Tag Archive for: alert

North Korean Hacking Alert Sounded by UK and South Korea

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Cryptocurrency Fraud
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Cybercrime
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Endpoint Security

Supply Chain Attacks: Hackers Target Zero-Days in Widely Used Software, Alert Warns

Akshaya Asokan (asokan_akshaya) •
November 23, 2023    

North Korean Hacking Alert Sounded by UK and South Korea
North Korean monument to the founding of the Korean Workers’ Party. (Image: Shutterstock)

North Korean state-affiliated hackers are continuing to exploit zero-days in popular software applications as part of global supply chain attack campaigns for espionage and financial theft purposes, British and South Korean cyber agencies warned in an alert on Thursday.

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In a joint alert, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre and South Korea’s National Intelligence Service warned Pyongyang-affiliated hackers are targeting victims by exploiting vulnerabilities in their third-party software applications and supply chains.


These campaigns further the North Korean regime’s priorities of “revenue generation, espionage and the theft of advanced technologies,” officials said.


“In an increasingly digital and interconnected world, software supply chain attacks can have profound, far-reaching consequences for impacted organizations,” said Paul Chichester, NCSC’s director of operations.


The report did not name any specific advanced persistent groups tied to these campaigns, although does cite the recent attack against financial trading software developer 3CX as example of these large-scale supply chain attacks. The Cyprus-based software vendor, whose…

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Rocket Alert Apps Warn Israelis of Incoming Attacks While Gaza Is Left in the Dark

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The app and sirens are a backstop to Israel’s extensive military defenses. The Iron Dome missile defense system effectively intercepts or destroys most airborne weapons headed to Israel. But some rockets have slipped through, causing injuries in recent days, and the government has encouraged people in Israel to download its app.

Across the border, Israel’s military has sometimes called people in Gaza to warn of its own attacks. But power and communications networks there have been unreliable since Israel’s recent assault began, and on Friday internet access appeared to be cut off entirely. The Home Front Command app doesn’t provide alerts for the disputed Hamas-controlled territory, as it is out of Israel’s jurisdiction, Zamir says.

Palestinian activists and tech entrepreneurs say no one appears to be trying to provide civilians of Gaza with an equivalent early warning system. Hamas did not respond to requests for comment.

If power and communications were intact, a warning app could technically operate in Gaza, perhaps in a similar way to a system that Western governments fund in Syria. Vetted users and social media scanning tools feed the app with observations about drones, missiles, and other military movement. Machine learning and other data analysis techniques determine which areas of Syria need warning. Alerts then ring through public sirens and messaging apps.

But it’s unclear who would be willing to stand up a system like that in Gaza, or how it could keep functioning as Israel’s assault continues. Communications networks have faltered over the past three weeks of Israeli air strikes, which have damaged key infrastructure. On Friday the last internet provider whose service was operating in Gaza, Paltel, and UK internet monitoring company NetBlocks reported that Gaza was wholly offline. Power generators are reaching their limits, according to the UN agency advocating for Palestinians, after Israel cut off electricity and fresh fuel.

“Tech solutions are invalid,” says Mohammad Alnobani, a Palestinian who is CEO of Arab-focused stock photography service Middle Frame, speaking ahead of Friday’s communications collapse in Gaza. He says trying to maintain contact…

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Canada cyber centre issues alert after government DDoS attacks

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Distributed denial of service attacks against the websites of federal departments and several Canadian provinces and territories — including PEI, Yukon, Saskatchewan and Manitoba — have prompted the federal cyber agency to issue an IT alert.

Since September 13, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security has responded to several DDoS campaigns targeting multiple levels within the Government of Canada, as well as the financial and transportation sectors, the alert says.

It doesn’t attribute the attacks, but suggests the cyber centre knows. Publicity is part of what the DDoS attackers seek, “and why we avoid referencing the malicious actor,” the alert says.

Open-source reporting links some of this activity to Russian state-sponsored cyber threat actors whose tactics, techniques, and procedures have been extensively documented, the centre says. In July 2022, the centre predicted Russian state-sponsored cyber threat actors would almost certainly continue to perform actions in support of the Russia’s attack on Ukraine. In Februrary centre reported DDoS attacks on countries that support Ukraine.

“There are relatively simple ways to protect against this kind of campaign,” says the centre. “In most cases, this activity can be managed by standard cyber defence tools. But organizations should consider help from third-party DDoS solutions to ward off significant and focused activity. And once the actors stop the malicious activity, websites go back to normal.”

A DDoS campaign uses a collection of infected computers operating as a botnet to flood a target website’s server with internet traffic and disrupt its ability to provide services.

In most cases, the centre says, this nuisance activity can be managed by on-premises solutions. “However, assistance from third-party DDoS solutions should be considered to prevent significant and focused malicious activity. Websites will commonly return to a normal state of operation once the actors have stopped the malicious activity.”

The centre recommends IT leaders

IT leaders should also review and implement the Cyber Centre’s Top 10 IT Security Actions, particularly recommendations to consolidate, monitor, and defend internet…

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‘Whatsapp Pink’ Scam Can Steal Your Sensitive Data: Police Issues Alert & Warning (How To Stop This Scam?) – Trak.in

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A circulating WhatsApp message offers a link to download a pink-themed version of the app, known as ‘WhatsApp Pink.’ However, it has been discovered that ‘WhatsApp Pink’ is a harmful app designed to steal sensitive data, including banking information, OTPs, photos, and contacts.

'Whatsapp Pink' Scam Can Steal Your Sensitive Data: Police Issues Alert & Warning (How To Stop This Scam?)

WhatsApp Pink Scam

The ‘WhatsApp Pink Scam,’ a deceptive scheme, was initially exposed by internet security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia in April 2021. Subsequently, the Mumbai Police Cyber Crime Wing issued a Twitter alert, offering guidance on how to defend against these scams. 

To shield oneself from such fraudulent activities, it is essential to exclusively obtain and install applications from reliable sources like the Google Play Store. Apple users, in particular, benefit from added protection as Apple limits installations to trusted sources.

Protect Yourself from WhatsApp Pink Scam and Uninstall the Malicious App

Furthermore, it is important to refrain from installing apps from unfamiliar websites or APKs sent by unknown individuals. The ‘Forwarded’ label on WhatsApp messages can be useful in determining whether the message originated from a trusted source.

To remove WhatsApp Pink from your device, start by disconnecting any suspicious devices from the ‘Linked devices’ section in WhatsApp. The security researcher mentioned that WhatsApp Pink may conceal itself from the list of installed apps. If you encounter this issue, navigate to the ‘Apps’ section in your phone’s settings, locate ‘WhatsApp Pink’ with the pink logo, and select the uninstall option. It is worth noting that some malicious apps may not have a visible name in the app list, so be sure to remove any unidentified apps as well.

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