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Research Saturday

Research Saturday

By: N2K Networks
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Summary

 Every Saturday, we sit down with cybersecurity researchers to talk shop about the latest threats, vulnerabilities, and technical discoveries.© 2024 N2K Networks, Inc. 706761 Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Scam papers served.

    Scam papers served.
    May 16 2026
    ⁠⁠Thomas Elkins⁠⁠, SOC L3 Analyst from ⁠⁠BlueVoyant⁠⁠, is discussing "Unpacking Augmented Marauder’s Multi-Pronged Casbaneiro Campaigns." BlueVoyant researchers uncovered a large-scale phishing campaign by a Brazil-linked threat group targeting Spanish-speaking users across Latin America and Europe, using fake judicial summons emails, WhatsApp attacks, ClickFix tactics, and email phishing to spread the Casbaneiro banking trojan through the Horabot malware framework. The campaign uses sophisticated evasion methods including password-protected PDFs, dynamically generated ZIP filenames, anti-sandbox checks, fileless execution, and customized phishing lures to bypass security tools while turning infected systems into self-propagating botnets that hijack Outlook and webmail accounts to spread further attacks. Researchers say the operation highlights how the Augmented Marauder group (also known as Water Saci) is rapidly evolving its malware ecosystem, combining WhatsApp automation, dynamic phishing infrastructure, and advanced banking malware delivery into a highly adaptable, multi-pronged cybercrime operation. The research and executive brief can be found here: ⁠Unpacking Augmented Marauder’s Multi-Pronged Casbaneiro Campaigns⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • The spy who logged me in.

    The spy who logged me in.
    May 9 2026
    Mark Kelly, Staff Threat Researcher at Proofpoint, is discussing their work on "I’d come running back to EU again: TA416 resumes European government espionage campaigns." China-linked threat group TA416 has resumed large-scale phishing and malware campaigns targeting European governments, diplomatic missions tied to the EU and NATO, and more recently Middle Eastern entities following the outbreak of conflict in Iran. The group has continually evolved its tactics between mid-2025 and early 2026, using techniques like fake Cloudflare verification pages, Microsoft OAuth redirect abuse, and malicious C# project files to deliver customized PlugX malware through spearphishing campaigns. Researchers say the renewed activity reflects shifting geopolitical priorities tied to EU-China tensions, the Russia-Ukraine war, and instability in the Middle East, while highlighting TA416’s ongoing focus on intelligence gathering against diplomatic networks. The research and executive brief can be found here: I’d come running back to EU again: TA416 resumes European government espionage campaigns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    24 mins
  • Double-edged threat.

    Double-edged threat.
    May 2 2026
    Today we are joined by Justin Albrecht, Principal Researcher at Lookout, discussing "Attackers Wielding DarkSword Threaten iOS Users." DarkSword is a highly sophisticated iOS exploit chain discovered by Lookout that targets iPhones (iOS 18.4–18.6.2), enabling near zero-click compromise and rapid theft of sensitive data, including credentials and cryptocurrency wallet information. Likely deployed by a Russia-linked threat actor (UNC6353) against Ukrainian users, it uses watering hole attacks on compromised websites and operates in a “hit-and-run” fashion—exfiltrating data within minutes before wiping traces. The campaign highlights a growing secondary market for advanced exploits, allowing financially motivated groups to access powerful tools once reserved for state actors, significantly expanding the mobile threat landscape. The research and executive brief can be found here: ⁠Attackers Wielding DarkSword Threaten iOS Users Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
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