Major News Websites Hit by Ransomware-Laced Malvertising Campaign A widespread malvertising campaign targeted millions of users in the U.S. over the weekend, hijacking ads on high-traffic websites including the New York Times, BBC, AOL, and the NFL to deliver ransomware. Security researchers at Malwarebytes identified the attack, which exploited vulnerabilities in outdated software, including a recently patched flaw in Microsoft’s discontinued Silverlight plugin. The malicious ads redirected users to servers hosting the Angler exploit kit, a tool commonly used by cybercriminals to probe for weaknesses in a victim’s system. Once inside, the malware deployed cryptolocker-style ransomware, encrypting hard drives and demanding Bitcoin payments for decryption keys. While typical "drive-by" ransomware attacks demand a few hundred dollars, targeted incidents such as the $17,000 ransom paid by an L.A. hospital in February highlight the growing financial threat of such schemes. This attack underscores the risks of malvertising, where compromised ad networks serve as a delivery mechanism for malware. The incident also reignites debates over ad blockers, which some users employ to mitigate such threats, despite criticism from publishers reliant on ad revenue. Ransomware continues to rise as a preferred tool for cybercriminals, with even Mac OS X users recently falling victim via an infected BitTorrent client.