When Attackers Get Creative: From Fake CAPTCHAs to AI-Generated Backdoors

I’ve been tracking some particularly interesting attack campaigns this week, and honestly, the creativity level is both impressive and concerning. We’re seeing everything from North Korean groups using AI to write malware to physical door locks getting compromised at major European companies. Let me walk you through what caught my attention and why it matters for our day-to-day security work.

Chinese APTs Go JavaScript While Chrome Extensions Become the New Phishing Playground

I’ve been tracking some concerning developments this week that paint a pretty clear picture of where threat actors are focusing their efforts. Between nation-state groups refining their toolkits and cybercriminals finding new ways to abuse legitimate platforms, we’re seeing some creative (and worrying) attack vectors emerge.

PeckBirdy: When APTs Embrace JavaScript

Let’s start with something that caught my attention from the Trend Micro team. Chinese APT groups have been quietly using a JavaScript-based command-and-control framework called PeckBirdy since 2023, and it’s proving to be quite versatile. What makes this interesting isn’t just the technology choice – though JavaScript C2 frameworks are becoming increasingly popular for their flexibility – but the target selection.

When Spreadsheet Formulas Turn Deadly: This Week’s Security Wake-Up Calls

You know that feeling when you’re reviewing the week’s security news and every story makes you want to update your incident response playbook? That’s exactly where I am right now. From spreadsheets that can execute remote code to major data breaches, this week has been a masterclass in why we can never let our guard down.

The Spreadsheet That Could End Your Day

Let’s start with the most fascinating vulnerability I’ve seen in a while. Researchers at Cyera discovered a critical flaw in Grist-Core, the open-source spreadsheet-database hybrid that’s been gaining traction in enterprise environments. They’ve dubbed it “Cellbreak,” and honestly, the name fits perfectly.