Category Archives: dyn

Chinese IoT Firm Siphoned Text Messages, Call Records

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A Chinese technology firm has been siphoning text messages and call records from cheap Android-based mobile smart phones and secretly sending the data to servers in China, researchers revealed this week. The revelations came the same day the White House and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued sweeping guidelines aimed at building security into Internet-connected devices, and just hours before a key congressional panel sought recommendations from industry in regulating basic security standards for so-called “Internet of Things” devices. Continue reading Chinese IoT Firm Siphoned Text Messages, Call Records→

Did the Mirai Botnet Really Take Liberia Offline?

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KrebsOnSecurity received many a missive over the past 24 hours from readers who wanted to know why I’d not written about widespread media reports that Mirai — a malware strain made from hacked “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices such as poorly secured routers and IP cameras — was used to knock the entire country of Liberia offline. The trouble is, as far as I can tell no such nationwide outage actually occurred. Continue reading Did the Mirai Botnet Really Take Liberia Offline?→

Hackforums Shutters Booter Service Bazaar

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Perhaps the most bustling marketplace on the Internet where people can compare and purchase so-called “booter” and “stresser” subscriptions — attack-for-hire services designed to knock Web sites offline — announced last week that it has permanently banned the sale and advertising of these services. Continue reading Hackforums Shutters Booter Service Bazaar→

Mirai Vulnerability Disclosed, But Exploits May Constitute Hacking Back

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A buffer overflow found in the Mirai botnet could eliminate its ability to carry out HTTP flood attacks. But exploiting that vulnerability puts defenders in a gray area with regard to hacking back. Continue reading Mirai Vulnerability Disclosed, But Exploits May Constitute Hacking Back→

Are the Days of “Booter” Services Numbered?

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It may soon become easier for Internet service providers to anticipate and block certain types of online assaults launched by Web-based attack-for-hire services known as “booter” or “stresser” services, new research released today suggests. Continue reading Are the Days of “Booter” Services Numbered?→