Malcolm v26.05.0 delivers a mix of feature improvements, performance improvements, bug fixes, dependency updates, and deployment refinements across Malcolm and Hedgehog for both Docker- and Kubernetes-based workflows.

If you are upgrading from an existing Malcolm installation, run ./scripts/status for Malcolm to migrate some settings prior to running ./scripts/configure, ./scripts/start, or other Malcolm control scripts.

https://github.com/idaholab/Malcolm/compare/v26.04.1...v26.05.0

• ✨ Features and enhancements
  • #726 — use hierarchical structure for NetBox device roles
    • Expanded/reworked NetBox preloaded device roles into a hierarchical taxonomy (thanks Crubumble)
  • #867 — examine large chown'ed directories in container images and see if they can be reduced
  • #954 — allow users to provide custom netbox scripts to be automatically registered on startup (thanks PrudhviChanda)
    • Added NetBox custom script support in the container/runtime and docs, including bind-mounting ./netbox/custom-scripts and automatic script registration at startup
    • Renamed NetBox startup/control scripts from netbox/scripts to netbox/control-scripts
  • Added file.strings extraction/indexing/search support across Strelka → Logstash → OpenSearch templates (wildcard field mapping type) → Arkime/WISE
  • Added configurable Zeek file analyzer timeout via ZEEK_FILE_ANALYZER_TIMEOUT_SEC
  • netdev users in ISO-installed environment can run nmcli and nmtui to configure network interfaces.
  • the malcolm_appliance_packager.sh script that creates a tarball of Malcolm images can now package for both Malcolm and Hedgehog profiles.
• ✅ Component version updates
  • Arkime to v6.3.1
  • cryptography to v46.0.7
  • Filebeat OSS to v9.3.4
  • Fluent Bit to v5.0.4
  • GitPython to v3.1.47
  • Keycloak to v26.6
  • Logstash OSS to v9.2.8
  • OpenSearch and Opensearch Dashboards to v3.6.0
  • opensearch-py to v3.2.0
  • pillow to v12.2.0
  • python-dotenv to v1.2.2
  • Supercronic to v0.2.45
  • yq to v4.53.2
  • Zeek to v8.1.2
• 🐛 Bug fixes
  • #757 — multiple OpenSearch nodes (using Malcolm-Helm) fail to communicate with each other due to self-signed certs (thanks scott-jeffery)
    • OpenSearch post-start setup now supports configurable default replica counts instead of always forcing single-node replicas to 0
    • OpenSearch self-signed internal cert generation can now be skipped when external/preexisting certs are being used
  • #827 — Fix raspberry pi build which is broken since v25.12.0 Hedgehog/Malcolm platform unification
    • Updated Hedgehog Raspberry Pi docs and first-boot behavior/documentation
    • Hedgehog Raspberry Pi image now forces password change for sensor on first login and disables direct root password login by default
    • Refactored Raspberry Pi GitHub Actions build into reusable workflow .github/workflows/raspi-build-push.yml
  • #878 — Arkime capture Fails to Start on Hedgehog When WISE Web Config Is Enabled
    • Arkime RBAC role-mapping injection is now only applied when role-based access control is enabled
    • Arkime WISE configuration initialization now handles missing/empty persistent config files more robustly
    • Arkime live capture now normalizes WISE URLs better, follows redirects when probing, and avoids some bad URL construction edge cases
  • #957 — configuration script can disable ICS parsers unintentionally
  • #959 — Arkime sessions view attempts to load PCAP for Zeek and Suricata logs (which don't have PCAP) (see also arkime/arkime#3934)
  • Fixed one-off cleanup of interrupted Zeek intel files during stop --wipe
• 🧹 Code and project maintenance
  • Documentation improvements
  • #913 — replace ingress-nginx which is EOL
    • Switched Kubernetes ingress example/docs from ingress-nginx to Traefik and replaced the old Vagrant example with a new RKE2/Traefik-based environment
    • Fixed malformed indentation in kubernetes/01-volumes-nfs.yml.example for the filescan volume section
    • Removed deprecated Kubernetes example files for ingress-nginx and the old separate NFS-server Vagrant setup
    • opensearch is no longer part of the hedgehog Docker Compose profile, and some depends_on relationships were adjusted accordingly
  • #942 - Fixed mutable default argument usage in Zeek threat feed helper functions (thanks @stef41)
  • #917 — develop IronBank (US DoD) images for Malcolm
• 📄 Configuration changes for Malcolm (in environment variables in ./config/). The Malcolm control script (e.g., ./scripts/status, ./scripts/start) automatically handles creation and migration of variables according to ./config/env-var-actions.yml.
  • Added ZEEK_FILE_ANALYZER_TIMEOUT_SEC (default 5) to zeek.env. This is the default amount of time a file can be inactive before the file analysis gives up and discards any internal state related to the file.
  • ZEEK_CLUSTER_BACKEND can be specified in zeek.env to specify the Zeek cluster backend (ZeroMQ vs Broker).
• ❌ Errata
  • Under NetBox → Plugins → NetBox HealthCheck Plugin → HealthCheck the error "unavailable: Unable to connect to Redis: Connection Error" is displayed. This is a side effect of #882 and does not actually indicate a problem with NetBox or its connection to Valkey. This will be fixed in the next release.

Malcolm is a powerful, easily deployable network 🖧 traffic analysis tool suite for network security monitoring 🕵🏻‍♀️.

Malcolm operates as a cluster of containers 📦, isolated sandboxes which each serve a dedicated function of the system. This makes Malcolm deployable with frameworks like Docker 🐋, Podman 🦭, and Kubernetes ⎈. Check out the Quick Start guide for examples on how to get up and running.

Alternatively, dedicated official ISO installer images 💿 for Malcolm and Hedgehog Linux 🦔 can be downloaded from Malcolm's releases page on GitHub. Due to limits on individual files in GitHub releases, these ISO files have been split 🪓 into 2GB chunks and can be reassembled with scripts provided for both Bash 🐧 (release_cleaver.sh) and PowerShell 🪟 (release_cleaver.ps1). See Downloading Malcolm - Installer ISOs for instructions.

As always, join us on the Malcolm discussions board 💬 to engage with the community, or pop some corn 🍿 and watch a video 📼.

#Malcolm #HedgehogLinux #Zeek #Arkime #Strelka #NetBox #OpenSearch #Elasticsearch #Suricata #PCAP #NetworkTrafficAnalysis #networksecuritymonitoring #OT #ICS #icssecurity #CyberSecurity #Cyber #Infosec #INL

ICSAP Analysis Report | ICSAP-AN-26-001

Reading Between the Advisories: Linux Kernel CVE-2026-31431 in the ICS Ecosystem

CVE-2026-31431 ("Copy Fail") was added to CISA's KEV Catalog on May 1. Theori's Xint Code research team disclosed it on April 29. It's a 9-year-old logic flaw in the Linux kernel's algif_aead module that lets any unprivileged local user escalate to root using a 732-byte Python script. The same exploit works on Ubuntu, Amazon Linux, RHEL, and SUSE without modification.

The mainstream security community has covered this well. What hasn't been written is the ICS angle.

We reviewed both the CISA ICS Advisory dataset (3,800 advisories since 2010) and the ICS[AP] Other CERT and Vendor ICS Advisories dataset (12,468 advisories) to see which industrial control system products have documented Linux exposure to this CVE.

Three observations:

Only 0.8% of CISA ICS advisories have ever explicitly mentioned Linux, the kernel, or embedded Linux components. Across 3,800 advisories, only two disclose a specific kernel version, and both are end-of-life branches.

Schneider Electric (234 CISA advisories, zero Linux mentions), Rockwell Automation (246, zero), Mitsubishi Electric (119, zero), Hitachi Energy (103, zero), and Moxa (53, zero) have published nothing about Linux in their CISA advisory text, despite shipping Linux-based product lines per their own technical documentation.

Container escape applies. CODESYS Control containers, Advantech IoTSuite Edge dockers, Bosch Rexroth ctrlX CORE container apps, and similar containerized industrial edge platforms are subject to the container-breakout behavior identified in Microsoft Defender's published analysis.

Asset owners cannot rely on advisory text to assess exposure. Direct vendor PSIRT engagement is the only defensible path. As of publication, no major ICS vendor has published a CVE-2026-31431-specific advisory.

ICSAP-AN-26-001 is the inaugural ICSAP Analysis Report. It covers the CVE technical mechanism with primary-source attribution to Theori, a Tier 1A list of 16 ICS product lines with documented Linux exposure, a Tier 2 list of 14 vendors whose Linux products do not surface in advisory text, and practitioner guidance for the next four to six weeks.

Read the full report at icsadvisoryproject.com or - download at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v5RWBFT0cHFUDkUhM0enwh3t1PdOGVcv/view

#ICS #OTSecurity #CriticalInfrastructure #LinuxKernel #CopyFail #VulnerabilityManagement

It's so sad. With 📆 CalDAV we have a really nice open protocol for syncing events, todos and notes. The protocol, which is technically more of a file format (iCalendar) even supports quite complex reccurence rules and even things like recurring tasks.

Unfortunately, client (and server) applications usually only implement a subset of what's possible.

Know some good ones? Let me know!

#CalDAV #iCalendar #ics #Calendar #PIM #LinuxApps

My "Introduction to ICS Malware Analysis" workshop was accepted at the SANS ICS Security Summit.

You'll learn about ICS malware by analyzing samples modeled on FrostyGoop and CRASHOVERRIDE. No prior RE experience needed.

It's running twice: June 8 and June 10. Hope to see you there!

https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-training-events/ics-security-summit-2026#schedule

#ICS #malware

Inside Vect Ransomware-as-a-Service

Vect ransomware emerged in January 2026 as a new threat actor operating a Ransomware-as-a-Service program with strategic partnerships that significantly expand its reach. The group has partnered with TeamPCP, known for supply chain attacks compromising security tools like Trivy, KICS, and LiteLLM, and BreachForums, distributing affiliate keys to forum members. With 25 published victims primarily targeting the United States and Technology sector, Vect maintains an open affiliate program requiring only a $250 invite code. The operation offers multi-platform ransomware payloads for Windows, Linux, and ESXi with sophisticated lateral movement capabilities and tiered commission structures reaching 89% for top affiliates. Analysis reveals connections to the defunct Devman ransomware through shared code strings and ransom note similarities, suggesting possible rebranding or code reuse.

Pulse ID: 69f3e870bcc7ccaa076150b1
Pulse Link: https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/69f3e870bcc7ccaa076150b1
Pulse Author: AlienVault
Created: 2026-04-30 23:40:32

Be advised, this data is unverified and should be considered preliminary. Always do further verification.

#CyberSecurity #ICS #InfoSec #Linux #OTX #OpenThreatExchange #RAT #RansomWare #RansomwareAsAService #SupplyChain #UnitedStates #Windows #bot #AlienVault

ClickFix Removes Your Background but Leaves the Malware

BackgroundFix masquerades as a free image-editing tool but functions as a ClickFix social engineering lure. The fake service prompts users to verify they are human, copying malicious commands to their clipboard that invoke finger.exe to retrieve additional payloads. This chain delivers CastleLoader, which subsequently drops NetSupport RAT and a custom .NET stealer dubbed CastleStealer. The loader uses reflective PE injection, API hashing, and ChaCha20-encrypted C2 communications. CastleStealer targets browser credentials, cryptocurrency wallet extensions, and Telegram sessions through DPAPI decryption and Restart Manager APIs. The campaign leverages BYOI tactics with embedded Python interpreters and multiple shellcode stages. A notable implementation flaw exists where launch method 4 references regsrv32.exe instead of the correct regsvr32.exe, causing silent failures.

Pulse ID: 69f36a0940fe2fa665ebe32e
Pulse Link: https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/69f36a0940fe2fa665ebe32e
Pulse Author: AlienVault
Created: 2026-04-30 14:41:13

Be advised, this data is unverified and should be considered preliminary. Always do further verification.

#Browser #ChaCha20 #Clipboard #CyberSecurity #ICS #InfoSec #Malware #NET #NetSupport #NetSupportRAT #OTX #OpenThreatExchange #Python #RAT #ShellCode #SocialEngineering #Telegram #bot #cryptocurrency #AlienVault

Phoenix Rising: Exposing the PhaaS Kit Behind Global Mass Phishing Campaigns

Since January 2025, researchers identified over 2,500 phishing domains targeting more than 70 organizations across financial services, telecommunications, and logistics sectors globally. Two dominant smishing campaigns were discovered: Reward Points phishing impersonating banks and telecom providers, and Failed Parcel Delivery phishing mimicking logistics companies. Despite different themes, both campaigns share infrastructure and utilize the Phoenix System administrative panel, a successor to the Mouse System. This Phishing-as-a-Service platform offers real-time victim monitoring, geofencing, IP-based filtering, and live-phishing interventions to bypass multi-factor authentication. The platform is distributed via Telegram channels for approximately $2,000 annually, providing threat actors with pre-built templates, traffic filtering mechanisms, and real-time victim management dashboards. Attackers potentially leverage fake Base Transceiver Stations to bypass carrier-level filtering and deliver messages app...

Pulse ID: 69f1fa3e73a0897558593b04
Pulse Link: https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/69f1fa3e73a0897558593b04
Pulse Author: AlienVault
Created: 2026-04-29 12:31:58

Be advised, this data is unverified and should be considered preliminary. Always do further verification.

#Bank #CyberSecurity #ICS #InfoSec #Mimic #OTX #OpenThreatExchange #Phishing #RAT #RCE #SMS #Smishing #Telecom #Telecommunication #Telegram #bot #AlienVault

#Forgejo  releases are published according to a fixed release schedule with security announcements between major releases.

Already a year ago, I wrote a small #python script creating an #ics calendar file which can be read by almost any calendar software. Using a scheduled job (e.g., with #cron), I have the always updated calendar in my #Thunderbird.

In the meantime, I forgot about it, but now I want to share it with you (on #Codeberg, of course): https://codeberg.org/mahlzahn/forgejo-releases-ics

📰 CISA and Partners Release Joint Guidance for Applying Zero Trust Principles to OT Environments

🏭 CISA & partners released new guidance on applying Zero Trust to Operational Technology (OT). The guide helps secure critical infrastructure against threats like Volt Typhoon by adapting modern security for legacy systems. #ZeroTrust #OTSecurity #ICS

🔗 https://cyber.netsecops.io