Security News

Free coffee! Belgian researcher hacks prepaid vending machines
2021-02-04 15:27

Simply put, Vanhoof relied on the fact that many older Nespresso setups rely on what's known as a stored-value wireless payment card, something that's similar to but importantly different from a modern credit card. Wireless in this case means that the card uses NFC, short for Near Field Communication, the same underlying technology that's used by credit cards, many modern door security cards and almost all passports issued in the past 10 years.

More patches for SolarWinds Orion after researchers find flaw allowing low-priv users to execute code, among others
2021-02-03 21:25

As if that supply chain attack wasn't bad enough, SolarWinds has had to patch its Orion software again after eagle-eyed researchers discovered fresh vulnerabilities - including one that can be exploited to achieve remote code execution. Ziv Mador, security research veep at Trustwave, the firm that found the flaws, told The Register: "It's very severe, not only because of the ability to run unauthorized code on the Orion platform, but also because anyone on the network, not even someone that has [no] access to that server, can do that."

Lazarus Affiliate ‘ZINC’ Blamed for Campaign Against Security Researcher
2021-01-29 13:29

Microsoft has attributed a recently discovered campaign to target security researchers with custom malware through elaborate socially-engineered attacks to an APT group affiliated with North Korea-linked Lazarus Group. Given Microsoft's connection to the attacks, researchers from the Microsoft 365 Defender Threat Intelligence Team revealed Thursday in a blog post what they have seen of the campaign.

Researchers develop tool that ensures secure sensitive data sharing
2021-01-29 03:30

A data privacy tool has been developed to help ensure key datasets - such as those tracking COVID-19 - can be publicly shared with an extra layer of security for sensitive personal information. Developed as a collaboration between CSIRO's Data61, the digital specialist arm of Australia's national science agency, the NSW Government, the Australian Computer Society and several other groups, the privacy tool assesses the risks to an individual's data within any dataset; allowing targeted and effective protection mechanisms to be put in place.

Microsoft: DPRK hackers 'likely' hit researchers with Chrome exploit
2021-01-28 19:47

Today, Microsoft disclosed that they have also been monitoring the targeted attacks against vulnerability researchers for months and have attributed the attacks to a DPRK group named 'Zinc.'. Microsoft tracks hacking group as ZINC. In a new report, Microsoft states that they too have been tracking this threat actor, who they track as 'ZINC,' for the past couple of months as the hackers target pen testers, security researchers, and employees at tech and security companies.

Here's how a researcher broke into Microsoft VS Code's GitHub
2021-01-27 10:05

This month a researcher has disclosed how he broke into the official GitHub repository of Microsoft Visual Studio Code. While riding a train, researcher RyotaK discovered a vulnerability in the VS Code's Continuous Integration script that let him break into Microsoft VS Code's official GitHub repository and commit files.

North Korea Targets Security Researchers in Elaborate 0-Day Campaign
2021-01-26 14:49

Hackers linked to North Korea are targeting security researchers with an elaborate social-engineering campaign that sets up trusted relationships with them - and then infects their organizations' systems with custom backdoor malware. The effort includes attackers going so far as to set up their own research blog, multiple Twitter profiles and other social-media accounts in order to look like legitimate security researchers themselves, according to a blog post by TAG's Adam Weidermann.

Security researchers targeted by North Korean hackers
2021-01-26 10:49

Over the past few months, hackers have been trying to surreptitiously backdoor the computer systems of a number of security researchers working on vulnerability research and development at different companies and organizations, the Google Threat Analysis Group has revealed on Monday. The hackers, who Google TAG believes are backed by the North Korean government, first created a blog, populated it with posts write-ups about vulnerabilities that have been publicly disclosed, then created Twitter, LinkedIn, Keybase, and Telegram accounts with fake personas and used them to try to contact the targeted security researchers directly.

North Korean hackers are targeting security researchers with malware, 0-days
2021-01-26 03:01

A North Korean government-backed hacking group targets security researchers who focus on vulnerability and exploit development via social networks, disclosed Google tonight. According to a report released tonight by Google's Threat Analysis Group, a North Korean government-backed hacking group uses social networks to target security researchers and infect their computers with a custom backdoor malware.

Google Warning: North Korean Gov Hackers Targeting Security Researchers
2021-01-26 01:44

Google late Monday raised the alarm about a "Government-backed entity based in North Korea" targeting - and hacking into - computer systems belonging to security researchers. Google's Threat Analysis Group, a team that monitors global APT activity, said the ongoing campaign is aimed at security researchers working on vulnerability research and development at different companies and organizations.