Skip to main content

NSA hacking tools being used to attack thousands of computers

It’s been over a year since many of NSA’s exploits leaked online and as a result, over hundreds of thousands of computers remain unpatched and vulnerable to date. These exploits were initially used to spread ransomware and cryptocurrency mining attacks but now, it seems hackers are using the leaked tools to create an even larger malicious proxy network, reports TechCrunch. Akamai, the American content delivery network, did some digging around and found that the previously reported UPnProxy vulnerability, which misuses the common Universal Plug and Play network protocol, is now capable of targeting unpatched computers behind the router’s firewall. “While it is unfortunate to see UPnProxy being actively leveraged to attack systems previously shielded behind the NAT, it was bound to happen eventually,” commented Akamai’s Chad Seaman, the author of the report. The new injection attacks use two exploits: EternalBlue (for Windows computers) and EternalRed (for Linux machines), which are backdoors created by the NSA to target computers. While UPnProxy modified the port mapping on a router that was vulnerable, the two Eternal exploits target the service ports used by SMB, which is a common networking protocol used on most computers. Akamai calls the two exploits EternalSilence collectively. “The goal here isn’t a targeted attack,” added Seaman. “It’s an attempt at leveraging tried and true off the shelf exploits, casting a wide net into a relatively small pond, in the hopes of scooping up a pool of previously inaccessible devices.” The problem is Eternal-based attacks are hard to detect. So it becomes difficult for administrators to even know if they’re attacked. Though fixes for the Eternal-based attacks have been around for a over a year, many computers remain unpatched and therefore, vulnerable. According to Seaman, flashing an affected network router and immediately disabling UPnProxy could solve the issue but completely replacing the router is always better.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2zuL7hB
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Facebook to shut down standalone gaming app in Oct

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Meta is winding up its standalone Facebook Gaming app on both Android and iOS from October 28. The app will also be not available on Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Meta did not elaborate on why it is shuttering the standalone gaming app. "Despite this news, our mission to connect players, fans and creators with the games they love hasn't changed, and you'll still be able to find your games, streamers and groups when you visit Gaming in the Facebook app," reads a banner on its website. "We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you for everything that you've done to build a thriving community for gamers and fans since this app first launched," the notice added. The app was launched in April 2020 to let users watch their favourite streamers, play instant games and take part in gaming groups. "Facebook experienced some hurdles trying to launch the app, as Apple rejected the app numerous times, citing its rul...
Post a Comment
Read more

Apple Watch is able to monitor cardiovascular frailty in patients according to Stanford study

The melding of consumer technology and medical science is something that a lot of companies are looking into. As we move further into the future, we’re seeing the combination of fitness trackers and smartwatches acting almost like our personal physicians. In a recent peer-reviewed research study, scientists at Stanford University have been able to measure one’s ‘frailty in terms of heart disease using an Apple Watch 3 (review). Now, what is frailty? Frailty is essentially a system where a six-minute walking test is a general standard used to evaluate the functional mobility and exercise capacity of a patient. The study saw that the result of the test was equal to an in-clinic doctor’s visit.  Apple Watch 3 used in a cardiovascular study by Stanford  The data and information were collected using an Apple Watch 3 along with a proprietary app called VascTrac. The six-minute walk test comes included with WatchOS 7 so it should be rather easy to access. What this means is tha...
Post a Comment
Read more