IRONQUERY
Database Forensics Engineer
Professional Profile
Extracts hidden truth from compromised databases.
Key Skills
Database forensics; Query reconstruction; Transaction analysis; Data-exfiltration detection; SQL anomaly detection
Major Achievements
Reconstructed fraudulent transactions deleted by an insider.
Articles by IRONQUERY
Windows’ Own Tools Return as the Quiet Path into Military Networks
A reported UAC-0184 campaign pairs BITS staging with HTA execution and signed binaries, showing how ordinary Windows components can be chained into a stealthy delivery route.
MSHTA Returns as a Quiet Delivery Route for Malware
Attackers are increasingly using Microsoft’s legacy Windows HTML Application host to move stealers, loaders, and persistent malware through phishing and fake download lures.
A Popular Developer Extension, a Quiet Update, and a Credential-Theft Risk
A compromised Nx Console package landing in the VS Code marketplace shows how a trusted extension update can become a high-value supply-chain risk for developers.
The Trust Chain Is Burning: What a Week of Mixed Attacks Reveals
A roundup of an Exchange 0-day, an npm worm, a fake AI page, and a Cisco exploit points to one recurring tactic: attackers keep going after systems people already trust.
Invoice Lures and Archive Traps: The Delivery Chain Behind PureLogs
A phishing email, a TXZ attachment, and a JavaScript file form the observed path to a loader linked with the PureLogs infostealer.
When Simulations Lie: The Fast16 Case and the New War on Data Integrity
A newly analyzed malware framework linked to nuclear test simulations highlights how a hidden runtime hook can corrupt results without necessarily breaking the system around it.
Kazuar’s Rebuild Shows How Espionage Malware Tries to Outlive Defenders
A long-running backdoor has reportedly been reworked into a modular peer-to-peer botnet, a design change that can make long-term control harder to disrupt.
Osquery’s Quiet Advantage: Turning Endpoint State Into a Malware Hunt
When signature-based defenses miss active malware, osquery gives analysts a different way in: query the host itself for suspicious processes, unusual connections, and persistence artifacts.
REMUS Turns Sessions into the Real Prize
The infostealer’s reported focus on browser sessions, authentication tokens, and MaaS-style scaling reflects a broader shift in cybercrime: access is now more valuable than passwords.
When a Credential Worm Crawls the Build Chain
A reported malware strain tied to npm, GitHub, AWS, and Kubernetes is a reminder that one stolen secret can ripple across the software pipeline.
When Malware Turns Its Own Blueprint Loose, Supply Chains Get Harder to Trust
A hacking group’s release of Shai-Hulud worm source code raises the risk of reuse, copycat abuse, and fresh pressure on developer ecosystems.
Kazuar’s Quiet Upgrade: A Backdoor Rebuilt as a Resilient P2P Botnet
Microsoft’s latest analysis turns a familiar espionage implant into a distributed control system, showing how modern malware can trade a single command server for harder-to-break internal coordination.
When Signed Drivers Become the Weapon: The BYOVD Path into Ransomware
A Windows trust mechanism meant to protect endpoints can be turned against them, letting attackers use vulnerable drivers to undermine security controls before ransomware takes hold.
Search Results Became the Trap: Fake Admin Tool Downloads Pushed Kong RAT
A malware campaign reportedly turned routine searches for FinalShell and Xshell into a delivery path for Kong RAT, showing how trust in download pages can become an entry point for remote control.
The npm Trust Trap: A Worm-Like Campaign Turns Ordinary Updates into Secret Theft
A fresh wave of compromise in the npm ecosystem shows how a single malicious package can cross from developer laptops into CI/CD pipelines, where credentials and publishing access become the real prize.
Poisoned Packages, Silent Pipelines: The TanStack npm Break-In That Put CI Secrets in the Crosshairs
A compromise affecting 84 npm packages shows how install-time code and CI credentials can collide inside the same trusted workflow.
The Interview Trap Hidden Inside a Git Repository
A fake coding test can become an execution path when attackers rely on Git hooks, turning normal developer trust into a delivery mechanism for malware.
Poisoned Packages, Fragile Trust: Mini Shai-Hulud Pushes npm Security Back Into the Spotlight
A fresh supply-chain wave involving hundreds of malicious package versions shows how quickly routine dependency installs can turn into an enterprise risk.
When a Package Turns Predatory: The Shai-Hulud npm Wave and the Collapse of Build Trust
A large-scale supply-chain incident in the npm ecosystem shows how a malicious package can look ordinary when the build and publish pipeline itself has been bent out of shape.
Official Download, Unofficial Payload: How a Trusted Installer Page Became the Attack Surface
A software site’s download layer was altered to serve malware, showing how quickly a single web trust break can turn a routine installer into a security incident.