Security Research Roundup: Supply-Chain Malware, Phishing Operations, and Evolving Social Engineering
Multiple security reports and investigations highlighted active threats spanning software supply chain abuse, phishing operations, and commodity malware delivery. Socket identified four malicious NuGet packages (e.g., NCryptYo, DOMOAuth2_, IRAOAuth2.0, SimpleWriter_) published by hamzazaheer that targeted ASP.NET developers by exfiltrating ASP.NET Identity data (users/roles/permissions) and manipulating authorization to maintain persistence; the campaign used a staged loader that set up a local proxy on localhost:7152 to relay traffic to dynamically resolved C2 infrastructure. Separately, investigators disrupted a logistics-focused phishing-as-a-service operation (“Diesel Vortex”) tied to Russian/Armenian operators, which used dozens of domains to target users of platforms such as DAT, Truckstop, Penske Logistics, EFS, and Timocom, resulting in theft of over 1,600 credentials and attempted EFS check fraud. Fortinet also detailed a multi-stage Agent Tesla infection chain delivered via phishing with RAR attachments leading to .jse and PowerShell stages, culminating in in-memory execution and process hollowing into C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Aspnet_compiler.exe.
Threat intelligence and ecosystem reporting also underscored how attackers are scaling operations and bypassing traditional controls. Group-IB reported MuddyWater (“Operation Olalampo”) targeting the MENA region with new tooling including GhostFetch and a Rust backdoor (CHAR) controlled via Telegram, plus variants that deploy AnyDesk; the report noted indicators consistent with AI-assisted development. Dark Reading described the rise of telephone-oriented attack delivery (TOAD) emails—messages containing only a phone number—which accounted for a significant share of gateway-bypassing detections in StrongestLayer’s dataset, reflecting a shift toward social-engineering paths that evade link/attachment scanning. Confiant reported disrupting D-Shortiez malvertising operations after discovering exposed internal testing/admin infrastructure, attributing 59 million malicious ad impressions (primarily US-targeted) to scam campaigns, while Interpol-backed Operation Red Card 2.0 reported 651 arrests and $4.3M recovered across 16 African countries in actions against fraud rings and cybercrime syndicates.
Timeline
Feb 25, 2026
Fortinet publishes technical analysis of multi-stage Agent Tesla campaign
Fortinet detailed a high-severity Agent Tesla campaign using phishing emails with RAR attachments, JScript loaders, encrypted PowerShell, and process hollowing to execute the stealer in memory. The report also published indicators of compromise and described anti-analysis and SMTP-based data exfiltration behavior.
Feb 25, 2026
Research reveals malicious NuGet and npm supply-chain packages
Security researchers publicly disclosed the NuGet campaign targeting ASP.NET developers and the npm package ambar-src, warning that affected systems may be fully compromised. The NuGet packages had been downloaded more than 4,500 times before removal, while the npm package exceeded 50,000 downloads.
Feb 25, 2026
Interpol reports 651 arrests and $4.3 million recovered in Red Card 2.0
Interpol announced that Operation Red Card 2.0 resulted in 651 arrests and recovery of more than $4.3 million. The operation disrupted fraud rings in countries including Nigeria, Kenya, and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as a Nigerian group that compromised a major telecommunications provider.
Feb 25, 2026
Researchers disrupt Diesel Vortex phishing infrastructure
Investigators from Have I Been Squatted and Ctrl-Alt-Int3l disrupted the months-long Diesel Vortex phishing-as-a-service operation after an exposed .git directory revealed source code, victim data, and internal communications. The campaign used 52 phishing domains to target about 57,000 freight and logistics users, stealing more than 1,600 credentials and enabling 35 attempted EFS check-fraud cases.
Feb 24, 2026
Group-IB exposes new MuddyWater malware in Operation Olalampo
Group-IB reported that Operation Olalampo introduced new malware families including GhostFetch, GhostBackDoor, and the Rust-based CHAR backdoor, along with an updated HTTP_VIP downloader. The firm also assessed that CHAR may have been AI-assisted based on development artifacts.
Feb 24, 2026
Confiant reports D-Shortiez served 59 million malicious ad impressions
Confiant disclosed that D-Shortiez delivered 59 million malicious ad impressions during 2025, with about 95% aimed at U.S. users. The company said it shared indicators with ad platforms to support takedowns and broader ecosystem mitigation.
Feb 1, 2026
Malicious npm package ambar-src is uploaded
In February 2026, attackers uploaded the npm package ambar-src, which was later found to execute OS-specific malware through a preinstall hook. The package was downloaded more than 50,000 times and delivered payloads for Windows, Linux, and macOS systems.
Jan 26, 2026
MuddyWater launches Operation Olalampo in the MENA region
Group-IB observed the Iranian-linked threat actor MuddyWater begin a new campaign called Operation Olalampo on January 26, 2026. The operation used phishing documents and exploitation of recently disclosed server vulnerabilities to target organizations and individuals across the MENA region.
Dec 1, 2025
StrongestLayer tracks surge in gateway-bypassing phishing techniques
From December 2025 to late February 2026, StrongestLayer analyzed about 5,000 email threats that bypassed secure email gateways across enterprise environments. The study found TOAD emails accounted for nearly 28% of detections and documented more than 1,400 unique evasion combinations.
Dec 1, 2025
Operation Red Card 2.0 is conducted across 16 African countries
During December 2025 and January 2026, law enforcement agencies in 16 African countries carried out Operation Red Card 2.0 with Interpol and private-sector support. The coordinated action targeted cybercriminal operations involved in fraud, telecom compromise, and other transnational cyber-enabled crimes.
Nov 25, 2025
Second D-Shortiez campaign cluster is identified
In late November 2025, Confiant identified a second campaign cluster with similar fingerprints and exposed origin infrastructure through another test page and historical Censys data. The infrastructure included a Hong Kong IP and SSL certificate references to the Baota/Pagoda administration panel.
Jun 25, 2025
Confiant discovers exposed D-Shortiez testing page
In late June 2025, Confiant found an exposed internal testing page used by D-Shortiez. The access allowed Confiant to automate collection of newly staged domains and block infrastructure before campaigns went live.
Jan 1, 2025
D-Shortiez expands into Windows tech support scam malvertising
In 2025, Confiant observed D-Shortiez broaden its activity from giveaway scams into Microsoft Windows-branded tech support scams. The new scam line reused the same domains, URL paths, and Binom TDS tooling, supporting attribution to the same operator.
Aug 1, 2024
Malicious NuGet packages are published to target ASP.NET developers
Four malicious NuGet packages — NCryptYo, DOMOAuth2_, IRAOAuth2.0, and SimpleWriter_ — were published in August 2024 by the user “hamzazaheer.” The packages were designed to exfiltrate ASP.NET Identity data and manipulate authorization rules to create persistent backdoors in affected applications.
Jan 1, 2022
D-Shortiez begins forced-redirect malvertising activity
Confiant had tracked the malvertising actor D-Shortiez since 2022, when it was associated with forced-redirect ads leading to fake Google gift card and Amazon giveaway scams. This establishes the earliest known activity for the operator later tied to broader scam infrastructure.
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