An ongoing phishing campaign abuses a little‑known feature in Microsoft 365 called "Direct Send" to evade detection by email security and steal credentials.
Direct Send is a Microsoft 365 feature that allows on‑premises devices, applications, or cloud services to send emails through a tenant's smart host as if they originated from the organization's domain. It’s designed for use by printers, scanners, and other devices that need to send messages on behalf of the company.
However, the feature is a known security risk, as it doesn't require any authentication, allowing remote users to send internal‑looking emails from the company's domain.
Microsoft recommends that only advanced customers utilize the feature, as its safety depends on whether Microsoft 365 is configured correctly and the smart host is properly locked down..
"We recommend Direct Send only for advanced customers willing to take on the responsibilities of email server admins," explains Microsoft.
"You need to be familiar with setting up and following best practices for sending email over the internet. When correctly configured and managed, Direct Send is a secure and viable option. But customers run the risk of misconfiguration that disrupts mail flow or threatens the security of their communication."
The company has shared ways to disable the feature, which are explained later in the article, and says they are working on a way to deprecate the feature.
The company has not disclosed how many users were affected or whether any wallets were compromised as a result of the exploit.
Hackers exploited a vulnerability in CoinMarketCap’s front-end system, using a seemingly harmless doodle image to inject malicious code that triggered fake wallet verification pop-ups across the site.
The breach, confirmed by CoinMarketCap, used its backend API to deliver a manipulated JSON payload that embedded JavaScript into the homepage according to blockchain security firm Coinspect Security.
Securonix Threat Research uncovers SERPENTINE#CLOUD, a stealthy malware campaign abusing Cloudflare Tunnels to deliver in-memory Python-based payloads via .lnk phishing lures. Learn how this multi-stage attack evades detection, establishes persistence, and executes Donut-packed shellcode using Early Bird APC injection.
An ongoing malware campaign tracked as SERPENTINE#CLOUD has been identified as leveraging the Cloudflare Tunnel infrastructure and Python-based loaders to deliver memory-injected payloads through a chain of shortcut files and obfuscated scripts. For initial access, the threat actors are luring users to execute malicious .lnk files (shortcut files) disguised as documents to silently fetch and execute remote code. This kicks off a rather elaborate attack chain consisting of a combination of batch, VBScript and Python stages to ultimately deploy shellcode that loads a Donut-packed PE payload.
The shortcut files are delivered via phishing emails that contain a link to download a zipped document, often themed around payment or invoice scams. This assessment is based on the naming convention of the ZIP files observed, many of which included the word “invoice.”
Attribution remains unknown, though the attacker demonstrates fluency in English based on code comments and scripting practices. Telemetry indicates a strong focus on Western targets, with confirmed activity observed in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and other regions across Europe and Asia. The use of Cloudflare for payload hosting allows the attackers to remain anonymous and since their infrastructure is secured behind a trusted network, monitored traffic to this network will rarely raise alarms or be flagged as suspicious by network monitoring tools.
03.06.2025 - Le phishing fait partie depuis des années des cyberdélits les plus fréquemment signalés. Il s’agit d’un phénomène de masse. Les cybercriminels envoient de grandes quantités d’e-mails dans l’espoir qu’un petit pourcentage des destinataires se fasse piéger. Les attaquants misent ici sur la quantité plutôt que sur la qualité. L’OFCS observe toutefois de plus en plus d’attaques ciblées. Ces dernières sont certes moins nombreuses et plus coûteuses, mais offrent un meilleur taux de réussite. La semaine dernière, un cas particulier utilisant une méthode en deux étapes a été signalé à l’OFCS, illustrant la complexité croissante des attaques par hameçonnage.
La semaine dernière, un cas particulier d’attaque en deux temps a été signalé à l’OFCS, témoignant de la sophistication croissante des tentatives d’hameçonnage. La nouvelle technique utilisée commence de manière apparemment anodine par l’envoi d’un e-mail qui semble provenir d’une banque. Dans le cadre d’une prétendue directive de conformité d’un établissement financier et afin de garantir l’exactitude des données clients, il est demandé à l’utilisateur de mettre à jour ses informations personnelles.
E-mail prétendant que les données client doivent être mises à jour.
Après avoir cliqué sur le lien, une page web s’ouvre. Elle ressemble à s’y méprendre au site web de la banque correspondante. Des données telles que des numéros de contrat (p. ex. contrat e-banking), des noms et des numéros de téléphone y sont demandés. De nombreux internautes saisissent ces informations sans se poser de questions, car elles ne semblent pas particulièrement sensibles à première vue. Il n’est pas nécessaire d’indiquer les données de carte de crédit ou les mots de passe. Une fois les données saisies, l’utilisateur est redirigé vers la page d’accueil de la banque correspondante.
Il ne s’agit donc pas d’une attaque de phishing classique. Habituellement, l’OFCS recommande d’ailleurs simplement d’être particulièrement vigilant sur les sites web qui demandent des informations sensibles telles que des données de carte de crédit ou des mots de passe. C’est précisément ce qui rend cette méthode si dangereuse, comme le montre la suite de l’attaque.
Derzeit sind E-Mails mit einem gefälschten Absender namens «Kanton Schaffhausen» im Umlauf. In der Mail wird eine Rückerstattung versprochen. Der enthaltene Link führt zum Download von einer Software, die die Fernsteuerung Ihres Computers ermöglicht.
Diese E-Mails sind gefälscht und stammen nicht vom Kanton Schaffhausen.
Was Sie tun sollten:
Folgen Sie keinesfalls den darin enthaltenen Instruktionen
Löschen Sie die Mail und markieren Sie die Mail als Spam
Falls Sie den Link bereits angeklickt haben und die Software zur Fernsteuerung Ihres Computers installiert wurde:
Entfernen Sie die installierte Software und setzen Sie den Computer frisch auf.
Ändern Sie sofort Ihre Passwörter.
Überprüfen Sie, ob Ihre E-Mail-Adresse und Passwörter bereits in falsche Hände geraten oder im Internet missbraucht worden sind: https://www.ibarry.ch/de/sicherheits-checks
Beobachten Sie Ihr Bankkonto und kontaktieren Sie bei Verdacht Ihre Bank. Vor allem wenn Sie mit diesem Computer in der Zwischenzeit auf Ihr Bankkonto zugegriffen haben.
Melden Sie den Vorfall (freiwillig) beim Bundesamt für Cybersicherheit BACS:
https://www.report.ncsc.admin.ch/
Reichen Sie online eine Strafanzeige bei der Polizei ein:https://www.suisse-epolice.ch, falls sie geschädigt wurden.
Schauen Sie sich die Tipps und Infos rund um Phishing und Cybersicherheit auf: https://www.s-u-p-e-r.ch
Over the past year, Phishguard observed an increase in phishing campaigns leveraging Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files as initial delivery vectors, with attackers favoring this format due to its flexibility and the challenges it presents for static detection.
SVGs are an XML-based format designed for rendering two-dimensional vector graphics. Unlike raster formats like JPEGs or PNGs, which rely on pixel data, SVGs define graphics using vector paths and mathematical equations, making them infinitely scalable without loss of quality. Their markup-based structure also means they can be easily searched, indexed, and compressed, making them a popular choice in modern web applications.
However, the same features that make SVGs attractive to developers also make them a highly flexible - and dangerous - attack vector when abused. Since SVGs are essentially code, they can embed JavaScript and interact with the Document Object Model (DOM). When rendered in a browser, they aren’t just images - they become active content, capable of executing scripts and other manipulative behavior. In other words, SVGs are more than just static images; they are also programmable documents.
The security risk is underestimated, with SVGs frequently misclassified as innocuous image files, similar to PNGs or JPEGs - a misconception that downplays the fact that they can contain scripts and active content. Many security solutions and email filters fail to deeply inspect SVG content beyond basic MIME-type checks (a tool that identifies the type of a file based on its contents), allowing malicious SVG attachments to bypass detection.
We’ve seen a rise in the use of crafted SVG files in phishing campaigns. These attacks typically fall into three categories:
Redirectors - SVGs that embed JavaScript to automatically redirect users to credential harvesting sites when viewed
Self-contained phishing pages - SVGs that contain full phishing pages encoded in Base64, rendering fake login portals entirely client-side
DOM injection & script abuse - SVGs embedded into trusted apps or portals that exploit poor sanitisation and weak Content Security Policies (CSPs), enabling them to run malicious code, hijack inputs, or exfiltrate sensitive data
Given the capabilities highlighted above, attackers can now use SVGs to:
Gain unauthorized access to accounts
Create hidden mail rules
Phish internal contacts
Steal sensitive data
Initiate fraudulent transactions
Maintain long-term access
Our telemetry shows that manufacturing and industrial sectors are taking the brunt of these SVG-based phishing attempts, contributing to over half of all targeting observed. Financial services follow closely behind, likely due to SVG’s ability to easily facilitate the theft of banking credentials and other sensitive data. The pattern is clear: attackers are concentrating on business sectors that handle high volumes of documents or frequently interact with third parties.
AhnLab SEcurity intelligence Center (ASEC) recently identified a phishing malware being distributed in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format. SVG is an XML-based vector image file format commonly used for icons, logos, charts, and graphs, and it allows the use of CSS and JS scripts within the code. In November 2024, the ASEC Blog introduced SVG […]
Plusieurs comptes SwissPass ont été piratés depuis le début de l’année en Suisse romande. En Valais, la police recense 16 cas pour un préjudice total de 15’400 francs. Ce type de fraude s'étend au-delà du canton.
La police cantonale valaisanne a lancé une alerte après avoir enregistré une série de piratages de comptes SwissPass. Dans un communiqué publié le 20 mai, elle indique avoir reçu plusieurs signalements de connexions frauduleuses à ces comptes. Selon l’autorité, 16 cas ont été recensés depuis le début de l’année 2025 dans le canton, pour un préjudice total de 15’400 francs.
Les fraudeurs accèdent aux comptes grâce à des identifiants compromis, sans qu’un vol physique de la carte ne soit nécessaire. Une fois dans le compte, ils utilisent les moyens de paiement enregistrés comme Twint, la carte de crédit ou le paiement sur facture, pour acheter des billets de train, souvent à destination de la France, de l’Italie ou sur des liaisons transfrontalières. Cette méthode leur permet de détourner des montants importants sans jamais accéder au compte bancaire de la victime.
Overview: Check Point researchers have identified a new phishing campaign that exploits Microsoft’s “Dynamics 365 Customer Voice,” a customer relationship
Overview:
Check Point researchers have identified a new phishing campaign that exploits Microsoft’s “Dynamics 365 Customer Voice,” a customer relationship management software product. It’s often used to record customer calls, monitor customer reviews, share surveys and track feedback.
Microsoft 365 is used by over 2 million organizations worldwide. At least 500,000 organizations use Dynamics 365 Customer Voice, including 97% of Fortune 500 companies.
In this campaign, cyber criminals send business files and invoices from compromised accounts, and include fake Dynamics 365 Customer Voice links. The email configuration looks legitimate and easily tricks email recipients into taking the bait.
As part of this campaign, cyber criminals have deployed over 3,370 emails, with content reaching employees of over 350 organizations, the majority of which are American. More than a million different mailboxes were targeted.
Affected entities include well-established community betterment groups, colleges and universities, news outlets, a prominent health information group, and organizations that promote arts and culture, among others.
The number of reported cyber incidents and online threats in Switzerland rose sharply last year, according to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Last year, almost 63,000 cyber-related incidents were reported to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in Switzerland, an increase of 13,500 cases over the previous year. Between July and December, the NCSC recorded more than 28,000 incidents, slightly fewer than in the first half of 2024.
Fraud, phishing and spam messages continue to be the most frequently reported incidents. The increase on the previous year is mainly due to the phenomenon of false calls in the name of the authorities, with almost 22,000 reports compared with around 7,000 the previous year.
On the other hand, the number of e-mail threats has dropped. Over the past four years, fraudsters have used the telephone more as a communication channel.
Combined with AI, polymorphic phishing emails have become highly sophisticated, creating more personalized and evasive messages that result in higher attack success rates.
Discover advanced phishing techniques bypassing email security—Intezer reveals threats hidden in SVGs, PDFs, OneDrive, and OpenXML files.
Since early March 2025, Volexity has observed multiple suspected Russian threat actors conducting highly targeted social engineering operations aimed at gaining access to the Microsoft 365 (M365) accounts of targeted individuals. This activity comes on the heels of attacks Volexity reported on back in February 2025, where Russian threat actors were discovered targeting users and organizations through Device Code Authentication phishing...
Learn how a convincing Google spoof used a DKIM replay attack to bypass email security and trick users with a fake subpoena. A real-world phishing example you need to see.
In a rather clever attack, hackers leveraged a weakness that allowed them to send a fake email that seemed delivered from Google's systems, passing all verifications but pointing to a fraudulent page that collected logins.
Large-scale phishing attacks use DoH and DNS MX records to dynamically serve fake login pages
Connecting a successful phishing attempt to Scattered Spider through Validin pivoting
Starting in December 2024, leading up to some of the busiest travel days, Microsoft Threat Intelligence identified a phishing campaign that impersonates online travel agency Booking.com and targets organizations in the hospitality industry. The campaign uses a social engineering technique called ClickFix to deliver multiple credential-stealing malware in order to conduct financial fraud and theft. […]
In iOS 18, Apple spun off its Keychain password management tool—previously only tucked away in Settings—into a standalone app called...
