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A widespread malware campaign is leveraging compromised WhatsApp accounts to distribute malicious VBScript files disguised as financial documents. The multi-stage infection chain abuses legitimate Windows utilities to download payloads, attempts to bypass UAC via registry modifications, and ultimately deploys a preconfigured ManageEngine Endpoint Central RMM agent to establish persistent remote access.
In May 2026, ANY.RUN observed a surge in sophisticated phishing and malware campaigns utilizing fileless execution, browser-based credential theft, and legitimate workflow abuse. Key threats included Agent Tesla credential harvesting, ClickFix fileless malware, BlobPhish in-memory page generation, and phishing-to-RMM chains bypassing traditional MFA via real-time OTP interception.
A large-scale phishing campaign is targeting U.S. organizations across multiple sectors using fake event invitations. The campaign employs a repeatable infrastructure to bypass initial defenses via CAPTCHA, subsequently leading to either credential and OTP interception or the deployment of legitimate Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools for persistent access.
Threat actors are increasingly leveraging phishing campaigns to deliver legitimate Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools like ScreenConnect and LogMeIn Rescue, bypassing traditional malware defenses. These attacks often utilize compromised domains, SEO injection, and VBS scripts to weaken endpoint controls (e.g., SmartScreen, Defender) before silently installing the RMM payload, creating significant visibility gaps for SOC teams.
Huntress has observed an uptick in threat actors exploiting CVE-2026-1731 in outdated Bomgar RMM instances to compromise organizations and their downstream clients. Attackers utilize this access to establish persistence via secondary RMM tools, evade defenses using BYOVD techniques, and ultimately deploy LockBit ransomware.
Credential abuse via infostealer malware remains a primary initial access vector, with threat actors specifically targeting the accounts of executives and privileged users. By capturing authorization URLs alongside credentials, attackers can quickly identify and weaponize high-value access points, necessitating rapid detection and continuous monitoring of both corporate and personal VIP accounts.
Storm-1175 is a financially motivated threat actor that rapidly exploits N-day and zero-day vulnerabilities in web-facing assets to deploy Medusa ransomware. The group utilizes a high-tempo attack chain, leveraging LOLBins, RMM tools, and credential theft to move laterally and exfiltrate data before executing ransomware, often completing the entire attack lifecycle within days.
The 2025 Identity Threat Landscape Report highlights a massive surge in credential theft driven by infostealer malware, with LummaC2 leading the ecosystem. A critical finding is the widespread theft of active session cookies, which allows attackers to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) and directly access high-value corporate systems, VPNs, and cloud platforms.
