The electricity grid – the buzzing, crackling marvel that supplies the lifeblood of modernity – is by far the largest structure humanity ever built. It’s so big, in fact, that few people even notice it, like a fish can’t see the ocean. Until the grid goes down, that is. Then, like the fish dangling from…

Sponsored social media content has become increasingly present on feeds. Sponsored ads can often be beneficial as they are customized to suit online personas, offering relevant content tailored specifically for you. While personalized ads can help enhance your online experience, not all are legitimate. In fact, scams originating from phony ads on social media have…

Bitdefender researchers investigated a series of incidents at high-level organizations in countries of the South China Sea region, all performed by the same  threat actor we track as Unfading Sea Haze. Based on the victimology and the cyber-attack’s aim, we believe the threat actor is aligned with China’s interests. As tensions in the region rise,…

Since 2014, Bitdefender IoT researchers have been looking into the world’s most popular IoT devices, hunting for vulnerabilities and undocumented attack avenues. This report documents four vulnerabilities affecting devices powered by the ThroughTek Kalay Platform. Due to the platform’s massive presence in IoT integrations, these flaws have a significant downstream impact on several vendors. In…

As the creator of the world’s first smart home cybersecurity hub, Bitdefender regularly audits popular IoT hardware for vulnerabilities. This research paper is part of a broader program that aims to shed light on the security of the world’s best-sellers in the IoT space. This report covers vulnerabilities discovered while researching the LG WebOS TV…

The impact that AI has on society has steadily crept into the darkest nooks and crannies of the internet. So much so that cybercrooks are hitching free rides on the AI bandwagon by leveraging the increased demand of AI-powered software for content creators. Cybercriminal groups constantly adapt their operating methods and tools to stay a…

Social media platforms are overflowing with scams. In the past couple of months, Bitdefender Labs has been monitoring a steep increase in fraudulent social media ads on Facebook promoting various swindles ranging from crypto-doubling to AI-generated celebrity-endorsed giveaways. Our latest analysis has spotted a consistent trend, with fraudsters continuing to exploit Meta’s ad system to…

Here at Bitdefender, we’re constantly working on improving detection capabilities for our macOS cyber-security products; part of this effort involves revisiting old (or digging up new) samples from our malware zoo. During routine verifications, we were able to isolate multiple suspicious and undetected macOS disk image files surprisingly small for files of this kind (1.3…

CVE-2024-23204 sheds light on the critical importance of continuous security vigilance. Apple’s Shortcuts application, designed to enhance user automation, can inadvertently become a potential vector for privacy breaches. This analysis aims to provide users, developers, and security professionals with insights into the nature of the vulnerability, its potential impact, and recommended mitigation measures. At a…

Bitdefender Labs has been keeping up with the latest modus operandi of cybercrooks who adapt emerging technologies to siphon money from consumers. Artificial intelligence is just one of the many tools that help in the creation and successful dissemination of online schemes to extort money and sensitive information. This paper focuses on voice cloning (audio…