We’ve gathered the most important cybersecurity news of the week.
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- VKontakte, Gosuslugi, and Odnoklassniki process the most user data among Russian apps.
- The operators of the Conti ransomware demanded 750 BTC from Advantech.
- Russian banks proposed up to 20-year prison terms for stealing customer data.
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Russian banks propose up to 20-year prison terms for stealing client data
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During a meeting of the Association of Banks of Russia, representatives of financial institutions proposed to imprison for unauthorized access to banking secrecy for up to 20 years.
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Researchers uncover a previously unknown malware backdoor linked to Turla
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ESET researchers discovered a previously unknown malware named Crutch. Its distribution is attributed to the Turla (also known as Uroboros) hacker group. It is linked to Russia.
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#ESETresearch discovered a new backdoor used by #Turla to exfiltrate stolen documents to Dropbox. Named Crutch by its developers, we were able to attribute it to the Turla APT group thanks to several similarities with #Gazer/#WhiteBear. @matthieu_faou 1/4 https://t.co/tRWXDYdmtj
— ESET research (@ESETresearch) December 2, 2020
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Hackers used Crutch from 2015 through early 2020.
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Experts say the malware was designed to collect and steal confidential data and is used against targeted victims. The stolen information Crutch exfiltrated to Dropbox.
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Russian apps that collect the most user data named
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Telecom Daily analysts analyzed the 100 most popular Russian apps for Android and iOS across 30 data categories.
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According to the results, VKontakte, Gosuslugi, and Odnoklassniki collect the most user data.
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“VKontakte knows absolutely everything about its visitors: the only things missing are height, weight, and the device’s serial number,” Telecom Daily noted.
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Hackers demanded 750 BTC from Advantech for data decryption
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Advantech, an IoT chip maker, was hit by the Conti ransomware.
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The operators demanded a ransom of 750 BTC (over $14.2 million at the time of writing). If Advantech does not meet the attackers’ demands, they promised to publish the company’s internal information.
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iOS vulnerability allowed remote access to iPhone and iPad over Wi‑Fi
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Google Project Zero researcher Ian Beer described a vulnerability in iOS devices that could grant full access to devices without user interaction via Wi‑Fi.
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The bug was fixed earlier this year. Beer says attackers did not manage to exploit the vulnerability.
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Personal data of 243 million Brazilians leaked online
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Personal information of more than 243 million Brazilians was exposed online. The data included various details—from full names and home addresses to medical records of both living and deceased residents.
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Access to the data was possible due to a developer error.
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Access to executives’ company accounts put up for sale online
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On one forum, an offer to sell access to Office 365 accounts and Microsoft CEO, CTO, CFO and other executives’ accounts from companies around the world was found.
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One anonymous source contacted the data seller and soon confirmed the authenticity of the information. How the attacker gained access to these credentials was not disclosed, but he said he possessed data on hundreds of executives.
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Apophis Squad hacker sentenced to almost eight years in prison
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Timothy Dalton Von, a resident of North Carolina, was sentenced to 95 months in prison for a string of crimes. These include making false threats of bombings and shootings at U.S. schools, hijacking a plane, and extorting $20,000 in Bitcoin from a company.
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According to law enforcement, Von was a member of the Apophis Squad hacker group.
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Also on ForkLog:
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- Hackers demanded nearly $1 million in bitcoins from the firm to stop the data leak.
- Researchers estimated that in 2020, as a result of ransomware attacks, more than 1000 companies suffered data breaches.
- Microsoft accused hackers of stealing data under the guise of Monero mining.
- Australia’s leading cryptocurrency exchange BTC Markets accidentally exposed user personal data.
- Media reported that Delaware authorities paid hackers $500,000 in bitcoins.
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What to read this weekend?
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We recount the story of Clearview AI — the creator of a facial recognition system used by hundreds of U.S. law enforcement agencies, and examine, using its case, how such systems threaten human rights.
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