Synopsis: Microsoft has patched a zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2024-21412) in Windows Defender SmartScreen today, which has been seen exploited in the wild. The flaw allowed an unauthenticated attacker to send a specially crafted file to a targeted user, bypassing security checks. Trend Micro researchers discovered that this vulnerability has been used to target foreign exchange traders by tricking them into installing malware via social engineering. Given that these attacks have been financially motivated, evidence suggests that the likely end goal would be data theft or ransomware deployment.
Action: Ensure that Windows is fully up to date and apply the latest patch released today to mitigate this vulnerability.
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