A report released today by business risk intelligence startup Flashpoint found that the number of security vulnerabilities discovered increased in the first half of this year, although not by much, and that cybercriminals are increasingly using info-stealing malware to steal personal information.

The Flashpoint Cyber ​​​​Threat Intelligence Index, based on data, trends and emerging cyber threats from January 1 to June 30, found that there were 17,518 newly reported vulnerabilities in the first half of the year, up 11% from the first half of 2023. The number of publicly known exploits increased by 6% over the same period.

Over 45% of the vulnerabilities disclosed in the first half of 2024 were rated high to critical according to the Common Vulnerability Score System v3.

Infostealing malware, which the report calls one of the biggest threats of 2024, infected more than 13 million devices and compromised more than 53 million credentials in the first half of the year. The stolen data also served as the fuel for increasingly sophisticated and damaging ransomware attacks.

The most commonly used malware was data-stealing RedLine, which accounted for just over 3 million infected hosts, well ahead of Risepro with 879,000 and Stealc with 289,000. Over the course of the six months, Flashpoint collected over 456 million stolen or leaked credentials.

When it comes to ransomware, it’s no surprise that LockBit remains the most commonly used form of ransomware. LockBit saw 428 attacks in the six months, ahead of Play with 175 and RansomHub with 169. LockBit is a ransomware-as-a-service provider that charges for the use of its ransomware software.

Insider threats are also highlighted in the report. Flashpoint observed 8,497 unique cases of recurring insider advertising or general discussions involving insider-related threat activity in its chat collections. The vast majority of insider threat activity came from individuals offering their services to malicious actors, particularly in the telecom industry where employees asked to swap SIM cards for threat actors.

“The cyber threat landscape is becoming increasingly volatile and interconnected,” said Flashpoint CEO Josh Lefkowitz. “Vulnerabilities and exploits are proliferating, and threat actors are taking advantage of these weaknesses.”

Lefkowitz noted that Flashpoint sees the use of infostealers as the strongest trend so far in 2024. “They have already infected over 13 million devices this year and stolen massive amounts of data, leading to a wave of ransomware attacks and data breaches in general,” he said. “Organizations must prioritize infostealers accordingly and take proactive steps to protect their employees and assets.”

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