mimicking this Fake Lockdown Mode without providing any of the original mode’s security features is possible. It is worth noting that successful implementation of this technique is possible if the device is already compromised.

What happens is that when a user activates Lockdown Mode through the Settings app, the method is triggered, which initiates a sequence of actions, including disabling shared albums, link previews, developer mode, and enabling USB restricted mode. Additionally, it sets the LDMGlobalEnabled key in the user’s default database to “YES,” indicating that Lockdown Mode is active.

Simply put, on an already infiltrated device, a hacker can cause Lockdown Mode to be “bypassed” when the user triggers its activation. So, a user would think their device is in Lockdown Mode, but it is not and will remain vulnerable to attacks.

In their demo video, researchers created a scenario where malware intercepts Lockdown Mode activation, and instead of triggering the expected sequence, it creates a file titled “/fakelockdownmode\_on.”

Then, it initiates a user space reboot and tricks the system into believing that the Lockdown Mode is active. The researchers could maintain control over Lockdown Mode by manipulating the device’s reboot process. The malware could continue to run and monitor the user’s activity, even if they had taken steps to safeguard their device.

The researchers also manipulated Lockdown Mode in Safari, one of the most commonly used applications on iOS devices. By hooking into Safari’s code, they forced the system to think that Lockdown Mode was always enabled, even when it wasn’t.

Researchers also showed how to activate Lockdown Mode in Settings and disable it without the user’s knowledge. They could view PDF files in Safari, which isn’t allowed when Lockdown Mode is truly enabled.

Lockdown Mode is a practical feature in certain situations, such as the **BLASTPASS** zero-click exploit identified in September 2023. However, this finding reveals that it isn’t foolproof, and it is possible to manipulate it to bypass security measures on compromised devices.

Apple **addressed** the vulnerability in iOS 17 by elevating Lockdown Mode to kernel level. Still, researchers are warning users to remain cautious and take steps to protect their devices. This includes using strong passwords and keeping devices updated with the latest security patches.

****_RELATED ARTICLES_****

1.  **Apple Safari Safest, Google Chrome Riskiest Browser of 2022**
2.  **Update NOW! Pegasus Spyware Exploiting iPhones on Latest iOS**
3.  **Apple issues iPhone software update after fake police ransomware scam**

Fake Lockdown Mode Exposes iOS Users to Malware Attacks

A WIRED investigation into internet censorship in US schools found widespread use of filters to censor health, identity, and other crucial information. Students say it makes the web entirely unusable.

Inside America's School Internet Censorship Machine

A list of topics we covered in the week of November 27 to December 3 of 2023

December 1, 2023 - Domain fronting is a technique to hide the true origin of HTTPS requests by hiding the real domain name encrypted inside a legitimate TLS request.

November 30, 2023 - A fake antivirus alert may suddenly hijack your screen while browsing. This latest malvertising campaign hit top publishers.

November 29, 2023 - Google's released an update to Chrome which includes seven security fixes. Make sure you're using the latest version!

November 28, 2023 - A vulnerability in the ownCloud file sharing app could lead to the exposure of sensitive credentials like admin passwords.

November 23, 2023 - Google has set a date for the introduction of Manifest V3 which will hurt the capabilities of many ad blockers.

 A week in security (November 27 &#8211; December 3) 

UAE security leaders warn that people, tech, and process gaps are exposing their organizations to cybercrime.

Source: Chroma Craft Media Group via Alamy Stock Photo

A vast majority of security chiefs in the United Arab Emirates believe their organization must improve how their teams, processes, and tech function in order to mitigate future cyberattacks.

Research by Trellix recently found that 96% of CISOs — who have experienced security incidents — feel improvements are needed, while 52% of respondents say their organization doesn't possess the technical knowledge to handle complex security incidents.

**Reliance on Manual Processes**

Forty-eight percent of security leaders believe that their organization is too reliant on manual processes, which hampers the mean time to detect and repair cyber incidents.

In addition to this, 44% blame the failure to fight cybercrime on poorly documented and implemented processes, with another 44% warning that disconnected security controls caused a lack of context.

Jake Moore, global cybersecurity adviser at ESET, says continual investment in protection is crucial for companies as cyber threats are increasingly sophisticated and common.

"Furthermore, now with the introduction of AI threats we are seeing cyberattacks become even more relentless and powerful," he says. "Companies need to bear in mind that the cost of recovery from an attack usually outweighs the cost of preventive security measures."

**Mind the Gaps**

While gaps in technical resources make it difficult for organizations to spot and respond to cybersecurity incidents, stretched or ill-equipped security teams also make this difficult. More than half of respondents (52%) cited gaps in their security capabilities as contributors to a security incidents experienced by their organization. 

Meanwhile, 44% admitted that they hadn’t properly configured their IT stacks or enabled their detection policies. A further 40% said their IT and security tools don't offer “adequate visibility” of incidents. 

Moore says: "Neglecting cybersecurity in terms of the people and process can leave a business dangerously exposed to preventable or mitigable attacks with potentially severe consequences."

**About the Author(s)**

Technology Journalist

Nicholas Fearn is a freelance tech journalist from the Welsh valleys. He's written for major outlets like Forbes, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, HuffPost and Business Insider, as well as tech publications like Gizmodo, TechRadar, Laptop Mag, Computer Weekly, ITPro and many more. When Nicholas isn't geeking over the latest gadgets and tech trends, he's probably listening to Mariah Carey on repeat.

Emirates CISOs Flag Rampant Cybersecurity Gaps

Debian Linux Security Advisory 5569-1 - Multiple security issues were discovered in Chromium, which could result in the execution of arbitrary code, denial of service or information disclosure.

    -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----Hash: SHA256- -------------------------------------------------------------------------Debian Security Advisory DSA-5569-1                   security@debian.orghttps://www.debian.org/security/                           Andres SalomonNovember 30, 2023                     https://www.debian.org/security/faq- -------------------------------------------------------------------------Package        : chromiumCVE ID         : CVE-2023-6345 CVE-2023-6346 CVE-2023-6347 CVE-2023-6348                  CVE-2023-6350 CVE-2023-6351Multiple security issues were discovered in Chromium, which could resultin the execution of arbitrary code, denial of service or informationdisclosure.For the oldstable distribution (bullseye), these problems have been fixedin version 119.0.6045.199-1~deb11u1.For the stable distribution (bookworm), these problems have been fixed inversion 119.0.6045.199-1~deb12u1.We recommend that you upgrade your chromium packages.For the detailed security status of chromium please refer toits security tracker page at:https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/chromiumFurther information about Debian Security Advisories, how to applythese updates to your system and frequently asked questions can befound at: https://www.debian.org/security/Mailing list: debian-security-announce@lists.debian.org-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----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Qn+X-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Debian Security Advisory 5569-1

Apple has released software updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Safari web browser to address two security flaws that it said have come under active exploitation in the wild on older versions of its software.
The vulnerabilities, both of which reside in the WebKit web browser engine, are described below -

CVE-2023-42916 - An out-of-bounds read issue that could be exploited to

Spyware / Threat Analysis

Apple has released software updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Safari web browser to address two security flaws that it said have come under active exploitation in the wild on older versions of its software.

The vulnerabilities, both of which reside in the WebKit web browser engine, are described below -

*   **CVE-2023-42916** - An out-of-bounds read issue that could be exploited to leak sensitive information when processing web content.
*   **CVE-2023-42917** - A memory corruption bug that could result in arbitrary code execution when processing web content.

Apple said it's aware of reports exploiting the shortcomings "against versions of iOS before iOS 16.7.1," which was released on October 10, 2023. Clément Lecigne of Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has been credited with discovering and reporting the twin flaws.

The iPhone maker did not provide additional information regarding ongoing exploitation, but previously disclosed zero-days in iOS have been used to deliver mercenary spyware targeting high-risk individuals, such as activists, dissidents, journalists, and politicians.

It's worth pointing out here that every third-party web browser that's available for iOS and iPadOS, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, and others, are powered by the WebKit rendering engine due to restrictions imposed by Apple, making it a lucrative and broad attack surface.

The updates are available for the following devices and operating systems -

*   **iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2** - iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and later, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 6th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later
*   **macOS Sonoma 14.1.2** - Macs running macOS Sonoma
*   **Safari 17.1.2** - Macs running macOS Monterey and macOS Ventura

With the latest security fixes, Apple has remediated as many as 19 actively exploited zero-days since the start of 2023. It also comes days after Google shipped fixes for a high-severity flaw in Chrome (CVE-2023-6345) that has also come under real-world attacks, making it the seventh zero-day to be patched by the company this year.

Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter __ and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.

Zero-Day Alert: Apple Rolls Out iOS, macOS, and Safari Patches for 2 Actively Exploited Flaws

By Waqas
Immediate Action Required: Update Your Apple Devices, Including iPads, MacBooks, and iPhones, NOW!
This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: Apple Issues Urgent Security Patches for Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

Apple has recently released security updates to tackle two zero-day vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-42916 and CVE-2023-42917) that hackers are actively exploiting.

Apple Inc. today released crucial security updates aimed at mitigating two critical zero-day vulnerabilities identified as CVE-2023-42916 and CVE-2023-42917. These vulnerabilities have been actively exploited by hackers, posing a significant risk to a wide range of Apple devices.

The vulnerabilities allow attackers to execute arbitrary code and access sensitive data on compromised devices. These security flaws are particularly concerning because they can be exploited through malicious web pages, exploiting a memory corruption bug to gain unauthorized access.

****Affected Devices****

Apple’s advisory lists a comprehensive range of devices vulnerable to these exploits:

*   iPhone XS and later models
*   iPad Pro 10.5-inch
*   iPad (6th generation and later)
*   iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
*   iPad mini (5th generation and later)
*   iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
*   iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation and later)
*   Mac computers running macOS Monterey, Ventura, and Sonoma

****Immediate Action Recommended****

Apple urges all users of these devices to update their software immediately. The updates are designed to patch the vulnerabilities and protect devices from potential exploits. Users can update their devices by going to the ‘Settings’ menu, selecting ‘General’, and then tapping on ‘Software Update’.

The urgent release of these security patches highlights the growing challenges in cybersecurity. Security experts advise users to always keep their software updated to the latest version and to be cautious of suspicious web pages and downloads.

In a comment to Hackread.com, Michael Covington, VP of Portfolio Strategy at Apple device security and management company Jamf, urged users to immediately update their devices.

“These latest OS updates, which address bugs in Apple’s WebKit, show that attackers continue to focus on exploiting the framework that downloads and presents web-based content,” Michael said. The latest bugs could lead to both data leakage and arbitrary code execution and appear to be tied to targeted attacks that are common against high-risk users,” he wanted.

****How to Update Your Apple Devices?****

Apple provides detailed instructions to ensure that users update their devices effectively. For iPhone and iPad users, navigate to Settings > General and click on Software Update.

For macOS users, click on the Apple menu (), go to System Settings, select General, and then click on Software Update. Automatic updates should be enabled to receive the Rapid Security Response patches seamlessly. Restarting the device may be necessary to complete the update process.

****_RELATED ARTICLES_****

1.  **Apple Safari Safest, Google Chrome Riskiest Browser of 2022**
2.  **Update NOW! Pegasus Spyware Exploiting iPhones on Latest iOS**
3.  **Apple issues iPhone software update after fake police ransomware scam**

Apple Issues Urgent Security Patches for Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

By Deeba Ahmed
The conclusion was reached after researchers evaluated over 9,500 of the largest transactional websites in terms of traffic,…
This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: 68% of US Websites Exposed to Bot Attacks

The conclusion was reached after researchers evaluated over 9,500 of the largest transactional websites in terms of traffic, encompassing sectors such as banking, e-commerce, and ticketing businesses.

Bad bots are plaguing the internet, making up over 30% of internet traffic today. Cybercriminals can use them to target online businesses with fraud and other types of attacks, according to the latest research from online fraud and mitigation company DataDome.

According to a report from DataDome, a company specializing in bot and online fraud protection, released on November 28, 68% of US websites lack adequate protection against simple bot attacks, highlighting how vulnerable US businesses could be to automated cyberattacks.

The researchers assessed more than 9,500 of the largest transactional websites in terms of traffic, including banking, e-commerce, and ticketing businesses. They found that the US websites face significant risks ahead of the busy holiday shopping season. The findings also highlighted that traditional CAPTCHAs aren’t effective in preventing automated attacks.

As per DataDome’s report shared with Hackread.com ahead of publication on Tuesday, 72.3% of e-commerce websites and 65.2% of classified ad websites failed the bot tests, whereas 85% of DataDome’s fake Chrome bots remained undetected.

Among the 2,587 websites featuring one CAPTCHA tool, less than 5% could detect/block all bots. Interestingly, gambling sites were the most well-protected against bot attacks, with 31% blocking all the test bots. Only 10.2% successfully blocked all malicious bot requests.

DataDome’s Head of Research, Antoine Vastel, referred to bots as “silent assassins”, adding that bots are becoming sophisticated day-by-day and US businesses are unprepared for the “financial and reputational damage” bot attacks can cause.

This, as per Vastel, includes threats like ticket scalping, inventory hoarding, and account fraud. Vastel explained that bad bots can wreak havoc on businesses and consumers, exposing them to “unnecessary risk.”

These findings highlight the urgent need for US businesses to enhance their bot protection measures. Here are 5 key points on how owners and administrators can protect their wbsites against bot attacks:

1.  **Implement CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA:** CAPTCHAs and reCAPTCHAs are effective tools for distinguishing between humans and bots. They can be used to prevent bots from submitting forms, signing up for accounts, or accessing restricted areas of your website.
2.  **Use IP blacklisting:** IP blacklisting involves identifying and blocking IP addresses that are known to be associated with malicious activity. This can help to prevent bots from accessing your website altogether.
3.  **Monitor website traffic:** By monitoring website traffic, you can identify patterns that may be indicative of bot activity. For example, if you see a sudden surge in traffic from a single IP address, this could be a sign that your website is under attack from a botnet.
4.  **Implement rate limiting:** Rate limiting is a technique that can be used to limit the number of requests that a user can make to your website in a given period of time. This can help to prevent bots from overwhelming your website with requests.
5.  **Use web application firewalls (WAFs):** WAFs are designed to protect websites from a variety of attacks, including bot attacks. They can be used to block malicious traffic and prevent bots from exploiting vulnerabilities in your website’s code.

****_RELATED ARTICLES_****

1.  IBM X-Force Discovers Gootloader Malware Variant- GootBot
2.  Qakbot Botnet Disrupted, Infected 700,000 Computers Globally
3.  Telekopye Toolkit Used as Telegram Bot to Scam Marketplace Users
4.  Proton CAPTCHA: New Privacy-First CAPTCHA Defense Against Bots
5.  Google Workspace Exposed to Takeover from Domain-Wide Delegation Flaw

68% of US Websites Exposed to Bot Attacks

A fake antivirus alert may suddenly hijack your screen while browsing. This latest malvertising campaign hit top publishers.

ScamClub is a threat actor who’s been involved in malvertising activities since 2018. Chances are you probably ran into one of their online scams on your mobile device.

Confiant, the firm that has tracked ScamClub for years, released a comprehensive report in September while also disrupting their activities. However, ScamClub has been back for several weeks, and more recently they were behind some very high profile malicious redirects.

The list of affected publishers includes the Associated Press, ESPN and CBS, where unsuspecting readers are automatically redirected to a fake security alert connected to a malicious McAfee affiliate.

ScamClub is resourceful and continues to have a deep impact on the ad ecosystem. While we could not identify precisely which entity served the ad, we have reported the website used to run the fake scanner to Cloudflare which immediately took action and flagged it as phishing.

**Forced redirects**

Mastodon user Blair Strater (@r000t@fosstodon.org) was simply browsing the Associated Press website on his phone when he was suddenly redirected to a fake security scan page:

Malicious redirect from APnews.com (credit Blair Strater)

This fake scanner is not run by McAfee, but the domain name _systemmeasures\[.\]life_ that we see in the address bar is the landing page that redirects to one of its affiliates. That affiliate was previously reported but continues unabated.

Web traffic between malicious page and McAfee site

Based on public data, several ad exchanges were abused to deliver this fake antivirus campaign via real-time bidding (RTB) in the past few weeks Most of the telemetry we saw from our Malwarebytes user base was related to smaller websites with ‘risky’ advertisers. However, a different campaign was targeting mobile users with malicious ads slipping by on top publishers (note: this data comes from VirusTotal):

**ESPN.COM (1.585B monthly visits)**

systemmeasures\[.\]life/avs/en/mob/**mcafee-2**.php?c=5uz3hbaiz7oz2&k=b47648817b492be8ba9c7dc97addefb6&country\_code=US&carrier=Verizon&country\_name=United%20States&region=New%20York&city=Bronx&isp=MCI%20Communications%20Services,%20Inc.%20d/b/a%20Verizon%20Business&lang=en&ref\_domain=**www.espn.com**&os=**iOS**&osv=17&browser=Chrome&browserv=119&brand=Apple&model=iPhone&marketing\_name=iPhone&tablet=2&rheight=0&rwidth=0&e=5

**APNEWS.COM (307.2M monthly visits)**

systemmeasures\[.\]life/avs/en/mob/**mcafee-2**.php?c=59z40b4g6z7oz2&k=506222e0611d62c3261b9ba847063faa&country\_code=US&carrier=-&country\_name=United%20States&region=Virginia&city=Alexandria&isp=Comcast%20Cable%20Communications,%20LLC&lang=en&ref\_domain=**apnews.com**&os=**Android**&osv=10.&browser=Chrome&browserv=119&brand=unknown&model=unknown&marketing\_name=K&tablet=2&rheight=0&rwidth=0&e=5

**CBSSPORTS.COM (265.1M monthly visits)**

systemmeasures\[.\]life/avs/en/mob/**mcafee-2**.php?c=5uz16jptz7oz2&k=d2761f12fed2ce8472ab704fd55d49e1&country\_code=US&carrier=-&country\_name=United%20States&region=Colorado&city=Greenwood%20Village&isp=Charter%20Communications%20Inc&lang=en&ref\_domain=**www.cbssports.com**&os=**Android**&osv=10.&browser=Chrome&browserv=119&brand=unknown&model=unknown&marketing\_name=K&tablet=2&rheight=0&rwidth=0&e=5

Most of the public reports (\[1\], \[2\], \[3\]) indicate this campaign was at its peak around **November 19**. To be clear, AP, ESPN, CBS and other sites were not hacked, but rather showed malicious ads. It appears that this high profile campaign stopped shortly after, as we haven’t seen new telemetry data coming from these publishers. However, the other campaign we are also monitoring that is affecting smaller sites is still ongoing (via _eu\[.\]vulnerabilityassessments.life_ and _us.vulnerabilityassessments\[.\]life_).

**Connection with ScamClub**

We were able to connect this campaign to the ScamClub infrastructure because of another domain (_trackmaster\[.\]cc_) that was previously mentioned as belonging to the threat actor. We can see the relationship between _systemmeasures\[.\]life_ (the landing page) and _trackmaster\[.\]cc_ (the intermediary domain) in the urlscanio submission below:

urlscanio scan showing the relationship between two domains

**Fingerprinting**

Like other malvertising threat actors, ScamClub dabbles in obfuscation and evasion techniques. However, as previously detailed by Confiant, they are using much more advanced tricks. Their JavaScript uses obfuscation with changing variable names, making identification harder.

Previously, the malicious JavaScripts were hosted on Google’s cloud but they have now moved to Azure’s CDN.

ScamClub’s malicious JavaScript

**Malvertising and mobile users**

On this blog, we have covered a number of malvertising campaigns targeting Desktop, both consumer and enterprise. This is in part because we hunt for Windows malware and the occasional Mac ones too.

ScamClub is a good example of targeting a big market segment, Mobile Web, where security software is often an afterthought, in particular on iOS, in part due to restrictions imposed by Apple. Clearly, malvertising is flourishing on Mobile and users are just as likely, if not more, to get tricked into downloading malware or get scammed.

Malwarebytes for Android protects users from this campaign:

**Indicators of Compromise**

**ScamClub URLs**

octob\[.\]azureedge\[.\]net/oc.js
lzi\[.\]azureedge\[.\]net/lz.js
tinlc\[.\]azureedge\[.\]net/pt.js
bm-rb\[.\]azureedge.net/rb.js
foluo\[.\]azureedge\[.\]net/fo.js
vpv-ger\[.\]azureedge\[.\]net/VpaidVideoAd1.js

**ScamClub JavaScript hashes**

c01716e23f633b206147efbe70fb37945e3857d6575fd088ea50106fb541cf1e  
899cbfbd676159201b2281d9e0e66f3ac200ac58b674375bde04083ff87650ad  
451b48c8f247f25cd09a1bf4a52fc195a74830d88bd2ffed7a5d4b7830e10621  
495304b489cecd33188ca2a7407d397996fd82ea99966e7c145f0dc67ab2dfb5  
a616fc2c1a075170d4decdb9d3c9ad15f2cfbcfda78dbe4c60d72132b9d006c9  
34f15ec739df72f5ac245db3fff11ea56407e95b94e24bbb820d7999032866d8  
a7a73d3bc716346808b2ee8070dfe5842bb01e10aee1fa9ba87fb975d71d0f4f  
de2f1745cdfbe58266b804961bdbd5be8f533843ed7fdf4b5fe6eb0060876b56  
1614786dd6ff4189975e8226ab7e68d258817b435c3c4e145951f5147699878e  
52cd9f2ff282354c77087b204d5cb32cee9066e8eea4e3c3b8f7cf4d3d3fa20f  
df03df284bfbbe006383f26c0c91394f4c4c8d915d04b868a00954f63e6163e0  
2f3867d33c448b941278671df9a2b8d3d6b29dec5d74b67654f5edfcc6771575  
243d9d70703644f3df148e7633f3ec461a9c43149ea58fd547e2e6fd0c47cce5

**Redirectors**

trackmaster\[.\]cc  
protectsystemtools\[.\]life  
securitypatch\[.\]life  
real-time-system-monitoring\[.\]life  
threatdetectorhub\[.\]life  
threatdetectorhub\[.\]online  
vulnerabilityassessments\[.\]life  
strike-it-lucky\[.\]space  
golden-opportunity\[.\]xyz  
stroke-of-luck\[.\]xyz  
blessed-with-luck\[.\]space  
system-scan-tool\[.\]space  
system-security-scan\[.\]buzz  
system-security-scan\[.\]net  
system-scan-tool\[.\]online  
trk6\[.\]kokamedia\[.\]com  
tracklinker\[.\]space  
trackmenow\[.\]life  
trackify\[.\]world  
trackinghub\[.\]info  
trkmyclk\[.\]xyz  
trk-server\[.\]xyz

34.74.68\[.\]195

**Scam landing pages**

systemmeasures\[.\]life
xyzcreators\[.\]xyz

Tag

#chrome