Cybersecurity Brief – 2025-05-18
Major Incidents or Breaches
- Coinbase will reimburse customers up to $400 million following a data breach. This incident highlights the significant financial impact of breaches affecting cryptocurrency platforms.
Notable Threat Actor Activity
- Twelve individuals have been indicted in relation to a $263 million cryptocurrency heist, underscoring ongoing organised cybercriminal activity targeting digital assets.
Newly Discovered Vulnerabilities & Tools
- A new tool, ‘Defendnot’, has emerged that can disable Microsoft Defender on Windows devices by registering a fake antivirus product. This technique allows attackers to bypass built-in endpoint protection, even if no legitimate AV is installed. The tactic may facilitate further malware deployment or persistence on compromised systems.
Trends, Tools, or Tactics of Interest
- The release and ongoing development of tools such as xorsearch.py, designed for detecting XOR-encoded data in malware analysis, reflects continued innovation in both offensive and defensive cyber capabilities. This tool is relevant for analysts investigating obfuscated malicious payloads.