Backdoor Disguised as Typo Fix Added to PHP Source Code
The unauthorized code was disguised as two typo fix-related commits apparently pushed by Rasmus Lerdorf, author of the PHP language, and Nikita Popov, an important PHP contributor. The code seems to allow an attacker to remotely execute arbitrary PHP code. The investigation into this incident is ongoing, but the backdoor was discovered quickly and it…
‘Hades’ Ransomware Hits Big Firms, but Operators Slow to Respond to Victims
Initially observed in December 2020, the self-named Hades ransomware (a different malware family from the Hades Locker ransomware that emerged in 2016) employs a double-extortion tactic, exfiltrating victim data and threatening to leak it publicly unless the ransom is paid. The adversary appears mainly focused on enterprises, with some of the victims being multi-national organizations…
‘Russian Hackers’ Again Target German MPs: Report
Hackers used phishing emails to gain access to the computers of at least seven federal MPs and 31 lawmakers in regional parliaments, according to Der Spiegel weekly. A spokesman for the lower house of parliament confirmed the cyber attack but said there was “currently no indication” of a direct attack on the IT infrastructure of…
Insurer CNA Says Cyberattack Caused Network Disruption
The Chicago, Illinois-based company is one of the largest commercial insurers in the United States, offering cyber insurance policies alongside a broad range of other insurance products. In a March 23 announcement, the company revealed that, over the weekend, it fell victim to a cyberattack that impacted certain systems, and which resulted in network disruptions….
US Sentences Russian, North Macedonian in Cyber Fraud Case
Sergey Medvedev, 33, of Russia and Marko Leopard, 31, of North Macedonia, were sentenced to ten and five years respectively, according to a Justice Department statement. Both had previously pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy in federal court in Nevada. Medvedev, arrested in Thailand in 2018, co-founded the “Infraud Organization,” a marketplace for “counterfeit documents, stolen…
Microsoft Defender Antivirus Now Protects Users Against Ongoing Exchange Attacks
Microsoft has released patches, detailed guidance, and a one-click mitigation tool to ensure that Exchange Server users are protected against attacks. The tech giant has now taken another step to protect customers who haven’t managed to install the available patches but who have Defender deployed on vulnerable servers. The Exchange vulnerabilities are tracked as CVE-2021-26855,…
FBI: Cybercrime Victims Reported Losses of $4.2 Billion in 2020
The number of complaints received by the FBI in 2020 increased significantly compared to the previous year, when it got roughly 467,000 complaints. The total reported losses for 2019 were approximately $3.5 billion. Since 2016, reported losses total $13.3 billion, the agency said. The FBI said its Recovery Asset Team, which it established in 2018…
FBI Warns of PYSA Ransomware Attacks on Education Institutions in US, UK
Last year, authorities in the UK and France also issued alerts for the PYSA ransomware, following attacks on government and other types of organizations. According to the FBI, PYSA attacks have been launched by “unidentified cyber actors” against higher education, K-12 schools and seminaries in a dozen U.S. states, as well as the U.K. The…
Mimecast Says SolarWinds Hackers Stole Source Code
Mimecast was one of the several cybersecurity companies to confirm being targeted by the hackers who breached the systems of IT management solutions provider SolarWinds. After compromising SolarWinds systems, the attackers, which have been linked to Russia, used their access to deliver malicious updates for SolarWinds’ Orion monitoring product to roughly 18,000 customers. A few…
US Teen ‘Mastermind’ in Epic Twitter Hack Sentenced to Prison
A Florida teenager accused of masterminding a Twitter hack of celebrity accounts in a crypto currency scheme has been sentenced to three years in juvenile prison in a plea agreement, officials said. State prosecutors announced the deal Tuesday in the case of Graham Ivan Clark, 18, described as the mastermind of the July 2020 “Bit-Con”…
