Hackers are using fake Chrome, Word and OneDrive errors to trick people into installing malware


Proofpoint has observed an increase in a technique leveraging unique social engineering that directs users to copy and paste malicious PowerShell scripts to infect their computers with malware.

Threat actors including initial access broker TA571 and at least one fake update activity set are using this method to deliver malware including DarkGate, Matanbuchus, NetSupport, and various information stealers. Whether the initial campaign begins via malspam or delivered via web browser injects, the technique is similar. Users are shown a popup textbox that suggests an error occurred when trying to open the document or webpage, and instructions are provided to copy and paste a malicious script into the PowerShell terminal, or the Windows Run dialog box to eventually run the script via PowerShell.

Read more…
Source: Proofpoint


Sign up for our Newsletter


Related:

  • Hackers breached DHS after alarms were twice ruled ‘false positives’

    July 17, 2026

    Hackers managed to find their way into the US Department of Homeland Security’s primary information sharing platform, gaining unfettered access to the HSIN network that hosts unclassified information that multiple US agencies and international rely on. The hack allowed the attackers to modify server files, run malicious code and steal credential files while installing backdoors and ...

  • Attackers target critical FortiSandbox flaws as CISA issues patch order

    July 17, 2026

    Fortinet admins have two more reasons to clear their calendars after CISA confirmed a pair of critical FortiSandbox bugs are being actively exploited. The two bugs, tracked as CVE-2026-39808 and CVE-2026-25089, both carry CVSS scores of 9.1 and affect FortiSandbox, FortiSandbox Cloud, and FortiSandbox PaaS. According to Fortinet, they are OS command injection flaws that allow ...

  • Nichirei getting back online after cyberattack hit KFC supplies

    July 16, 2026

    Nichirei, the food distributor hit by a cyberattack that disrupted supplies to Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan and other outlets, said its systems are getting back online as it takes steps to remedy the disruption. The Tokyo-based provider of frozen food, ice and meat products said in a statement Thursday that it worked with an external cybersecurity specialist to ...

  • GoSerpent: a persistent threat evolves with sophisticated data collection and exfiltration

    July 16, 2026

    In February 2026, Kaspersky discovered a set of malicious activities that had been ongoing since late 2025. These activities involved a RAT module written in Go with proxy capabilities, which served as the main stage of the attack. The attack targeted government and diplomatic entities in Southeast Asia and showed a level of sophistication that ...

  • Coca-Cola suspended production at its Fairlife dairy after a ransomware attack

    July 16, 2026

    U.S. beverage maker Coca-Cola said one of its dairy subsidiaries was hacked and that it’s shutting down its operations for the foreseeable future. The multinational giant said in a disclosure with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that its Fairlife dairy company was hit by ransomware and that its production systems are affected. The company said that ...

  • Tech support scam caused massive data breach at Australian airline Qantas

    July 16, 2026

    Australia’s Privacy Commissioner has revealed a tech support scam was the cause of the massive 2025 data breach at Australian airline Qantas and found the carrier didn’t breach its privacy obligations despite leaking personally identifiable information for 5.7 million customers. The Commissioner reached that conclusion, and a decision not to open a formal privacy probe, in ...