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Apple's Mac OS X Still Open to Malware, Thanks Gatekeeper

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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Apple's Mac OS X Still Open to Malware, Thanks Gatekeeper</u></b></span><br />
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Apple Mac Computers are considered to be much safer than Windows computers at keeping out the viruses and malware, but the new Exploit discovered by researchers again proves it indeed quite false.</div>
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Last year, The Hacker News reported a deadly simple exploit that completely bypassed one of the core security features in Mac OS X known as <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gatekeeper</b>.</div>
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Apple released a patch in November, but now the same security researcher who discovered the original Gatekeeper bypass vulnerability said he found an equally obvious workaround.</div>
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Patrick Wardle, ex-NSA staffer and head of research at security intelligence firm Synack, said the security patch released by Apple was "<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">incredibly weak</b>" and that the update was "<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">easy to bypass</b>" in minutes.</div>
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Gatekeeper's Failure Once Again</h3>
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Introduced in July of 2012, Gatekeeper is Apple's anti-malware feature designed to block untrusted, dodgy apps from running, keeping Mac OS X systems safe from malware.</div>
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However, the reality is slightly different, according to Wardle. Hackers can install malicious software on Mac computers, even when Gatekeeper is set to its most restrictive setting.</div>
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In September, Wardle realized that before allowing any apps to execute on an OS X machine, Gatekeeper performs a number of checks, such as:</div>
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But, what Gatekeeper fails to check is – whether the app already trusted by OS X runs or loads other files from the same folder.</div>
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However, in the name of a security patch, all Apple did was simply blacklist the signed apps Wardle was abusing to bypass Gatekeeper, rather than fixing the underlying problem.</div>
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How to Bypass Gatekeeper in OS X?</h3>
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This was not effective in preventing attacks. Wardle found a new Apple-signed file that allow him to do the same. Notably, the file was offered by the popular anti-virus firm Kaspersky Labs.</div>
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All Wardle has done is:</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Renamed <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Binary A</b></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Swapped out the legitimate <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Binary B</b> with a malicious one</li>
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Now, Binary B needs no digital certificate or Apple developer certificate to run, so it can be used to install anything the attacker wants, completely bypassing Gatekeeper.</div>
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Wardle notified Apple about his latest finding, and the company rolled out an update blocking the new files Wardle privately reported it, which is not a right approach. Apple should come up with a more comprehensive fix to address the issue.</div>
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How to Protect Yourself?</h3>
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In the meantime, Wardle suggested Mac users to only download software from the Mac App Store and be more careful while downloading apps from the internet.</div>
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Wardle will be presenting his findings at the<i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Shmoocon conference in Washington D.C </i>this weekend. He also released a complementary tool for Gatekeeper on Friday, a free tool dubbed<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://objective-see.com/products/ostiarius.html" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #1177b8; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Ostiarius</a></b>, that checks all file executions and blocks untrusted, unsigned code originating from the Web. </div>
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Apple's Mac OS X Still Open to Malware, Thanks Gatekeeper

Apple's Mac OS X Still Open to Malware, Thanks Gatekeeper Apple Mac Computers are considered to be much safer than Windows computers ...

EPIC Fail — For the Third Time, Linux Ransomware CRACKED!

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Ransomware is now a common practice for money-motivated cyber criminals. It's basically a type of software written in any system-based programming language that has the ability to hijack victim’s computer, encrypts files and then ask for a ransom amount to get them back.</div>
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One such ransomware dubbed Linux.Encoder targets Linux-powered websites and servers by encrypting MySQL, Apache, and home/root folders associated with the target site and asks for 1 Bitcoin (<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">$453.99</i></b>) to decrypt those crucial files.</div>
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But, the good news is it is very easy to get rid of it.</div>
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The Malware author released the third version of the Linux.Encoder ransomware, which security researchers from Bitdefender have managed to crack, yet again, after breaking previous two versions.</div>
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However, before the team managed to release the Linux.Encoder decryption tool, the third iteration of Linux.Encoder ransomware, which was first discovered by antivirus maker Dr.Web, has infected a nearly 600 servers worldwide.</div>
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Linux.Encoder Decryption Tool</h3>
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Though victims who got infected by the third version of <i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Linux.Encoder</i> ransomware doesn't have to pay any ransom to get your important files back, and they can simply unlock it using Bitdefender's <a href="http://labs.bitdefender.com/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/download.php?id=encoder_3_decrypter.zip" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #4184f3; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Linux.Encoder decryption tool</a> to unlock their files.</div>
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But the epic part here is even after the successful decryption of its previous Linux.Encoder ransomware versions, the group of ransomware creators, were still not able to write a perfect code for its third version.</div>
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<i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"As we expected, the creators of Linux.Encoder have fixed their previous bugs and have come up with a new and improved variant,"</i> <a href="https://labs.bitdefender.com/2016/01/third-iteration-of-linux-ransomware-still-not-ready-for-prime-time/" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #4184f3; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">says</a> BitDefender boffin Radu Caragea. <i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Luckily for the victims, the new variant of Linux.Encoder is still vulnerable to key recovery attacks."</i></blockquote>
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It seems that the malware authors of Linux.encoder ransomware are newbie programmers who are just motivated by the success of other popular ransomware such as CryptoWall and CryptoLocker.</div>
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EPIC Fail — For the Third Time, Linux Ransomware CRACKED!

Ransomware is now a common practice for money-motivated cyber criminals. It's basically a type of software written in any system-based...

Ransom32 — First JavaScript-powered Ransomware affecting Windows, Mac and Linux

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Here's New Year's first Ransomware: <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ransom32</b>.</div>
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A new Ransomware-as-a-service, dubbed <i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ransom32</i>, has been spotted that for the first time uses a ransomware written in JavaScript to infect Mac, Windows as well as Linux machines.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvTTNzz8ihRlaZZlbVZdKxIztqSn_6kAqSQ96Yb8uAgnFtZIEh3DM9uf2TXhBM6aRMP5pu73T1Jv8O7l2-YCdgBQdExHEbBnDP-i1ALaU2aan7lmibMb_kLXvugJwiNRvkjA6NCeeo2VH/s1600/javascript-ransomware-malware.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvTTNzz8ihRlaZZlbVZdKxIztqSn_6kAqSQ96Yb8uAgnFtZIEh3DM9uf2TXhBM6aRMP5pu73T1Jv8O7l2-YCdgBQdExHEbBnDP-i1ALaU2aan7lmibMb_kLXvugJwiNRvkjA6NCeeo2VH/s1600/javascript-ransomware-malware.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ransom32 allows its operators to deploy the malware very quickly and easily. It has a dashboard that enables operators to designate their Bitcoin addresses to which the ransom can be sent. The dashboard also shows stats about how much Bitcoins they have made.</div>
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In short, this new ransomware-as-a-service is so simple, and efficient at the same time, that anyone can download and distribute his/her own copy of the ransomware executable as long as he/she have a Bitcoin address.</div>
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The copy of Ransom32 was first analysed by Emsisoft, which found that the new ransomware family, which embedded in a self-extracting WinRAR archive, is using the NW.js platform for infiltrating the victims' computers, and then holding their files by encrypting them with<b style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 128-bit AES encryption</b>.</div>
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But, Why the NW.js Framework?</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKMM2qT3BeI5BmEyvxBP7BM7jL50vueUWfhH42FPbsYa0zTkSlziWDhGPiDP176uqNeiDAbJ6MOSxDgo1z32VUNBrH3HXjgssyOo5d-byGZM5Zzvf_VyXpLR8EkJbmFsItvocIvPA5R4J/s1600/ransom32-malware.png" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px; clear: left; color: #4184f3; cursor: default; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; pointer-events: none; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="ransom32-malware" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKMM2qT3BeI5BmEyvxBP7BM7jL50vueUWfhH42FPbsYa0zTkSlziWDhGPiDP176uqNeiDAbJ6MOSxDgo1z32VUNBrH3HXjgssyOo5d-byGZM5Zzvf_VyXpLR8EkJbmFsItvocIvPA5R4J/s1600/ransom32-malware.png" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 728px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="ransom32-malware" /></a></div>
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<div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NW.js</b>, formerly known as Node-WebKit, is a JavaScript framework for app development based on Node.js and Chromium. It works around normally-strict sandboxing of JavaScript, so a Web app can be repurposed for desktops without the sandbox getting in its way.</div>
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<i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"NW.js allows for much more control and interaction with the underlying operating system (OS), enabling JavaScript to do almost everything 'normal' programming languages like C++ or Delphi can do,"</i> Emsisoft's Fabian Wosar <a href="http://blog.emsisoft.com/2016/01/01/meet-ransom32-the-first-javascript-ransomware/" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #4184f3; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">writes</a>.</blockquote>
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The NW.js framework not only allows for cross-platform infections but also is harder to detect because it is a legitimate framework. Ransom32 has some resemblance to <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CryptoLocker</b> that is one of the nasty ransomware that already infected millions of PCs.</div>
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Ransom32 has been traded on the dark web with the authors asking for a 25 percent cut of all ransom payments for offering its service and forwarding the rest of the amount to the operator’s Bitcoin address.</div>
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How Does Ransom32 Work?</h3>
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Malware operators place the malicious file inside emails masquerading as delivery notifications, unpaid invoices, and such.</div>
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As soon as it was installed and launched, Ransom32 connected to a command-and-control (C&C) server on TOR anonymising network, displaying ransom note as shown above and the Bitcoin address where victims are supposed to pay to recover their files.</div>
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Currently, Wosar has only seen Ransom32 as a Windows attack vector, but the NW.js framework can run on all three major operating systems.</div>
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Therefore, ransomware coded to work on top of NW.js would theoretically be able to target Mac OS X as well as Linux operating systems.</div>
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How to Protect Yourself from Ransomware Threat?</h3>
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Here are some important steps that should be considered to protect yourself from Ransomware threats.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Always keep regular backups of your important data.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Make sure you run an active anti-virus security suite of tools on your system.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do not open email attachments from unknown sources.</li>
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Ransom32 — First JavaScript-powered Ransomware affecting Windows, Mac and Linux

Here's New Year's first Ransomware: Ransom32 . A new Ransomware-as-a-service, dubbed Ransom32 , has been spotted that for th...

This Antenna Can Remotely Steal Data From Devices using Sound Waves

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<a class="url entry-title" href="http://www.hackthesec.co.in/2015/08/this-antenna-can-remotely-steal-data.html" itemprop="url" rel="bookmark" style="border: 0px; color: #3d5a99; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 28px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 48px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 3px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">This Antenna Can Remotely Steal Data From Devices using Sound Waves</a></h1>
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Remember the previously demonstrated technique to Hack into air-gapped computers using Heatwaves?</div>
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What if the same was possible to hack computers to steal data using <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sound waves</b>?</div>
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Imagine, If a remote hacker could steal classified information from a targeted computer without having to physically and Internet access to it.</div>
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A team of security researchers has demonstrated exactly the same by developing a new hacking technique called <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Funtenna</b> that uses sound and radio waves to siphon data from computers even without Internet access.</div>
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According to a lead researcher <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ang Cui</b> of Red Balloon Security, the Funtenna radio signal hack has the potential to turn Internet-connected devices (printer, washing machine and air conditioner) – popularly known as the <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Internet of Things </b>– into bugs that can transmit data out of a network using sound waves that can not be heard by a human ear.</div>
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How Funtenna Works?</h3>
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The attacker only needs to install malware on a target's device such as a printer, office phone, or a computer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KGLtFM4Gdi0h-3c_YhSbgyuhyg04IXb1SZytLdM0M88D3omXu8enI8Z8D9TuqXTO_OmMKzMWq8Sd7M9h2s3GE69Mje7rYGeiq6kVVq5qdsvMk0hWeh6xtnZThBSBhMFuU1lrlUUizO23/s1600/hacking-computer-funtenna-sound-waves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px; clear: left; color: #3d5a99; cursor: default; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; pointer-events: none; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="This Antenna Can Steal Data From Remote Computers Using Sound Waves" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KGLtFM4Gdi0h-3c_YhSbgyuhyg04IXb1SZytLdM0M88D3omXu8enI8Z8D9TuqXTO_OmMKzMWq8Sd7M9h2s3GE69Mje7rYGeiq6kVVq5qdsvMk0hWeh6xtnZThBSBhMFuU1lrlUUizO23/s1600/hacking-computer-funtenna-sound-waves.jpg" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 728px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="This Antenna Can Steal Data From Remote Computers Using Sound Waves" /></a></div>
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The malware overtakes the control of the electronic circuit of the device (general-purpose input/output circuits) and vibrates them at a frequency (which transmits radio signal) of the attacker's preference.</div>
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An attacker then can pick up these signals using an AM radio antenna (Funtenna) from a short distance away.</div>
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"You have network detection, firewalls… but this transmits data in a way that none of those things are monitoring, this fundamentally challenges how certain we can be of our network security," <a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/311689-funtenna-hacking-sound-waves/" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #3d5a99; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">said</a> Cui.</blockquote>
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Here, the hacked devices are themselves acting as transmitters. Therefore, the new Funtenna technique bypasses all conventional network security methodologies.</div>
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You can also <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">watch a video demonstration</i></b> of how Funtenna works below:</div>
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Funtenna is actually using a technique known as "<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hardware Agnostic</i></b>," which is generally available to operate with all modern computer systems and embedded devices.</div>
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The team showcased its new technique in action at the Black Hat security summit in Las Vegas on Wednesday. It will also release a "proof-of-concept" code for researchers and hackers.</div>
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This Antenna Can Remotely Steal Data From Devices using Sound Waves

This Antenna Can Remotely Steal Data From Devices using Sound Waves Remember the previously demonstrated technique to Hack into air-gapp...

Thunderstrike 2: World's First Firmware Worm That Infects Mac Computers Without Detection Tuesday

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<a class="url entry-title" href="http://www.hackthesec.co.in/2015/08/thunderstrike-2-worlds-first-firmware.html" itemprop="url" rel="bookmark" style="border: 0px; color: #3d5a99; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 28px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 48px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 3px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Thunderstrike 2: World's First Firmware Worm That Infects Mac Computers Without Detection</a></h1>
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If you think Apple’s Mac computers are much more secure than Windows-powered systems, you need to think again. This isn’t true, and security researchers have finally proved it.</div>
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Two security researchers have developed a proof-of-concept computer worm for the first time that can spread automatically between MacBooks, without any need for them to be networked.</div>
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Dubbed <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><u style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thunderstrike 2</u></b>, the new proof-of-concept firmware attack is inspired by previously developed proof-of-concept firmware called Thunderstrike.</div>
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Thunderstrike Attack, developed by security engineer Trammell Hudson, actually took advantage of a<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">vulnerability in Thunderbolt Option ROM</i></b> that could be used to infect <i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Apple Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)</i> by allocating a malicious code into the boot ROM of an Apple computer through infected Thunderbolt devices.<br style="content: " "; display: block; margin: 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></div>
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Thunderstrike 2 Spreads Remotely</h3>
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<br style="content: " "; display: block; margin: 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Although the original Thunderstrike required an attacker to have physical access to your Mac computer to work, the new attack can be spread remotely.</div>
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Thunderstrike 2 can be delivered via phishing emails, malicious Web site, as well as through a peripheral connected to the Ethernet port or USB.</div>
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After downloaded on a computer, Thunderstrike 2 can infect Thunderbolt-connected accessories that use Option ROM. After that, the malware can automatically spread to any Mac that you plug the accessory into.</div>
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Thunderstrike 2 is developed by two security researcher Trammell Hudson and Xeno Kovah of firmware security consultancy Legbacore. The researchers also demonstrated their attack, which you can watch in the video given below.<br style="content: " "; display: block; margin: 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></div>
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 Infects Mac Computers Without Detection</h3>
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Given the vicious worm, Thunderstrike 2, targets and lives in the firmware and can even evade a whole system reboot, it’s a real pain for the Mac users.</div>
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"<i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thunderstrike 2 is really hard to detect, it’s really hard to get rid of, and it’s really hard to protect against something that’s running inside the firmware,</i>" Kovah <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/08/researchers-create-first-firmware-worm-attacks-macs/" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #3d5a99; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">told</a> Wired.</blockquote>
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"<i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For most users that’s really a throw-your-machine-away kind of situation. Most people and organizations don’t have the wherewithal to physically open up their machine and electrically reprogram the chip.</i>"</blockquote>
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Many of the firmware vulnerabilities discovered by the researchers to develop Thunderstrike 2 are common to most EFI firmware. A total of six vulnerabilities affected PCs from Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and others.</div>
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Five firmware vulnerabilities also affected the Mac's firmware, and of those, Apple has fully patched one flaw, partially patched another, and failed to patch the rests.</div>
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The researchers plan to present their findings at the <i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Black Hat</i> and <i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Def Con security conferences</i> in Las Vegas this week.</div>
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