Microsoft takes down 'Fox Tempest' cybercrime service which used legitimate platforms to hide dangerous malware
Microsoft has successfully taken down the Fox Tempest cybercrime service, which exploited legitimate platforms to distribute malware. The operation involved the creation of over a thousand fraudulent code-signing certificates, allowing malicious software to evade security measures. Legal action has been initiated against the perpetrators, including a co-conspirator named Vanilla Tempest.
- ▪Fox Tempest created more than 1,000 fake certificates and hundreds of Azure tenants.
- ▪The service allowed malware to be signed as legitimate software, bypassing antivirus protections.
- ▪Microsoft seized the signspace.com domain and blocked access to the infrastructure supporting the service.
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| Original publisher | TechRadar |
| Canonical URL | https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/microsoft-takes-down-fox-tempest-cybercrime-service-which-used-legitimate-platforms-to-hide-dangerous-malware |
| Publication time | Wed, 20 May 2026 16:30:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-20T16:35:02.753Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-20T16:35:11.117Z |
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| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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Pro Security Microsoft takes down 'Fox Tempest' cybercrime service which used legitimate platforms to hide dangerous malware News By Sead Fadilpašić published 20 May 2026 Fox Tempest created more than a thousand fake certificates When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Microsoft disrupts Fox Tempest operation which abused Azure Artifact Signing to issue fraudulent code‑signing certificatesThe group created over 1,000 certificates and hundreds of Azure tenants, enabling malware campaigns to bypass…
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