Ransomware Found in VSCode Extensions Raises Concerns Over Microsoft’s Security Review
Cybersecurity experts have discovered ransomware hidden within two Visual Studio Code (VSCode) Marketplace extensions, raising concerns about Microsoft’s ability to detect malicious software in its platform. The compromised extensions, named “ahban.shiba” and “ahban.cychelloworld,” were downloaded by users before security researchers flagged them and they were subsequently removed. Despite Microsoft’s security measures, the extensions remained publicly accessible for a significant period, highlighting potential gaps in the company’s review process. The “ahban.cychelloworld” extension was first uploaded on October 27, 2024, followed by “ahban.shiba” on February 17, 2025. The VSCode Marketplace, designed to provide developers with additional tools for Microsoft’s popular coding platform, has come under scrutiny for failing to identify these threats.
GCHQ intern took top secret spy tool home, now faces prison
A student at Britain’s top eavesdropping government agency has pleaded guilty to taking sensitive information home on the first day of his trial. Hasaan Arshad, 25, speaking at the Old Bailey in London, admitted that on August 24, 2022, he took his phone into a highly secure area of GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence and security branch, and downloaded top secret information – including some staff names – then returned home and transferred it to a hard drive connected to his PC. He pleaded guilty to breaking Section 3ZA of the Computer Misuse Act 1990, by “unauthorized acts causing, or creating risk of, serious damage.”
Your Phone Is the #1 Target in a New Wave of IRS Scams, McAfee Finds
As Tax Day looms and last-minute taxpayers feel the pressure, a surge of IRS scams is on the rise. Research by our McAfee Labs team projects a fresh wave of sophisticated tax scams as the stress of peak filing season sets in, with bogus text messages leading the way. Nearly half of taxpayers complete their taxes between mid-March and April 15, which gives scammers ample opportunity to cash in as people rush their filings with the IRS.
France’s Antitrust Watchdog Fines Apple for Problems With App Tracking Transparency
France’s antitrust watchdog fined Apple 150 million euros ($162 million) on Monday over a privacy feature protecting users from apps snooping on them because its introduction resulted in abuse of competition law. The French Competition Authority said the aim of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) requiring iPhone and iPad apps to ask users for permission before tracking them was not in itself open to criticism. But it ruled that the “way in which it was implemented was neither necessary nor proportionate to Apple’s stated objective of protecting personal data.”
Nearly 24,000 IPs Target PAN-OS GlobalProtect in Coordinated Login Scan Campaign
Cybersecurity researchers are warning of a spike in suspicious login scanning activity targeting Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS GlobalProtect gateways, with nearly 24,000 unique IP addresses attempting to access these portals. “This pattern suggests a coordinated effort to probe network defenses and identify exposed or vulnerable systems, potentially as a precursor to targeted exploitation,” threat intelligence firm GreyNoise said. The surge is said to have commenced on March 17, 2025, sustaining at nearly 20,000 unique IP addresses per day before dropping off on March 26. At its peak, 23,958 unique IP addresses are estimated to have participated in the activity. Of these, only a smaller subset of 154 IP addresses has been flagged as malicious.
