Daily Brief

President Trump announced that a consortium, featuring Michael Dell and Larry Ellison, plans to acquire TikTok's US operations, aiming to address national security concerns. Oracle's cloud infrastructure, which already hosts TikTok's US traffic, will likely continue to support the app, ensuring data remains within American jurisdiction. The acquisition deal mandates majority US ownership, with six out of seven board seats occupied by US citizens, reinforcing control over TikTok's operations. While Michael Dell's specific role remains unclear, his involvement is suggested through BDT & MSD Partners, which invests on behalf of Dell and other investors. The acquisition aligns with US legal requirements for ByteDance to divest TikTok's US operations, potentially mitigating perceived security risks associated with foreign ownership. Speculation exists around the potential development of a Dell hyperscale sovereign SaaS platform, leveraging TikTok's infrastructure capabilities. The deal is seen as beneficial for US political discourse and economic interests, maintaining TikTok's connectivity with young voters and the broader American public.

Microsoft patched a critical vulnerability in Entra ID, previously known as Azure Active Directory, that allowed attackers to impersonate Global Administrators across tenants. The flaw, identified as CVE-2025-55241, received a CVSS score of 10.0, indicating its severe potential impact on global cloud security. Exploitation involved service-to-service tokens and a deprecated Azure AD Graph API, which failed to validate tenant sources, enabling unauthorized cross-tenant access. No evidence suggests the vulnerability was exploited in the wild before being addressed by Microsoft on July 17, 2025, requiring no action from customers. Successful exploitation could bypass multi-factor authentication and Conditional Access, potentially leading to full tenant compromise without detection. The issue underscores the critical need for organizations to migrate from deprecated APIs and maintain vigilance over cloud security configurations. This incident follows recent discoveries of cloud misconfigurations, emphasizing the broader risks associated with cloud infrastructure and the importance of proactive security measures.

Collins Aerospace experienced a cyber-related disruption affecting its ARINC cMUSE system, leading to delays and cancellations at European airports, including Brussels and Heathrow. The ARINC cMUSE system allows multiple airlines to share check-in desks and boarding gates, but manual check-in processes were required due to the disruption. In the U.S., severed fiber optic cables at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport caused significant delays, impacting FAA radar and communication systems. American Airlines reported a drastic reduction in flight departures from DFW, with only nine flights departing in a three-hour window compared to the usual 100 per hour. The FAA and contractors developed a workaround to release flights manually, though the process was slow and inefficient, leading to nearly 700 flight cancellations. The incidents reveal vulnerabilities in aviation technology infrastructure and emphasize the need for modernization to enhance system resilience and reliability. The FAA cited outdated infrastructure as a critical issue, stressing the importance of upgrading to digital systems to prevent future disruptions.

A ransomware attack in July 2025 compromised the French Natural History Museum's security, leading to a $705,000 gold heist. Thieves exploited the disabled alarm and surveillance systems, using tools to access the museum's mineral display section. The stolen gold nuggets, weighing six kilograms, are believed to have been melted, complicating recovery efforts. The FBI issued a warning about spoofed websites imitating its Internet Crime Complaint Center, aiming to collect personal data. ICE has contracted Magnet Forensics for software to unlock mobile devices, enhancing its investigative capabilities. French luxury brands Kering and Tiffany reported data breaches, with attackers accessing limited customer data but not financial information.

A vulnerability in Microsoft Entra ID, formerly Azure AD, could have enabled attackers to hijack any company's tenant globally, posing a severe security risk. The flaw involved undocumented "actor tokens" and a vulnerability in the Azure AD Graph API, identified as CVE-2025-55241, which allowed unauthorized access without detection. Exploitation of this flaw would grant attackers Global Admin privileges, enabling full control over the tenant's services and user impersonation. The actor tokens, used internally by Microsoft, lacked essential security controls, allowing impersonation of any user for up to 24 hours without revocation capability. Security researcher Dirk-jan Mollema discovered the flaw and reported it to Microsoft, which resolved the issue within nine days of notification. Microsoft has initiated the deprecation process for the Azure AD Graph API, with full discontinuation expected by September 2025, enhancing security measures. Organizations relying on Microsoft Entra ID should review their security configurations and monitor for unusual activities to mitigate potential risks.

North Korean threat actors are using ClickFix-style social engineering to deliver BeaverTail malware, targeting roles in cryptocurrency and retail sectors instead of software developers. The campaign, known as Contagious Interview, employs fake job assessments to distribute malware, marking a shift in targeting strategy and leveraging compiled binaries for broader system compatibility. BeaverTail, written in JavaScript, functions as an information stealer and downloader for the Python-based backdoor InvisibleFerret, with recent variants targeting fewer browser extensions. A fake hiring platform created using Vercel is used to lure victims, capturing IP addresses and deploying malware through deceptive technical error messages. The campaign reflects an adaptation to reach less technical targets, indicating a strategic expansion beyond traditional software developer targets to include marketing and trading roles. Investigations reveal that at least 230 individuals were targeted in early 2025 through fake cryptocurrency job interviews, with malware disguised as updates or utilities tailored to victims' systems. The attackers are actively refining their infrastructure, rapidly deploying new systems post-takedown, and leveraging cyber threat intelligence to enhance campaign resilience and effectiveness. This activity aligns with North Korea's historical attempts to gather threat intelligence, showcasing a tactical shift towards financially motivated operations alongside traditional espionage efforts.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has shut down TradeOgre, a cryptocurrency exchange, seizing over $40 million linked to suspected criminal activities. This action marks Canada's first closure of a crypto exchange by law enforcement and its largest asset seizure to date. TradeOgre was known for prioritizing user privacy, dealing in niche altcoins, and supporting Monero, a cryptocurrency favored for its anonymity. The platform did not comply with Canadian regulations, failing to register with FINTRAC or implement Know Your Customer (KYC) policies. The investigation, initiated by a Europol tip, began in June 2024, leading to the platform's shutdown in July, initially sparking exit scam suspicions. The RCMP acknowledged that not all seized cryptocurrencies may be linked to illegal activities, offering non-criminal users potential legal recourse. The case underscores the challenges of balancing privacy in cryptocurrency exchanges with compliance and anti-money laundering efforts.

LastPass has identified a campaign targeting macOS users through fake GitHub repositories distributing the Atomic infostealer malware, posing as legitimate tools. The campaign impersonates popular applications like 1Password, Dropbox, and Shopify, aiming to deceive users into downloading malicious software. Attackers use SEO poisoning to elevate malicious GitHub links in Bing and Google search results, directing users to download malware. The GitHub pages, created under multiple usernames, circumvent takedown efforts and redirect users to execute commands deploying the malware. The Atomic Stealer malware is delivered through ClickFix-style instructions, exploiting macOS Terminal to establish remote server connections. Similar tactics have been used in past campaigns, leveraging Google Ads and bogus repositories to distribute multi-stage droppers. Organizations are advised to enhance monitoring of repository activities and educate users on recognizing suspicious download prompts.

SentinelOne's SentinelLABS has identified MalTerminal, the earliest known malware integrating Large Language Model (LLM) capabilities, as presented at LABScon 2025. MalTerminal utilizes OpenAI's GPT-4 to dynamically generate ransomware or a reverse shell, marking a new category of LLM-embedded malware. The malware includes Python scripts and a Windows executable, suggesting its potential as a proof-of-concept or red team tool, with no confirmed wild deployment. Researchers noted the malware's use of a deprecated OpenAI API endpoint, indicating its creation before November 2023. LLM integration in malware represents a significant shift in cyber threat tactics, complicating detection and response efforts for cybersecurity teams. Concurrently, StrongestLayer reported advanced phishing techniques using LLMs to bypass AI security scanners, exploiting vulnerabilities like Follina (CVE-2022-30190). The rise in AI-driven cyber threats underscores the need for enhanced defensive strategies to counteract sophisticated adversary tactics.

Cybersecurity researchers identified a zero-click flaw in OpenAI's ChatGPT Deep Research agent, named ShadowLeak, potentially exposing Gmail inbox data through a single crafted email. The attack leverages indirect prompt injection hidden in email HTML, bypassing user detection, and exploiting OpenAI's cloud infrastructure to leak data. OpenAI addressed the vulnerability in August 2025 after responsible disclosure in June, highlighting the need for robust security measures in AI integrations. The flaw extends to any connector supported by ChatGPT, including Google Drive and Microsoft Outlook, significantly expanding the potential attack surface. Unlike previous client-side attacks, ShadowLeak operates within OpenAI's cloud, evading traditional security defenses and complicating detection efforts. The incident emphasizes the importance of securing AI systems against indirect prompt injections and maintaining vigilance in AI-driven environments. This case also underlines the necessity for continuous security assessments and red teaming to protect against evolving AI vulnerabilities.

Researchers demonstrated that ChatGPT can be manipulated to solve CAPTCHA puzzles, challenging the reliability of this security mechanism designed to differentiate humans from bots. Using creative prompts, researchers bypassed ChatGPT's policy restrictions, enabling it to solve various CAPTCHA types, including one-click and logic-based challenges. The AI showed difficulty with more complex image-based CAPTCHAs, indicating some limitations in its current capabilities. This breakthrough raises questions about the future effectiveness of CAPTCHAs as a security measure against advanced AI systems. OpenAI has not yet commented on these findings, which suggest potential vulnerabilities in AI policy enforcement. The incident is part of a broader trend where AI systems are tricked into performing actions outside their intended scope, highlighting the need for robust guardrails. Recent examples include prompt injections affecting other AI tools, prompting companies like Amazon to address security flaws promptly.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported exploitation of two zero-day vulnerabilities in Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM), used to plant malware in an unnamed organization. The exploited vulnerabilities, CVE-2025-4427 and CVE-2025-4428, involve an authentication bypass and a post-authentication remote code execution flaw, respectively, allowing attackers to hijack systems. Attackers deployed two malware sets, with loaders that enable arbitrary code execution by intercepting and processing specific HTTP requests on compromised servers. The malware was delivered in segmented, Base64-encoded forms via separate HTTP GET requests, complicating detection and bypassing signature-based security tools. CISA released indicators of compromise (IOCs) and advised organizations to update to the latest Ivanti EPMM version and treat mobile device management systems as high-value assets. Australia's intelligence agency has alerted large organizations and government entities to potential threats targeting these vulnerabilities, suggesting a broader risk landscape. The incident underscores the critical need for timely patch management and enhanced monitoring of mobile device management systems to mitigate potential threats.

The FBI has issued a warning about cybercriminals creating fake websites mimicking its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) to conduct financial scams and steal personal information. These spoofed websites often use slight domain alterations to deceive users, potentially collecting sensitive data such as names, addresses, and banking details. Examples of such fraudulent domains include icc3[.]live and ic3a[.]com, which mimic the official IC3 site to mislead visitors. The FBI advises users to manually enter www.ic3.gov in browsers and avoid search engine results that could lead to phishing sites. The agency emphasizes that IC3 or FBI personnel will not contact individuals directly to recover funds or request payments for such services. This warning follows a broader trend of scammers impersonating law enforcement, with recent arrests in Spain for similar fraudulent activities. Users are urged to protect their personal information and remain vigilant against unsolicited requests for financial transactions or personal data sharing.

Iranian-linked group UNC1549, associated with IRGC, infiltrated 34 devices in 11 telecom firms across Canada, France, UAE, UK, and the US using LinkedIn job lures. The campaign, tracked as Subtle Snail, involved posing as HR representatives to deliver the MINIBIKE backdoor, exploiting Azure cloud services to avoid detection. Targets included researchers, developers, and IT administrators, with a focus on long-term espionage and data exfiltration within telecommunications and aerospace sectors. Attackers utilized spear-phishing and fake recruitment drives, leveraging LinkedIn to identify and engage potential victims, leading to malware deployment via fraudulent domains. MINIBIKE backdoor executed DLL side-loading, enabling system reconnaissance, credential theft, and data exfiltration while using advanced evasion techniques to resist detection. The campaign's sophistication and tailored approach underscore the persistent threat posed by state-sponsored cyber espionage, impacting critical infrastructure and sensitive data. Concurrently, MuddyWater, another Iranian group, shifted tactics to bespoke malware, reducing reliance on RMM tools, and expanding operations to Europe and the US.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released an analysis on malware used in attacks exploiting Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities, CVE-2025-4427 and CVE-2025-4428, involve an authentication bypass and a code injection flaw, affecting several Ivanti EPMM versions. Ivanti addressed these issues on May 13, but threat actors had already exploited them as zero-day vulnerabilities against a limited number of clients. EclecticIQ linked the exploitation to a China-nexus espionage group, which has been leveraging these vulnerabilities since at least May 15. CISA's report focuses on the technical aspects of the malware, detailing the use of HTTP GET requests for malicious command execution. The malware was delivered in segmented, Base64-encoded chunks, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code and conduct reconnaissance. CISA provided indicators of compromise, YARA rules, and a SIGMA rule to assist organizations in detecting similar attacks. Organizations are urged to patch affected systems immediately and treat mobile device management systems as high-value assets requiring enhanced security measures.