Author: The Virus Informer

Security researchers have demonstrated a vulnerability in LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice that allows malicious spreadsheets to execute code automatically when opened, without displaying the warning messages typically shown before running macros. The attack requires Java support to be enabled in the affected applications. Currently, the vulnerability exists only as a proof of concept with no confirmed real-world attacks reported.

LibreOffice has already released patches addressing the flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-63277, with users advised to update to version 26.2.5 or 26.8.0. Apache OpenOffice has not yet fixed the matching vulnerability, designated CVE-2026-59265, though a fix is expected in the upcoming version 4.1.17. Until then, OpenOffice users can mitigate the risk by disabling Java in program settings or avoiding opening untrusted spreadsheet files. The attack exploits legitimate features that work together to download and execute malicious code without user consent.

Source: Read the full story at The Hacker News

This summary was written with AI assistance from the linked source.

ASOS, a major UK-based online fashion retailer, confirmed a data breach after hackers sent unauthorized push notifications through its mobile app on Tuesday morning. The attackers claimed to have compromised the company’s Snowflake environment and demanded engagement, threatening to leak stolen data. ASOS confirmed that unauthorized access occurred to third-party platforms used for customer communications, resulting in exposure of basic personal information such as names and contact details. The company advised customers to disregard the malicious notification and avoid clicking any external links it contained.

ASOS stated that payment card information and account passwords were not impacted by the breach. However, the company has not verified the threat actor’s claims about compromising its Snowflake environment or disclosed the number of affected customers. A group calling itself “Xuanye group” claimed responsibility for the attack and posted messages to a Telegram channel, stating that customer information was stolen but would remain secure for a designated period. The threat actors did not provide evidence of the breach or specify what customer data was allegedly taken.

Source: Read the full story at BleepingComputer

This summary was written with AI assistance from the linked source.

A former core infrastructure engineer at a New Jersey industrial company has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for conducting a ransomware-style attack on his employer’s network. Daniel Rhyne, 57, from Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to an extortion plot after being arrested in August 2024. Between November and December 2023, he remotely accessed the company’s systems using administrator credentials and locked thousands of devices by changing passwords on domain and local administrator accounts.

Rhyne’s actions blocked access to 254 servers and 3,284 workstations. He also deleted server backups and sent a ransom email demanding 20 bitcoins, approximately $750,000 at the time, threatening to shut down 40 random servers daily unless payment was made. Investigators discovered that Rhyne had searched online for information about changing passwords, deleting accounts, and clearing logs before executing his attack. The case is one of several recent prosecutions involving employees attempting to extort their employers through cyber attacks.

Source: Read the full story at BleepingComputer

This summary was written with AI assistance from the linked source.

MetaMask, a cryptocurrency wallet provider owned by blockchain software company Consensys, disclosed a security incident affecting some of its infrastructure on Thursday. The company stated there is no immediate threat to MetaMask wallets and is addressing the issue with assistance from external partners and security advisors. MetaMask has not disclosed specific details about which infrastructure components were affected or whether any systems or data were compromised.

As a precautionary measure, MetaMask is exiting validators from its non-custodial staking operations in coordination with partners. Validators are nodes on the Ethereum network responsible for proposing blocks and verifying transactions. The staking platform Lido Finance announced that MetaMask Staking has begun exiting its Ethereum validators, with the process expected to be completed by October 7th, 2026. The company noted this action may result in foregone rewards and possible penalties.

Source: Read the full story at BleepingComputer

This summary was written with AI assistance from the linked source.

Japanese media company Nikkei disclosed two separate cyberattacks on employee accounts. In the more recent incident, an attacker compromised a Microsoft 365 account and sent approximately 9,000 phishing emails on September 30 to people both inside and outside the company, including journalistic sources. The malicious emails contained links to dangerous websites and targeted individuals who had previously communicated with Nikkei staff. The company changed the account password, detected no further unauthorized access, and contacted recipients. The breach potentially exposed recipient names, email addresses, and some email contents.

An earlier incident involved unauthorized access to a Google Workspace account used by another employee beginning in late July, potentially compromising personal information of 1,646 people including employees and business partners. Nikkei discovered the intrusion in August after receiving a Google alert. The company found no evidence of subsequent unauthorized logins or misuse of exposed information. These cyberattacks are part of a broader pattern of security breaches affecting major Japanese companies recently, including Daiwa Securities, Yamato Transport, Dai-ichi Life, Sagawa Express, and Ikegami Tsushinki.

Source: Read the full story at The Record

This summary was written with AI assistance from the linked source.

Google has temporarily halted submissions to its Open Source Software Vulnerability Rewards Program due to a surge in automated, low-quality reports. The program, which launched in August 2022 and rewards security researchers for identifying flaws in open-source projects like Golang and Angular, will no longer accept product vulnerability submissions. Google stated that the vast majority of recent automated submissions were invalid. The company is working to address these issues and plans to provide updates in the first quarter of 2027.

Researchers can still submit security patches through Google’s Patch Rewards Program and report vulnerabilities affecting Google Cloud products through its Cloud VRP. Google has distributed over $81.6 million in total rewards since launching its first vulnerability reward program in 2010. This suspension follows similar actions by other organizations, including curl’s decision to end its bug bounty program in January and Intel’s removal of financial rewards for vulnerability reports in September, both citing an overwhelming influx of AI-generated submissions.

Source: Read the full story at BleepingComputer

This summary was written with AI assistance from the linked source.

OpenAI is implementing invisible watermarks in text generated by ChatGPT and Codex for European Union users. The technology, called textGrain, subtly modifies word choices to create a detectable statistical pattern that remains hidden when text is read or copied. Starting today, API developers worldwide can voluntarily enable watermarking for compatible models, though it is currently disabled by default. OpenAI is accepting applications for access to its watermark detector, with initial access limited to approved researchers and expert organizations.

However, OpenAI acknowledges significant limitations with its watermarking approach. Testing reveals that ordinary text editing substantially reduces detection effectiveness—replacing just 10 percent of words with synonyms lowered detection rates from 92 percent to 66 percent. Detection performance also varies by subject matter, performing worse in mathematics where models have fewer word choice alternatives. OpenAI cautions that the absence of a detected watermark does not confirm human authorship, and that text may be too brief, edited, or translated for reliable detection. The company states that detected watermarks reveal neither the creator’s identity nor account information.

Source: Read the full story at BleepingComputer

This summary was written with AI assistance from the linked source.