Hacker Community
Be careful who you talk to at conferences: Security researchers claim they were targeted by cyber criminals after DEF CON event (Itpro)
Summary: Security researchers at Black Hat/DEF CON were targeted after the event by cyber criminals posing as a CoinDesk executive. The attackers used a booby-trapped Google Doc with a custom Apps Script sidebar and a follow-up Dropbox DocSend lure to deliver platform-specific malware. macOS users were served an infostealer targeting browser passwords, crypto wallets, and Notes app data, while Windows users received a remote access trojan, a fake crypto wallet implant, and a network-intercepting proxy. Huntress reported that the researcher was one of many targeted, with attackers exploiting the post-conference exchange of contacts and documents.
Why it matters: Attackers are using this activity to make malicious outreach look like just another routine post-conference interaction, according to Huntress, which means conference attendees must treat follow-up contacts as potential attack vectors.
Context: Large industry events like Black Hat and DEF CON create a target-rich environment for bad actors, with attendees exchanging new contacts, documents, invitations, and follow-up plans, Huntress said.
Date: August 21, 2026 04:56 AM ET
URL: https://itpro.com/security/be-careful-who-you-talk-to-at-conferences-security-researchers-claim-they-were-targeted-by-cyber-criminals-after-def-con-event
Generated Analysis Tone: Negative (50%)
Source Registry Score: 10.0/10 — High
Generated text and tone describe the analysis; the source registry score is not a factual truth rating.Post ID: 0f641b0f