MI6 ROGUE

Cybersecurity researchers have exposed a wide variety of techniques adopted by an advanced malware downloader called GuLoader to evade security software. "New shellcode anti-analysis technique attempts to thwart researchers and hostile environments by scanning entire process memory for any virtual machine (VM)-related strings," CrowdStrike researchers Sarang Sonawane and Donato Onofri said in a https://thehackernews.com/2022/12/guloader-malware-utilizing-new.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

The pay-per-install (PPI) malware downloader service known as PrivateLoader is being used to distribute a previously documented information-stealing malware dubbed RisePro. Flashpoint spotted the newly identified stealer on December 13, 2022, after it discovered "several sets of logs" exfiltrated using the malware on an illicit cybercrime marketplace called Russian Market. A C++-based malware, https://thehackernews.com/2022/12/privateloader-ppi-service-found.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

Man charged with murder in Brent https://news.met.police.uk/news/man-charged-with-murder-in-brent-459636?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=current_news

Murder investigation launched in Islington https://news.met.police.uk/news/murder-investigation-launched-in-islington-459634?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=current_news

Appeal to trace man in 2017 New Year's Eve murder https://news.met.police.uk/news/appeal-to-trace-man-in-2017-new-years-eve-murder-459626?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=current_news

Preliminary report; A frequently repeated premise is that viruses evolve to become less pathogenic. This appears also to be true for SARS-CoV-2, although the increased level of immunity in human populations makes it difficult to distinguish between reduced intrinsic pathogenicity and increasing protective immunity. The reduced pathogenicity of the omicron BA.1 sub-lineage compared to earlier variants is well described and appears to be due to reduced utilization of TMPRRS2. That this reduced pathogenicity remains true for omicron BA.5 was recently reported. In sharp contrast, we show that a BA.5 isolate was significantly more pathogenic in K18-hACE2 mice than a BA.1 isolate, with BA.5 infection showing increased neurovirulence, encephalitis and mortality, similar to that seen for an original strain isolate. BA.5 also infected human cortical brain organoids to a greater extent than a BA.1 and original strain isolate. Neurons were the target of infection, with increasing evidence of neuron infection in COVID-19 patients. These results argue that while omicron virus may be associated with reduced respiratory symptoms, BA.5 shows increased neurovirulence compared to earlier omicron sub-variants. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.22.521696v1?rss=1%22&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr Read more ↓

Appeal following fatal collision in Hounslow https://news.met.police.uk/news/appeal-following-fatal-collision-in-hounslow-459630?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=current_news

Appeal following fatal collision in Edgware https://news.met.police.uk/news/appeal-following-fatal-collision-in-edgware-459628?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=current_news

More than 17,000 children receive presents via Met's annual Christmas Tree Appeal https://news.met.police.uk/news/more-than-17000-children-receive-presents-via-mets-annual-christmas-tree-appeal-459572?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=current_news

COVID-19 Vaccines for People Who Are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised https://tools.cdc.gov/api/embed/downloader/download.asp?m=404952&c=733259&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

Threat actors have published yet another round of malicious packages to Python Package Index (PyPI) with the goal of delivering information-stealing malware on compromised developer machines. Interestingly, while the malware goes by a variety of names like ANGEL Stealer, Celestial Stealer, Fade Stealer, Leaf $tealer, PURE Stealer, Satan Stealer, and @skid Stealer, cybersecurity company Phylum https://thehackernews.com/2022/12/w4sp-stealer-discovered-in-multiple.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

Appeal to trace missing woman from Lewisham https://news.met.police.uk/news/appeal-to-trace-missing-woman-from-lewisham-459623?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=current_news

Arrest made in Brent murder investigation https://news.met.police.uk/news/arrest-made-in-brent-murder-investigation-459622?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=current_news

Preliminary report; The landscape of SARS-CoV-2 variants dramatically diversified with the simultaneous appearance of multiple sub-variants originating from BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-lineages. They harbor a specific set of mutations in the spike that can make them more evasive to therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. In this study, we compared the neutralizing potential of monoclonal antibodies against the Omicron BA.2.75.2, BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and XBB variants, with a pre-Omicron Delta variant as a reference. Sotrovimab retains some activity against BA.2.75.2, BQ.1 and XBB as it did against BA.2/BA.5, but is less active against BQ.1.1. Within the Evusheld/AZD7442 cocktail, Cilgavimab lost all activity against all subvariants studied, resulting in loss of Evusheld activity. Finally, Bebtelovimab, while still active against BA.2.75, also lost all neutralizing activity against BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and XBB variants. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.22.521201v1?rss=1%22&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr Read more ↓

The College has yesterday launched a consultation on updated guidance for policing protests and events. https://www.policeoracle.com/news/investigation/2022/Dec/23/Consultation-launched-on-new-APP-for-public-order_110310.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

UPDATE: Death of woman in Hounslow https://news.met.police.uk/news/update-death-of-woman-in-hounslow-459620?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=current_news

Man jailed for 2020 Colindale murder https://news.met.police.uk/news/man-jailed-for-2020-colindale-murder-459619?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=current_news