• WordPress Skimmers Evade Detection by Injecting Themselves into Database Tables
    thehackernews.com
    Jan 13, 2025Ravie Lakshmanan Payment Security / Web SecurityCybersecurity researchers are warning of a new stealthy credit card skimmer campaign that targets WordPress e-commerce checkout pages by inserting malicious JavaScript code into a database table associated with the content management system (CMS)."This credit card skimmer malware targeting WordPress websites silently injects malicious JavaScript into database entries to steal sensitive payment details," Sucuri researcher Puja Srivastava said in a new analysis."The malware activates specifically on checkout pages, either by hijacking existing payment fields or injecting a fake credit card form."The GoDaddy-owned website security company said it discovered the malware embedded into the WordPress wp_options table with the option "widget_block," thus allowing it to avoid detection by scanning tools and persist on compromised sites without attracting attention.In doing so, the idea is to insert the malicious JavaScript into an HTML block widget through the WordPress admin panel (wp-admin > widgets).The JavaScript code works by checking if the current page is a checkout page and ensures that it springs into action only after the site visitor is about to enter their payment details, at which point the it dynamically creates a bogus payment screen that mimics legitimate payment processors like Stripe.The form is designed to capture users' credit card numbers, expiration dates, CVV numbers, and billing information. Alternately, the rogue script is also capable of capturing data entered on legitimate payment screens in real-time to maximize compatibility.The stolen data is subsequently Base64-encoded and combined with AES-CBC encryption to make it appear harmless and resist analysis attempts. In the final stage, it's transmitted to an attacker-controlled server ("valhafather[.]xyz" or "fqbe23[.]xyz").The development comes more than a month after Sucuri highlighted a similar campaign that leveraged JavaScript malware to dynamically create fake credit card forms or extract data entered in payment fields on checkout pages.The harvested information is then subjected to three layers of obfuscation by encoding it first as JSON, XOR-encrypting it with the key "script," and finally using Base64-encoding, prior to exfiltration to a remote server ("staticfonts[.]com")."The script is designed to extract sensitive credit card information from specific fields on the checkout page," Srivastava noted. "Then the malware collects additional user data through Magento's APIs, including the user's name, address, email, phone number, and other billing information. This data is retrieved via Magento's customer-data and quote models."The disclosure also follows the discovery of a financially-motivated phishing email campaign that tricks recipients into clicking on PayPal login pages under the guise of an outstanding payment request to the tune of nearly $2,200."The scammer appears to have simply registered an Microsoft 365 test domain, which is free for three months, and then created a distribution list (Billingdepartments1[@]gkjyryfjy876.onmicrosoft.com) containing victim emails," Fortinet FortiGuard Labs' Carl Windsor said. "On the PayPal web portal, they simply request the money and add the distribution list as the address."What makes the campaign sneaky is the fact that the messages originate from a legitimate PayPal address (service@paypal.com) and contain a genuine sign in URL, which allows the emails to slip past security tools.To make matters worse, as soon as the victim attempts to login to their PayPal account about the payment request, their account is automatically linked to the email address of the distribution list, permitting the threat actor to hijack control of the account.In recent weeks, malicious actors have also been observed leveraging a novel technique called transaction simulation spoofing to steal cryptocurrency from victim wallets."Modern Web3 wallets incorporate transaction simulation as a user-friendly feature," Scam Sniffer said. "This capability allows users to preview the expected outcome of their transactions before signing them. While designed to enhance transparency and user experience, attackers have found ways to exploit this mechanism."The infection chains involve taking advantage of the time gap between transaction simulation and execution, permitting attackers to set up fake sites mimicking decentralized apps (DApps) in order to carry out fraudulent wallet draining attacks."This new attack vector represents a significant evolution in phishing techniques," the Web3 anti-scam solution provider said. "Rather than relying on simple deception, attackers are now exploiting trusted wallet features that users rely on for security. This sophisticated approach makes detection particularly challenging."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE
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  • Expired Domains Allowed Control Over 4,000 Backdoors on Compromised Systems
    thehackernews.com
    Jan 13, 2025Ravie LakshmananMalware / Domain SecurityNo less than 4,000 unique web backdoors previously deployed by various threat actors have been hijacked by taking control of abandoned and expired infrastructure for as little as $20 per domain.Cybersecurity company watchTowr Labs said it pulled off the operation by registering over 40 domain names that the backdoors had been designed to use for command-and-control (C2). In partnership with the Shadowserver Foundation, the domains implicated in the research have been sinkholed."We have been hijacking backdoors (that were reliant on now abandoned infrastructure and/or expired domains) that themselves existed inside backdoors, and have since been watching the results flood in," watchTowr Labs CEO Benjamin Harris and researcher Aliz Hammond said in a technical write-up last week."This hijacking allowed us to track compromised hosts as they 'reported in,' and theoretically gave us the power to commandeer and control these compromised hosts."Among the compromised targets identified by means of the beaconing activity included government entities from Bangladesh, China, and Nigeria; and academic institutions across China, South Korea, and Thailand, among others.The backdoors, which are nothing but web shells designed to offer persistent remote access to target networks for follow-on exploitation, vary in scope and functionality -Simple web shells that are capable of executing an attacker-provided command by means of a PHP codec99shellr57shellChina Chopper, a web shell prominently by China-nexus advanced persistent threat (APT) groupsBoth c99shell and r57shell are fully-featured web shells with features to execute arbitrary code or commands, perform file operations, deploy additional payloads, brute-force FTP servers, and remove themselves from compromised hosts.WatchTowr Labs said it observed instances where some of the web shells were backdoored by the script maintainers to leak the locations where they were deployed, thereby inadvertently handing over the reins to other threat actors as well.The development comes a couple of months after the company revealed it spent a mere $20 to acquire a legacy WHOIS server domain ("whois.dotmobiregistry[.]net") associated with the .mobi top-level domain (TLD), identifying more than 135,000 unique systems that were still communicating with the server even after it had migrated to "whois.nic[.]mobi."These comprised various private companies, like VirusTotal, as well as mail servers for countless government, military, and university entities. The .gov addresses belonged to Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Pakistan, The Philippines, Ukraine, and the U.S."It is somewhat encouraging to see that attackers make the same mistakes as defenders," watchTowr Labs said. "It's easy to slip into the mindset that attackers never slip up, but we saw evidence to the contrary boxes with open web shells, expired domains, and the use of software that has been backdoored."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE
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  • Speechify Inc: Senior iOS Engineer
    weworkremotely.com
    What Youll DoActively shipping production code for the Speechify iOS appWork within a dedicated product teamParticipate in product discussions to shape the product roadmapMaintain and enhance the existing complex app architectureHave the opportunity to work on features that will change millions livesAn Ideal Candidate Should HaveExperience. You've worked on products that scaled to a large user baseTrack record. You have worked on various products from inception to decent traction. You have been responsible for engineering the product.Customer obsession. We expect every team member whose responsibilities directly impact customers to be constantly obsessed about providing the best possible experienceProduct thinking. You make thoughtful decisions about the evolution of your product and support PMs and designers into taking the right directionSpeed. You work quickly to generate ideas and know how to decide which things can ship now and what things need timeFocus. Were a high-growth startup with a busy, remote team. You know how and when to engage or be heads downTechnical skills. Swift, RXSwift, programmatic UI, strong knowledge in architectural patterns, multi-threading, (bonus) Combine, UiKit, & SwiftUITechnical Requirements:Swift Programming Language (min. 2 years)SwiftUI experience (1 year)Core Data/Realm/firebase/GRDB work experienceExperience in a Multithreading ProgrammingYou must be able to describe Imperative and Declarative Programming differences, functional reactive VS OOP, key pros and consWorking with CI/CD infrastructureExperience with FastlaneArchitectural Pattern knowledge like MVVM and MVVM+C and experience in practice min. 2 yearsExperience with Functional Reactive Programming min 2 years - fluent with RxSwift && RxCocoa || CombineKnowledge of Programming ParadigmsSOLID principles, ability to write every single class according to SOLIDExperience with Git and understanding of different Git strategiesExperience with APNS and Push NotificationsXCTests practical experienceYou should be able to:Describe disadvantages of OOPWrite fully protocol oriented classes in SwiftMust know who is Uncle Bob, Martin Fowler, Alan Key and how they've contributed to the field
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  • Speechify Inc: Senior Data Engineer - AI Team
    weworkremotely.com
    What Youll DoDesign, develop, and maintain scalable data pipelines and workflows to ingest, transform, and store large datasets.Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and software engineers to understand data needs and deliver effective solutions.Optimize and enhance existing data processes for performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency.Implement data quality checks, validation, and monitoring to ensure data accuracy and reliability.Develop and manage data warehouses, databases, and other storage solutions.Ensure compliance with data governance and security policies.Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and best practices in data engineering and apply them as appropriate.An Ideal Candidate Should HaveBachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.Proven experience as a Data Engineer or in a similar role and experience with ETL.Proficiency in programming languages such as Python and experience in SQLBig data tools: Data- and Delta-lakesCloud: Bare-Metal, Hybrid infrastructureGood to HaveExperience working with media files (transformations)Torch dataset experience Related Jobs See more Back-End Programming jobs
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  • Hugh Broughton designs fallen-leaf-inspired pump house at Kew Gardens
    www.architectsjournal.co.uk
    While the gardens have previously relied on mains water, a new irrigation strategy designed by the practice forms part of a wider project to ensure water security.Devised in collaboration with horticultural and capital projects teams at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the new irrigation network includes this timber-enclosed pump house which acts as the heartbeat of the system. The pump house rests on a small mound above an underground water tank that stores 280,000 litres of irrigation water.Similar to the neighbouring Treetop Walkway, designed by Marks Barfield in 2008, the pump house has been designed to have a subtle relationship with its natural environment. Its form is intended to mimic a fallen leaf in plan, while the structure of interlocking timber struts is intended to reference a palm frond. The struts interlock on each side to form sharp, angular walls that curve to create an oval-shaped enclosure sheltering the machinery within.AdvertisementNatural finish European larch was used for the external structure, which will age naturally over time to a silver colour.Architects viewThe timber enclosure design makes use of repeated interlocking modules of naturally finished European larch arrayed into an oval-shaped plan. The filigree timber enclosure will naturally age to a silver colour and is designed to play with the dappled light and shadows of surrounding trees to complement the landscape and camouflage the pumphouses inner workings. Dozens of sketch studies were made of leaf structures, seed pods and palm fronds by hand and with 3D digital modelling to help create and analyse the nature-inspired and sculptural design.We are very proud to be working with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. They are world leaders in plant and fungal scientific research and conservation, they are leading the charge in terms of nature-based solutions to the climate crisis and its an honour to be a part of this overall mission. The larger irrigation strategy will be part of the gardens resilient future and, where Kew goes, others will be able to follow.Hugh Broughton, founder, Hugh Broughton ArchitectsClient's viewThe new pump house at Kew marks a significant step forward in our irrigation infrastructure development. Having a reliable and efficient pumping system to distribute the water stored in our underground tank is an essential element for our landscape resilience. In the future, by adding harvested rainwater, we will be able to reduce our reliance on mains water, ensuring that our gardens thrive while we work in harmony with nature. This will not only preserve precious resources but also set a new standard for environmental stewardship in horticulture at Kew.Richard Barley, director of gardens, RBG KewProject dataStart on site November 2023Completion date July 2024Gross internal floor area 22m2Gross (internal + external) floor area 110m2Form of contract or procurement route Traditional (JCT ICD 2016 Intermediate Building Contract with Contractors Design)Architect Hugh Broughton ArchitectsClient Royal Botanic Gardens, KewStructural engineer StantecM&E consultants Stantec, Spencer MayesQS FirmingersBuilding energy management consultant KendraPump supplier KGN PillingerProject manager Royal Botanic Gardens, KewPrincipal designer CityAxis LtdRegistered building control approver Regional Building Control LimitedMain contractor CityAxis LtdSpecialist timber design and fabricator XylotekSpecialist steel design and fabricator Rank EngineeringCAD software used Autodesk Revit, Rhino, SketchUp
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  • Marvel Rivals modders outsmart Season 1 bans with new mods
    www.videogamer.com
    You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereWith its exciting gameplay and dynamic blend of Marvels iconic characters, Marvel Rivals has swept the gaming scene. Season 1, named Eternal Night Falls, has recently launched, and with it, a flood of new content has arrived in the game. The new season brought Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman to the roster, new maps, a revamped Battle Pass, and a unique Doom Match game mode. In addition to improving the gameplay, the update reached a record-high concurrent player count on Steam, demonstrating the games immense popularity. However, with Season 1s release, NetEase made a big change by banning mods through asset hash checking, which checks the legitimacy of game files to stop unauthorized changes. Even though these measures were taken to limit modification, the communitys determination was unwavering as modders have found solutions to restore mods in no time and one of them is just perfect.New Marvel Rivals mod turns Mister Fantastic into Luffy from One PieceA new Marvel Rivals mod has surfaced online that brings Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece for Mister Fantastic hero as a modded skin in Season 1. As fans know Mister Fantastic is known for his elastic superpowers and also can morph into different shapes with his body, One Piece fans were quick to demand a Luffy mod as soon as the character was revealed.Luffy has been modded as Mister Fantastic in Marvel Rivals Season 1. Image by MRivalsHub.Unfortunately, NetEase announced a ban on mods with the Season 1 patch notes. Now the mods have resurfaced again with a new Nexus Mods plugin that allows modders to bypass the asset hash checks and mod skins for Marvel Rivals characters.Throughout Season 0, a thriving modding community flourished in Marvel Rivals. From giving Mantis a gothic style to transforming Iron Man into Vegeta from Dragon Ball, modders came up with a wide array of inventive changes. Some popular hacks even included Jeff the Land Shark transforming into Pochita from Chainsaw Man.But the latest Luffy mod quickly went viral and drew in community praise but were concerned about being banned as one player said, Man this mod is cool as hell but I dont want to risk getting banned lol. Another chimed in, Ooooo a modders arms race! Ill enjoy this while it lasts.The ban on mods hasnt been the only drastic change this season. Several overpowered heroes have also been nerfed and others received a significant buff that has altered the hero meta in Season 1.Marvel RivalsPlatform(s):macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Fighting, ShooterRelated TopicsMarvel Rivals Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share
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  • The Art Of Hongyu Yin
    www.iamag.co
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  • Groww, Indias biggest trading app, prepares for IPO
    techcrunch.com
    Groww, Indias largest retail stockbroker, is preparing to file for an IPO in 10 to 12 months, seeking a valuation between $6 billion and $8 billion, sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.The Bengaluru-headquartereds listing would be the first IPO by a digital trading platform in India. The targeted valuation is more than double the $3 billion it was last valued at its funding round in October 2021.Groww, which counts Peak XV, Tiger Global and Alkeon among its backers, has begun talks with investment banks and will soon choose advisors for the IPO, the sources said. The startup, which also enables customers to invest in mutual funds and make UPI transactions, shifted its domicile to India from the U.S. last year as part of IPO preparations.Groww declined to comment.The trading app has pulled ahead of competitors in Indias crowded retail investing market. It had 13.2 million active users in December, compared with closest rival Zerodhas 8.1 million users, according to National Stock Exchange data. Groww is adding between 325,000 to 550,000 new users every month more than twice the rate of its competitors, per the exchange.India has emerged as a bright spot for tech listings globally, with seven technology startups going public in 2024. Food delivery platform Swiggys $1.35 billion IPO was the largest tech listing in the world last year.More than 20 Indian startups are planning IPOs in 2025, including business-to-business marketplace Zetwerk, managed workspace provider Table Space, Prosus-owned PayU, and pharmaceutical platform PharmEasy.Abhinav Bharti, JPMorgans head of equity capital markets for India, told TechCrunch in a recent interview that Indias growing domestic capital and policy continuity were among the factors for the IPO surge in the country.The collective market capitalization of companies listed in India doubled to $5.3 trillion in 2014 compared to 2019, while daily trading volume tripled to $15 billion.No other country globally provides you with this much political certainty and continuity of policy, Bharti told TechCrunch. You can argue against a policy decision, but you cannot argue against the fact that they have been consistent.
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  • Competition: Nov Bazaly football stadium, Ostrava
    www.architectural-review.com
    An architecture contest is being held to create a new 83 million (CZK 2.5 billion) football stadium in Ostrava, Czechia (Deadline: 24 January)The anonymous two-stage competition backed by the City of Ostrava will select a design team to create a landmark new 19,500-to-20,000 capacity stadium on a prominent site overlooking Czechias third largest settlement.The 100 million (CZK 2.5 billion) project will create a new home for FC Bank Ostrava on the location of the clubs existing grounds which have been in use since 1959 and are located near to Ostravas New City Hall. New retail, food and beverage facilities, a football museum and parking will also be delivered.Contest site: Nov Bazaly football stadium, OstravaAccording to the brief: The subject of the competition is the design of an architectural solution for a football stadium for FC Bank Ostrava, which will meet UEFA criteria for the highest category of stadium enabling the organisation of international matches in all categories of football.The main reason for this project is the inadequate facilities at the current athletics stadium, as well as the citys need for a modern sports infrastructure. The new stadium, with significant, larger-than-regional importance, aims to bring the game closer to the fans and create the best possible spectator experience. It will also serve as a venue for matches of the Czech national football team.At the same time, the team will return to its historic location, which boasts a unique topography above the city centre and excellent accessibility by public transport. The combination of this historically significant site with the clubs future offers the potential to create a new city landmark.Founded in 1267, Ostrava is a large industrial city located close to the Polish border in the north-east of Czechia. The settlement is home to around 280,000 people and local landmarks include the contest-winning Ostrava Concert Hall by Steven Holl Architects.The latest contest comes just months after international competitions were announced for the 244 million upgrade of flood defences in Olomouc and to transform the disused Hotel Stroja in nearby Perov.Key aims of the latest project include creating a new natural gathering place for both local residents and visitors to the region while also meeting contemporary environmental, operational, and accessibility standards and integrating seamlessly into the surrounding urban environment.Contest site: Nov Bazaly football stadium, OstravaTeams pre-invited to participate in the two-stage contest include Fenwick Iribarren Architects of Madrid, Hamburgs gmp Architekten, and London-based IDOM and Populous.Judges will include Jan Dohnal, mayor of the city of Ostrava; Vclav Brabec from FC Bank Ostrava; the Dublin architect Valerie Mulvin; and Radim Kucha, head of the fire department of the Moravian-Silesian Region.The contest language is Czech and English. Submissions will be judged on architectural quality, interconnection to the surrounding urban environment, quality of transport solution, response to the brief, functionality, operational efficiency and adaptability.The competition features a 400,000 (CZK 12.5 million) prize fund and the overall winner will be invited to negotiate for a 5 million (CZK 155 million) design contract to take the project forward.How to applyDeadline: 1pm local time, 24 JanuaryCompetition funding source: City of OstravaProject funding: Multi-source financing (in solution)Owner of site(s): City of OstravaContact details: posta@ostrava.czVisit the competition website for more information
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  • Competition results: Kharkiv Freedom Square contest winners revealed
    www.architectural-review.com
    The Norman Foster Foundation has named three joint winners in its contest to reimagine Freedom Square in Kharkiv, UkraineOrganised by Buildner in collaboration with Kharkiv City Council, UNECE, and Arup the competition sought proposals to revamp the citys iconic Regional Administration Building, which was hit by an airstrike on 1 March 2022, and to improve surrounding public spaces in Freedom SquareThe Kharkiv Freedom Square contest launched two years after Norman Foster met the mayor of Kharkiv to discuss reconstruction set out to transform the enormous yet underutilised and impersonal public space into a new vibrant hub of activity that truly resonates with the people of Kharkiv.The winners were a below-ground memorial design by Jansen Che of Australia, a seasonal landscape of biodiverse green zones and multifunctional spaces by Nischal Ba of India, and a proposal to redefine Freedom Square by balancing historical preservation with modern design by Daniel Mintz of Israel.Competition site: Regional Administration Building, KharkivIn a website statement, the Norman Foster Foundation said: Collectively, rather than identify one clear winner and second and third places the jury decided to give equal weighting and prize money to three projects of equal standing, whose ideas would contribute to a second stage competition, open to new entrants as well as those who had competed in the present competition.The competition is seen as a success, particularly by the local representatives, who found it valuable in starting to redefine their needs symbolically as well as functionally. The importance of gravitas in any proposal was a theme that recurred in the discussions.The intention now is to create a second competition which will be open to new entrants to further develop the ideas proposed in the first stage. The jury were mindful that, for example, the final design for The Reichstag in Berlin evolved from a competition that morphed into a second stage; a testament to the impact of striving for the future of our cities.The Russian invasion of Ukraine started more than two years ago on 24 February 2022, and has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties, the displacement of millions of people and the destruction of large areas of the country.Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine and has been the focus of significant fighting, shelling and missile strikes amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The included an airstrike on the historic Regional Administration Building on 1 March 2022 which killed 29 people and injured more than 35 others.In May 2022, Norman Foster met with Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv and revealed plans to co-ordinate architects in the rebuilding of Kharkiv. In November, Buildner and the Norman Foster Foundation revealed the winners of an earlier contest to rebuild housing and public spaces in the Kharkiv suburb of Saltivka.The latest competition also comes a year after an international ideas contest was held to reconstruct a former high-school in Kharkiv, Ukraine. In February, the Lithuanian government launched an open international contest to rebuild educational infrastructure across Ukraine.Competition site: Kharkiv Freedom SquareThe contest set out to identify innovative and forward-looking strategies for revitalising the 1954 Regional Administration Building and surrounding 115,000m Freedom Square.Freedom Square reflects the history of Soviet-era planning in the city and in recent decades has served as an important cultural heart and urban landmark, hosting a variety of public events.Proposals for Freedom Square were required to respect and acknowledge the citys heritage while also providing a physical embodiment of the citys potential future. Key aims included creating a pedestrian friendly environment, transforming the space into a vibrant community hub and adopting sustainable landscape strategies.Plans for reimagining the Regional Administration Building were meanwhile expected to create a symbol of Ukraines progress and prosperity which balances heritage with contemporary design and draws on examples such as the Reichstag Building in Berlin.Judges included Norman Foster; Beatriz Colomina, director of graduate studies at the Princeton University School of Architecture; Ihor Terekhov, mayor of Kharkiv; Moshe Safdie of Safdie Architects; and Anupama Kundoo, architect and professor at TU Berlin.
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