- Adversaries Leverage AI for Vulnerability Exploitation, Augmented Operations, and Initial Access
May 11, 2026
Since our February 2026 report on AI-related threat activity, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has continued to track a maturing transition from nascent AI-enabled operations to the industrial-scale application of generative models within adversarial workflows. This report, based on insights derived from Mandiant incident response engagements, Gemini, and GTIG’s proactive research, highlights the dual nature ...
- Experts warn nearly half of the world’s passwords can easily be cracked in just a few minutes
May 8, 2026
Using real-world samples recovered from the dark web, Kaspersky researchers have tested how long it would take to crack most passwords, and found that almost half of the world’s passwords can be cracked in less than a minute. Additionally, the research shows that within an hour, that number rises to three out of five passwords. Armed with this knowledge, ...
- Disgraced US gov software contractor found guilty of database destruction
May 8, 2026
A Virginia man, Sohaib Akhter, faces decades in prison after a jury convicted him of being involved in a scheme to delete approximately 96 databases containing US government data. The events of the case transpired around two weeks before the twin brothers allegedly involved were fired from their jobs at a software supplier to the US ...
- Poland says hackers breached water treatment plants, and the US is facing the same threat
May 8, 2026
Poland’s intelligence service said it detected attacks on five water treatment plants where hackers could have taken control of the industrial equipment inside, including, in the worst case, tampering with the safety of the water supply. The story is relevant beyond Poland’s borders: U.S. water infrastructure has faced similar threats in recent years. In 2021, a ...
- Worm rubs out competitor’s malware, then takes control
May 8, 2026
There’s a mysterious framework worming its way through exposed cloud instances removing all traces of TeamPCP infections, but it’s not benevolent by a long shot: Whoever is behind this bit of malware may be cleaning up who came before, but only so they can take their place. Discovered by security outfit SentinelOne’s SentinelLabs researchers and dubbed PCPJack ...
- ‘Dirty Frag’ Linux flaw one-ups CopyFail with no patches and public root exploit
May 8, 2026
Broken disclosure embargo left admins facing a fresh root-level flaw with no CVE A fresh Linux privilege escalation bug dubbed “Dirty Frag” has dropped into the wild with no patches, no CVE, and a public exploit that hands attackers root access across major distributions.Security researcher Hyunwoo Kim disclosed the local privilege escalation flaw on Friday after what he ...
- Police arrest SMS blaster crew that sent malicious messages to thousands across Toronto
May 7, 2026
Police have arrested and brought 44 charges against three men for allegedly operating an SMS blaster in downtown Toronto. The scheme, which began in November 2025, is the “first known instance” of an SMS blaster operating in Canada, according to the police report. In a statement, the Toronto Police Service said it believes tens of thousands of ...
- Muddying the Tracks: The State-Sponsored Shadow Behind Chaos Ransomware
May 6, 2026
Researchers at Rapid7 say that they have spotted what they believe was an Iranian intelligence cyber unit masquerading as the Chaos ransomware gang to hide a state-sponsored espionage operation. The intrusion was spotted earlier this year, and investigators say breadcrumbs left behind give them “medium confidence” in saying it was the work of MuddyWater, which has ...
- DOJ says ransomware gang tapped into Russian government databases
May 6, 2026
A U.S. court has sentenced Latvian hacker Deniss Zolotarjovs to more than eight years in prison following his conviction for carrying out ransomware attacks. The Justice Department accused the hacker of working for a notorious Russian ransomware gang called Karakurt, which was led by former leaders of the Akira and Conti ransomware gangs, who were sanctioned ...
- Critical Buffer Overflow in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS User-ID Authentication Portal (CVE-2026-0300)
May 6, 2026
On May 6, 2026, Palo Alto Networks published a security advisory for CVE-2026-0300, a critical unauthenticated buffer overflow vulnerability affecting PAN-OS PA-Series and VM-Series firewall appliances. Prisma Access, Cloud NGFW, and Panorama appliances are not affected by this vulnerability. The vulnerability carries a CVSSv4 score of 9.3 and has been confirmed as exploited in the wild ...
- Canvas maker Instructure reveals data breach — confirms user personal information leaked
May 5, 2026
Instructure, the edtech giant behind the popular Canvas learning system, has confirmed suffering a cyberattack and losing sensitive customer data. The company issued a brief statement, confirming the hit, “While our investigation continues alongside our outside forensics experts, at this stage we believe the incident has been contained,” the notice reads. Instructure said the crooks accessed ...