Check Point Research

Research by: Jiří Vinopal (@vinopaljiri) Abstract What if a trusted security component could be repurposed into an attacker-controlled kernel primitive? What if a signed Microsoft remediation driver could be instructed to execute arbitrary file and registry operations from Ring 0 – without exploits, vulnerabilities, or memory corruption? In this publication, we present the first full […]

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Research by: Jaromír Hořejší (@JaromirHorejsi) Key points Introduction We first noticed a ransomware family called StopAndProtect in the middle of May 2026. Further analysis of the infrastructure reveals that the infection chain starts with a ClickFix social-engineering technique, which prompts victims to execute a PowerShell command. This leads to two stages of additional downloaders and […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 17th August, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES Colombia’s Ministry of Justice has experienced a ransomware attack that affected part of its technology infrastructure and disrupted public services related to illicit-drug monitoring and legal processes. Officials confirmed that some files were […]

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For the past year, the ransomware conversation has centered on concentration: a handful of dominant RaaS operations controlling most of the damage, and a shrinking pool of active groups fighting over the same territory. The State of Ransomware Q2 2026 report from Check Point Research shows that picture starting to shift. The leaders are still winning, but […]

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Key Points Introduction Since early 2026, Check Point Research has tracked a wave of the Operation Dream Job campaign. This wave primarily targeted the defense sector worldwide, with a particular emphasis on companies operating in the aerospace and aviation industries. We observed the threat actor distributing modified PDF viewers designed to execute malicious payloads embedded within specially […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 10th August, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES North Carolina Ports, the US authority operating the ports of Wilmington, Morehead City and others, has suffered a cyberattack that forced some operations onto manual processes. The authority claims it has contained […]

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By Yarden Porat, Check Point Research Key Points The short version We set out to break Cloudflare Code Mode, and ended up breaking Cloudflare Workers too. We did both by targeting workerd, the runtime beneath both: an in-process sandbox that relies entirely on V8 to isolate untrusted code. We found five memory-corruption bugs in workerd’s native C++ (the “glue” […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 27th July, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES Minnesota IT Services has confirmed coordinated cyberattacks affecting more than 30 community water utilities across the state. The incidents briefly disrupted a treatment plant in Braham and affected industrial control systems. Officials reported […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 27th July, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES Nichirei, a Japan-based frozen-food supplier and logistics company, has experienced a ransomware attack that disrupted shipping operations and affected approximately 5,000 customers. KFC Japan warned of possible shortages. Nichirei confirmed personal data theft, […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 20th July, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES Ernst & Young, a global accounting and professional services company, has disclosed a data breach involving a compromised third-party IT support platform. The exposed support tickets may have contained client documents, tax information, […]

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For years, the cyber security industry tracked AI as a force multiplier: something that made existing attack techniques faster, cheaper, and more accessible. That framing was accurate. But the Annual AI Security Report 2026 from Check Point Research documents a transition that goes further. AI has crossed from assistant to operator. Where it once helped attackers prepare, it now runs the […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 13th July, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES U.S. auto insurer AssuranceAmerica has disclosed a data breach affecting approximately 7 million people. Attackers targeted an employee and used compromised credentials to access company systems, stealing names, contact information, driver’s license […]

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Key Points Introduction Since early 2026, Check Point Research (CPR) has tracked a new modular command-and-control framework used by Cavern Manticore, an Iran-nexus APT group primarily targeting Israeli organizations, with a focus on IT providers, and government sectors. Cavern Manticore is an Iran MOIS (Ministry of Intelligence and Security)-linked actor, with links to the OilRig […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 6th July, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES River Bank & Trust, a US financial institution, has experienced a ransomware incident after an unauthorized actor accessed the network of parent company River Financial Corporation on June 16. The bank found […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 22nd June, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has been affected by a third-party data breach involving its license system vendor. The incident exposed driver’s license information, passport numbers, emails, phone numbers, and residential addresses for […]

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Research by: Alexey Bukhteyev Key Takeaways Introduction Over the past several years, large language models have reshaped software development, and malware development has followed the same path. Check Point Research has documented this trend from early experiments showing that AI systems could generate offensive components, to cases of cybercriminals using ChatGPT to create malicious tools, and […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 29th June, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES Polymarket, a large cryptocurrency-based prediction market, has confirmed a supply chain attack after a third-party frontend vendor breach led to malicious JavaScript being injected into its website. Attackers tricked users into approving fraudulent […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 22nd June, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has been affected by a third-party data breach involving its license system vendor. The incident exposed driver’s license information, passport numbers, emails, phone numbers, and residential addresses for […]

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Key Points Introduction In this research, we analyze a clipboard hijacker campaign that is hidden inside a collection of “solutions” and “tools” that claim to give users an unfair advantage. These offers include Solana and Pump.fun sniper bots (automated tools that try to buy new tokens or meme coins faster than other traders), Aviator Predictor […]

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For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 15th June, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES The University of Nottingham, a UK research university, has suffered a data breach after ShinyHunters accessed its student records system. The incident affected about 454,600 current and former students and exposed contact details, […]

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