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Million-Person Study Finds a Rare Gene Variant That Slashes the Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease
The discovery could lead to treatments and demonstrates the power of efforts to unearth rare, beneficial genes in large populations.
“Burn fat, build muscle.” It’s a familiar workout slogan, but the benefits go far beyond aesthetics. Having less belly fat and more muscle guards against heart attacks, Type 2 diabetes, and a host of other metabolic diseases.
Some people may have a genetic edge.
A massive study of over one million people across three continents discovered a rare mutation in a gene called FNIP1 is linked to a healthier metabolic profile. The gene helps cells sense nutrients and generate energy. All of us have FNIP1, but about one in 7,000 people inherit a protective version. On average, they had a 60 percent lower risk of heart disease and metabolic disorders.
Silencing FNIP1 in human liver cells switched on a genetic program that breaks down fats. In mice fed a tasty but high-fat diet, disabling the gene curbed weight gain, prevented fatty liver disease, improved insulin sensitivity, and kept their blood sugar levels steady.
The findings are great news for everyone else. Rather than relying on a naturally occurring mutation, future gene editing therapies could potentially recreate its protective effects in people against a host of cardiometabolic diseases, a leading cause of death worldwide.
Everyone has a unique metabolic profile shaped by both genes and environment. By analyzing diverse populations, the study fished out a protective variant that spans ancestries and lifestyles. The broad reach suggests targeting FNIP1 could benefit people around the world.
The study illustrates the power of efforts to find rare, beneficial genes across large populations, wrote the authors at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a New York biotechnology company.
Mutant ProtectorSmall changes in DNA can have large consequences. Some genetic variants raise the risk for health issues. The APOE4 variant, for example, increases the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Others, however, are a gold mine for new treatments.
A notable example is CCR5. People who inherit a rare mutation in both copies of thegene are naturally resistant to HIV. The mutation prevents the virus from tunneling into immune cells and replicating. The discovery has led to multiple success stories in which bone marrow transplants from donors carrying the mutation kept HIV at bay, without the need for lifelong antiviral drugs.
Protective mutations could also lower the risk of heart disease. Rare variants of PCSK9, a gene involved in cholesterol metabolism, disable the gene and slash dangerously high levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol that clogs arteries. The discovery has already spurred a handful of therapies that block the gene or its protein with early successes.
“Identifying genetic variants associated with protection from disease is a powerful strategy,” wrote the authors. “However, protective genetic variants are often extremely rare, so finding them requires sequencing the genomes of large populations.”
Go BigTo better understand cardiometabolic diseases, the team sequenced the genomes of over a million people from 11 studies across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, including people with African ancestry. They also linked genetic data with participants’ health records.
The researchers searched for gene variants that influence a blood biomarker for cardiometabolic disease. Called TG:HDL, the biomarker is the ratio between two types of fats. The first, triglycerides, is packaged into tiny “bubbles” that circulate the bloodstream. High levels are linked to heart attacks, strokes, and other metabolic problems. In contrast, high-density lipoprotein, often called “good” cholesterol, ferries excess fat away from tissues and blood vessel walls to the liver, where it can be cleared.
Across the populations in the study, a lower TG:HDL ratio—that is less TG, more HDL, or both—tracked with better metabolic health. People with lower ratios had reduced insulin levels, lower blood pressure, and less fat buildup in the liver and muscles. The biomarker also predicted diabetes risk, heart problems, and liver scarring, making it a powerful snapshot of overall metabolic health.
The team then scanned the genome for rare gene variants linked to TG:HDL. Roughly 60 genes popped up, all involved in energy storage and active in the liver and fat tissues.
But one gene stood out: FNIP1. Rare variants essentially disable the gene by disrupting its protein-making instructions. People with one copy of these variants had lower liver fat and blood sugar and roughly 60 percent lower risk of cardiometabolic disease.
The finding “was remarkable and thought-provoking, and immediately motivated us to dig deeper into the biology of this discovery,” wrote the team. But a key question remained: Were the variants actually protecting people, or were they simply correlated with better health?
To find out, the team silenced the gene in human liver cells using a method called siRNA. Rather than snipping the gene, siRNA blocks cells from producing targeted proteins. Without functional FNIP1, liver cells ramped up genes involved in breaking down fats.
The researchers then turned to mice. Using CRISPR-Cas9, they got rid of FNIP1 and related signaling pathways specifically in mice fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet. The intervention rapidly activated mitochondria—the cell’s energy factories—and lysosomes, the acid-filled recycling centers that break down waste. Despite gorging on the unhealthy diet, mice lacking functional FNIP1 had less body and liver fat, more muscle mass, and better sensitivity to insulin.
That’s not to say FNIP1 is a “villain” gene. Normally, it acts as a metabolic brake, helping the body conserve precious energy when food is scarce. But many of us now face the opposite problem, an abundance of calories and not enough physical activity. Releasing that brake, through medication or gene editing, could rev up the body’s natural fat-burning machinery.
Turning the finding into a therapy won’t be simple. The protective effects were found in people who carried the mutation from birth. A short-term drug or gene therapy delivered later in life might not reproduce the same effects.
Safety is another major concern. Paradoxically, people who have mutations in both copies of FNIP1 develop heart disease and immune deficiency. And mice without functional FNIP1 throughout the body are more prone to liver damage and cancer. Targeting treatments specifically to the liver—for example, using lipid nanoparticles—could limit side effects, but any potential therapy will need to be thoroughly tested for safety.
The team is searching for drug candidates that inhibit FNIP1. But for now, they’ve shown the power of large-scale genetic screens across diverse populations to find rare protective variants—and potential paths towards treating diseases that affect millions of people.
“Identifying FNIP1, a previously poorly characterized gene involved in lipid metabolism, is highly novel and promising for future drug development for metabolic health,” Satoshi Koyama at the Broad Institute, who was not involved in the study, said in a research briefing. “I sincerely hope that this discovery will one day benefit patients with metabolic disorders.”
The post Million-Person Study Finds a Rare Gene Variant That Slashes the Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease appeared first on SingularityHub.
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Head Mare APT is exploiting vulnerabilities in an unpatched TrueConf server to deliver PhantomCore and PhantomGraph to video conference participants
In July 2026, Kaspersky experts detected a new attack by the Head Mare group. Previously, we classified them as hacktivists, but now we define them as an APT group due to the sophistication of their TTPs and the absence of destructive activity (encryption, wiping) in the targeted infrastructures. In this latest campaign, the attackers exploited a chain of vulnerabilities in the TrueConf video conferencing server and replaced the original TrueConf client installers with infected versions that installed the PhantomCore malware on the system.
An investigation of the compromised server revealed that the attackers used a combination of two new vulnerabilities (assigned the internal identifiers KLCERT-26-057 and KLCERT-26-058), allowing them to execute arbitrary code with the highest privileges.
The attack occurs in several stages:
- The attackers connect to the TrueConf server without prior authorization via port 4307/TCP, which, according to the product documentation, is open by default. The attack targets TrueConf servers running versions 5.3.X through 5.3.9, 5.4.X through 5.4.9, and 5.5.X through 5.5.5.
- Once connected, attackers call a server function to transmit a malicious script and execute it on the server. The vulnerability that allows this stage of the attack to be carried out has been assigned the internal identifier KLCERT-26-057.
- The received script runs on the TrueConf server in an isolated environment. By default, operating system functions are not accessible in this environment, which should limit the capabilities of the executed code.
- To escape the isolated environment, attackers exploit a second vulnerability, assigned the internal identifier KLCERT-26-058. Exploiting this vulnerability allows them to bypass the restrictions of the isolated environment and proceed to execute commands in the context of the operating system.
- Once the environment’s restrictions are bypassed, attackers gain the ability to execute arbitrary code on the server with the privileges of the NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM account.
- Once they have gained elevated privileges, attackers replace the file …\public\js\locale.php with a web shell, which can be used for subsequent remote control of the compromised server.
This web shell was used for the following activities:
- collecting data on the IT infrastructure;
- gaining privileged access to the TrueConf database;
- replacing the original TrueConf Client distribution with an infected version containing the PhantomCore backdoor.
The vulnerabilities exploited by the attackers were patched by the vendor in the latest TrueConf Server updates (versions 5.3.9, 5.4.9, and 5.5.5). These updates were released on June 18, 2026.
The PhantomCore backdoor was successfully detected by Kaspersky solutions.
To automatically launch the malware after the system boots, a registry key is created: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{0340F119-A598-4ed9-B0AC-6F6A12D3E755}\InprocServer32, with the value set to the path to the malicious program’s file.
Using a web shell, in addition to PhantomCore, the attackers load a backdoor that we have named PhantomGraph, consisting of two modules:
- SysExcSvc.dll is responsible for receiving commands from the attackers and transmitting the results of their execution. The attackers used an account on Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage as their command-and-control (C2) server.
- SysReadSvc.dll reads the command transmitted by the first module, executes it, and saves the execution result.
To establish persistence on the system, the attackers execute a Base64-encoded PowerShell command that installs SysExcSvc.dll and SysReadSvc.dll as Windows services. We believe the attackers deliberately split this malicious command into two components to make it harder to detect using EDR tools. Additionally, the program’s code partially matches that of PhantomCore, indicating that it belongs to Head Mare’s arsenal.
We also managed to identify the commands executed by the attackers when connecting to the backdoor. The SysReadSvc module executes commands using a BATCH file. Example of execution:
$system32\cmd.exe /c cmd /c ""$temp\cmd_cmd_4488.bat"" 2>&1
Commands detected:
- Memory dump of the lsass.exe process:
- Reconnaissance of the user and system names:
- Launching an SSH reverse tunnel:
In addition, we discovered several commands that did not work due to the attackers’ typos and encoding issues.
We are observing several active Head Mare campaigns targeting Russian organizations across various industries: instrument manufacturing, electronics, transportation, energy,
IT, and software development. The attackers distribute their backdoors using various methods, including phishing, exploiting public web servers, or through a subcontractor.
We recommend that all organizations using TrueConf software install the latest server version (versions 5.3.9, 5.4.9, and 5.5.5) in accordance with the vendor’s recommendations.
We also recommend verifying that the client distributions downloaded from the TrueConf server used by your organization have a valid TrueConf digital signature and have not been tampered with. The malicious distributions we detected did not have a valid digital signature. You can also verify authenticity on the vendor’s website.
Important: Even if your organization does not use a TrueConf server, your employees may connect to compromised TrueConf servers belonging to business partners to participate in online meetings and download infected installation packages.
The attack mechanism and the vulnerabilities exploited are described in more detail on the Kaspersky ICS CERT website.
Detection by Kaspersky solutionsKaspersky security solutions successfully detect malicious activity associated with the attacks described above.
The malware used in this attack is detected by our solutions with the following detection names:
- Backdoor.PHP.WebShell.abi,
- Backdoor.Win64.PhantomCore.dt,
- Trojan.Win64.Agent.smgvnc,
- Trojan.Win64.Agent.smgvnb,
- HEUR:Backdoor.Win64.PhantomCore.gen,
- HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.Agent.fb,
- HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.PhantomHook.a,
- HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.PhantomReact.a,
- Trojan.Win64.PhantomGraph.gen
- UDS:Backdoor.Win64.PhantomCore.a
Let’s take a closer look using Kaspersky Endpoint Detection and Response Expert (KEDR Expert) as an example.
Specifically, activity involving the replacement of the legitimate file …\public\js\locale.php with a web shell, as well as the deletion of entries from TrueConf event logs, is detected by the rule unusual_php_file_creation_from_trueconf_process.
Downloading a file containing the PhantomCore backdoor via the replaced legitimate file …\public\js\locale.php is detected by KEDR Expert with the rule unusual_file_creation_from_trueconf.
Activity related to the installation of an infected TrueConf client installer containing the PhantomCore backdoor is detected by KEDR Expert using the unsigned_trueconf_installer rule.
The Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response service detects the described attack by monitoring the following actions:
- Creation of suspicious files by TrueConf Server processes.
- Execution of a TrueConf Client installer file that lacks a software developer’s signature.
- Suspicious process chains associated with TrueConf Client executables and TrueConf Client update executables.
- Registration of suspicious libraries in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\ registry key.
- Actions related to retrieving information about the lsass.exe process.
- Memory dump creation for the lsass.exe process using the comsvcs.dll library.
- Accessing the memory of the lsass.exe process.
- Creating tunnels using the ssh process.
To protect companies using our Kaspersky SIEM system, a general set of rules is available in the product repository that allows detection of the following techniques:
- Creation of suspicious files in the C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\* directory:
R405_07_File write to IIS native modules folder or OWA via WriteData. - Creating a memory dump of the lsass.exe process using the comsvcs.dll library:
R233_04_Process memory dump via comsvcs.dll. - Accessing the memory of the lsass.exe process:
R262_Suspicious access to the LSASS process.
We also recommend paying attention to the following events when developing your own detection rules or conducting threat hunting:
- Registration of suspicious libraries in the registry key \Software\Classes\CLSID\{0340F119-A598-4ed9-B0AC-6F6A12D3E755}\InprocServer32:
(DeviceEventClassID = '4657' OR DeviceEventClassID = '13') AND FileName like '%\Software\Classes\CLSID\{0340F119-A598-4ed9-B0AC-6F6A12D3E755}%' AND DeviceCustomString6 = 'InprocServer32' - Creating the SysExcSvc and SysReadSvc services to run executables from temporary directories in the background via cmd:
DeviceEventClassID = '4697' AND (DestinationServiceName = 'SysExcSvc' OR DestinationServiceName = 'SysReadSvc') AND match (FileName, '.*cmd\s+\/c.*temp\\cmd_cmd_.*\.bat.*') - Creation of suspicious processes originating from the TrueConf update process (trueconf_windows_update.exe)
(DeviceEventClassID = '4688' OR DeviceEventClassID = '1') AND SourceProcessName LIKE '%\trueconf_windows_update.exe'
For the detection rules to work correctly, ensure that events from Windows systems are received in full, including Security events 4688, 4663, 4657, and 4697 and Sysmon events 1, 7, 11, and 13.
Indicators of compromise File hashes (MD5)Web shell
4d27b4eb1c5dbb3d8160f29b8119523e locale.php
Infected installer
748c9f8cb1065000616204935f96207f trueconf_windows_update.exe
PhantomCore DLL
c5a460e4e68a088f6e51b2c6474642ec
129462164a7d52e9ea8560b60f0412c5 doc.txt
ec0bf4a2186a88874e9f26f07cfeb532 usocacheddata.txt
b348642146ea34771e5785c5857950f5
c915cb6c2aeb863ee8479238e1644217 doc.txt
0e79996d9483d1e44fea32b0a48c2c19 doc.txt
2bb75c20e778eb5c416965bd4d4259b1 trueconf_windows_client_x64_[redacted].exe
b3a6fee3307f1c26841fd5c603e2b013 usocacheddata.txt
8fcc3e4ccbf1725d9989fb464abf3561 usocacheddata.txt
PhantomGraph
489f43be558b2679284ceabed7adc4f3 sysexcsvc.dll
dd1fd2b459b97b7d59375cb8383cd19a sysreadsvc.dll
0e4541c3153ec5ed01497f19cf4f63d0 sysexcsvc.dll
12d4e8f5295f2ef7e0f9bfc0f4830939 sysexcsvc.dll
7f267006cac10f341c356b62fe493527 sysexcsvc.dll
ee2861d5965e8730708cd1da8a93fa4c sysexcsvc.dll
Backdoor (ELF)
c3a2abe8756910f42582b04a44ea3514
43f435c3c437bc879a2d7d4634f43494
Rootkit
aee9642b45b099cb7f3053b9b680b425
81.177.32[.]12
194.87.239[.]71 ssh
194.87.93[.]153 ssh
38.244.205[.]244
31.59.102[.]61
penzadogshelter[.]site
trendy-market[.]site
bright-deals[.]site
nova-stream[.]site
rinomobile[.]ink
urbanpixel[.]store
flexish[.]shop
media-hub[.]today
cosmetic-deals[.]store
vks.gossopka[.]forum
SysExcSvc
SysReadSvc
C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\SysExcSvc.dll
C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\SysReadSvc.dll
C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\graphi-refresh.dat
C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\share\input_*.txt
C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\share\output_*.txt
%TEMP%\cmd_cmd_*.bat
%LOCALAPPDATA%\TrueConf\Client\api-ms-win-crt-time-l1-1-0-2.dll
/etc/systemd/system/omicluster.service
/etc/systemd/system/schedul2-bin.service
/opt/acronis/bin/schedul2-bin
/omi/bin/omicluster
/usr/lib64/libzvbi-tchain.so.2
/var/tmp/cx2
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{0340F119-A598-4ed9-B0AC-6F6A12D3E755}\InprocServer32
Kaspersky detection namesBackdoor.PHP.WebShell.abi
Backdoor.Win64.PhantomCore.dt
Trojan.Win64.Agent.smgvnc
Trojan.Win64.Agent.smgvnb
HEUR:Backdoor.Win64.PhantomCore.gen
HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.Agent.fb
HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.PhantomHook.a
HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.PhantomReact.a
Trojan.Win64.PhantomGraph.gen
UDS:Backdoor.Win64.PhantomCore.a
rule apt_HeadMare_FakeConf_installer { meta: description = "Rule to detect any unsigned TrueConf installers" author = "Kaspersky" copyright = "Kaspersky" version = "1.0" last_modified = "2026-08-02" hash = "748c9f8cb1065000616204935f96207f" strings: $a1 = "TrueConf Setup" wide $a2 = "This installation was built with Inno Setup." wide condition: (uint16(0) == 0x5A4D) and (filesize > 20MB) and (all of them) and (pe.number_of_signatures == 0) }
rule apt_HeadMare_PhantomCore_exchange { meta: description = "Rule to detect PhantomCore exchange module used by HeadMare" author = "Kaspersky ICS CERT" copyright = "Kaspersky ICS CERT" version = "1.0" last_modified = "2026-08-02" hash = "489f43be558b2679284ceabed7adc4f3" strings: $a1 = "graphi_exchange.dll" ascii $a2 = "graphi-client/1.0" ascii $b1 = "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/root:/" ascii $b2 = ":/children?$select=name,id&$top=200" ascii $b3 = "offline_access Files.ReadWrite" ascii $b4 = "GRAPHI_INSECURE" ascii $b5 = "\"@microsoft.graph.conflictBehavior\":\"replace\"}" ascii $b6 = "https://login.microsoftonline.com/" ascii condition: (uint16(0) == 0x5A4D) and (any of ($a*)) and (3 of ($b*)) }
rule apt_HeadMare_PhantomCore_executor { meta: description = "Rule to detect PhantomCore executor module used by HeadMare" author = "Kaspersky ICS CERT" copyright = "Kaspersky ICS CERT" version = "1.0" last_modified = "2026-08-02" hash = "dd1fd2b459b97b7d59375cb8383cd19a" strings: $a1 = "graphi_reader.dll" ascii $a2 = "^input_(.+)\\.txt$" ascii $b1 = "output_" ascii $b2 = "cmd_cmd_" ascii $b3 = "cmd /c \"\"" ascii $b4 = "error: failed to start cmd process" ascii $b5 = "share" ascii $b6 = "SysReadSvc" ascii condition: (uint16(0) == 0x5A4D) and (filesize < 4MB) and (any of ($a*)) and (4 of ($b*)) }
rule apt_HeadMare_FakeLocale_webshell { meta: description = "Rule to detect the HeadMare TrueConf web shell" author = "Kaspersky" copyright = "Kaspersky" version = "1.0" last_modified = "2026-08-04" hash = "4d27b4eb1c5dbb3d8160f29b8119523e" strings: $a1 = "X-Redirect-Bit" ascii wide nocase $a2 = "tc_vcs_web_db_conn" ascii wide $a3 = "user=postgres" ascii wide $b1 = "UPL ok::" ascii wide $b2 = "DWN fail nexs" ascii wide $b3 = "DWN fail inv" ascii wide condition: (2 of ($a*)) or (2 of ($b*)) }
rule apt_HeadMare_TrueConf_Rootkit { meta: description = "Rule to detect the HeadMare rootkit installed on TrueConf servers" author = "Kaspersky" copyright = "Kaspersky" version = "1.0" last_modified = "2026-08-06" hash = "aee9642b45b099cb7f3053b9b680b425" strings: $a1 = "PQconnectdb" $a2 = "obfuscated_data" $a3 = "install_hook" condition: (uint32(0) == 0x464c457f) and (filesize < 400000) and (all of them) }
rule apt_HeadMare_Github_Backdoor { meta: description = "Rule to detect the HeadMare backdoor with Github C2" author = "Kaspersky" copyright = "Kaspersky" version = "1.0" last_modified = "2026-08-06" hash = "43f435c3c437bc879a2d7d4634f43494" hash = "c3a2abe8756910f42582b04a44ea3514" strings: $a1 = "cryptor5crypt" $a2 = "execraw_task" $a3 = "jitter_task" $a4 = "upload_task" $a5 = "exec_task" $a6 = "react_comment" condition: (uint32(0) == 0x464c457f) and (filesize > 5000000) and (filesize < 10000000) and (4 of them) }
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New Pass-ta-key attack reveals all the things we didn't know about passkeys
Last week, a researcher outlined what he said was a “novel attack surface” in passkeys, the new authentication paradigm that offers a more secure alternative to password-based methods. In fact, the attacks demonstrated in the post are neither novel nor unique to passkeys. This distinction is important because the research has generated confusion among end users and security professionals as they assess whether this new mechanism is truly safe to use.
The attack is called Pass-ta-key—a blending of the word passkey with the phrase “pass the key” and a nod to a plate of pasta. Arie Olshtein, a researcher at security firm Palo Alto Networks, described in a post last week how Pass-ta-key could obtain all passkeys stored in the Google Password Manager app (GPM) for Windows when it’s running on a machine infected with malware.
This came as a surprise to many people because they believed passkeys are stored exclusively in the trusted platform manager (TPM), the locked-down enclave in a hardened silicon chip that’s reserved for storing cryptographic keys and other highly sensitive information on Windows machines. If passkeys are stored in the TPM, then how was Pass-ta-key able to extract the entire set of passkeys stored by the app, they wanted to know.
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