As the all-rounder of Russia war in Ukraine towards its hundredth day, opposition from Ukrainian forces Still stronger than ever. At the same time, hacktivists around the world continue to violate Russian institutions and publish their files and emails. This week, a hacktivist collective took a different – and somewhat odd – approach: launching a service to prank Russian government officials. The new website used leaked details to put two random Russian officials on a call with each other. Obviously it won’t make any difference to the outcome of the war, but the team that created it hope the tool will cause some confusion and discomfort for those in Moscow.
New research from Google’s Threat Analysis Team delved into the rental surveillance industry and found that spyware vendors are Targeting Android devices with zero-day exploit. The Google team says state-sponsored actors in Egypt, Armenia, Greece, Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Serbia, Spain and Indonesia all purchased hacking tools from the North Macedonian company Cytrox. The malware used five previously unknown Android exploits, along with unpatched vulnerabilities. Overall, Google researchers say they’re tracking more than 30 rental monitoring companies around the world.
In other malware news, scholars at Germany’s Technical University of Darmstadt have found a way to track your iPhone’s location even when it’s turned off. When you turn off your iPhone, it won’t completely shut down — instead, the chips inside will run in low power mode. The researchers were able to run malware that can track phones in this low power mode. They believe their work is the first of its kind, but the method is unlikely to pose much of a threat in the real world, as it requires jailbreaking the targeted iPhone for the first time, which is usually has become more difficult to implement in recent years.
But please wait a moment. We’ve rounded up all the news that we didn’t publish or cover in depth this week. Click on the title to read the full story. And it’s safe out there.
International sanctions imposed on North Korea, as it continues to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, mean the country cannot trade with other countries or bring in money from outside. within its own borders. To solve this problem, in recent years, Pyongyang has allowed its state-owned hackers raid crypto platforms and bank robbery. Now the FBI, the US State Department and the US Treasury Department Warned that thousands of North Korean IT workers – including software and application developers – have freelanced at businesses around the world and sent money home. Many of them are based in China or Russia, the officials said. The risks of hiring North Korean workers range from “the theft of intellectual property, data, and funds to reputational damage and legal consequences, including sanctions by both the U.S. and U.S. authorities.” United Nations”.
In a major public move, the US Justice Department said it would stop prosecuting security researchers under its authority. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement. For years, the CFFA anti-hack law has been criticized for its wide scope and potential for abuse by prosecutors. Although the DOJ’s apparent policy change would be welcomed by researchers, as Motherboard reportthis policy doesn’t go far enough and can still put legitimate researchers at risk.
The mainly Russia-based Conti ransomware gang has had a horrible few months. After supporting Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, thousands Inside messages and deepest secrets have been published online. While the gang continued to target the victim, including the government of Costa RicaResearchers say Conti has officially ceased operations. Conti’s Tor admin panel has gone offline and team members are splitting into other ransomware groups, According to security firm Advanced Intel. The closure comes after the US government suggested a $15 million reward for information about members of Conti.
Canada has become the last country in the Five Eyes intelligence group — which includes the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand — to ban the use of Huawei telecommunications equipment in its 5G networks. Chinese telecommunications company ZTE is also on the banned list. The Canadian government, in a statement, cited national security concerns and the fact that companies could be forced to comply with orders from “foreign governments.” Starting in September, Canadian companies will be banned from buying new 4G and 5G equipment from Chinese companies. They must phase out all existing 5G equipment by the summer of 2024, and 4G equipment must be phased out by the end of 2027.
