This is your easyDNS #AxisOfEasy Briefing for the week of June 1st, 2026. Our Technology Correspondent Joann L Barnes and easyCEO Mark E. Jeftovic send out a short briefing on the state of the ‘net and how it affects your business, security and privacy.

To Listen/watch this podcast edition with commentary and insight from Joey and Len the Lengend click here.

In this issue:

• Instagram’s AI Chatbot Exploited to Hijack High-Profile Accounts
• Red Hat npm Channel Hijacked to Spread Credential-Stealing Worm
• AI-Powered Malware Lab Targets Major EDR Platforms
• IMA Diligence Services Data Breach Exposes 525,000+ Victims to Genesis Ransomware Group
• Microsoft Backs Down After Security Researcher Backlash

Elsewhere Online:

easyClaw Launch Resumed

After a big lead-up and much fanfare, we launched easyClaw – the hosted openclaw VPS in last week’s edition of AxisOfEasy

It was fun while it lasted, but at some point in the early hours of Saturday morning, we ran out of IPs and had to throw the brakes on sign-ups.

Sorry if you were one of the people affected.

We’ve since added more netblocks to the easyNode ecosystem, and we’re good to go.

Try easyclaw 

Instagram’s AI Chatbot Exploited to Hijack High-Profile Accounts

Instagram patched a vulnerability in its Meta AI Support Assistant after hackers used the chatbot to hijack user accounts. Attackers spoofed victims’ locations via VPN, then tricked the bot into adding a hacker-controlled email to target accounts — receiving verification codes directly and resetting passwords without ever accessing victims’ legitimate email.

Compromised accounts included the Obama-era White House handle, U.S. Space Force Chief Master Sergeant John Bentivegna, and security researcher Jane Wong. Spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed the fix Monday; the number of affected users remains unknown.

Read: https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/01/hackers-hijacked-instagram-accounts-by-tricking-meta-ai-support-chatbot-into-granting-access/
More via Techcrunch

Red Hat npm Channel Hijacked to Spread Credential-Stealing Worm

Threat actors compromised Red Hat’s official npm channel, @redhat-cloud-services, deploying the self-spreading worm Shai-Hulud across 30+ packages. Discovered by security firms Aikido and Socket, the malware executes during npm install, harvesting GitHub Actions secrets, npm tokens, and Kubernetes, Vault, and cloud credentials before self-propagating to accessible third-party accounts.

Stolen data is exfiltrated encrypted, with a GitHub repository fallback. The attack, traced to TeamPCP — who offered $1,000 for the largest supply-chain attack using the worm — entered via Red Hat’s compromised CI/CD pipeline. Red Hat confirmed no customer systems were affected.

Read: https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/06/dozens-of-red-hat-packages-backdoored-through-its-offical-npm-channel/
More via Arstechnica

AI-Powered Malware Lab Targets Major EDR Platforms

Sophos X-Ops researchers uncovered a Russian-linked threat actor running a sophisticated, hybrid human-AI malware development operation. Detected via malicious payloads in a customer tenant traced to a local test directory, the attack featured AI-generated Python scripts tied to an automated Active Directory panel.

The system iteratively built and tested malware against Sophos, CrowdStrike, and Windows Defender EDR tools, automatically cycling through predefined tasks and dispatching work to remote agents. Human reviewers refined results alongside AI automation, revealing a structured engineering approach purpose-built to defeat enterprise endpoint defenses.

Read: https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint-security/attackers-automate-edr-evasion-testing
More via Darkreading

IMA Diligence Services Data Breach Exposes 525,000+ Victims to Genesis Ransomware Group

IMA Diligence Services, a subsidiary of IMA Financial Group, has notified 525,306 individuals after the Genesis ransomware group infiltrated a third-party-managed legacy server between December 8–16, exfiltrating 700 GB of data. The breach, discovered in mid-December, exposed names, addresses, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, account and credit card numbers, medical and health insurance details, and in some cases passport and taxpayer ID numbers. The company reported the incident to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office and is offering affected individuals 12 months of free credit monitoring and identity restoration services.

Read: https://www.securityweek.com/ima-diligence-services-data-breach-impacts-525000-people/
More via Securityweek

Microsoft Backs Down After Security Researcher Backlash

Microsoft issued a damage-control statement Monday reversing its earlier threatening stance toward security researchers, declaring no intention of pursuing legal action. The reversal followed a feud with researcher Nightmare-Eclipse, who published multiple Windows zero-days with proof-of-concept exploits after claiming Microsoft deleted his reporting accounts, refused bounties, and mishandled communications.

Several vulnerabilities were exploited in the wild. The approach backfired when other researchers began supplying Nightmare-Eclipse additional flaws, including “Bitskrieg,” targeting Secure Boot and BitLocker. Microsoft declined to address any of his specific allegations.

Read: https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/06/02/microsoft-reaches-for-olive-branch-after-public-dustup-with-0-day-researcher/5249945
More via Theregister

Elsewhere Online:

Hackers Deploy New SilentRunLoader Malware in Tax Themed Phishing Campaigns
Read: https://hackread.com/china-ta4922-hackers-uk-europe-silentrunloader-malware/

Google Patches Flaw Allowing WhatsApp and Slack Messages to Control Gemini
Read: https://thehackernews.com/2026/06/whatsapp-slack-notifications-could.html

Senior Stock Exchange Executive Mailbox Compromised in Five Month Attack
Read: https://www.securityweek.com/hackers-target-global-stock-exchange-in-espionage-operation/

Anthropic Fights Zero Day Vulnerabilities by Expanding Project Glasswing
Read: https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/anthropic-scales-claude-mythos-to-critical-infrastructure-in-15-countries/

California Proposes Social Media Ban for Youth to Combat Platform Addiction
Read: https://reclaimthenet.org/california-assembly-passes-under-16-social-media-ban

Previously on #AxisOfEasy

If you missed the previous issues, they can be read online here:

• • • • • • • • • • May 29th, 2026: Canada’s Bill C-22 Draws Global Tech Backlash Over Surveillance Demands
                  • May 22nd, 2026: Ontario Police Secretly Used Israeli Spyware, Watchdog Finds
                  • May 15th, 2026: Foxconn Hit by Nitrogen Ransomware, 8 TB of Client Data Stolen
                  • May 8th, 2026: Canada’s Parliament Is Filing Your Posts About Politicians
                  • May 1st, 2026: Toronto Police Bust Canada’s First SMS Blaster Cybercrime Operation