Palworlds latest and potentially biggest update since, well, the last one, is now live. Feybreak adds the titular island, which is six times larger than Sakurajima, and Terrarias Meowmere, the first piece of content as part of a collaboration (with more coming in 2025). While the latest gameplay trailer touched on several things, the patch notes reveal much more.There are new materials Chromite and Hexolite Quartz to gather. Extremely difficult Predator Pals also spawn defeating them awards rare rewards. Theres also a new Stronghold and Stronghold boss, an increased level cap (now at 60), and the new raid boss is Xenolord, a Dark mech dragon. Sphere Modules have been introduced to change the trajectory of Pal Spheres, which raises the capture rate, while the Metal Detector assists in locating Chromite.You can also craft Revival Potions to revive Pals, unlock Double Jump and Air Dash Boots, increase inventory size with Pouches, and more. Hardcore Mode is also available, though beware the death of both the player and their Pals is permanent.Check out the full patch notes below for more details. Palworld is available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, and PC.Feybreak Update NoticeMajor update that adds a ton of new features, new areas, new pals, new buildings, hardcore mode, expeditions, research and more!Update v0.4.11 has been released.New ContentMeowmeow from Terraria! Meowmeow, the first bullet-firing pic.twitter.com/rXRcnCSVb1 Palworld (@Palworld_EN) December 23, 2024

An illustration of Joseph Smith Jr. (right) and his brotherHyrum (left) Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsA granite obelisk rises 38.5 feet above the dark green woods of Sharon, a small town on the White River in Vermont. Each foot represents a year in the life of Joseph Smith Jr., the progenitor, prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who was born on that humble spot on December 23, 1805.Smith was the son of tenant farmers. His parents, Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith, were from old New England families that had fallen on tough times, wrote historian Richard Bushman in Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling.Smiths mother grew up in gloomy circumstances, depressed by death and illness. She later wrote that she spent her adolescence reading the Bible and praying outside of an organized church.While living in Turnbridge, Vermont, Lucy recalled, she became acquainted with a young man by the name of Joseph Smith, to whom I was subsequently married in 1796.The couples first son died in childbirth. Alvin, their eldest, was born in 1798, and Hyrum two years later. The family moved to Sharon in 1804, onto farmland rented from Lucys father.We found ourselves quite comfortable again, Lucy wrote. There, she and her husband had a third boy, whom they named after his father.The Smiths life continued like this for a while. They moved itinerantly between small landholdings in Vermontback to Turnbridge, to Royaltonthen to Lebanon, New Hampshire, in 1811 and Palmyra, New York, in 1816. Joseph Smith's birthplace in Sharon, Vermont, as photographed in 1907 Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsIn his autobiographical History of the Life of Joseph Smith, Smith described his childhood as full of indigent circumstances. He was sick with typhoid, almost had his leg amputated and spent ages 7 to 10 either in bed or hobbling around on crutches. His parents were obliged to labor hard to support the nine children they ultimately had. Although deprived of the benefit of an education, his were goodly parents who spared no pains to instructing me in the Christian religion.In Palmyra, after all, religion was in the air. The construction of the Erie Canal, beginning in 1817, led to the economic and spiritual boom of the surrounding burned-over district. Religious groups, social reformers and utopians flowed to the canal zone, eager to integrate themselves in the new opportunities the waterway afforded.Accounts from Smith and his mother place the family in the midst of a regional religious reckoning. Lucy described her sons mind as considerably troubled with regard to religion. Smith himself wrote that he pondered many things in my heart concerning the situation of the world of mankind.Smith said his religious visions began when he walked into the woods in the spring of 1820 to ask God which of the many, proliferating faiths he should join. The Lord heard my cry in the wilderness, Smith wrote, and told him not to join any established church. The young man believed he was a prophet.According to Mormon belief, an angel named Moroni came to Smith on the night of September 21, 1823, and told the teenager about a set of golden plates recording the ancient, forgotten inhabitants of America. Smith later said he found them on a hillknown today as Hill Cumorahnear his fathers farm in Manchester, New York.Four years later, after Smiths marriage to Emma Hale, he reported that Moroni finally let him remove the gold plates and translate the strange engraved characters. He turned this guidance into the Book of Mormon, which he wrote in just 90 days and later published at the age of 24 in 1830.Everyone but Smiths family was surprised to learn Smith was starting a church. The villagers had no idea that the nondescript farm boy who occasionally appeared in town to buy a paper for his father had any ambition or religious character, Bushman wrote. But the movement was only just beginningand it would take both Smith and the religion he founded far beyond their humble beginnings.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

AIAS to honor Nintendo of America veteran Don JamesFormer executive vice president of operations to receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 28th annual DICE Awards next year News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Dec. 23, 2024 The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has announced that Nintendo of America veteran Don James will receive the AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award.As reported by VGC, James will receive the accolade at the 28th annual DICE Awards ceremony on February 13, 2025.James joined Nintendo of America as executive vice president of operations in 1981, working at the company for four decades until his retirement in August 2024.He also participated in the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, and was involved in the creation of the Interactive Digital Software Association which is now known as the Entertainment Software Association."Don James has been both a humble and integral part of the games industry, from his foundational work at Nintendo of America and his passions at the Starlight Children's Foundation," said AIAS president Meggan Scavio."He has driven countless impactful initiatives that have created lasting change throughout his career, including here at the Academy. We are thrilled to celebrate his extraordinary legacy and immense contributions to video game history."James added: "I am truly honoured to receive this award from the Academy. This industry is full of so many talented and creative people, and it's been an absolute privilege getting to know and work with so many of them over the decades."My career has truly been a wild and fun ride, and I am proud of all the opportunities I was fortunate enough to receive."

2024 in Review | GI MicrocastLatest episode available to download now News by James Batchelor Editor-in-chief Published on Dec. 23, 2024 The latest episode of The GamesIndustry.biz Microcast is available to download now.For our penultimate episode of the year, we look back at the biggest trends of the past 12 months. Topics covered include the ongoing layoffs and closures, the struggles of live service games, the transformation of Xbox, the ever-moving goalposts of success, and more.And we still have What Do The Numbers Mean?, in which Chris explores the year-to-date performance of console and PC games.You can listen via the player below, download the audio file directly here, or subscribe to our podcast feed, available via Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, CastBox, Player FM, TuneIn and other widely-used podcast platforms.Episode edited by Alix Attenborough.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.

Aonic secures over 150m in fundingInvestment will support firm's subsidiaries and future acquisitionsImage credit: OtherSide Entertainment News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Dec. 23, 2024 Aonic has received a 152 million investment after entering an agreement with Metric Capital Partners and Active Ownership.Metric Capital Partners have provided 100 million of the funding, while the remaining 52 million has been converted from Active Ownership's shareholder loan.The investment will be used to support Aonic's subsidiaries, which includes nDreams, OtherSide Entertainment, and Exmox, and to fund future acquisitions.Earlier this year, Aonic unveiled its publishing arm Megabit to support its development studio portfolio.In September, its subsidiary nDreams laid off 17.5% of its workforce following a new "strategic focus".

Honda and Nissan have announced plans to merge as the Japanese automakers struggle with competition from rival brands in the electric vehicle market. The two companies confirmed on Monday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding that would create the third largest car maker by sales, behind Toyota and Volkswagen.Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors is also in talks with Honda and Nissan to join the integration, with a decision expected by the end of January. Based on the market capital of all three companies, a finalized merger could result in an entity worth more than 50 billion dollars. Honda will initially lead the management of the merged company according to Honda president, Toshihiro Mibe, with the aim to complete a formal merger agreement by June and finalize the deal by August 2026.Creation of new mobility value by bringing together the resources including knowledge, talents, and technologies that Honda and Nissan have been developing over the long years is essential to overcome challenging environmental shifts that the auto industry is facing, Mibe said in a statement.The proposed merger was initially teased last week, and aims to establish a joint holding company to tackle growing global competition from brands like Tesla and Chinas BYD in the EV market. The deal would also help to rescue the struggling Nissan, which saw its net earnings in mid-2024 fall by more than 90 percent year over year, and announced plans in November to lay off thousands of workers.If realized, I believe that by uniting the strengths of both companies, we can deliver unparalleled value to customers worldwide who appreciate our respective brands, said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida. Together, we can create a unique way for them to enjoy cars that neither company could achieve alone.Ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn told Bloomberg on Friday that the merger is a desperate move by Nissan, and that its not a pragmatic deal because frankly, the synergies between the two companies are difficult to find. The company has been in turmoil since Ghosn was arrested by Japanese authorities in 2018 over charges of financial misconduct.

X has substantially raised the price of its top-tier user subscription in multiple regions to help bolster the platforms creator payouts. The increase for Premium Plus came into effect on December 21st according to X, raising prices in the US from $16 per month to $22, or from $168 to $229 for annual subscriptions.Many European countries like France, Germany, and Spain are impacted by a similar increase, taking monthly prices from 16 to 21. Monthly subscribers in Canada (currently paying $20), Australia ($26) and the UK (16) will also see pricing increased to $26, $35, and 17 respectively. The higher pricing is immediately applicable to new subscribers, with existing users grandfathered into their current rates until January 20th. Xs basic subscription tier remains unaffected.The pricing changes for US subscribers are the highest increase introduced since Elon Musk purchased the social media platform in 2022. X gave several reasons to justify the price hike, citing that Premium Plus is now completely ad-free which it described as a significant enhancement to the current user experience.X also references changes made to the X revenue sharing program in October, saying that subscriptions now more directly fuels creator payouts to reward content quality and engagement rather than ad views alone. Premium Plus subscribers will additionally receive priority user support, access to additional features like Xs Radar trend monitoring tool, and higher limits on the platforms Grok AI models.

Palworld has closed out what has been a remarkably eventful year with its huge Feybreak update.The update, which brings Palworld up to v0.4.11, adds new areas, new pals, new buildings, a hardcore mode, expeditions, research and a lot more. Check out the patch notes, below, for more.Feybreak arrives as developer Pocketpair works to defend itself in a high-profile patent lawsuit filed by Nintendo and The Pokmon Company. After Palworlds huge launch earlier this year on PC and Xbox, comparisons were made between Palworlds Pals and Pokmon, with some accusing Pocketpair of "ripping off" Pokmon designs. But rather than file a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokmon Company went down the patent route. They want 5 million yen (approx $32,846) each plus late payment damages, as well as an injunction against Palworld that would block its release.Palworld vs. Pokmon ComparisonIGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!IGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!To start:...try asking a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No".000/250Last month, Pocketpair confirmed the three Japan-based patents, which revolve around catching Pokmon in a virtual field, it is being sued over. Palworld does include a mechanic that involves throwing a ball-like object (called a Pal Sphere) at monsters out in a field to capture them, similar to the mechanic seen in the 2022 Nintendo Switch exclusive Pokmon Legends: Arceus. However, without explanation, Pocketpair recently tweaked how players summon Pals, with observers speculating the change had to do with the patent infringement lawsuit.Palworld launched on Steam priced $30 and straight into Game Pass on Xbox and PC earlier this year, breaking sales and concurrent player number records in the process. Pocketpair boss Takuro Mizobe has said Palworld's launch was so big that the developer couldnt handle the massive profits the game generated. Still, Pocketpair acted swiftly to capitalize on Palworlds breakout success, signing a deal with Sony to form a new business called Palworld Entertainment thats tasked with expanding the IP.Patent experts have said Nintendo and The Pokmon Companys lawsuit against Pocketpair is evidence of the threat posed by Palworld, which has since gone on to launch on PS5, albeit after a short delay in Japan.PlayAll eyes are on the lawsuit to see who will emerge victorious, if it isn't settled first. Pocketpair has vowed to take on Nintendo and The Pokmon Company in court, however, saying: We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.Through it all, Pocketpair has continued to release major updates for Palworld and Feybreak is just the latest example of that. The developer is even moving forward with crossovers with other huge video games, including the start of a Terraria collaboration with today's release of Feybreak.Palworld Feybreak update 0.4.11 patch notes:New ContentMeowmere from Terraria! Meowmere, the first "bullet-firing melee weapon" in Palworld, has been added. This is only a small taste of the Palworld x Terraria collab, and in 2025, even more collaboration content will be released! Enjoy taking a step towards a new adventure alongside the sound of cat meowing!New Island - FeybreakA new island, Feybreak, has appeared! A mysterious island with many challenges, glowing sand and many new Pals!Conquer the Feybreak Warriors, a new faction that dominates the island with the power of their missile battery camp!New Resources - Chromite and Hexolite Quartz!Chromite is buried underground and can only be found by using Pals or items that can detect metal.Hexolite Quartz is a rare ore that only exists on Feybreak.New Mechanic - Expeditions!Obtain supplies by sending Pals out on expeditions at the Pal Expedition Station!New Mechanic - Research!By conducting research at the Pal Labor Research Laboratory, you can unlock permanent passives and rewards that increase the productivity of your base!*Some existing buildings that increase work speed will now be unlocked as research rewards.Predator PalsVicious Predator Pals will now appear throughout the world. These Pals are extremely difficult to defeat but those strong enough to take them down will earn rare resources in return for their bravery!New "Bounty" NPCsDangerous criminals have appeared all over the Palpagos Islands. Bring these crooks to justice and cash in the country for rewards.New Strongholds and Stronghold Boss: The Attack ChopperA large and very difficult "Platform Oil Rig" has appeared! Great riches, important supplies and more are stored here. A powerful Attack Chopper guards this rig from any intruders!A smaller oil rig, the "Barge Oil Rig" has been added for beginners.Player level cap raised to 60! New technologies and more await!New Raid - Xenolord!Defeat the dark mechanical dragon that controls the Xeno army!Sphere ModulesYou can now attach modules to spheres to significantly change their trajectory, such as curving it, which in turn increases the capture rate!New ItemsMetal Detector - Find chromite buried underground on Feybreak.Pouches - Increases your inventory size!Double Jump Boots - Stylish and practical, time to double jump!Air Dash Boots, - Allows the player to dash while in the air.Revival Potion - Bring your Pals back to life.New cooking recipes have been added.Hardcore Mode!The ultimate challenge. Player and Pal death is permanent.Can be enabled in the world settings.Random Pal Mode!Turn on Random Pal Mode in world settings to randomize Pal spawns!Randomize by Region - Randomize Pal spawns while maintaining a certain regional range.Completely Random - All Pal spawns in all regions will be completely randomized! It could be a bit chaotic...New Area Discovery Bonus!Players will earn experience points when they discover a location for the first time.Many New Weapons!Makeshift SMGMakeshift Assault RifleMakeshift ShotgunOld RevolverSMGSemi-Auto RifleSemi-Auto ShotgunLaser Gatling GunPlasma CannonCompound BowAdvanced BowKatanaBeam SwordDark GrenadeDragon GrenadeGround GrenadeGrass GrenadeWater GrenadeNew BuildingsLarge-Scale Electric Egg Incubator - Hatch up to 10 eggs at the same time.Guild Chest - Items placed in a guild chest are shared among all guild chests.Item Retrieval Machine - Search for and take any item from any chest within your base!Medicine Rack - Pals will take medicine stored to treat their illnesses and injuries.Flea Market - Sell Pals and items to other players!Large-Scale Stone Oven and Gigantic Furnace - Multiple Pals can work together to cook and refine at higher speeds!Skillfruit Orchard - Plant and grow skill fruits!Gold Coin Assembly Line - Illegally produced coins, now made at home!Ladders - Players can go up and down without needing to build stairs!Pure Quartz Mine - Mine an infinite amount in the comfort of your base.Accumulator - By storing extra electricity, you can keep your facilities running at night while your Pals sleep.Elemental Treasure ChestsRare treasure chests that can only be unlocked by Pals of specific elements have appeared!PlayerPlayers can now sit on chairs!You can now obtain Successful Bounty Tokens by defeating field bosses. These tokens provide permanent passives to the player.Player climbing speed has been increased.Increased the maximum amount of power that can be enhanced by Lifmunk Effigies from 12 to 14.Implemented "Sphere Critical" hits! Throwing a sphere at a Pal's weak spot (the same weak spot as when attacking a Pal) will temporarily increase the capture rate!Experience points gained from crafting and building have been increased. You now also gain experience points for Pals crafting and building even when you aren't at your base!Improved player animations.Players will now be invincible for a few seconds after teleporting or entering/exiting dungeons.When mounted, Pals now cancel any active skills that are in effect, allowing it to move immediately.Base RelatedA function to replace foundation structures and defensive walls without destroying them has been implemented. Walls already built can be upgraded.New foundation structures, "Japanese Style" have been implemented! You can recreate Sakurajima's Japanese-style architecture at your base. Sliding doors have also been implemented.The maximum base level has been increased to 30.Pal transportation work has been improved while the player is not in the base.In Single-Player and COOP modes you can build much more freely around the world, except in some dungeons.The Pal working state set in the monitoring stand is now saved.PalsChristmas Skins!6 Christmas skins have been added for all players!(You must own the Pal to equip the skin)Pudding la GumossParty Night DepressoWinter Style ChilletWinter Style Chillet IgnisRoyal FrostallionWhite ShadowbeakRedistributing Limited-Time skins to all players!(You must own the Pal to equip the skin)Gold RelaxaurusSailor QuivernSummer ChilletNew Unique SkillsVanwyrm - Flame BreathVanwyrm Cryst - Tempest BlizzardAstegon - Firefist BreathstormMaraith - Spirit DashVerdash - Spinning RoundhouseUnivolt - Lightning GaleBlazehowl - Volcanic FangRagnahawk - Rush BeakBeegarde - Needle SpearBeakon - Lightning DiveRayhound - Beckon LightningJormuntide - Slither SlamJormuntide Ignis - Magma SerpentCryolinx - Blizzard ClawWumpo - Snow BowlingWumpo Botan - Lawn BowlingNew Ground SkillStone BeatNew Dark SkillPoison ShowerNew Dragon SkillCharge CannonNew Tier of Passive SkillsAn even higher tier of passives, "rainbow passive skill" has been added! Breed the ultimate Pal! "Swift" has been promoted to a rainbow passive skill, and the chance of obtaining it has decreased.Work Suitability Enhancement Books!By using various technique books, you can permanently increase Pal's work suitability.The limit on strengthening Pals with souls has been lifted! It's now possible to further develop your Pals.If a summoned Pal has three moves that are all on cooldown, it will use the most basic move of its element.Enemy Pals will now use every move they know at that level.Alpha Pal eggs are no longer all huge but are now each the appropriate size.UIAdded a filter function to the Technology screen.You can now add Pals to your favourites with a single button in the Pal Box UI.Improved Pal Box sorting function, making it easier to find the Pal you're looking for.You can now change the font size in the options settings.The player's main HUD no longer becomes hidden over time. (You can revert this setting in the options.)Mouse and KeyboardYou can now close any window with the Tab key.The right Shift key and right Ctrl key can now be registered in the key configuration.Controller PadFixed an issue where the player would continue walking if the UI was opened while moving.Changed the cutscene skip button on controller to Y.CrimeThe charges have been expanded. Serious crimes, such as "Obstructing Public Officials" will increase the player's criminal level even more.Dedicated ServersYou can now set "Maximum number of buildings per base" in the world settings.This allows server administrators to make adjustments to stabilize server performance and maintain a comfortable playing environment.Balance AdjustmentThe weight multiplier for all items can now be changed in world settings.Technology unlock levels have been adjusted.The selling prices of some Pals have been adjusted.Merchant stock and prices have been adjusted.The crafting recipes for some ammunition have been adjusted.Boss enemies are now immune to stuns and will now become staggered when their stun accumulation value reaches 100.Some technologies can now be unlocked by defeating tower bosses.Adjusted the work suitability of some Pals:Blazamut Ryu - Kindling 3 4Selyne - Handiwork 3 4Knocklem - Mining 3 4Cryolinx - Added TransportingLegendary Pals are now level 60, and they can learn more powerful skills.The recovery amount of Felbat and Lovander's partner skills has been increased from 6% to 10%Bug FixesImproved base pals so they don't get stuck as often.Reduced the issue of players falling under the ground after fast travel.Improved enemy pathing so they don't get stuck in walls as often.Improved the raid algorithm and pathing to ensure that raids reach bases much more often.Many many many other minor bug fixes.OtherNew NPCs have been added to various locations.Added the "Free Pal Alliance Judicator" to the Free Pal Alliance. He will now appear at their camps.Slowed down the work speed animation of base Pals with work speed buffs. (This is a measure to prevent the processing load from increasing too much when the effect is played at high speed. This change does not affect actual work speed.)Changed Paldeck to Palpedia to be more in line with other languages.Soundtrack3 new songs have been added to the soundtrack. If you have already purchased the game, please update the soundtrack.*Please note that the soundtrack update may be delayed by about a day.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Even a brief review of the App Store revealed more than 200 risky or inappropriate apps rated as ok for children, according to a new report. They had collectively notched up more than 550 million downloads.Two child safety groups say that more than 25% of the child-rated apps they reviewed gave cause for concern, suggesting that the total number of problematic apps is very much higher Risky apps rated as appropriate for childrenThe groupspartnered on a project to review a sample of apps labeled as appropriate for children as young as four.The Apple App Store hosts nearly 2 million apps, presenting a daunting research challenge for organizations without the resources of Apple. Instead of attempting to review all apps, Heat Initiative and ParentsTogether Action partnered with a researcher who worked to review as many apps as possible within a time-bound period 24 hours. The focus of the review were apps in several categories with a history of presenting safety risks to kids: chat apps, beauty apps, diet and weight loss apps, internet access apps, and gaming apps.Within that 24 hours, approximately 800 total apps were reviewed. At the time of reporting, more than 200 of those were rated as inappropriate for kids as young as 4, 9, or 12, despite concerning content or features. The 200+ risky apps identified have a combined total of more than 550 million downloads.Examples included 25 chat apps that connect kids with strangers. One of those was described as being nothing but pedophiles.Another category was apps specifically designed to help kids circumvent restrictions on internet access. Others included apps which invited users to upload photos to be rated for hotness, as well as those encouraging unhealthy weight loss.Some gaming apps included dares which would be inappropriate for children, including running around outside naked and imagining a sexy photo shoot.The report suggests that the App Store is a mass distributor of risky and inappropriate apps to children.Apple fails to deliver on safety promisesThe report notes that Apple claims to carry out app reviews which include checking that age ratings are appropriate.It cites Apples marketing claims that the App Store is a safe and trusted place to discover and download apps and specifically assuring parents that its easy to make sure your kids are engaging with age-appropriate content.The reality, it says, is that Apples checks do not achieve this, and the company puts all legal liability for age ratings on developers. It accuses the iPhone maker of profiting from lax controls as these boost downloads and therefore commission for Apple.As long as the people issuing app age ratings have a profit motive to make them available to the widest possible audience, this problem and its devastating impacts on families will persist.9to5Macs TakeTheres a certain degree of subjectivity here in terms of what is or isnt appropriate for kids, but its clear that some of the examples do not fall into this gray area: they shouldnt be offered to kids, period.There are also those who would suggest that the primary responsibility for vetting the suitability of apps for children rests with their parents or guardians.Apples biggest issue here is the gap between what it promises and what it delivers, especially when the company has relied on these promises to defend antitrust cases.While all apps are subject to review before being made available in the App Store, the company has revealed in the past that it has a global team of around 500 people to review an average of 132,500 apps per week. That would mean each person reviewing around 50 apps per day.Its obvious that this cannot possibly provide the level of vetting promised by Apples marketing materials, and that it either needs to promise less for example, noting that it carries out checks intended to minimize the number of rogue apps which make it through, then acting on user reports of problematic ones or to provide the level of resources needed to truly deliver on the promises.Photo bycharlesdeluvioonUnsplashAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Dec 23, 2024Ravie LakshmananPhishing / CybercrimeAn interruption to the phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) toolkit called Rockstar 2FA has led to a rapid uptick in activity from another nascent offering named FlowerStorm."It appears that the [Rockstar2FA] group running the service experienced at least a partial collapse of its infrastructure, with pages associated with the service no longer reachable," Sophos said in a new report published last week. "This does not appear to be because of a takedown action, but due to some technical failure on the backend of the service."Rockstar2FA was first documented by Trustwave late last month as a PhaaS service that allows criminal actors to launch phishing attacks that are capable of harvesting Microsoft 365 account credentials and session cookies, thereby circumventing multi-factor authentication (MFA) protections.The service is assessed to be an updated version of the DadSec phishing kit, which is tracked by Microsoft under the name Storm-1575. A majority of the phishing pages have been found to be hosted on .com, .de, .ru. and .moscow top-level domains, although the use of .ru domains is believed to have shrunk over time.Rockstar2FA appears to have suffered a technical interruption on November 11, 2024, when redirects to intermediate decoy pages generated Cloudflare time-out errors and the counterfeit login pages failed to load.While it's not clear what caused the disruption, the void left by the PhaaS toolkit has resulted in a surge in phishing activity associated with FlowerStorm, which has been active since at least June 2024.Sophos said that both the services share similarities when it comes to the format of the phishing portal pages and the methods used to connect to the backend servers for credential harvesting, raising the possibility of a common ancestry. They also abuse Cloudflare Turnstile in order to ensure that the incoming page requests are not from bots.It's suspected that the November 11 disruption represents either a strategic pivot in one of the groups, a change in personnel running them, or an intentional effort to decouple the twin operations. There is no definitive evidence linking the two services at this stage.The most frequently targeted countries using FlowerStorm include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Germany, Singapore, and India."The most heavily targeted sector is the service industry, with particular focus on firms providing engineering, construction, real estate, and legal services and consulting," Sophos said.If anything, the findings once again illustrate the ongoing trend of attackers using cybercriminal services and commodity tools to carry out cyber attacks at scale even without requiring much technical expertise.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE