In an unprecedented move that has left even the most indifferent cybersecurity experts shaking their heads, threat actors have successfully hoisted Axios, a once innocent HTTP client tool, into the highest echelons of cyber villainy. No longer content with just being a humble middleware, Axios is now leading the charge in crafting Microsoft 365 phishing campaigns so dastardly, they might as well come with a monocle and top hat.

The latest report suggests that Axios user agent activity soared by a jaw-dropping 241% from June to August 2025. While other software applications were busy attending anger management classes due to their paltry 85% growth, Axios decided to take the fast lane to infamy. It’s like watching your quiet neighbor suddenly becoming the lead guitarist of a death metal band.

But it doesn’t stop there. The key ingredient to these gourmet phishing attacks is Microsoft’s Direct Send feature, which the attackers have lovingly transformed into the ‘Direct Send Your Credentials to Hackers’ function. Honestly, if hacker innovations keep trending like this, we might have to rename script kiddies to ‘script teenagers’—they’re growing up so fast!