Hackers hide malware behind CNN headlines about Gaza conflict

Hackers love to jump on the tails of breaking news stories in their attempt to infect as many people as possible.

One of the latest examples we have seen is a campaign of spammed-out messages that claim to come from CNN. The emails claim to link to a CNN news report that contains graphic and striking video footage from Al Jazeera about the hostilities between Israel and Hamas.

However, if you click on the link you will actually be taken to a website hosting malicious code.

In this example the email pretends to have come from [email protected]:

The whole world is watching the events in Gaza with concern, and naturally many people are getting their updates on the latest developments via the internet. Sadly, many people might be tempted to click on the link without thinking – risking putting their computer and the data contained upon it in danger.

Our advice would be to never trust an unsolicited email like this, but visit established sites like the BBC and CNN directly for your…

Read more in my article on the Naked Security website.

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Graham Cluley is a veteran of the cybersecurity industry, having worked for a number of security companies since the early 1990s when he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows. Now an independent analyst, he regularly makes media appearances and is an international public speaker on the topic of cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, or drop him an email.