Ransomware attacks surge in Europe, US organizations at risk

The FBI has issued an alert about two cybercriminal groups, UNC6040 and UNC6395, targeting Salesforce platforms for data theft and extortion. UNC6395 exploited compromised OAuth tokens for the Salesloft Drift application, while UNC6040 used vishing campaigns and modified Salesforce tools to breach Salesforce instances. Both groups have been active since at least October 2024, impacting multiple organizations. UNC6040 has been linked to extortion activities, with Google attributing these to a separate cluster, UNC6240, which has claimed to be the ShinyHunters group. The ShinyHunters group, along with Scattered Spider and LAPSUS$, recently announced they are going dark, but experts warn that the threat persists. UNC6040 impersonated corporate IT support personnel to gain access to Salesforce environments and used modified versions of Salesforce's Data Loader to exfiltrate data. Salesforce re-enabled integrations with Salesloft technologies, except for the Drift app, which remains disabled.

The Akira ransomware group has been actively exploiting SonicWall SSL VPN flaws and misconfigurations to gain initial access to networks. This campaign has seen increased activity since late July 2025, targeting SonicWall devices to facilitate ransomware operations. The group leverages a combination of security vulnerabilities, including a year-old flaw (CVE-2024-40766) and misconfigured LDAP settings, to bypass access controls and infiltrate networks. Organizations are advised to rotate passwords, remove unused accounts, enable multi-factor authentication, and restrict access to the Virtual Office Portal to mitigate risks. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has acknowledged Akira's targeting of SonicWall SSL VPNs and issued alerts about the increased exploitation of CVE-2024-40766.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on several large cyber scam networks in Southeast Asia, particularly in Burma and Cambodia. These operations, which stole over $10 billion from Americans in 2024, are known for using forced labor, human trafficking, and physical violence. The scams include 'romance baiting' and fake cryptocurrency investment schemes. The financial damage to Americans increased by 66% compared to the previous year. The sanctions target 19 entities and individuals linked to the Karen National Army (KNA) in Burma and various organized crime networks in Cambodia. These entities are involved in running scam centers, providing infrastructure, and facilitating money laundering. The sanctions block these entities from the U.S. financial system, freeze their U.S. assets, and limit their access to international financial services. The cybercriminal syndicates in Southeast Asia are estimated to net nearly $40 billion annually in illicit profits. In May 2025, OFAC targeted Funnull Technology Inc. and its administrator Liu Lizhi for their part in romance scams that caused more than $200 million in losses. In July 2025, Cambodian law enforcement raided several cyber-scam centers, arresting more than 1,000 people. The cybercriminal operations have led to the growth of entire cities along national borders, especially in conflict zones and special economic zones (SEZs).

Threat actors are increasingly targeting web browsers as a primary attack vector. This shift is driven by the browser's central role in accessing sensitive data and cloud applications, making it an attractive target for credential theft and session hijacking. High-profile incidents, such as the Snowflake breach, underscore the need for enhanced browser security measures. The browser's role in accessing sensitive data and cloud applications makes it a prime target for attackers. The Snowflake breach, which exploited stolen credentials, highlights the risks associated with browser-based attacks. Experts emphasize the need for stronger browser security to mitigate these threats. Browser-based attacks include phishing for credentials and sessions, malicious copy & paste (ClickFix), malicious OAuth integrations, malicious browser extensions, malicious file delivery, and exploiting stolen credentials and MFA gaps. These attacks exploit the browser's role in accessing business applications and data, making it crucial for security teams to focus on browser security.

A phishing campaign targeting KazMunaiGas employees was initially attributed to the Noisy Bear threat actor. The campaign, codenamed Operation BarrelFire, involved phishing emails with malicious attachments. KazMunaiGas later clarified that the activity was part of a planned phishing test conducted in May 2025. The campaign used a ZIP file containing a Windows shortcut (LNK) downloader, a decoy document, and instructions in Russian and Kazakh. The LNK file dropped additional payloads, including a PowerShell loader and a DLL-based implant. The infrastructure was hosted on a Russia-based bulletproof hosting service. The campaign was initially reported in September 2025, with KazMunaiGas confirming it was a test in response to the report. The Noisy Bear threat actor has been active since at least April 2025, with the campaign involving sophisticated techniques such as anti-analysis measures and CreateRemoteThread Injection. The activity has geopolitical implications, potentially aiming to sustain information advantage in Central Asia.