In May 2026, Counter Threat Unit™ (CTU) researchers published a report on an AI-orchestrated post-exploitation framework that tested the capabilities of multiple vendors’ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, including the Sophos agent. Following a testing phase, Sophos analysts observed the same infrastructure hosting Cobalt Strike in support of Aur0ra ransomware (also known as Aurora ransomware) operations. Sophos analysis has revealed that the GOLD OGRE cybercriminal group, which operates Aur0ra ransomware, extensively uses AI to conduct attacks. The tools and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) observed by Sophos analysts align with third-party reporting of AI usage in similar compromises.
Read more…
Source: Sophos
Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- ‘Widespread’ breach let hackers steal employee data from FEMA and CBP
September 29, 2025
A “widespread cybersecurity incident” at the Federal Emergency Management Agency allowed hackers to make off with employee data from both the disaster management office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to a screenshot of an incident overview presentation obtained by Nextgov/FCW. The hack is also suspected to have later triggered the dismissal of two dozen ...
- SVG Phishing hits Ukraine with Amatera Stealer, PureMiner
September 26, 2025
FortiGuard Labs recently observed a phishing campaign designed to impersonate Ukrainian government agencies and deliver additional malware to targeted systems. The phishing emails contain malicious Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files designed to trick recipients into opening harmful attachments. When opened, the SVG initiates the download of a password-protected archive that contains a Compiled HTML Help (CHM) ...
- India: Thousands of bank transfer records found spilling online after security lapse
September 26, 2025
A data spill from an unsecured cloud server has exposed hundreds of thousands of sensitive bank transfer documents in India, revealing account numbers, transaction figures, and individuals’ contact details. Researchers at cybersecurity firm UpGuard discovered in late August a publicly accessible Amazon-hosted storage server containing 273,000 PDF documents relating to bank transfers of Indian customers. Read more… Source: ...
- XCSSET evolves again: Analyzing the latest updates to XCSSET’s inventory
September 25, 2025
Microsoft Threat Intelligence has identified yet another XCSSET variant in the wild that introduces further updates and new modules beyond those detailed in our March 2025 blog post. The XCSSET malware is designed to infect Xcode projects, typically used by software developers, and run while an Xcode project is being built. We assess that this mode ...
- CISA Directs Federal Agencies to Identify and Mitigate Potential Compromise of Cisco Devices
September 25, 2025
Today, CISA issued Emergency Directive ED 25-03: Identify and Mitigate Potential Compromise of Cisco Devices to address vulnerabilities in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) and Cisco Firepower devices. CISA has added vulnerabilities CVE-2025-20333 and CVE-2025-20362 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog. The Emergency Directive requires federal agencies to identify, analyze, and mitigate potential compromises immediately. Agencies ...
- New LockBit 5.0 Targets Windows, Linux, ESXi
September 25, 2025
Trend™ Research has identified and analyzed the source binaries of a new LockBit version in the wild, which is the latest from the group’s activities following the February 2024 law enforcement operation (Operation Cronos) that disrupted their infrastructure. In early September, the LockBit ransomware group reportedly resurfaced for their sixth anniversary, announcing the release of “LockBit ...