Tag Archives: security

Backdoor slipped into popular code library, drains ~$155k from digital wallets

Hackers pocketed as much as $155,000 by sneaking a backdoor into a code library used by developers of smart contract apps that work with the cryptocurrency known as Solana. The supply-chain attack targeted solana-web3.js, a collection of JavaScript code used by developers of decentralized apps for interacting with the Solana blockchain. These “dapps” allow people… Read More »

Russian court sentences kingpin of Hydra drug marketplace to life in prison

Available over the Tor network, Hydra was a bazaar that brokered not just drugs but also fake documents, cryptocurrency laundering services, and other illicit goods and services. Nine months after Hydra was taken down, authorities came for Bitzlato, a cryptocurrency exchange that laundered “a substantial portion of the cryptocurrency that Hydra received.” In all, authorities… Read More »

Code found online exploits LogoFAIL to install Bootkitty Linux backdoor

Normally, Secure Boot prevents the UEFI from running all subsequent files unless they bear a digital signature certifying those files are trusted by the device maker. The exploit bypasses this protection by injecting shell code stashed in a malicious bitmap image displayed by the UEFI during the boot-up process. The injected code installs a cryptographic key… Read More »

QNAP firmware update leaves NAS owners locked out of their boxes

A recent firmware pushed to QNAP network attached storage (NAS) devices left a number of owners unable to access their storage systems. The company has pulled back the firmware and issued a fixed version, but the company’s response has left some users feeling less confident in the boxes into which they put all their digital… Read More »

Spies hack Wi-Fi networks in far-off land to launch attack on target next door

While stalking its target, GruesomeLarch performed credential-stuffing attacks that compromised the passwords of several accounts on a web service platform used by the organization’s employees. Two-factor authentication enforced on the platform, however, prevented the attackers from compromising the accounts. So GruesomeLarch found devices in physically adjacent locations, compromised them, and used them to probe the… Read More »

5 charged in “Scattered Spider,” one of the most profitable phishing scams ever

Prosecutors allege that the phishing attacks ran from at least September 2021 to April 2023. During that time, the defendants sent text messages to mobile phones of employees of the targeted companies that purported to come from the IT departments of their employers. The text messages often falsely warned that the employees’ accounts would be… Read More »

Law enforcement operation takes down 22,000 malicious IP addresses worldwide

An international coalition of police agencies has taken a major whack at criminals accused of running a host of online scams, including phishing, the stealing of account credentials and other sensitive data, and the spreading of ransomware, Interpol said recently. The operation, which ran from the beginning of April through the end of August, resulted… Read More »