August 6, Securityweek – (International) GameOver Zeus gang leader engaged in espionage: Researchers. Officials from FBI, Fox-IT, and Crowdstrike released analysis revealing that in addition to using the GameOver Zeus malware to steal about $100 million from banks, the cybercriminal ring used botnets to commit cyberespionage against various countries, including members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Source
August 6, Softpedia – (International) Researcher hacks his way into a GlobalStar satellite. A security researcher from Synack disclosed vulnerabilities such as a lack of encryption in satellite communication protocols, and revealed that he was able to break down GlobalStar’s simplex satcom protocol to hack GlobalStar’s SPOT global-positioning system (GPS) devices. The same protocol could reportedly be used to induce panic by simulating a large-scale disaster, and could hamper emergency response. Source
August 6, Help Net Security – (International) Corporate networks can be compromised via Windows updates. Researchers from Context Information Security reported that Microsoft Windows Update can be used to attack corporate networks by leveraging improperly configured Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) implementations, allowing for fake automatic updates that can install a trojan or other malware, and could be used to grant administrator privileges with a false login. Source
August 6, The Register – (International) Hacking Team brewed potent iOS poison for non-jailbroken iThings. Security researchers from FireEye released analysis of Hacking Team breached data revealing that the company had created an “iOS Remote Control System (RCS) agent” to hack into jailbroken iOS devices, as well as other methods targeting non-jailbroken devices via remotely downloaded Masque Attack apps that can execute commands and extract data from compromised devices. Source
August 5, IDG News Service – (International) Android device makers promise monthly security fixes. Google, Samsung, and LG announced plans to begin issuing monthly security patches for Android devices, citing the operating system’s (OS) increased targeting from cybercriminals. The first large update includes a patch for the Stagefright vulnerability, which can compromise a device via a specially crafted multimedia message (MMS). Source
August 5, ZDNet – (International) Nuclear nightmare: Industrial control switches need fixing, now. Security researchers at Dragos Security discovered at least 11 vulnerabilities in control switches being used in industrial control systems (ICS) across multiple sectors that could allow an attacker to execute man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks to cause control systems to shut down a plant or process or force an ICS into a hazardous state. Researchers believe that the attacks are being exploited in the wild, and that the vulnerabilities are made possible by poor authentication protocols and cryptographic integrity. Source
August 5, Threatpost – (International) APT group gets selective about data it steals. Security researchers from the Dell SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit released findings from a report revealing that the Emissary Panda advanced persistent threat (APT) group has focused its efforts on a number of manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, defense industrial base, political, and education organizations in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, utilizing a number of tools to steal and transmit intellectual property via backdoors. Source