Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: cybercrime/malcode – Page 118

Adobe Acrobat Reader Vuln Now Under Attack

Patch now if you haven’t already: Adobe Acrobat Reader exploits are in the wild. #Adobe

The Cybersecurity Infrastructure & Security Agency (CISA) this week added to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities an Adobe Acrobat Reader use-after-free bug.

Adobe Acrobat and Reader Document Cloud Versions 22.003.20282 and 22.003.20281 and earlier contain the flaw (CVE-2023–21608), as do Adobe Acrobat and Reader 20.005.30418 and earlier. The use-after-free vuln allows an attacker to remotely execute malicious code on a compromised account, and execute the exploit when a victim opens the rigged PDF file.

CISA recommends applying the latest updates to the affected software, which was patched in January of this year. Researchers who discovered and reported the vuln shared details of their findings in a February 2023 blog post.

New cyber algorithm shuts down malicious robotic attack

Australian researchers have designed an algorithm that can intercept a man-in-the-middle (MitM) cyberattack on an unmanned military robot and shut it down in seconds.

In an experiment using deep learning to simulate the behavior of the human brain, artificial intelligence experts from Charles Sturt University and the University of South Australia (UniSA) trained the robot’s operating system to learn the signature of a MitM eavesdropping cyberattack. This is where attackers interrupt an existing conversation or .

The algorithm, tested in real time on a replica of a United States army combat ground vehicle, was 99% successful in preventing a malicious attack. False positive rates of less than 2% validated the system, demonstrating its effectiveness.

Internet companies report biggest-ever denial of service operation

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) — Internet companies Google, Amazon and Cloudflare say they have weathered the internet’s largest-known denial of service attack and are sounding the alarm over a new technique they warn could easily cause widespread disruption.

Alphabet Inc-owned Google (GOOGL.O)said in a blog post published Tuesday that its cloud services had parried an avalanche of rogue traffic more than seven times the size of the previous record-breaking attack thwarted last year.

Internet protection company Cloudflare Inc (NET.N)said the attack was “three times larger than any previous attack we’ve observed.” Amazon.com Inc’s (AMZN.O) web services division also confirmed being hit by “a new type of distributed denial of service (DDoS) event.”

Data Thieves Test-Drive Unique Certificate Abuse Tactic

https://informatech.co/3RVp6BM by Elizabeth Montalbano.

Attackers are employing a new type of certificate abuse in an attempt to spread info-stealing malware, with the aim of collecting credentials and other sensitive data. In some instances, the goal is to steal cryptocurrency from Windows systems.

The campaign uses search engine optimization (SEO) poisoning to deliver search results featuring malicious pages promoting illegal software cracks and downloads. In the background, the pages deliver remote access Trojans (RATs) known as LummaC2, and RecordBreaker (aka Raccoon Stealer V2) researchers from South Korea-based AhnLab revealed in a blog post on Oct. 10.

Notably, the malware uses abnormal certificates featuring Subject Name and Issuer Name fields that have unusually long strings, which means they require specific tools or infrastructure to inspect the certificates and are not visible in Windows systems. Specifically, the signature strings include Arabic, Japanese, and other non-English languages, along with special characters and punctuation marks, diverging from the typical English character string structures, the researchers noted.

Badbox Operation Targets Android Devices in Fraud Schemes

After a researcher discovered that an Android TV streaming box, known as T95, was infected with preloaded malware, researchers at Human Security released information regarding the extent of infected devices and how malicious schemes are connected to these corrupted products.

Daniel Milisic, a systems security consultant, created a script alongside instructions to help other users mitigate the threat after first coming across the issue. Now, Human Security’s threat intelligence and research team has dubbed the operation “Bandbox,” which it characterizes as a complex, interconnected series of ad fraud schemes on a massive scale.

Human Security describes the operation as “a global network of consumer products with firmware backdoors installed and sold through a normal hardware supply chain.” Once activated, the malware on the devices connect to a command-and-control (C2) server for further instructions. In tandem, a botnet known as Peachpit is integrated with Badbox, and engages in ad fraud, residential proxy services, fake email/messaging accounts, and unauthorized remote code installation.

Preparing for the Unexpected: A Proactive Approach to Operational Resilience

FS-ISAC executive shares tips on operational resilience in the face of cyber threats. #cyberattacks

Preparing for the unexpected may be a contradiction in terms, but for financial firms it is essential for survival. The sector has long been a target for threat actors, given that this is where the world’s money is. And as the financial ecosystem becomes increasingly interconnected, threats to its security and resilience are rapidly evolving and increasing.

Operational resilience is not just about responding with agility to risks but also maintaining continuity of operations with minimal or — even better — no disruptions. So, whereas cybersecurity is about preventing and defending against cyberattacks, resilience focuses on sustaining operations despite attacks.

Recognizing the necessity of operational resilience, regulators are emphasizing the need to be prepared for unforeseen incidents. A prominent example is the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which provides a framework for the finance industry to detect, prevent, contain, and recover from attacks associated with information and communication technology (ICT).

/* */