Category Archives: Security Research

Microsoft catches hackers using Morse Code to help cover their tracks

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Clever hackers use a range of techniques to cover their tracks on a target computer, from benign-looking communication protocols to self-erasing software programs. It’s not very often, though, that digital attackers turn to Morse Code, a 177-year-old signaling system, for operational security. Yet that’s exactly what played a part in a year-long phishing campaign that Microsoft researchers outlined on Thursday. Morse Code — a method of representing characters with dots and dashes popularized by telegraph technology — was one of several methods that the hackers, whom Microsoft did not identify, used to obscure malicious software. It’s a reminder that, for all of their complexities, modern offensive and defensive cyber measures often rest on the simple concept of concealing and cracking code. Hackers were sending select targets fake invoices to try to convince them to cough up their passwords and, in some cases, to collect IP addresses and location data of […]

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Research Roundup: Problem Solving In Digital Forensics

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Digital forensics research last month fell fairly neatly into two categories, each of which sought to solve bigger problems in the field. In the first category is ensuring quality via frameworks such as service levels, better supporting first responder… Continue reading Research Roundup: Problem Solving In Digital Forensics→

Research Roundup: Problem Solving In Digital Forensics

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Digital forensics research last month fell fairly neatly into two categories, each of which sought to solve bigger problems in the field. In the first category is ensuring quality via frameworks such as service levels, better supporting first responder… Continue reading Research Roundup: Problem Solving In Digital Forensics→

Forensic Focus Legal Update July 2021: Reliability And Credibility Of Digital Evidence

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This quarter’s edition of our legal update starts with a look at improving digital forensics experts’ credibility, as well as the reliability of the evidence they find — all while dealing with rapidly advancing technology Two recent academic pape… Continue reading Forensic Focus Legal Update July 2021: Reliability And Credibility Of Digital Evidence→

Vigilante hacking campaign blocks victims from visiting The Pirate Bay, other piracy sites

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A hacker doesn’t appear to be happy with the amount of digital piracy out there. A wave of malicious software downloads from October 2020 to January 2021 blocked users from visiting websites that host pirated versions of video games, Microsoft Office and other programs, analysts at antivirus firm Sophos said Thursday. One malware strain borrowed name recognition from The Pirate Bay, a notorious portal that directs users to copyrighted material while also serving up malicious software and nefarious advertisements. The vigilante disguised their malicious code as pirated software on Discord, a popular chat service, and on file-sharing service BitTorrent, Sophos said in a blog post. But instead of getting a bootlegged version of a video game like Minecraft, targets of the campaign downloaded malicious code that prevented their machines from visiting websites for pirated software. In some cases, the attacker made the malicious code appear as if it came from […]

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Suspected Iranian hackers exploit VPN, Telegram to monitor dissidents

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For the last six years, hackers have stalked Iranian dissidents with spying tools that mimic the software those dissidents use to protect their communications, security firm Kaspersky said Wednesday. Researchers from Kaspersky and other firms only recently pieced together the activity, showing the limits of the cyber industry’s knowledge of Tehran-linked hacking against those who often bear the brunt of it: Iranian citizens. While Kaspersky researchers did not attribute the hacking to the Iranian government, FireEye, another security firm, said it suspected the hackers were affiliated with Tehran. The findings are consistent with a surveillance dragnet that Iranian authorities have used to jail and beat protesters who challenge the regime. Iranian security services killed 304 people in a 2019 crackdown, according to Amnesty International. The hackers, Kaspersky said, have sent their targets malware-laced images and videos claiming to be from prisoners in Iran. When opened, the malicious documents hijack users’ […]

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Chinese hackers implicated in breach of Russian government agencies

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Chinese hackers were likely behind a series of intrusions at Russian government agencies last year, security firm SentinelOne said Tuesday. Malicious code used in the breaches is similar to hacking tools associated with a broad set of suspected Chinese spies that have also targeted Asian governments in recent years, SentinelOne researchers said. SentinelOne’s research builds on a report released last month by the Federal Security Service (FSB), one of Russia’s main spy agencies, and the cyber unit of telecom firm Rostelecom. It said Russian government agencies had been targeted by “cyber mercenaries pursuing the interests of the foreign state.” The attackers collected stolen data using top Russian technology providers Yandex and Mail.Ru, according to the report, which did not name a culprit in the breaches. SentinelOne’s findings point to an often overlooked reality in U.S.-centric cybersecurity discussions: that the Russian and Chinese governments conduct plenty of cyber-espionage against each other. Last […]

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Suspected Pakistani spies use catfishing, stealthy hacking tools to target Indian defense sector

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For years, suspected Pakistani hackers have sought to pry their way into Indian government computer networks as part of broader dueling cyber-espionage campaigns between the rival nations. Over the last 18 months, a spying group known as Transparent Tribe has expanded its use of a hacking tool capable of stealing data and taking screenshots from computers, according to research published Thursday by Talos, Cisco’s threat intelligence unit. Hackers also are going after additional targets beyond Indian military personnel, including defense contractors and attendees of Indian government-sponsored conferences. Talos did not mention Pakistan in its research, but multiple security researchers told CyberScoop the Transparent Tribe group is suspected of operating on behalf of the Pakistani government. Similarly, research from email security firm Proofpoint has previously linked a Pakistan-based company to the development of the group’s malicious code. Talos’ findings reflect a relentless appetite for defense-related secrets among hacking groups with suspected […]

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Researchers find two dozen bugs in software used in medical and industrial devices

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Microsoft researchers have discovered some two dozen vulnerabilities in software that is embedded in popular medical and industrial devices that an attacker could use to breach those devices, and in some cases cause them to crash. The so-called “BadAlloc” vulnerabilities the researchers revealed on Thursday are in code that makes its way into infusion pumps, industrial robots, smart TVs and wearable devices. No less than 25 products made by the likes of Google Cloud, Samsung and Texas Instruments are affected. The research serves as a critique of the coding practices of the designers of billions of so-called “internet of things” devices that are a feature of modern life. There’s no evidence that the vulnerabilities have been exploited, according to Microsoft. But the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agency issued an advisory urging organizations to update their software. It’s unclear just how many devices are affected by the software bugs, but […]

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Researchers find flaw that leaks email addresses from Apple’s AirDrop

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AirDrop, the feature built into an estimated 1.5 billion Apple devices, allows Mac and iPhone users to seamlessly share files without the nuisance of USB sticks or finding another network connection. But security researchers this week poked a big hole in that peace of mind by revealing two flaws in AirDrop’s protocol that could allow an attacker to obtain email addresses and phone numbers of nearby devices that are using AirDrop. The concern is the snooping could enable other malicious activity, such as spearphishing of individual Apple users or the sale of bulk personal data to fraudsters. At issue are the “hash values” that Apple uses to hide the contact details of AirDrop users from a third party. Researchers from Germany’s Technical University (TU) of Darmstadt who made the discovery said those values can be easily exposed using brute-force or other attacks. A hacker would need to be in close […]

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