Tag: upgrades | Page 2

Samsung’s next Galaxy SmartTag said to get a few welcome upgrades

April 7, 2023/in Mobile Security

What you need to know

A report claims Samsung is aiming to reveal a new Galaxy SmartTag device in the second half of 2023.
The new tracking tag may offer a larger wireless range, stronger security, and a louder alert sound.
The next SmartTag may integrate with SmartThings devices a little deeper by controlling lights and your smart TV.
Samsung’s second Galaxy Unpacked event of 2023 may hold more details.

As consumers clamor to obtain item trackers to keep track of their things, Samsung appears to be close to releasing its next iteration.

Korean news website Naver reports that the company will release a second-generation Galaxy Smart Tag in the second half of 2023. The site credits a person close to the subject matter in saying the next product may deliver a longer wireless range and stronger security features to “prevent unauthorized tracking.”

Another apparent source of the outlet stated the next Samsung-made smart tag could include a higher-quality internal speaker for a louder “I’m over here” sound. The new tag may also feature similar SmartThings integration as the Galaxy SmartTag+, which allows you to control your smart home appliances such as lights (dimming them) or even your smart TV.

The next-generation SmartTag may have a larger battery packed into it when compared to the company’s last release. While it’s unknown just how long the battery life may be, the Galaxy SmartTag+ contains a non-rechargeable battery that lasts around five months. Ideally, if this area is receiving improvements, consumers should have a longer stretch of time to go without concern.

Furthermore, while the SmartTag+ was launched nearly two years ago, that product was ultra-wideband (UWB) based. With that sort of connectivity, the SmartTag+ could provide a more accurate position of your lost device and better tracking capabilities above the original SmartTag.

Samsung would probably continue to feature this UWB connectivity in its next SmartTag iteration as it would keep it in good competition with Apple’s AirTag.

This new Galaxy SmartTag is just one of the many products we’re looking to gain more information on later this year. Naver’s report mentions that the next tag iteration will allegedly be revealed…

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RansomExx Ransomware upgrades to Rust programming languageSecurity Affairs

November 24, 2022/in Computer Security

RansomExx ransomware is the last ransomware in order of time to have a version totally written in the Rust programming language.

The operators of the RansomExx ransomware (aka Defray777 and Ransom X) have developed a new variant of their malware, tracked as RansomExx2, that was ported into the Rust programming language.

The move follows the decision of other ransomware gangs, like Hive, Blackcat, and Luna, of rewriting their ransomware into Rust programming language.

The main reason to rewrite malware in Rust is to have lower AV detection rates, compared to malware written in more common languages.

RansomExx2 was developed to target Linux operating system, but experts believe that ransomware operators are already working on a Windows version.

RansomExx operation has been active since 2018, the list of its victims includes government agencies, the computer manufacturer and distributor GIGABYTE, and the Italian luxury brand Zegna. RansomExx is operated by the DefrayX threat actor group (Hive0091), the group also developed the PyXie RAT, Vatet loader, and Defray ransomware strains.

The functionality implemented in RansomExx2 is very similar to previous RansomExx Linux variants.

“RansomExx2 has been completely rewritten using Rust, but otherwise, its functionality is similar to its C++ predecessor. It requires a list of target directories to encrypt to be passed as command line parameters and then encrypts files using AES-256, with RSA used to protect the encryption keys.” reads the analysis published by IBM Security X-Force.

The ransomware iterates through the specified directories, enumerating and encrypting files. The malware encrypts any file greater than or equal to 40 bytes and gives a new file extension to each file.

The RansomExx2 encrypts files using the AES-256 algorithm, it drops a ransom note in each encrypted directory.

“RansomExx is yet another major ransomware family to switch to Rust in 2022 (following similar efforts with Hive and Blackcat).” concludes the report. “While these latest changes by RansomExx may not represent a significant upgrade in functionality, the switch…

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