Google’s security firm Project Zero published a report on Tuesday detailing an iPhone Wi-Fi exploit that Apple patched earlier this year in iOS 13.5. It’s a long, 30,000 word blog post, but ArsTechnica has a good breakdown.
Beer developed several different exploits. The most advanced one installs an implant that has full access to the user’s personal data, including emails, photos, messages, and passwords and crypto keys stored in the keychain. The attack uses a laptop, a Raspberry Pi, and some off-the-shelf Wi-Fi adapters.
A UNIX command line tool called “ls” can be used to bypass Mac privacy protections like TCC (Transparency, Consent, and Control) and the sandbox. This provides unauthorized access to file metadata in directories that are supposed to be protected
I continue to believe that macOS “security” is mainly theater that only impedes the law-abiding Mac software industry while posing little problem for Mac malware. It doesn’t take a genius hacker to bypass macOS privacy protections: calling “ls” is a script kiddie level attack.
It affects macOS Big Sur, Catalina, and Mojave.
Andrew Orr joins host Kelly Guimont to discuss Security Friday news (even though it’s Wednesday) and point out some Black Friday deals.
Amazon Sidewalk is a new initiative by the company that creates a low-bandwidth network pooled from the personal networks of Amazon device owners.
Amazon Sidewalk is a shared network, coming later this year, that helps devices like Amazon Echo devices, Ring Security Cams, outdoor lights, and motion sensors work better at home and beyond the front door. When enabled, Sidewalk can unlock unique benefits for your device, support other Sidewalk devices in your community, and even open the door to new innovations like locating items connected to Sidewalk.
Of course, there are numerous privacy and security concerns, although Amazon does claim it has “strong encryption” without going into details.
Thomas Moyer, Apple’s head of global security, is among four people indicted in a concealed weapons permit bribery scandal.
Researchers found backdoors found in Jetstream routers that lets a hacker remotely control the router and any device connected to it. This router is sold exclusively at Walmart.
CyberNews reached out to Walmart for comment and to understand whether they were aware of the Jetstream backdoor, and what they plan to do to protect their customers. After we sent information about the affected Jetstream device, a Walmart spokesperson informed CyberNews: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are looking into the issue to learn more. The item in question is currently out of stock and we do not have plans to replenish it.”
Bad news for owners of these routers, but at least Walmart won’t sell them anymore.
In a similar situation to a Facebook scam, researchers uncovered an unsecured database with over 380 million records in a potential Spotify hacking operation.
The origins of the database and how the fraudsters were targeting Spotify are both unknown. The hackers were possibly using login credentials stolen from another platform, app, or website and using them to access Spotify accounts.
Working with Spotify, we confirmed that the database belonged to a group or individual using it to defraud Spotify and its users. We also helped the company isolate the issue and ensure its customers were safe from attack.
Two zero days in Chrome, CVE-2020-16013 and CVE-2020-16017, are “high severity” in nature and users should update the browser as soon as possible. The The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) says the security flaws are actively being exploited in the wild.
I can confirm that CVE-2020-16013 relates to the V8 JavaScript engine for Chrome and involves an incorrectly handled security check. Exploitation would most likely require an attacker to direct the victim to a malicious web page.
CVE-2020-16017, on the other hand, would appear to be a memory corruption vulnerability within the Chrome website sandboxing feature known as Site Isolation.
On Thursday, October 12th, right around 3:30pm EST, Apple’s OCSP server stopped responding. On the surface that doesn’t sound like much, but when you stop and realize this is the server responsible for authenticating the certificates at the core of all your apps, it starts to matter.
And matter it did! For about an hour yesterday, Mac apps wouldn’t launch (or would launch slowly), rebooting was super-slow (for the same reason), and even Zoom connections took minutes to connect.
A phishing and credit card fraud operation has been targeting Facebook users and was recently uncovered due to an exposed database.
The fraudsters used the stolen login credentials to share spam comments on Facebook posts via the victims hacked account, directing people to their network of scam websites. These websites all eventually led to a fake Bitcoin trading platform used to scam people out of ‘deposits’ of at least €250.
However, the day after we discovered the database, it was attacked by the ongoing widespread Meow cyberattack, which completely wiped all its data.
Insurance software company Vertafore disclosed a data breach in which an unknown third-party accessed the personal information of 27.7 million drivers in Texas.
The incident is believed to have taken place sometime between March 11 and August 1, and happened as a result of human error when three data files were inadvertently stored in an unsecured external storage service.
Exposed data included Texas driver license numbers, names, dates of birth, addresses, and vehicle registration histories.
Computer manufacturer Compal Electronics has been hit by a DoppelPaymer ransomware attack, and the ransom is US$16.7 million.
DoppelPaymer is a ransomware operation known for attacking enterprise targets by gaining access to admin credentials and using them to spread throughout a Windows network. Once they gain access to a Windows domain controller, they deploy the ransomware payloads to all devices on the network.
According to the DoppelPaymer Tor payment site linked to in the ransom note, the ransomware gang is demanding 1,100 Bitcoins, or $16,725,500.00 at today’s prices, to receive a decryptor.
Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont for Security Friday news, some ballot measures that passed, and even a security minded gift option.
There are a number of Lock Screen privacy settings you can find on your iPhone and iPad to help secure your devices from people.
Voters in Michigan overwhelmingly passed Proposition 2 which adds “electronic data and electronic communications” to the state’s search and seizure laws.
The person, houses, papers, possessions, and electronic data and electronic communications of every person shall be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures. No warrant to search any place or to seize any person or things or to access electronic data or electronic communications shall issue without describing them, nor without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation.
Translation: Michigan police need a warrant to search your electronic devices. And as a Michigander myself I definitely voted in favor of this.
Toy company Mattel suffered ransomware attack on June 28, 2020. It revealed this in a 10-Q form filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
On July 28, 2020, Mattel discovered that it was the victim of a ransomware attack on its information technology systems that caused data on a number of systems to be encrypted. Promptly upon detection of the attack, Mattel began enacting its response protocols and taking a series of measures to stop the attack and restore impacted systems. Mattel contained the attack and, although some business functions were temporarily impacted, Mattel restored its operations.
GrowDiaries is a social media platform for marijuana growers. Two of its servers leaked user data like usernames and passwords.
The FBI, CISA, and HHS are issuing a joint alert to warn of the threat of ransomware attacks currently affecting U.S. healthcare systems.
The U.S. National Security agency is dodging questions about back doors in commercial products and whether it’s continuing this practice. The article mentions Dual EC, a type of encryption algorithm the NSA tried to get ratified as a global standard. Why? Because they could easily crack it.
Juniper Networks got into hot water over Dual EC two years later. At the end of 2015, the maker of internet switches disclosed that it had detected malicious code in some firewall products. Researchers later determined that hackers had turned the firewalls into their own spy tool here by altering Juniper’s version of Dual EC.
And that’s the reason we oppose these kinds of back doors or “weaknesses on purpose” on Security Friday. If one group can easily crack it, so eventually will other groups.
