Cybercriminals pose as IT support, using fake calls and Microsoft Teams messages to trick users into installing ransomware through email floods and remote access.

Cybersecurity researchers at Trend Micro are warning about a new scam where cybercriminals pose as tech support to gain access to victims’ computers. But this isn’t just another spam email scheme; attackers are flooding inboxes and even reaching out through Microsoft Teams to trick people into letting them in. Once inside, they deploy ransomware from groups like Black Basta and Cactus.

****Here’s how it works:****

Victims first get bombarded with a flood of emails. Shortly after, someone claiming to be from the IT department contacts them through Microsoft Teams or even a phone call. This “helper” then convinces the user to grant them remote access to their computer, often using a legitimate program called Quick Assist, which is built into Windows to allow remote tech support.

Once inside, the scammer downloads files that seem harmless at first but are secretly combined and unpacked to install a backdoor called BackConnect. Hidden in OneDrive, this backdoor gives attackers full control over the infected system.

It’s worth noting that the Black Basta gang was previously flagged in December 2024 for a similar modus operandi, using email bombing to target Microsoft Teams users. However, at that time, the group was deploying Zbot and DarkGate malware instead.

According to Trend Micro’s latest technical report, recent incidents analyzed by the company show a strong connection between this BackConnect malware and the notorious Black Basta ransomware group, which reportedly made over $100 million from victims in 2023. There’s even evidence suggesting some members of Black Basta have moved over to another ransomware gang called Cactus, as the methods used in recent Cactus attacks are strikingly similar.

These attacks have been particularly active since October 2024, primarily hitting organizations in North America, with the United States suffering the most. The manufacturing sector, followed by finance, investment consulting, and real estate, have been frequent targets for Black Basta.

Screenshot of the email address used by the attacker (Via Trend Micro)

In some cases, after establishing their backdoor, attackers have been seen using more advanced methods to spread through a network, even targeting specialized systems like ESXi hosts used for running virtual machines. They use tools like WinSCP to move files around and have been caught preparing to encrypt files before being stopped. Leaked internal chats from Black Basta reveal the group sees security tools like Trend Micro as a significant hurdle, showing they are actively trying to find ways around them.

> BlackBasta’s internal chats just got exposed, proving once again that cybercriminals are their own worst enemies. Keep burning our intelligence sources, we don’t mind. 😉 pic.twitter.com/6So7dl7xXn
> 
> — PRODAFT (@PRODAFT) February 20, 2025

What makes these attacks effective is not necessarily the complexity of the software used, but the way attackers manipulate people. By mixing social engineering with the abuse of genuine software and cloud services, they make their malicious actions look like normal computer activity. It highlights that cybersecurity isn’t just about having the right software, but also about being aware of how criminals try to deceive people.

****What You Should and Should NOT Do!****

If you’re a Microsoft Teams user, don’t panic if you suddenly get flooded with emails. Instead, contact your system administrator to ensure these emails are blocked immediately and your device is scanned regularly. Report any suspicious emails or calls from unknown third parties posing as “helpers” to your cybersecurity team.

Remember, you don’t need a helper if you never asked for one; especially when the ‘helper’ is the one who caused the problem in the first place.

Fake IT Support Calls Trick Microsoft Teams Users into Installing Ransomware

FortiGuard Labs discovers an advanced attack using modified Havoc Demon and SharePoint. Explore the attack's evasion techniques and security measures.

A new cyberattack campaign discovered by FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s threat intelligence and research unit, leverages a combination of social engineering, multi-stage malware, and the manipulation of trusted cloud services to achieve control over compromised systems.

According to FortiGuard’s investigation, shared with Hackread.com ahead of its publishing on Monday, the campaign targets Microsoft Windows users and has a high severity level. Their most crucial observation is that the attackers have innovated by integrating a modified version of the Havoc framework, Havoc Demon Agent, with the Microsoft Graph API, effectively hiding their malicious communications within the legitimate traffic of well-known cloud services.

For your information, Havoc is an open-source post-exploitation command and control framework used in red teaming exercises and attack campaigns to obtain full control of the target system.

The initial point of entry for this attack is a carefully crafted phishing email, which contains an HTML attachment designed to deceive the recipient into executing a malicious PowerShell command.

The Phishing Email (Source: FortiGuard Labs)

Through a technique known as “ClickFix,” in which users are tricked into executing malicious commands, the attachment presents a fake error message, prompting the recipient to copy and paste a seemingly harmless command into their system’s terminal. However, this command initiates a chain of events that leads to the downloading/execution of further malicious scripts, which are strategically hosted on a SharePoint site, probably to obscure the malicious operation within a trusted cloud environment.

The initial PowerShell script performs checks to evade sandbox detection and then proceeds to download/execute a Python script, also hosted on SharePoint. This Python script acts as a shellcode loader and injects and executes a malicious DLL, KaynLdr, which reflectively loads an embedded DLL, and further complicates analysis by using API hashing.

The core of the attacker’s C2 infrastructure relies on the modified version of the Havoc Demon DLL as it leverages the Microsoft Graph API to establish communication channels that blend seamlessly with legitimate cloud traffic. The “SharePointC2Init” function within the DLL obtains access tokens for the Microsoft Graph API and creates two files within the victim’s SharePoint document library, each named with a unique identifier derived from the compromised system.

These files act as channels for transmitting victim information and receiving C2 commands, while the entire communication is handled by the modified “TransportSend” function and encrypted using AES-256 in CTR mode. The agent then parses and executes these commands, which include a wide range of post-exploitation capabilities, such as information gathering, file operations, and token manipulation.

FortiGuard Labs’s discovery highlights the evolution of open-source C2 frameworks to create new, difficult-to-detect attacks and the growing need for adopting advanced security measures against such attacks.

“In addition to staying alert for phishing emails, guided messages that encourage opening a terminal or PowerShell must be handled with extra caution to prevent inadvertently downloading and executing malicious commands,” FortiGuard’s researchers concluded.

The attack Flow (Source: FortiGuard Labs)

In a comment to Hackread.com, Thomas Richards, Principal Consultant and Network and Red Team Practice Director at Black Duck, a Burlington, Massachusetts-based application security provider, noted that hackers are using trusted Microsoft services to evade detection, showing a high level of sophistication, but what stands out is that their attack method requires more manual action from the victim than usual.

_“_These bad actor groups aim for obfuscation so they can achieve their goals. It’s not unusual to see them use open-source frameworks, however, the use of legitimate Microsoft services shows a level of sophistication that is concerning. Using those services allows them to hide in plain sight and have the benefits of being trusted servers,_“_ Thomas explained. _“_What is surprising about this is the level of manual intervention needed on the victim for the attack to be a success. Usually with these campaigns, the bad actors want as little interaction as possible on the victim’s part aside from clicking on a link._“_

New Malware Campaign Exploits Microsoft Graph API to Infect Windows

Plus: The FBI pins that ByBit theft on North Korea, a malicious app download breaches Disney, spyware targets a priest close to the pope, and more.

As scam compounds in Southeast Asia continue to drive massive campaigns targeting victims around the world, WIRED took a deeper look at how Elon Musk’s satellite internet service provider Starlink is keeping many of those compounds in Myanmar online. Meanwhile, FTC complaints obtained by WIRED allege that an “OpenAI” job scam used Telegram to recruit workers in Bangladesh for months before the fraudsters suddenly disappeared.

WIRED published the inside story of Russian tech executive Vladislav Klyushin, who—at Vladimir Putin’s behest—was part of a notable US-Russia prisoner swap last summer after he was convicted and incarcerated in the US for insider trading that netted him $93 million. Earlier this week, TVs at the headquarters of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, DC, showed an apparently AI-generated video on loop of Donald Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet. The words “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING” were superimposed over the video.

WIRED conducted an investigation into Telegram groups devoted to doxing and harassing women who joined “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” groups on Facebook. And, as female entrepreneurs in tech face ever steeper odds of gaining support for a business, a team of female founders got seed funding and completed a series A round in a matter of months for the cloud container security firm Edera.

But wait, there's more! Each week, we round up the security and privacy news we didn’t cover in depth ourselves. Click the headlines to read the full stories. And stay safe out there.

**Trump Administration Backs Off on Countering Russian Cyber Foes**

After years of Russian cyber aggression against the United States and its longtime allies—including repeated election meddling, hack and leak operations, disinformation campaigns, elaborate espionage, and brazen, disruptive cyberattacks—multiple recent actions from the Trump administration have recast the US stance on the cybersecurity threats posed by the Kremlin, downplaying the risks of Russian hackers as US adversaries. The about-face comes as Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin have increasingly strengthened their ties. Consistent US intelligence community assessments of Russia's activity in cyberspace and the threat it poses to the US would indicate, though, that such a change in approach could put the US at risk.

That deprioritization of the Russia threat has come in several different forms. US State Department deputy assistant secretary for international cybersecurity Liesyl Franz said during a speech in a United Nations working group last week that the US is concerned about digital attacks from China and Iran, but did not mention Russia. A recent memo distributed at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency laid out priorities for the agency, focusing on China and defense of US systems but omitted any reference to Russia. And on Friday, the cybersecurity news outlet The Record reported that, last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered US Cyber Command to stop all cyber operational planning against Russia, including offensive digital campaigns.

**Crypto Bounty Hunters Are Racing to Find and Freeze $1.4 Billion Stolen From ByBit**

Eight days have passed since the cryptocurrency exchange ByBit revealed that hackers stole $1.4 billion worth of Ethereum-based assets from the company, a heist that is by some measures the biggest theft of crypto in history. Now the race is on to track the stolen funds across blockchains, prevent its liquidation, or even recover it—and that race is being propelled by $140 million in bounties offered by ByBit itself. ByBit earlier this week launched a website where it’s inviting crypto sleuths to submit tips about the destination of its stolen Ethereum funds and offering as a reward 5 percent of the value of any funds that those tracers can identify and help to freeze or seize. ByBit has offered another 5 percent of the value as a separate reward for any crypto exchange or other platform that obtains the funds.

As of Friday, the website counted a dozen bounty hunters currently registered as part of that crypto-tracing effort and put the tally of paid-out rewards at around $4.3 million. The site also includes a leaderboard of tracers who have successfully identified tranches of the funds by following them across blockchains or frozen funds—as well as a list of crypto exchanges who have, by contrast, liquidated the stolen funds on behalf of the thieves. So far only one exchange, known as eXch, has been flagged as liquidating $94 million of the stolen assets. ByBit notes that eXch has refused to respond to its messages, and the exchange didn’t respond to a BBC request for comment.

**FBI Urges Crypto Industry Not to Launder ByBit Funds for North Korea**

Earlier this week, the FBI took the unusual step of publicly identifying the hackers behind that massive ByBit hack: TraderTraitor, a group of state-sponsored cybercriminals working on behalf of the North Korean government. The FBI asked the crypto industry not to launder the funds of those hackers, a part of the larger umbrella group widely known as Lazarus that has long plagued the cryptocurrency world and has stolen billions in both crypto and non-crypto assets. In its alert, the bureau also released a list of Ethereum addresses associated with the stolen funds in an effort to help the crypto industry identify and seize any part of the $1.4 billion before it can be cashed out. Crypto tracing firm TRM Labs wrote in a post Thursday that around $400 million of the funds have already been moved and may have been successfully liquidated.

**A Disney Staffer Opened the Door for a Slack Hack by Accidentally Downloading Malware**

In July, an entity calling itself “NullBulge” published a 1.1-TB trove of data stolen from Disney's internal Slack archive, tipping off a frenzied cleanup effort as Disney rushed to get a handle on leaked revenue numbers, employee information like passport numbers, and sensitive customer information. The breach occurred after a Disney employee, Matthew Van Andel, inadvertently downloaded malware onto his personal computer that collected his login credentials for a number of services, including, crucially, the password to his 1Password credential vault. “It’s impossible to convey the sense of violation,” he told The Wall Street Journal. Van Andel also had his credit card numbers and other personal data stolen, and then lost his job as well when a Disney audit of his work computer alleged that he had accessed porn from the device. Van Andel denies the accusation. The episode is just one in a series of breaches where malware that infects a worker’s personal computer can have major ramifications for the institution that employs them.

**An Italian Priest Close to the Pope Had His Phone Hacked**

Mattia Ferrari, an Italian priest who works with a migrant-rescue group and has a close relationship with the Pope, revealed this week that he received a warning from Meta that his phone had been hacked with sophisticated spyware from Israeli-based Paragon. The news follows revelations that Luca Casarini, the founder of the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans, where Ferrari served as a chaplain, also had his phone compromised by spyware, as did Italian investigative reporter Francesco Cancellato. The string of spyware infections targeting Italian activists and a journalist raises the question of who might be carrying out the hacking operations, with opposition leaders calling on the administration of Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni to address the issue. Meloni’s government has denied being behind the hacking incidents. Pope Francis, who is currently in critical condition with pneumonia, has mentioned speaking to Ferrari on the phone during a TV interview in January, raising the question of whether the spies who hacked Ferrari’s phone eavesdropped on a conversation with the pope himself.

The Trump Administration Is Deprioritizing Russia as a Cyber Threat

One of the most notorious providers of abuse-friendly "bulletproof" web hosting for cybercriminals has started routing its operations through networks run by the Russian antivirus and security firm Kaspersky Lab, KrebsOnSecurity has learned.

One of the most notorious providers of abuse-friendly “bulletproof” web hosting for cybercriminals has started routing its operations through networks run by the Russian antivirus and security firm **Kaspersky Lab**, KrebsOnSecurity has learned.

Security experts say the Russia-based service provider **Prospero OOO** (the triple O is the Russian version of “LLC”) has long been a persistent source of malicious software, botnet controllers, and a torrent of phishing websites. Last year, the French security firm **Intrinsec** detailed Prospero’s connections to bulletproof services advertised on Russian cybercrime forums under the names **Securehost** and **BEARHOST**.

The bulletproof hosting provider BEARHOST. This screenshot has been machine-translated from Russian. Image: Ke-la.com.

Bulletproof hosts are so named when they earn or cultivate a reputation for ignoring legal demands and abuse complaints. And BEARHOST has been cultivating its reputation since at least 2019.

“If you need a server for a botnet, for malware, brute, scan, phishing, fakes and any other tasks, please contact us,” BEARHOST’s ad on one forum advises. “We completely ignore all abuses without exception, including SPAMHAUS and other organizations.”

Intrinsec found Prospero has courted some of Russia’s nastiest cybercrime groups, hosting control servers for multiple ransomware gangs over the past two years. Intrinsec said its analysis showed Prospero frequently hosts malware operations such as SocGholish and GootLoader, which are spread primarily via fake browser updates on hacked websites and often lay the groundwork for more serious cyber intrusions — including ransomware.

A fake browser update page pushing mobile malware. Image: Intrinsec.

BEARHOST prides itself on the ability to evade blocking by Spamhaus, an organization that many Internet service providers around the world rely on to help identify and block sources of malware and spam. Earlier this week, Spamhaus said it noticed that Prospero was suddenly connecting to the Internet by routing through networks operated by Kaspersky Lab in Moscow.

Kaspersky did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Kaspersky began selling antivirus and security software in the United States in 2005, and the company’s malware researchers have earned accolades from the security community for many important discoveries over the years. But in September 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) barred U.S. federal agencies from using Kaspersky software, mandating its removal within 90 days.

Cybersecurity reporter **Kim Zetter** notes that DHS didn’t cite any specific justification for its ban in 2017, but media reports quoting anonymous government officials referenced two incidents. Zetter wrote:

> According to one story, an NSA contractor developing offensive hacking tools for the spy agency had Kaspersky software installed on his home computer where he was developing the tools, and the software detected the source code as malicious code and extracted it from his computer, as antivirus software is designed to do. A second story claimed that Israeli spies caught Russian government hackers using Kaspersky software to search customer systems for files containing U.S. secrets.
> 
> Kaspersky denied that anyone used its software to search for secret information on customer machines and said that the tools on the NSA worker’s machine were detected in the same way that all antivirus software detects files it deems suspicious and then quarantines or extracts them for analysis. Once Kaspersky discovered that the code its antivirus software detected on the NSA worker’s machine were not malicious programs but source code in development by the U.S. government for its hacking operations, CEO Eugene Kaspersky says he ordered workers to delete the code.

Last year, the U.S. Commerce Department banned the sale of Kaspersky software in the U.S. effective July 20, 2024. U.S. officials argued the ban was needed because Russian law requires domestic companies to cooperate in all official investigations, and thus the Russian government could force Kaspersky to secretly gather intelligence on its behalf.

Phishing data gathered last year by the **Interisle Consulting Group** ranked hosting networks by their size and concentration of spambot hosts, and found Prospero had a higher spam score than any other provider by far.

AS209030, owned by Kaspersky Lab, is providing connectivity to the bulletproof host Prospero (AS200593). Image: cidr-report.org.

It remains unclear why Kaspersky is providing transit to Prospero. **Doug Madory**, director of Internet analysis at **Kentik**, said routing records show the relationship between Prospero and Kaspersky started at the beginning of December 2024.

Madory said Kaspersky’s network appears to be hosting several financial institutions, including Russia’s largest — **Alfa-Bank**. Kaspersky sells services to help protect customers from distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and Madory said it could be that Prospero is simply purchasing that protection from Kaspersky.

But if that is the case, it doesn’t make the situation any better, said **Zach Edwards**, a senior threat researcher at the security firm **Silent Push**.

“In some ways, providing DDoS protection to a well-known bulletproof hosting provider may be even worse than just allowing them to connect to the rest of the Internet over your infrastructure,” Edwards said.

Notorious Malware, Spam Host “Prospero” Moves to Kaspersky Lab

Microsoft on Thursday unmasked four of the individuals that it said were behind an Azure Abuse Enterprise scheme that involves leveraging unauthorized access to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) services in order to produce offensive and harmful content.
The campaign, called LLMjacking, has targeted various AI offerings, including Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service. The tech giant is

Microsoft Exposes LLMjacking Cybercriminals Behind Azure AI Abuse Scheme

A hacker using the alias GHOSTR, linked to 90+ data breaches, was arrested in a joint effort by law enforcement in Thailand, Singapore, and cybersecurity firm Group-IB.

A coordinated effort between law enforcement in Thailand, Singapore, and cybersecurity firm Group-IB has led to the arrest of a prolific hacker tied to more than 90 data breaches worldwide.

The individual, operating under multiple online identities such as GHOSTR, ALTDOS, DESORDEN, and 0mid16B, reportedly stole and sold over 13 terabytes of sensitive information including government agency records on dark web markets. The accused hacker was also an active member of the infamous cybercrime and data breach platform Breach Forums.

GHOSTR Hacker banned from Breach Forums for multi-accounting (Screenshot credit: Hackread.com)

Active since at least 2020; the hacker targeted organizations across Asia-Pacific nations like Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan and India, later expanding to Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Victims spanned industries like healthcare, finance, e-commerce, and logistics.

Initially, they pressured companies by threatening to leak stolen data unless paid, often alerting media or regulators if demands were ignored. Later, they moved to selling databases on dark web forums, gaining a reputation for high-quality leaks and commanding premium prices. In some cases, they even emailed customers directly to force companies into compliance.

According to Group-IB’s press release published on Thursday, the hacker exploited common vulnerabilities to infiltrate systems. They used tools like sqlmap to execute SQL injections, a method that exploits websites to access backend databases and breached poorly secured Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) servers.

Once inside, they deployed a modified version of the penetration-testing tool CobaltStrike to maintain control of compromised networks. The extracted data was then copied to cloud servers for extortion purposes.

****Multiple Identities, Difficult to Track****

Investigators faced challenges as the hacker frequently changed aliases and tactics. Group-IB’s teams linked the identities by analyzing writing styles, post formats, and target preferences across dark web forums. For example, the ALTDOS persona focused on Thai victims in 2020, while DESORDEN later targeted organizations in the following sectors:

*   Retail
*   Finance
*   Logistics
*   Insurance
*   Healthcare
*   Hospitality
*   Recruitment
*   Technology
*   E-commerce
*   Property investment

Despite bans from forums for scams and fake accounts, the hacker continued operations under new names until their trails of online activity led authorities to their real-world identity.

During the arrest, Thai authorities confiscated several laptops, electronic devices, and numerous luxury items purchased with proceeds from the data sales.

Seized content (Via Group-IB)

Group-IB’s role in mapping the hacker’s activity across aliases demonstrates how behavioural patterns and technical clues can unmask even the most persistent cyber criminals. The company’s threat intelligence also brings to mind the Brazilian hacker USDoD, who was tracked down after CrowdStrike exposed his real identity, leading to his arrest.

GHOSTR Hacker Linked to 90+ Data Breaches Arrested

While countries and companies are fighting over access to encrypted files and chats, our data privacy may get crushed.

Data privacy issues are a hot topic in a world where we apparently don’t know who to trust anymore.

A few weeks ago, we reported how the UK had secretly ordered Apple to provide blanket access to protected cloud backups around the world. This week, Apple decided to pull the plug on Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for UK users.

ADP is an opt-in data security tool designed to provide Apple users a more secure way to protect data stored in their iCloud accounts. Enabling ADP would ensure that even Apple could not access the data, which would mean that Apple was unable to hand over any information to law enforcement.

Something similar happened when Sweden’s law enforcement and security agencies started to push legislation which would force Signal and WhatsApp to create technical backdoors, allowing them to access communications sent over the encrypted messaging apps. The proposed bill prescribes that companies like Signal and WhatsApp need to store all messages sent using the apps.

President of the Signal Foundation, Meredith Whittaker, told Swedish SVT News that the company will leave Sweden if the bill becomes a reality.

So basically, by seeking to obtain encryption backdoors, which are not likely to remain exclusive, these governments are undermining the data privacy options of their citizens. A backdoor can and will eventually be found by those that we absolutely didn’t want to snoop around in our backups and chat logs.

It doesn’t just affect the countries at the heart of the request. The US director of national intelligence is reportedly going to investigate whether the UK broke a bilateral agreement by issuing the order that would allow the British to access backups of data in the company’s encrypted cloud storage systems,

The bilateral agreement in question is the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (CLOUD Act) Agreement, which—among other things—bars the UK from issuing demands for the data of US citizens and vice versa. The CLOUD Act primarily allows federal law enforcement to compel US-based technology companies via warrant or subpoena to provide requested data stored on servers regardless of whether the data is stored in the US or on foreign soil. Provisions in the act state that the United Kingdom may not issue demands for data of US citizens, nationals, or lawful permanent residents, nor is it authorized to demand the data of persons located inside the US.

Globally, governments and law enforcement agencies continue to seek more control over data through new legislations and rules. States regulate data to protect national security and provide domestic firms access to user (and anonymous) data to boost competitiveness, ease law enforcement’s qualms when accessing data, and ward off foreign surveillance.

But at the end of the day, the criminals that law enforcement agencies are after, will end up using expensive private phone networks, and the general population will be left with tools that have been broken on purpose. Backdoors that have been created will be waiting for cybercriminals to find the cracks and access our “encrypted” data.

Meanwhile, privacy is recognized as a universal human right while data protection is not. And it should be. Even if we think we “have nothing to hide” cybercriminals will find a way to use that data against us, if only to make their phishing attempts more credible. Let alone, trade and economic secrets that could fall into the hands of competitors or “unfriendly” nations.

**We don’t just report on threats – we help safeguard your entire digital identity**

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Protect your—and your family’s—personal information by using identity protection.

 Countries and companies are fighting at the expense of our data privacy 

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered an updated version of an Android malware called TgToxic (aka ToxicPanda), indicating that the threat actors behind it are continuously making changes in response to public reporting.
"The modifications seen in the TgToxic payloads reflect the actors' ongoing surveillance of open source intelligence and demonstrate their commitment to enhancing the

New TgToxic Banking Trojan Variant Evolves with Anti-Analysis Upgrades

A U.S. Army soldier who pleaded guilty last week to leaking phone records for high-ranking U.S. government officials searched online for non-extradition countries and for an answer to the question "can hacking be treason?" prosecutors in the case said Wednesday. The government disclosed the details in a court motion to keep the defendant in custody until he is discharged from the military.

A U.S. Army soldier who pleaded guilty last week to leaking phone records for high-ranking U.S. government officials searched online for non-extradition countries and for an answer to the question “can hacking be treason?” prosecutors in the case said Wednesday. The government disclosed the details in a court motion to keep the defendant in custody until he is discharged from the military.

One of several selfies on the Facebook page of Cameron Wagenius.

**Cameron John Wagenius**, 21, was arrested near the Army base in Fort Cavazos, Texas on Dec. 20, and charged with two criminal counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records. Wagenius was a communications specialist at a U.S. Army base in South Korea, who secretly went by the nickname **Kiberphant0m** and was part of a trio of criminal hackers that extorted dozens of companies last year over stolen data.

At the end of 2023, malicious hackers learned that many companies had uploaded sensitive customer records to accounts at the cloud data storage service **Snowflake** that were protected with little more than a username and password (no multi-factor authentication needed). After scouring darknet markets for stolen Snowflake account credentials, the hackers began raiding the data storage repositories used by some of the world’s largest corporations.

Among those was **AT&T**, which disclosed in July that cybercriminals had stolen personal information and phone and text message records for roughly 110 million people — nearly all of its customers. AT&T reportedly paid a hacker $370,000 to delete stolen phone records. More than 160 other Snowflake customers were relieved of data, including TicketMaster, Lending Tree, Advance Auto Parts and Neiman Marcus.

In several posts to an English-language cybercrime forum in November, Kiberphant0m leaked some of the phone records and threatened to leak them all unless paid a ransom. Prosecutors said that in addition to his public posts on the forum, Wagenius had engaged in multiple direct attempts to extort “Victim-1,” which appears to be a reference to AT&T. The government states that Kiberphant0m privately demanded $500,000 from Victim-1, threatening to release all of the stolen phone records unless he was paid.

On Feb. 19, Wagenius pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawfully transferring confidential phone records, but he did so without the benefit of a plea agreement. In entering the plea, Wagenius’s attorneys had asked the court to allow him to stay with his father pending his sentencing.

But in a response filed today (PDF), prosecutors in Seattle said Wagenius was a flight risk, partly because prior to his arrest he was searching online for how to defect to countries that do not extradite to the United States. According to the government, while Kiberphant0m was extorting AT&T, Wagenius’s searches included:

\-“where can i defect the u.s government military which country will not hand me over”  
\-“U.S. military personnel defecting to Russia”  
\-“Embassy of Russia – Washington, D.C.”

“As discussed in the government’s sealed filing, the government has uncovered evidence suggesting that the charged conduct was only a small part of Wagenius’ malicious activity,” the government memo states. “On top of this, for more than two weeks in November 2024, Wagenius communicated with an email address he believed belonged to Country-1’s military intelligence service in an attempt to sell stolen information. Days after he apparently finished communicating with Country-1’s military intelligence service, Wagenius Googled, ‘can hacking be treason.'”

Prosecutors told the court investigators also found a screenshot on Wagenius’ laptop that suggested he had over 17,000 files that included passports, driver’s licenses, and other identity cards belonging to victims of a breach, and that in one of his online accounts, the government also found a fake identification document that contained his picture.

“Wagenius should also be detained because he presents a serious risk of flight, has the means and intent to flee, and is aware that he will likely face additional charges,” the Seattle prosecutors asserted.

The court filing says Wagenius is presently in the process of being separated from the Army, but the government has not received confirmation that his discharge has been finalized.

“The government’s understanding is that, until his discharge from the Army is finalized (which is expected to happen in early March), he may only be released directly to the Army,” reads a footnote in the memo. “Until that process is completed, Wagenius’ proposed release to his father should be rejected for this additional reason.”

Wagenius’s interest in defecting to another country in order to escape prosecution mirrors that of his alleged co-conspirator, **John Erin Binns**, an 25-year-old elusive American man indicted by the Justice Department for a 2021 breach at T-Mobile that exposed the personal information of at least 76.6 million customers.

Binns has since been charged with the Snowflake hack and subsequent extortion activity. He is currently in custody in a Turkish prison. Sources close to the investigation told KrebsOnSecurity that prior to his arrest by Turkish police, Binns visited the Russian embassy in Turkey to inquire about Russian citizenship.

In late November 2024, Canadian authorities arrested a third alleged member of the extortion conspiracy, 25-year-old **Connor Riley Moucka** of Kitchener, Ontario. The U.S. government has indicted Moucka and Binns, charging them with one count of conspiracy; 10 counts of wire fraud; four counts of computer fraud and abuse; two counts of extortion in relation to computer fraud; and two counts aggravated identity theft.

Less than a month before Wagenius’s arrest, KrebsOnSecurity published a deep dive into Kiberphant0m’s various Telegram and Discord identities over the years, revealing how the owner of the accounts told others they were in the Army and stationed in South Korea.

The maximum penalty Wagenius could face at sentencing includes up to ten years in prison for each count, and fines not to exceed $250,000.

U.S. Soldier Charged in AT&T Hack Searched “Can Hacking Be Treason”

The Android app SafetyCore was silently installed and looks at incoming and outgoing pictures to check their decency.

Sometimes the updates we install to keep our devices safe do a little bit more than we might suspect at first glance. Take the October 2024 Android Security Bulletin.

It included a new service called Android System SafetyCore. If you can find a mention of that in the security bulletin, you’re a better reader then I am. It wasn’t until a few weeks later, when a Google security blog titled 5 new protections on Google Messages to help keep you safe revealed that one of the new protections was designed to introduce Sensitive Content Warnings for Google Messages.

Sensitive Content Warnings is an optional feature that blurs images that may contain nudity before viewing, and when an image that may contain nudity is about to be sent or forwarded, it will remind users of the risks of sending nude imagery and preventing accidental shares.

**Wait! What?**

Yes, there is now a service on my phone that checks whether your pictures are “decent enough” to send or share? I’m not oblivious to the many users that would be better off with such a service, but I’m not so sure they’d appreciate it.

However, what really concerned me is the fact that Google is looking at my incoming and outgoing pictures. I use end-to-end-encrypted (E2EE) messaging for a reason. The content is for me and the receiver, and no-one else, and that definitely includes Google.

But, again, no mention of SafetyCore in that blog or what will provide the Sensitive Content Warnings feature with the necessary data.

So, you can imagine the surprise and outrage when users found this service which doesn’t show up on the regular list of running applications that has permissions to do almost anything on the device.

And by looking up what this app called SafetyCore was all about, all of the above starts to make sense.

Google PlayStore says:

> “SafetyCore is a Google system service for Android 9+ devices. It provides the underlying technology for features like the upcoming Sensitive Content Warnings feature in Google Messages that helps users protect themselves when receiving potentially unwanted content. While SafetyCore started rolling out last year, the Sensitive Content Warnings feature in Google Messages is a separate, optional feature and will begin its gradual rollout in 2025. The processing for the Sensitive Content Warnings feature is done on-device and all of the images or specific results and warnings are private to the user.”

Google goes on to reassure:

*   The developer says that this app doesn’t collect or share any user data. 
*   The developer says that this app doesn’t share user data with other companies or organizations. 
*   The developer says that this app doesn’t collect user data.
*   The developer has committed to follow the Play Families policy for this app. 

Google promises that it only rates our pictures and does not collect or share them, but this feature has almost Artificial Intelligence (AI) written all over it. As we all know, an AI needs to be trained, and training an AI locally on your phone is hardly an option. I wish it had the necessary power, but it doesn’t.

I for one don’t see how the secretly installed service measures up to what the feature has to offer. But obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinion and the device is yours to do with as you please.

**How to uninstall or disable SafetyCore**

The good people at ZDNet provided instructions on how to get rid of SafetyCore or disable it if you would like to do so.

So, if you wish to uninstall or disable SafetyCore, take these steps:

1.  **Open Settings**: Go to your device’s Settings app
2.  **Access Apps**: Tap on ‘Apps’ or ‘Apps & Notifications’
3.  **Show System Apps**: Select ‘See all apps’ and then tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner to choose ‘Show system apps’
4.  **Locate SafetyCore**: Scroll through the list or search for ‘SafetyCore’ to find the app
5.  **Uninstall or Disable**: Tap on Android System SafetyCore, then select ‘Uninstall’ if available. If the uninstall option is grayed out, you may only be able to disable it
6.  **Manage Permissions**: If you choose not to uninstall the service, you can also check and try to revoke any SafetyCore permissions, especially internet access

Note: depending on the software version and manufacturer of your device, these instructions may be slightly off. I personally couldn’t test them because my Samsung has not received the October patch yet due to the patch gaps.

If you’d like to learn more about AI and encrypted messaging, we recommend listening to our podcast The new rules for AI and encrypted messaging, with Mallory Knodel (Lock and Code S06E01)

**We don’t just report on phone security—we provide it**

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your mobile devices by downloading Malwarebytes for iOS, and Malwarebytes for Android today.

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