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Story highlightsKvitova beaten by Italian veteranPennetta into U.S. semis for second timeShe will next face world No. 2 HalepFederer, Wawrinka to play in semis (CNN)The New York heat finally proved too much for Petra Kvitova.Already battling a viral disease that saps her energy, the two-time grand slam champion's U.S. Open campaign came crashing to a halt Wednesday as the Czech was upset by Italian Flavia Pennetta in the quarterfinals."From the beginning of the match I didn't really feel 100% ready today," the fifth seed told reporters. "I suffered a lot, but I'm still here."Follow @cnnsport
As she had done in her previous four matches, Kvitova won the opening set -- but she visibly faded in the second and was taken to a third for the first time in the tournament by the 26th seed.Pennetta triumphed 4-6 6-4 6-2 in two hours and 23 minutes, meaning that two Italian women will be in the semifinals of a grand slam for the first time in the Open Era of the sport.Read MoreI M M E N S A @flavia_pennetta pic.twitter.com/trXtq9efEu— Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) September 9, 2015
The 33-year-old, who also reached the last four at Flushing Meadows two years ago, joins compatriot Roberta Vinci -- who has the daunting task of challenging world No. 1 Serena Williams on Thursday.JUST WATCHEDSerena Williams - the story of a tennis sensationReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSerena Williams - the story of a tennis sensation 04:49Kvitova is one of only two players to defeat the American this year, so Pennetta's surprise win has boosted Williams' hopes of completing the first calendar grand slam since Steffi Graf in 1988.Kvitova, who still managed her best result in New York by reaching the last eight for the first time, said she will have further blood tests ahead of the WTA Tour's Asian swing and the season-ending championships in Singapore.Read: Tears as Serena beats sister Venus"Now I'm feeling really exhausted, so I'm really glad I can sit now," she said at her press conference, where she acknowledged that both players had struggled with the conditions."It's not very nice when you're playing out there. Of course you're feeling much better if you are in the shade. You're just feeling a little bit cooler," she said."But when you see the ball it's kind of a little bit tricky because you really don't see as well as you normally do. That's why probably we were kind of suffering from the first set."For the 1st time in the Open Era, two Italian women are into the SFs of a Grand Slam tournament! #usopen #forza pic.twitter.com/8oTxLfDNV1— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2015
Kvitova made 60 unforced errors to Pennetta's 16, which overshadowed her greater number of winners: 41-21. It was the same story on serve as she fired four aces to her opponent's none, but made nine double-faults to Pennetta's three."It was just presents to give her ... and she didn't miss at all," the 25-year-old said.Pennetta will next face world No. 2 Simona Halep, who beat former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in a rain-hit closing quarterfinal.JUST WATCHEDThe U.S. Open's extreme makeoverReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe U.S. Open's extreme makeover 03:34Organizers had already decided to bring forward the opening match of the night session -- the men's quarterfinal between second seed Roger Federer and France's Richard Gasquet -- by an hour due to the expected bad weather, but it arrived sooner than was forecast. Later Wednesday, the other scheduled last-eight match between Federer's fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka and South Africa's Kevin Anderson was also moved to an earlier time and switched to the No. 2 Louis Armstrong Stadium.Federer and Wawrinka didn't linger when they got on court, brushing aside their opponents 6-3 6-3 6-1 and 6-4 6-4 6-0, respectively, to ensure a semifinal between the men who led Switzerland to Davis Cup glory last November. Azarenka had battled back after losing the opening set to lead 2-1 in the decider when the players were called off the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The rain should not be an issue next year, when the arena's new retractable roof is expected to be ready.However, she was unable to continue that momentum when they returned to the court over an hour later."I was a bit tired after the second set and that break helped me," Halep told the crowd. Halep -- watched by Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci -- rallied to triumph 6-3 4-6 6-4 and reach the semifinals of a grand slam for the first time since Wimbledon last year.Azarenka, beaten by Williams in the 2012 and 2013 U.S. Open finals, was once again playing with her arms protected from an apparent allergy to her playing outfit.The 20th seed had sported bandages in her previous match due to blisters caused by rubbing against the material of her top, and this time wore full compression sleeves.The answer to #Azarenka's blister problem on her arms? SLEEVES. Two of them. Borrowed from Kyrgios? #usopen pic.twitter.com/snnHIaAE6M— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) September 9, 2015
Halep is the last player to beat Williams in one of the five top women's tournaments, winning their round-robin clash at 2014's season-ending championship before losing to her in the final. It's her only victory over the 21-time grand slam champion in seven clashes.Williams' only losses in 55 matches this year are to Kvitova in Madrid in May and Swiss teen Belinda Bencic in Toronto last month, while she has pulled out during three tournaments.Brilliant FedererFederer hit 50 winners as he improved his record to 15-2 against Gasquet and has yet to drop a set this tournament. He is 16-3 versus Wawrinka but lost their last encounter at the French Open, where the world No. 5 eventually won the tournament for a second grand slam title. Wawrinka's lopsided victory over Anderson came one match after the South African upset Andy Murray. Anderson, contesting his first major quarterfinal, had beaten Wawrinka four straight times. Novak Djokovic meets defending champion Marin Cilic in Friday's other men's semifinal. If Djokovic prevails, the world No. 1 would become the second man -- after Federer -- in the last 45 years to feature in all four grand slam finals in one season. Read: Tennis star battles 'kissing disease'Can anyone stop Serena? Tell us on CNN Sport's Facebook page
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SAP has patched a critical vulnerability impacting the LM Configuration Wizard component in NetWeaver Application Server (AS) Java platform, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to take control of SAP applications.
The bug, dubbed RECON and tracked as CVE-2020-6287, is rated with a maximum CVSS score of 10 out of 10, potentially affecting over 40,000 SAP customers, according to cybersecurity firm Onapsis, which uncovered the flaw.
"If successfully exploited, a remote, unauthenticated attacker can obtain unrestricted access to SAP systems through the creation of high-privileged users and the execution of arbitrary operating system commands with the privileges of the SAP service user account, which has unrestricted access to the SAP database and is able to perform application maintenance activities, such as shutting down federated SAP applications," the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in an advisory.
"The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data and processes hosted by the SAP application are at risk by this vulnerability," it added.
The vulnerability is present by default in SAP applications running on top of SAP NetWeaver AS Java 7.3 and newer (up to SAP NetWeaver 7.5), putting several SAP business solutions at risk, including but not limited to SAP Enterprise Resource Planning, SAP Product Lifecycle Management, SAP Customer Relationship Management, SAP Supply Chain Management, SAP Business Intelligence, and SAP Enterprise Portal.
According to Onapsis, RECON is caused due to a lack of authentication in the web component of the SAP NetWeaver AS for Java, thus granting an attacker to perform high-privileged activities on the susceptible SAP system.
"A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability through an HTTP interface, which is typically exposed to end users and, in many cases, exposed to the internet," CISA said.
By exploiting the flaw to create a new SAP user with maximum privileges, the intruder can compromise SAP installations to execute arbitrary commands, such as modifying or extracting highly sensitive information as well as disrupting critical business processes.
Although there's no evidence of any active exploitation of the vulnerability, CISA cautioned that the patches' availability could make it easier for adversaries to reverse-engineer the flaw to create exploits and target unpatched systems.
Given the severity of RECON, it's recommended that organizations apply critical patches as soon as possible and scan SAP systems for all known vulnerabilities and analyze systems for malicious or excessive user authorizations.
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A zero-day vulnerability has been discovered in the desktop version for end-to-end encrypted Telegram messaging app that was being exploited in the wild in order to spread malware that mines cryptocurrencies such as Monero and ZCash.
The Telegram vulnerability was uncovered by security researcher Alexey Firsh from Kaspersky Lab last October and affects only the Windows client of Telegram messaging software.
The flaw has actively been exploited in the wild since at least March 2017 by attackers who tricked victims into downloading malicious software onto their PCs that used their CPU power to mine cryptocurrencies or serve as a backdoor for attackers to remotely control the affected machine, according to a blogpost on Securelist.
Here's How Telegram Vulnerability Works
The vulnerability resides in the way Telegram Windows client handles the RLO (right-to-left override) Unicode character (U+202E), which is used for coding languages that are written from right to left, like Arabic or Hebrew.
According to Kaspersky Lab, the malware creators used a hidden RLO Unicode character in the file name that reversed the order of the characters, thus renaming the file itself, and send it to Telegram users.
For example, when an attacker sends a file named "photo_high_re*U+202E*gnp.js" in a message to a Telegram user, the file's name rendered on the users' screen flipping the last part.
Therefore, the Telegram user will see an incoming PNG image file (as shown in the below image) instead of a JavaScript file, misleading into downloading malicious files disguised as the image.
"As a result, users downloaded hidden malware which was then installed on their computers," Kaspersky says in its press release published today.
Kaspersky Lab reported the vulnerability to Telegram and the company has since patched the vulnerability in its products, as the Russian security firm said: "at the time of publication, the zero-day flaw has not since been observed in messenger's products."
Hackers Used Telegram to Infect PCs with Cryptocurrency Miners
During the analysis, Kaspersky researchers found several scenarios of zero-day exploitation in the wild by threat actors. Primarily, the flaw was actively exploited to deliver cryptocurrency mining malware, which uses the victim's PC computing power to mine different types of cryptocurrency including Monero, Zcash, Fantomcoin, and others.
While analyzing the servers of malicious actors, the researchers also found archives containing a Telegram's local cache that had been stolen from victims.
In another case, cybercriminals successfully exploited the vulnerability to install a backdoor trojan that used the Telegram API as a command and control protocol, allowing hackers to gain remote access to the victim's computer.
"After installation, it started to operate in a silent mode, which allowed the threat actor to remain unnoticed in the network and execute different commands including the further installation of spyware tools," the firm added.
Firsh believes the zero-day vulnerability was exploited only by Russian cybercriminals, as "all the exploitation cases that [the researchers] detected occurring in Russia," and a lot of artifacts pointed towards Russian cybercriminals.
The best way to protect yourself from such attacks is not to download or open files from unknown or untrusted sources.
The security firm also recommended users to avoid sharing any sensitive personal information in messaging apps and make sure to have a good antivirus software from reliable company installed on your systems.
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We have seen hackers flooding 911 emergency service with rogue requests to knock the service offline for an entire state, but some hacking incidents are worse than others.
One such incident took place in Dallas on Friday night when hacker triggered a network of 156 emergency warning sirens for about two hours, waking up residents and sparking fears of a disaster.
The emergency warning sirens — designed to warn citizens of the Texas about dangerous weather conditions, such as severe storms and tornados — were activated around 11:40 p.m. Friday and lasted until 1:20 a.m. Saturday.
The city officials tried to inform residents not to call 911 as there was not any emergency situation in the city, but the 911 system was nevertheless flooded with over 4,400 calls from panicked residents.
Rocky Vaz, director of Dallas Office of Emergency Management (OEM), told the Dallas Morning News that the alarms blasted about 15 times for 90-second durations. You can even watch video footage of the incident posted by some people on the social media.
Ever wonder what the end of the world feels like? #dallas #sirens pic.twitter.com/dvokKWkZ6N
— ManicPixieDreamGay (@deadlyblonde) April 8, 2017
The OEM technicians were eventually able to shut down the warning system and are working to keep this from happening again by implementing "more safeguards."
The city officials said the sirens were set off by a hacker who compromised the Dallas city's emergency alert system, but they did not disclose how the system was compromised or who may be responsible for the attack.
"We can state at this time that the City's siren system was hacked Friday night," the Dallas Public Information Office confirmed on Saturday. "For security reasons, we cannot discuss the details of how this was done, but we do believe that the hack came from the Dallas area."
The officials have notified the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for assistance in identifying the exact source of the hack.
This is the second time when some hacker has attacked critical infrastructure in the city. Last year, some unknown hacker hacked into some traffic signals in Dallas and used them to publish jokes.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings noted on his Facebook page that the incident is yet "another serious example of the need for us to upgrade and better safeguard our city's technology infrastructure," adding that they're working on identifying and prosecuting those responsible for the attack.
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(CNN)A Liverpool fan favorite who emerged last season combined with a new goalkeeping hero in the Reds' 1-0 win over Napoli that sent the 2018 finalist into the Champions League knockout phase. Mohamed Salah netted a hat-trick in the English Premier League last weekend against Bournemouth and while he didn't replicate the feat Tuesday -- he could have given his chances -- the Egyptian scored the lone goal in the 34th minute. Read: Was Ronaldo's bicycle kick greatest goal ever?Read: Reus back from the brink, againSummer signing -- from Roma -- Alisson then bailed out the host in injury time, stopping substitute Arkadiusz Milik in what was easily the visitors' best opportunity at Anfield. Beating Napoli and also qualifying for the last 16 could be worth as much as $13.8 million to Liverpool.Read More"What a goal from Mo, and the save Ali made -- I have no words for that," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told reporters. "I am very proud of the boys tonight."I'm still full of adrenaline. This game was just amazing. The boys played with their whole heart. Our defending and pressing was some of the best I ever saw."Alisson spared Liverpool's blushes against Napoli with an injury-time save Tuesday in the Champions League. The Reds knew they needed to win by a 1-0 scoreline or two clear goals on the final match day to advance instead of Napoli if Paris Saint-Germain beat last-place Red Star Belgrade away -- which it did 4-1 -- and indeed Liverpool claimed second in Group C on goals scored. Visit cnn.com/sport for more news and videosOut went Napoli's 12-match unbeaten streak in all competitions. "We started well, but then we started making many mistakes in the middle due to their high pressure," Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti was quoted as saying by UEFA. "The second half was tactically messy, we absolutely needed a goal. It's true they missed many chances on the counter, but we also could have scored."Two moments of pure magic tonight.💫#AllezAllezAllez pic.twitter.com/dXohLIuxc6— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 11, 2018
Only four spots remained in the round of 16 heading into the final match day and now there is only one. Another English team goes throughAnother Italian side was trumped by English opposition as Tottenham grabbed second place in Group B at Inter Milan's expense. Former PSG midfielder Lucas Moura scored in the 85th minute for Spurs in a 1-1 tie at group winner Barcelona, while Inter could only draw last-place PSV 1-1 at home. Inter needed to better Tottenham's result to progress but in the end departed on head-to-head away goals. "Congratulations to the players, I think they were fantastic -- massive effort," Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, the former boss at Barcelona's city rival Espanyol, told BT Sport. "So happy for our fans who were here and our fans in London and around the world. It's a massive, massive achievement for the club." Tottenham's task was made simpler when Barcelona didn't start five-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi. Rather he entered as a 63rd-minute sub. There has been much talk in England about how Liverpool's front three of Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have yet to find last year's scintillating form but Klopp's side lead the Premier League without suffering a defeat and ultimately got the result it required against Napoli. Mo Salah scored the only goal of the game in the first half. There was thus more woe for Ancelotti against Liverpool -- guiding AC Milan in 2005, he saw the Reds overturn a 3-0 deficit to win the Champions League final. AC Milan and Ancelotti, however, did top Liverpool in the final two years later. Mind you Liverpool made it nervy for the home fans by wasting opportunity after opportunity Tuesday. Of 22 shots, a mere eight were on target. It all started in the seventh minute when marauding left-back Andy Robertson found Salah with a wonderful cross in front of goal. Salah didn't get the first touch he wanted and the ball fell safely to keeper David Ospina. JUST WATCHEDMo Salah: The Egyptian King in LiverpoolReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMo Salah: The Egyptian King in Liverpool 22:48Napoli's only other decent chance, besides Milik's effort, probably came in the eighth minute when club legend Marek Hamsik curled his effort over the bar. James Milner's header flashed wide and teammate Mane saw his goal rightfully crossed off for offside in the 22nd. Read: USA, Sweden in same group at women's World CupRead: Atlanta wins MLS CupAlisson and Virgil van Dijk have been colossal for Liverpool since joining from Roma and Southampton, respectively, this year but Napoli felt the central defender should have seen red when his follow through caught forward Dries Mertens in the ankle. He was given a yellow instead. Salah shrugs off defendersSalah struck moments later when he shook off two defenders and poked the ball through Ospina's legs from a tight angle. Lionel Messi began on the bench for Barcelona against Tottenham on Tuesday. And in the second half, the chances kept on coming for Liverpool, with Salah shooting wide when in alone, Firmino depositing his header straight at Ospina and the Colombian keeper foiling the Egyptian twice in the same sequence.Follow @cnnsport
In between Mane squandering two seemingly can't-miss chances in the dying minutes, Alisson denied Milik before a follow-up was ruled out for offside. Again it appeared to be the correct call. No wonder Alisson received a big hug from Klopp at the final whistle. "(Alisson) has been fantastic for Liverpool and for us," van Dijk told Liverpool's website. "He gives confidence to everyone." The final qualifier will come on Wednesday, either Lyon or Shakhtar Donetsk from Group F. But it will be difficult to match Tuesday's drama in what was another memorable European night at Anfield.
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Story highlightsFrench actress Julie Gayet receives a best supporting actress nominationShe is at the center of an alleged love affair with President Francois HollandeHer private life has been in global headlinesFrench actress Julie Gayet, the woman at the center of an alleged love affair with French President Francois Hollande, has received a best supporting actress nomination from the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques, the academy said Friday.Gayet's private life has been the subject of global headlines since the French magazine Closer said this month she had been having an affair with Hollande for two years. Gayet was nominated by the academy for her performance in "Quai d'Orsay", a movie about the behind-the-scene intrigues at the French Foreign Ministry. The annual Cesar Award Ceremony, France's equivalent to the Oscars, will take place on February 28 in Paris.JUST WATCHEDFrance's first lady says Au RevoirReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFrance's first lady says Au Revoir 03:34The President, who has not confirmed or denied the claims about the alleged affair, announced Saturday that his relationship with partner and first lady Valerie Trierweiler was over. Trierweiler sent a goodbye message Saturday via Twitter to the staff at the presidential palace.
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A new Cyber Crimeware kit arrived in Hacking scenes called 'PiceBOT' just like other Latin American botnets such as vOlk (Mexico) & S.A.P.Z (Peru) and cost just $140 in underground market for Cyber criminals. Like other amazing exploit kits, the main purpose is the distribution of malware that steals financial information through local pharming attacks.
Bad bots perform malicious tasks allowing an attacker to take complete control over an affected computer for the criminal to control remotely. Once infected, these machines may also be referred to as 'zombies'.
Kaspersky uncovered that this kit has already been adopted by Latin American cyber criminals to target clients of major banks and so far financial bodies from Chile, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Argentina under attack.
Detected as Trojan-Dropper.Win32.Injector, the malware having couple of dozen variants. Malware is still under observation by antivirus vendor for further technical details.
If you have not installed security software and ensured that it is turned on, and kept up-to-date your machine is likely infected with all kinds of malicious software, including bots. The best protection is to set your anti-virus and anti-spyware programs to automatically update, and to install every patch that your operating system and browser make available.
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Another day, another Data Breach! Now, Russia's biggest social networking site VK.com is the latest in the line of historical data breaches targeting social networking websites.
The same hacker who previously sold data dumps from MySpace, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and Fling.com, is now selling more than 100 Million VK.com records for just 1 Bitcoin (approx. US$580).
The database contains information like full names (first names and last names), email addresses, plain-text passwords, location information, phone numbers and, in some cases, secondary email addresses.
Yes, plain-text passwords. According to Peace, the passwords were already in plain text when the VK.com was hacked. So, if the site still stores passwords in cleartext today, this could be a real security risk for its users.
The data breach has initially been reported by LeakedSource search engine, which received portions of the database from one of the people who bought it.
The company has already analyzed the contents of the data dump and has added it to its service. So, you can use its search engine to check if you were compromised.
Russia's Facebook VK.com is said to be the largest social networking site in Europe with more than 350 Million users. So, the hack is believed to be the biggest hack the site has ever experienced.
The validity of the credentials exposed in the hack is thought to have been stolen in late-2012 or early 2013 when VK.com had just under 190 Million users.
All the LinkedIn, MySpace, and Tumblr data breaches are also believed to have taken place during the same duration, between 2012 and 2013, when many websites were not practicing appropriate Web security policies, like hashing and salting passwords.
The hacker, named Peace (or Peace_of_mind), is selling the dataset -- which is over 17 gigabytes in size -- on The Real Deal dark web marketplace for a mere 1 Bitcoin.
According to LeakedSource, the most common password used by VK.com users was "123456," followed by "qwerty" and "123123," which are incredibly easy to predict. Also, the vast majority of email addresses came from mail.ru.
Like other data breaches, I strongly suggest you change your password immediately, especially if you use the same password for other websites.
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Just stop believing everything you see on your screen, as it turns out that even your computer monitor can be hacked.
You have seen hackers targeting your computer, smartphone, and tablet, but now, it has been proved that they can even compromise your monitor and turn them against by just changing the pixels displayed on the screen.
Although changing pixels is really hard and complicated, a team of security researchers at this year's DEF CON says that it is not impossible.
Ang Cui and Jatin Kataria of Red Balloon Security has demonstrated a way to hack directly into the computer that controls monitor to see the pixels displayed on the monitor as well as manipulate the pixels in order to display different images.
How to Hack Computer Monitors?
According to the researchers, an attacker first needs to gain physical access to the monitor's USB or HDMI port which would then help the attacker access the firmware of the display.
The duo said they discovered the hack by reverse-engineering a Dell U2410 monitor, though it was not an easy process, as it took over two years.
In the process, the pair found out that Dell had not implemented any security measures with regard to the process to update the display controller's firmware, which allowed for this hack.
This means that anyone with malicious intent and access to the monitor's USB or HDMI port would be able to hijack monitor — which involves injecting malicious firmware with the help of a drive-by attack — as well as manipulate the on-screen pixels.
The researchers developed a working exploit, saying "We can now hack the monitor and you shouldn't have blind trust in those pixels coming out of your monitor."
How Dangerous could the Monitor Hack possibly be?
Changing a single button could cause a huge amount of damage to the nation. The team gave an example by changing the status-alert light on the control interface of a power plant from Green to Red, which could trick someone into shutting down the power plant.
During their presentation, Cui and Kataria were also able to inject a photo onto a display and add a secure lock icon to the address field of a Web browser.
In one example, the team even demonstrated the ability to change PayPal balance from $0 to $1,000,000,000.
So, hackers do not require to infect your computer with a ransomware infection. If they can hack your monitor, they can manipulate the pixels to display a ransomware message permanently on your screen, demanding payment to remove the message.
This could be a new strain of computer-based Ransoming.
What's even Worse?
The hacker could log the pixels generated by the monitor and effectively spy on the target users.
The pair warns that this issue does not limit to just Dell monitors, but also potentially affects one Billion monitors all over the world, given that all of the most common brands have vulnerable processors.
However, there's a downside to this attack.
This type of attack is pretty easy to detect, as the image on a screen does not load nearly as fast as it would have before being infected.
So it's possibly not the most efficient way to manipulate things quickly on the computers of victims, who are sitting in front of their computers all the time.
But what about industrial control systems monitors, whose displays are mostly static?
Well, if hackers target industrial control console, the attack might be a lot harder to detect. So, stop trusting your monitors, peeps!
Those interested in checking out the code behind the technique can do so by clicking here.
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Android Video Malware found in Japanese Google Play Store
A new Trojan has been found, and removed, from the Google Play/Android Market, McAfee reported on Friday afternoon. The post says applications carrying the Trojan promise, and in some cases deliver, trailers for upcoming video games or anime or adult-oriented clips, but they also request "read contact data" and "read phone state and identity" permissions before being downloaded.
McAfee Mobile Security detects these threats as Android/DougaLeaker.A, the company said.McAfee said that the fifteen malicious applications of this sort had been found on Google Play, and that all had been removed from the market.
The app gathers the Android ID not the IMEI code that can uniquely identify the device, but the 64-bit number that is randomly generated on the device's first boot and remains with it for the life of the device. The app also harvests the phone's phone number and contact list, along with every name, phone number, and email of every person in the contact list.
The apps had been downloaded by at least 70,000 users, it added. McAfee says its Mobile Security product detects the threats as Android/DougaLeaker.A, and that Google Play users should check to be sure apps aren't requesting inappropriate permissions.
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German authorities last week disclosed that a ransomware attack on the University Hospital of Düsseldorf (UKD) caused a failure of IT systems, resulting in the death of a woman who had to be sent to another hospital that was 20 miles away.
The incident marks the first recorded casualty as a consequence of cyberattacks on critical healthcare facilities, which has ramped up in recent months.
The attack, which exploited a Citrix ADC CVE-2019-19781 vulnerability to cripple the hospital systems on September 10, is said to have been "misdirected" in that it was originally intended for Heinrich Heine University, according to an extortion note left by the perpetrators.
After law enforcement contacted the threat actors and informed them that they had encrypted a hospital, the operators behind the attack withdrew the ransom demand and provided the decryption key.
The case is currently being treated as a homicide, BBC News reported over the weekend.
Unpatched Vulnerabilities Become Gateway to Ransomware Attacks
Although several ransomware gangs said early on in the pandemic that they would not deliberately target hospitals or medical facilities, the recurring attacks prompted the Interpol to issue a warning cautioning hospitals against ransomware attacks designed to lock them out of their critical systems in an attempt to extort payments.
Weak credentials and VPN vulnerabilities have proven to be a blessing in disguise for threat actors to break into the internal networks of businesses and organizations, leading cybersecurity agencies in the U.S. and U.K. to publish multiple advisories about active exploitation of the flaws.
"The [Federal Office for Information Security] is becoming increasingly aware of incidents in which Citrix systems were compromised before the security updates that were made available in January 2020 were installed," the German cybersecurity agency said in an alert last week.
"This means that attackers still have access to the system and the networks behind it even after the security gap has been closed. This possibility is currently increasingly being used to carry out attacks on affected organizations."
The development also coincides with a fresh advisory from the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which said it's observed an uptick in ransomware incidents targeting educational institutions at least since August 2020, while urging schools and universities to implement a "defence in depth" strategy to defend against such malware attacks.
Some of the affected institutions included Newcastle and Northumbria Universities, among others.
Citing Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), vulnerable software or hardware, and email phishing as the three most common infection vectors, the agency recommended organizations to maintain up-to-date offline backups, adopt endpoint malware protection, secure RDP services using multi-factor authentication, and have an effective patch management strategy in place.
A Spike in Ransomware Infections
If anything, the ransomware crisis seems to be only getting worse. Historical data gathered by Temple University's CARE cybersecurity lab has shown that there have been a total of 687 publicly disclosed cases in the U.S. since 2013, with 2019 and 2020 alone accounting for more than half of all reported incidents (440).
Government facilities, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations are the most frequently hit sectors, as per the analysis.
And if 2020 is any indication, attacks against colleges and universities are showing no signs of slowing down.
Allan Liska, a threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future, revealed there had been at least 80 publicly reported ransomware infections targeting the education sector to date this year, a massive jump from 43 ransomware attacks for the whole of 2019.
"Part of this change can be attributed to extortion sites, which force more victims to announce attacks," Liska said in a tweet. "But, in general, ransomware actors have more interest in going after colleges and universities, and they are often easy targets."
You can read more about NCSC's mitigation measures here. For more guidance on proofing businesses against ransomware attacks, head to US Cybersecurity Security and Infrastructure Security Agency's response guide here.
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(CNN)Captain Tom Moore, the now famous 99-year-old British war veteran who has raised more than £19 million ($23.7 million) for the UK's National Health Service (NHS) by walking 100 laps of his garden, has said he is "absolutely overwhelmed" by the sum he has been able to raise. Moore, who will turn 100 later this month, began a JustGiving fundraiser on April 8, initially hoping to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together, which raises funds for UK hospitals, including for staff, volunteers and patients affected by the coronavirus crisis.He completed the challenge on Thursday, after walking 10 laps of his garden each day, aided by a walking frame. He told CNN he never anticipated being able to raise such a sum.Moore walked 100 lengths of his back garden. "I'm absolutely overwhelmed by this sum of money -- and when you transfer those into American dollars it's even bigger. We really never, ever for a minute thought we would get to this sort of money. We started off with a little modest figure," he told CNN's Hala Gorani on the "Connect The World" show on Friday. Born in Yorkshire, northern England, Moore trained as a civil engineer before being enlisted in the British Army during World War II, where he served in India, Indonesia and Britain. He later became the managing director of a concrete manufacturer.Read MoreFollowing the death of his wife in 2006, Moore moved in with his daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren in Bedfordshire, southeast England, where he still lives.Asked why he believed his fundraiser had struck a chord with so many people, he said: "I think because our National Health Service is good -- they do so good for me -- I had a broken hip and I had cancer and they treated me magnificently. "I think people realize that...everyone, wherever they are, gets equally treated, just as well, with the same efficiency and kindness that we get from our nurses and doctors -- who, after all, at the moment are on the firing line (of the coronavirus crisis)."There are growing calls for Moore to be honored for his service to the UK. More than 500,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the government to give him a knighthood. Captain Tom MooreA spokeswoman for Number 10 Downing Street said in a statement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will look at ways to recognize Moore's efforts."Tom has captured the heart of the nation with his heroic efforts and raised an incredible amount of money for hard working NHS staff," the spokeswoman said in the statement."He has embodied the spirit of the whole country in doing their bit for the battle against coronavirus to support the NHS and save lives. From his military contributions to his support for NHS staff, Tom has demonstrated a lifetime of bravery and compassion."The PM will certainly be looking at ways to recognize Tom for his heroic efforts."Moore completed his 100-length challenge at his home on Thursday.Tributes and thanks, meanwhile, have poured in from around the world for his fundraising efforts.UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Thursday he was "inspired" by Moore's efforts. On Friday, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, said in an interview with BBC Breakfast that Moore was a "fundraising machine.""It's wonderful that everyone has been inspired by his story and his determination," he said. "I think he's a one-man fundraising machine and god knows what the final total will be but good on him, I hope he keeps going."Asked what he made of being called a hero, Moore thanked people for "their kind remarks" and said: "Let me assure you -- eventually, we shall all get through it, and all will be well in the end."
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Tor has become a tool of free expression in parts of the world where citizens can not speak freely against their government. On Tuesday, a number of users have noticed that Facebook is blocking connections from the Tor network.
Tor is a free tool that keeps Web browsing sessions private and anonymous. For activists and political dissidents who use the Internet to communicate with the outside world in countries where doing so is a crime, being unable to login to Facebook using TOR posed a huge problem.
Later, Facebook resolves the Tor issues and said that A high volume of malicious activity across Tor exit nodes triggered Facebook's automated malware detection system, which temporarily blocked visitors who use the Tor anonymity service to access the social network.
The role that Tor and Facebook played in facilitating the dissemination of information under restrictive regimes cannot be underestimated. Security researchers are also frequent users of Tor, for instance to hide their location when investigating malicious activity on the Internet.
By giving people the power to share, we are starting to see people make their voices heard on a different scale from what has historically been possible. These voices will increase in number and volume. They cannot be ignored.
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Bad news for gamers!
It's once again the time when most of you will get new PlayStations and XBoxes that continue to be among the most popular gifts for Christmas, but possibilities are you'll not be able to log into the online gaming console, just like what happens on every Christmas holidays.
On 2014 Christmas holidays, the notorious hacker group Lizard Squad knocked the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live offline for many gamers by launching massive DDoS attacks against the gaming networks.
This time a new hacking group, who managed to take down Tumblr this week for almost two hours, has warned gamers of launching another large-scale distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack against XBox Live and PlayStation networks.
Calling itself R.I.U. Star Patrol, the hacking group, posted a video on YouTube, announcing that they're planning to take down Sony's PSN and Microsoft's Xbox Live on Christmas Day by launching coordinated DDoS attacks.
"We do it because we can," the group said. "We have not been paid a single dollar for what we do."
On Wednesday, when R.I.U. Star Patrol took down Tumblr, the group contacted Mashable and explained its reason for attacking: "There is no sinister motive. It's all for light hearted fun."
Neither Sony nor Microsoft has yet responded to the hackers' warning.
However, both Sony and Microsoft previously promised to enhance the protection of their systems to block any attack disrupting their networks, but downtime and short outages happened almost every Christmas time.
Knowing the current abilities of hackers to launch DDoS attack that can reach 1 Tbps, it goes without saying that both the companies should be prepared to see DDoS attacks targeting its servers on this Christmas that can go beyond their expectations.
We saw coordinated DDoS attacks against DNS hosting provider Dyn last fall that broke large portions of the Internet, causing a significant outage to a ton of websites and services, including Twitter, GitHub, PayPal, Amazon, Reddit, Netflix, and Spotify.
The massive DDoS attack was launched just by a botnet of an estimated 100,000 so-called Internet of Things (IoT) – everyday devices and appliances that are connected to the web – that closed down the Internet for millions of users.
So, it remains to be seen if gamers would be able to enjoy this Christmas or not.
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When a 22-year-old Japanese college student launched an online campaign against the powerful Tokyo Olympics chief and the sexist remarks he made, she was not sure it would go very far.But in less than two weeks, Momoko Nojo's #DontBeSilent campaign organised with other activists gathered more than 150,000 signatures, galvanising global outrage against Yoshiro Mori, the president of Tokyo 2020.He quit last week and has been replaced by Seiko Hashimoto, a woman who has competed in seven Olympic Games.The hashtag was coined in response to remarks by Mori, an octogenarian former prime minister, that women talk too much. Nojo used it on Twitter and other social media platforms to gather support for a petition calling for action against him."Few petitions have got 150,000 signatures before. I thought it was really great. People take this personally too, not seeing this as only Mori's problem," said a smiling Nojo in a Zoom interview.Read MoreHer activism, born from a year studying in Denmark, is the latest example of women outside mainstream politics in Japan taking to keyboards to bring social change in the world's third-largest economy, where gender discrimination, pay gaps and stereotyping are rampant."It made me realise that this is a good opportunity to push for gender equality in Japan," said Nojo, a 4th-year economics student at Keio University in Tokyo.Yoshiro Mori, the former President of Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee (TOGOC) speaks to reporters at the JOC headquarters in Chuo Ward, Tokyo on Feb. 4, 2021.She said her activism was motivated by questions she has often heard from male peers like, "You're a girl, so you have to go to a high school that has pretty school uniforms, don't you?" or "Even if you don't have a job after graduating from college, you can be a housewife, no?"Nojo started her nonprofit "NO YOUTH NO JAPAN" in 2019, while she was in Denmark, where she saw how the country chose Mette Frederiksen, a woman in her early forties, as prime minister.The time in Denmark, she said, made her realise how much Japanese politics was dominated by older men.Keiko Ikeda, a professor of education at Hokkaido University, said it was important for young, worldly people to raise their voice in Japan, where decisions tend to be made by a uniform group of like-minded people. But change will come agonisingly slowly, she said."If you have a homogeneous group, it's impossibly difficult to move the compass because the people in it don't realise it when their decision is off-centre," Ikeda said.Nojo dismissed a proposal this week by Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party to allow more women in meetings, but only as silent observers, as a poorly-executed PR stunt."I'm not sure if they have the willingness to fundamentally improve the gender issue," she said, adding that the party needed to have more women in key posts, rather than having them as observers.In reality, Nojo's win is only a small step in a long fight.Japan is ranked 121st out of 153 countries on the World Economic Forum's 2020 Global Gender Gap Index -- the worst ranking among advanced countries -- scoring poorly on women's economic participation and political empowerment.Activists and many ordinary women say drastic change is needed in the workplace, and in politics."In Japan, when there's an issue related to gender equality, not many voices are heard, and even if there are some voices to improve the situation, they run out of steam and nothing changes," Nojo said."I don't want our next generation to spend their time over this issue."
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Days after the US Government took steps to disrupt the notorious TrickBot botnet, a group of cybersecurity and tech companies has detailed a separate coordinated effort to take down the malware's back-end infrastructure.
The joint collaboration, which involved Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit, Lumen's Black Lotus Labs, ESET, Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), NTT, and Broadcom's Symantec, was undertaken after their request to halt TrickBot's operations was granted by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The development comes after the US Cyber Command mounted a campaign to thwart TrickBot's spread over concerns of ransomware attacks targeting voting systems ahead of the presidential elections next month. Attempts aimed at impeding the botnet were first reported by KrebsOnSecurity early this month.
Microsoft and its partners analyzed over 186,000 TrickBot samples, using it to track down the malware's command-and-control (C2) infrastructure employed to communicate with the victim machines and identify the IP addresses of the C2 servers and other TTPs applied to evade detection.
"With this evidence, the court granted approval for Microsoft and our partners to disable the IP addresses, render the content stored on the command and control servers inaccessible, suspend all services to the botnet operators, and block any effort by the TrickBot operators to purchase or lease additional servers," Microsoft said.
Since its origin as a banking Trojan in late 2016, TrickBot has evolved into a Swiss Army knife capable of pilfering sensitive information, and even dropping ransomware and post-exploitation toolkits on compromised devices, in addition to recruiting them into a family of bots.
"Over the years, TrickBot's operators were able to build a massive botnet, and the malware evolved into a modular malware available for malware-as-a-service," Microsoft said.
"The TrickBot infrastructure was made available to cybercriminals who used the botnet as an entry point for human-operated campaigns, including attacks that steal credentials, exfiltrate data, and deploy additional payloads, most notably Ryuk ransomware, in target networks."
Typically delivered via phishing campaigns that leverage current events or financial lures to entice users into opening malicious file attachments or clicking links to websites hosting the malware, TrickBot has also been deployed as a second-stage payload of another nefarious botnet called Emotet.
The cybercrime operation has infected over a million computers to date.
Microsoft, however, cautioned that it did not expect the latest action to permanently disrupt TrickBot, adding that the cybercriminals behind the botnet will likely make efforts to revive their operations.
According to Swiss-based Feodo Tracker, eight TrickBot control servers, some of which were first seen last week, are still online after the takedown.
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(CNN)A migrant who earned the nickname "Spider-Man" after scaling a building to save a child dangling from a balcony had his first day at a new job with the Paris Fire Brigade.Mamoudou Gassama's remarkable rescue of a child in May not only won him internet stardom -- but French citizenship and a job with the fire department.The 22-year-old Malian migrant began his new job on Sunday, his press spokeswoman Djeneba Keita told CNN. He was one of 24 new recruits, the Paris Fire Brigade tweeted on Thursday.24 nouveaux volontaires service civique dont Mamoudou Gassama ont rejoint cet après midi la brigade de sapeurs-pompiers de Paris. Félicitations à eux 👩🚒👏 Pour celles et ceux qui veulent nous rejoindre ➡️https://t.co/j8oOCktHbv pic.twitter.com/bcc6h448nP— Pompiers de Paris (@PompiersParis) June 28, 2018
Gassama's jaw-dropping rescue prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to invite the young man to the Élysée Palace where he was given a certificate and a gold medal for performing an act of courage and dedication.Read MoreGassama told Macron: "I didn't think about it. I climbed up, and God helped me."Gassama said that when he reached the apartment, he became scared and started shaking.The remarkable moment Gassama scaled a building.Speaking to CNN affiliate BFM TV after the rescue, Gassama said he had been in the neighborhood to watch a football match in a local restaurant when he saw the commotion."I like children. I would have hated to see him getting hurt in front of me," he said. "I ran and I looked for solutions to save him and thank God I scaled the front of the building to the balcony."According to judicial sources, the 4-year-old child's father was out shopping when the incident occurred.The father, who was being investigated for abandoning his parental responsibilities, will be sentenced in September, a spokesman for the Paris prosecutor said.Sandrine Amiel reported from Paris, and Sheena McKenzie wrote in London. CNN's Saskya Vandoorne, Samantha Beech and Ben Westcott contributed to this report.
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Story highlightsEvans says he considered the accusers his friends"The complaints are completely false," he saysThe allegations involve two men in their 20s, the police sayEvans was elected deputy speaker of the House of Commons in 2010The deputy speaker of Britain's House of Commons said Sunday the allegations of rape and sexual assault leveled against him are false. Nigel Evans also said the incident has left him with "a sense of incredulity" because he considered the two accusers his friends. "Yesterday I was interviewed by the police concerning two complaints - one of which dates back four years, made by two people who are well-known to each other, and who until yesterday I regarded as friends," he said in a statement."The complaints are completely false and I cannot understand why they have been made, especially as I have continued to socialise with one as recently as last week."Evans was arrested Saturday in northwest England. Lancashire police did not confirm the identity of the man, but they said they had released a 55-year-old man on bail after questioning him Saturday over offenses alleged by two men in their 20s. One man alleged he was raped and, in a separate incident, another other man alleged he was sexually assaulted, a police spokesperson told CNN by telephone. The offenses are alleged "to have been committed in Pendleton between July 2009 and March 2013," according to a statement released by police. The man was ordered to appear at the police station on June 19, according to the police spokesperson.British Prime Minister David Cameron has been made aware of the arrest, said another source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. Evans, who is 55, has been a conservative member of parliament since 1992. He served as vice chairman of the Tory Party between 1999 and 2001. He was elected deputy speaker of the House of Commons in 2010. Evans came out as gay during a newspaper interview in late 2010, and has since made a name for himself as a prominent gay rights activist in England. In his statement Sunday, Evans said he appreciated the way "the police have handled this in such a sensitive manner."He then thanked those who have expressed their support and "like me, a sense of incredulity at these events."
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Security researchers at Bitdefender have discovered a high-severity security vulnerability in Amazon's Ring Video Doorbell Pro devices that could allow nearby attackers to steal your WiFi password and launch a variety of cyberattacks using MitM against other devices connected to the same network.
In case you don't own one of these, Amazon's Ring Video Doorbell is a smart wireless home security doorbell camera that lets you see, hear and speak to anyone on your property from anywhere in the World.
The smart doorbell needs to be connected to your WiFi network, allowing you to remotely access the device from a smartphone app to perform all tasks wirelessly.
While setting up the device for the very first time and share your WiFi password with it, you need to enable the configuration mode from the doorbell.
Entering into the configuration mode turns on a built-in, unprotected wireless access point, allowing the RING smartphone app installed on your device to automatically connect to the doorbell.
However, researchers told The Hacker News that besides using an access point with no password, the initial communication between the Ring app and the doorbell, i.e., when you share your home's WiFi password with the doorbell, is performed insecurely through plain HTTP.
Thus, a nearby attacker can simply connect to the same unprotected wireless access point, while the setup in the process, and steal your WiFi password using a man-in-the-middle attack.
Since this attack can only be performed during the "one-time initial configuration" of the device, you might be wondering how an attacker can leverage this loophole after the device has already been configured.
Researchers suggested that by continuously sending de-authentication messages to the device, an attacker can trick the user into believing that the device is malfunctioning, forcing him to re-configure it.
"Attackers can trigger the reconfiguration of the Ring Video Doorbell Pro. One way to do this is to continuously send deauthentication packets, so that the device is dropped from the wireless network. At this point, the App loses connectivity and tells the user to reconfigure the device," the researchers told The Hacker News.
"The live view button becomes greyed out and, when clicked, the app will suggest restarting the router or pressing the setup button twice on the doorbell. Pressing the button twice will trigger the device to try to reconnect to the network – an action that will fail. The last resort is to try and reconfigure the device," Bitdefender said in a blog post.
Once the owner enters into the configuration mode to re-share WiFi credentials, the attacker sniffing the traffic would capture the password in plaintext, as shown in the screenshot.
Once in possession of a user's WiFi password, an attacker can launch various network-based attacks, including:
Interact with all devices within the household network;
Intercept network traffic and run man-in-the-middle attacks
Access all local storage (NAS, for example) and subsequently access private photos, videos and other types of information,
Exploit all vulnerabilities existing in the devices connected to the local network and get full access to each device; that may lead to reading emails and private conversations,
Get access to security cameras and steal video recordings.
Bitdefender discovered this vulnerability in Ring Video Doorbell Pro devices in June this year and responsibly reported it to Amazon, but got no update from the company.
When requested for an update in late July, the vendor closed the vulnerability report in August and marked it as a duplicate without saying whether a third party already reported this issue.
However, after some communication with the vendor, an automatic fix for the vulnerability was partially issued on 5th September.
"However, to be on the safe side Ring Video Doorbell Pro users should make sure they have the latest update installed. If so, they're safe."
"Customer trust is important to us and we take the security of our devices seriously. We rolled out an automatic security update addressing the issue, and it's since been patched," a spokesperson for the Ring told The Hacker News.
A similar security vulnerability was discovered and patched in the Ring Video Doorbell devices in early 2016 that was also exposing the owner's WiFi network password to attackers.
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Moscow (CNN)Money, the saying goes, can't buy love. But $10,000 will buy you the perfect Donald Trump inauguration keepsake -- a coin with the words "In Trump we trust."It's the handiwork of a Russian mining company because, as its sales manager put it, "We see our mission as immortalizing in metal the bright events of history and modernity, not only in our country but of the whole world."In other words, they really, really love Trump. The commemorative coin was created by Art Grani. It features the face of Trump on one side and the Statue of Liberty on the other. Only 45 exist: 25 silver coins, 5 gold and 15 that are silver and gold. "The inauguration of Donald Trump will be a special event in the history of the world; that's why we have done a collection," sales manager Kristina Glinina told CNN from the factory site in Chelyabinsk region, about 650 miles east of Moscow.Read MoreThe coins, the company says, are the perfect "unique gift for your boss, key partners or clients."About that price though -- TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS?Glinina told CNN these aren't the first coins they have sold for that amount. After Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Art Grani minted coins with the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin. They sold well.
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Story highlightsMore than 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, official saysFirefighters have been flown to the island to help battle the blaze (CNN)Three elderly people have been killed in fierce wildfires that are ravaging the Portuguese island of Madeira, a local official said Wednesday.Two other people have been seriously hurt by the fires, which have destroyed 37 homes and a boutique hotel as they advanced on the Madeiran capital, Funchal, regional government president Miguel Albuquerque told a press conference. A wildfire threatens Funchal, the capital of Madeira, on Tuesday night.Amid a huge emergency response, more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes due to the fires, which have raged for three days on the island in the North Atlantic, Albuquerque said.A man is being held on suspicion of lighting three fires in the Sao Roque neighborhood of northern Funchal, he said, while three others have been arrested for trying to light additional fires while the main blazes were being fought.A firefighter works to extinguish a fire at a home in Funchal.Fanned by unpredictable, high winds on the mountainous island amid unusually hot, dry weather, the blazes have created apocalyptic scenes, disrupted flights and left residents fearful for their homes. It's hard to watch something you love destroys itself, to see it falling apart. Disasters always seem so distant... detached. Someone else's struggle in some far away place. It's not until it's in our city, at our own doors that we realise how fragile we are. And it's hard knowing that you belong here. That your purpose lies amongst all this pain A video posted by Aurélien Dutriévoz (@aureldutrie) on Aug 10, 2016 at 3:36am PDT
Read MoreAurelien Dutrievoz, who lives in a neighborhood in east Funchal, filmed nervously as huge plumes of smoke billowed over residential areas from fires he estimated were about 5-8 kilometers (3-5 miles) from his home."The fire is spreading quickly cause of several factors: strong wind, high temperature (35˚C), and gas explosions from the houses which are burning," Dutrievoz said in an email to CNN. More than 300 people have sustained injuries in the fires, most due to smoke inhalation or minor burns, Albuquerque said. One of the seriously injured patients has been flown to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, for treatment. Eighty people remain hospitalized, he said.Fred Schlegel and his family checked into the Choupana Hills Resort & Spa at the popular tourist destination from their home in Leberge, France, near Toulouse, on Monday, about the time the wildfires began that day.By Tuesday, authorities had evacuated the hotel. He noted that winds had whipped up the fire, and black smoke at times made roads impassable.By Wednesday, after a rough night, they checked into another hotel to continue the vacation they had planned for six months."The wind has almost completely stopped, the fire is pretty much constrained ... so we are relaxing again and enjoying Madeira :-)," he wrote.In positive developments, Albuquerque said, the high temperatures and strong winds are forecast to drop.Public servants have been given the day off to assist efforts to relocate people away from the fires. Two hospitals and two homes for the elderly have been evacuated, with 950 people sheltered in army barracks and others housed in schools around the island.Bystanders photograph the smoke cloud rising from a wildfire on Madeira.Dozens of reinforcement firefighters have been brought in from Lisbon and the Azores -- Portugal's other autonomous region -- to battle the blaze.Portugal's President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is to visit Madeira Wednesday, while the Prime Minister, Antonio Costa, will visit affected municipalities tomorrow, the prime minister's office said in a statement.CNN MapThe fires have raged as Madeira, a popular tourism destination more than 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) southwest of the Portuguese mainland, has been enduring a summer heatwave.On mainland Portugal, more than 3,200 firefighters are currently battling more than 100 fires that have been raging amid the arid summer heat, causing chaos across the country, according to the Portuguese National Authority of Civil Protection.A man carries gas cylinders as a wildfire blazes in Funchal, Madeira.CNN's David Williams contributed to this report.
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(CNN)An ultra hot planet 650 light years from Earth has an atmosphere of vaporized iron and titanium and surface temperatures approaching that of our sun, according to new observations. KELT-9b is an "archetype of the class of ultra hot Jupiters that straddle the transition between stars and gas-giant exoplanets," a team of European researchers wrote in the journal Nature this week. The distant gas giant, which has an equilibrium temperature of 3,770 degrees Celsius (6,830ºF), is the first time heavy metals have been detected in a planet's atmosphere. That discovery adds to the already heightened interest around KELT-9b, which was first spotted last year by researchers examining the constellation Cygnus.The planet's extreme heat meant researchers were able to detect iron and titanium atoms in the atmosphere as standalone atoms, not bound up in other molecules, researcher Kevin Heng wrote in an explanatory blog post. Because KELT-9b is so hot, the atoms don't condense into clouds in the atmosphere, but float around free. Read More"Clouds are probably absent because it is difficult to condense out any solid material from the gas at 4000 degrees Kelvin," he added.
KELT-9b, a planet some 650 light years from Earth, is hotter than many stars.
On the spectrumIron and titanium "have long been an ingredient in the theory of exoplanet formation, but they have never been directly detected," Heng said. They were detected by examining light from the planet as it passed in front of its star. From fluctuations in that spectral data, Heng and his fellow researchers could spot evidence of heavy metals in the atmosphere. "Different atoms or molecules have a fingerprint when you split the light into a spectrum," he told Space.com. "Given enough resolution, given good enough data, every molecule has a unique fingerprint."As well as giving researchers valuable information about planet formation and why some objects become gas giants rather than stars, the technique used to detect the metal could potentially be repeated in future to search for bio-signatures, according to Heng. Bio-signatures are evidence of life -- think Earth's green forests or the oxygen produced by them -- and could be the first sign of life outside of our solar system. But searching for them isn't that easy, we only have one example of what they could be, our own planet, and alien life could give off wholly different signatures. Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's impression shows the football-shaped planet WASP-103b (left) closely orbiting its host star.Hide Caption 1 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis image shows double-star system b Centauri and its giant planet b Centauri b. The star pair is the bright object at top left. The planet is visible as a bright dot in the lower right. The other bright dot (top right) is a background star.Hide Caption 2 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's rendering shows a Jupiter-like planet orbiting a dead white dwarf star 6,500 light-years away from Earth. The planet survived the violent phases of stellar evolution leading to the star's death.Hide Caption 3 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration shows the night-side view of the exoplanet WASP-76b, where iron rains down from the sky. Hide Caption 4 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAstronomers have identified a new class of habitable planets, which they call Hycean planets. These are hot, ocean-covered planets with hydrogen-rich atmospheres.Hide Caption 5 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration shows L 98-59b, one of the planets in a planetary system 35 light-years away from Earth. This planet has half the mass of Venus.Hide Caption 6 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemIn this artist's illustration, two gaseous exoplanets can be seen orbiting the bright sun-like star HD 152843. Hide Caption 7 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAn artist's rendering of TOI-1231 b, a Neptune-like planet about 90 light years away from Earth.Hide Caption 8 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's conception depicts a violent flare erupting on the star Proxima Centauri as seen from the viewpoint of a planet orbiting the star called Proxima Centauri b. Hide Caption 9 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAfter losing its gaseous envelope, the Earth-size core of an exoplanet formed a second atmosphere. It's a toxic blend of hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen cyanide that is likely fueled by volcanic activity occurring beneath a thin crust, leading to its cracked appearance.Hide Caption 10 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis illustration shows the metaphorical measuring of the density of each of the seven planets in the nearby TRAPPIST-1 system. New measurements have revealed the most precise densities yet for these planets and they're very similar -- which means they also likely have similar compositions. Hide Caption 11 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration shows the view from the furthest planet in the TOI-178 system.Hide Caption 12 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration shows TOI-561b, one of the oldest and most metal-poor planetary systems discovered yet in the Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers found a super-Earth and two other planets orbiting the star.Hide Caption 13 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis massive and distant exoplanet, called HD106906 b, has an elongated and angled orbit that causes it to take 15,000 Earth years to complete one lap around its twin stars. Hide Caption 14 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's impression of a free-floating rogue planet being detected in our Milky Way galaxy using a technique called microlensing. Microlensing occurs when an object in space can warp space-time.Hide Caption 15 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's impression of exoplanet WASP-189 b orbiting its host star. The star appears to glow blue because it's more than 2,000 degrees hotter than our sun. The planet, which is slightly larger than Jupiter, has a tilted orbit around the star's poles rather than its equator.Hide Caption 16 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemFor the first time, an exoplanet has been found orbiting a dead star known as a white dwarf. In this artist's illustration, the Jupiter-sized planet WD 1856 b orbits the white dwarf every day and a half.Hide Caption 17 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis illustration shows a carbon-rich planet with diamond and silica as ts main minerals. Water can convert a carbon-rich planet into one that's made of diamonds. In the interior, the main minerals would be diamond and silica (a layer with crystals in the illustration). The core (dark blue) might be made of an iron-carbon alloy. Hide Caption 18 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis image shows a young sun-like star being orbited by two gas giant exoplanets. It was taken by the SPHERE instrument on European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. The star can be seen in the top left corner, and the planets are the two bright dots.Hide Caption 19 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's impression shows a Neptune-sized planet in the Neptunian Desert. It is extremely rare to find an object of this size and density so close to its star. Hide Caption 20 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's impression of the multiplanetary system of newly discovered super-Earths orbiting a nearby red dwarf star called Gliese 887.Hide Caption 21 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThe newly discovered exoplanet AU Mic b is about the size of Neptune.Hide Caption 22 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's impression shows a view of the surface of the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Solar System. Proxima b is a little more massive than the Earth.Hide Caption 23 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's illustration of an exoplanet's atmosphere with a white dwarf star visible on the horizon. The starlight of a white dwarf filtered through the atmosphere of an exoplanet that's orbiting it could reveal if the planet has biosignatures.Hide Caption 24 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's illustration of the Kepler-88 planetary system, where one giant exoplanet and two smaller planets orbit the Kepler-88 star. The system is more than 1,200 light-years away. Hide Caption 25 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an illustration of newly discovered exoplanet Kepler-1649c orbiting around its host red dwarf star. Hide Caption 26 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's concept of a ringed planet passing in front of its host star. It shows how "puffy" a ringed planet may look to us from afar.Hide Caption 27 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThe sizes of the 17 new planet candidates, seen here in orange, are compared to colorized representations of Mars, Earth and Neptune. The green planet is KIC-7340288 b, a rocky planet in the habitable zone of its star.Hide Caption 28 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemArtist's impression of K2-18b. CREDIT Amanda SmithHide Caption 29 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's illustration a massive planet orbiting a cool, young star. In the case of the newly discovered system, the planet is 10 times more massive than Jupiter, and the orbit of the planet is nearly 600 times that of Earth around the sun.Hide Caption 30 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemWelcome to the KELT-9 system. The host star is a hot, rapidly rotating A-type star that is about 2.5 times more massive and almost twice as hot as our sun. The hot star blasts its nearby planet KELT-9b with massive amounts of radiation, leading to a daylight temperature of 7800 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter that most stars and only 2000 degrees cooler than the sun.Hide Caption 31 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's rendering of the Proxima Centauri planetary system. The newly discovered super-Earth exoplanet Proxima c, on the right, has an orbit of about 5.2 Earth years around its host star. The system also comprises the smaller Proxima b, on the left, discovered in 2016. Illustration by Lorenzo Santinelli.Hide Caption 32 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's concept of GJ180d, the nearest temperate super-Earth to us with the potential to support life.Hide Caption 33 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAn illustration of WASP-12b as it spirals in a death dance towards its star. The planet will meet its end in three million years.Hide Caption 34 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemTOI 700 d is the first potentially habitable Earth-size planet spotted by NASA's planet-hunting TESS mission.Hide Caption 35 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemTOI 1338 b is silhouetted by its two host stars, making it the first such discovery for the TESS mission. TESS only detects transits from the larger starHide Caption 36 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration shows a wet exoplanet with an oxygen atmosphere. The red sphere is the M-dwarf star the exoplanet orbits. Hide Caption 37 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration shows a dry exoplanet with an oxygen atmosphere. The red sphere is the M-dwarf star the exoplanet orbits. Hide Caption 38 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration of the Kepler 51 system shows newly discovered super-puff exoplanets, which are also called "cotton candy" exoplanets because they're so lightweight.Hide Caption 39 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's concept illustration shows an exoplanet with two moons orbiting within the habitable zone of a red dwarf star. Hide Caption 40 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's illustration of two exoplanets colliding in a binary star system.Hide Caption 41 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's illustration of a Neptune-type exoplanet in the icy outer reaches of its star system. It could look something like a large, newly discovered gas giant that takes about 20 years to orbit a star 11 light years away from Earth.Hide Caption 42 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis image shows a comparison of red dwarf star GJ 3512 to our solar system, as well as other nearby red-dwarf planetary systems. Hide Caption 43 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration showcases exoplanet K2-18b orbiting its host star. It's currently the only super-Earth exoplanet that has water vapor in its atmosphere and could be within the right temperature to support life. Hide Caption 44 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an illustration of an exomoon losing mass as it's being pulled around the gas giant it orbits. Hide Caption 45 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAn illustration shows what the orbit of exoplanet HR 5183 b would look like if it was dropped down in our solar system. It would likely swing from the asteroid belt to out past Neptune, the eighth planet in our solar system.Hide Caption 46 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAt least two giant planets, aged 20 million years at most, orbit the Beta Pictoris star. A disk of dust and gas surrounding the star can be seen in the background.Hide Caption 47 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's interpretation of what super-Earth GJ 357 d might look like. It lies within the habitable zone of its star which is 31 light-years from Earth.Hide Caption 48 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAn artist's impression of a circumplanetary disk around PDS 70 c, a gas giant exoplanet in a star system 370 light-years away.Hide Caption 49 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration shows two gas giant exoplanets orbiting the young star PDS 70. These planets are still growing by gathering material from a surrounding disk. In the process, they have gravitationally carved out a large gap in the disk.Hide Caption 50 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAn artist's illustration of HD 21749c, the first Earth-size planet found by TESS, as well as its sibling, HD 21749b, a warm mini-Neptune.Hide Caption 51 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemA "hot Saturn" passes in front of its host star in this illustration. Astronomers who study stars used "starquakes" to characterize the star, which provided critical information about the planet.Hide Caption 52 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemArtist's concept of TESS against background of stars & orbiting planets in the Milky Way. Credit: ESA, M. Kornmesser (ESO), Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems Inc.), Britt Griswold (Maslow Media Group), NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center & Cornell UniversityHide Caption 53 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemA super-telescope made the first direct observation of an exoplanet using optical interferometry. This method revealed a complex exoplanetary atmosphere with clouds of iron and silicates swirling in a planet-wide storm. The technique presents unique possibilities for characterizing many of the exoplanets known today.Hide Caption 54 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis image shows an artist's impression of the surface of Barnard's star b, a cold Super-Earth discovered orbiting Barnard's star 6 light-years away.Hide Caption 55 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration shows newly discovered exoplanet K2-288Bb, 226 light-years away and half the size of Neptune. It orbits the fainter member of a pair of cool M-type stars every 31.3 days. Hide Caption 56 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis is an artist's impression of the exoplanet HAT-P-11b. The planet has an extended helium atmosphere that's being blown away by the star, an orange dwarf star smaller but more active than our sun.Hide Caption 57 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAn artist's illustration of what the super-Earth found around the orange-hued star HD 26965 (also known as 40 Eridani A) might look like. The recently discovered exoplanet is being compared to the fictional planet of Vulcan because Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry said the star was the ideal candidate to host Vulcan, Mr. Spock's home world.Hide Caption 58 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThe TRAPPIST-1 star, an ultra-cool dwarf, has seven Earth-size planets orbiting it.Hide Caption 59 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemFor the first time, eight planets have been found orbiting another star, tying with our solar system for the most known planets around a single star. The Kepler-90 system is in the constellation Draco, more than 2,500 light-years from Earth. Hide Caption 60 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's illustration shows exoplanet Ross 128 b, with its red dwarf host star in the background. The planet is only 11 light-years from our solar system. It is now the second-closest temperate planet to be detected, after Proxima b.Hide Caption 61 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemWASP-121b, 880 light-years away, is considered a hot Jupiter-like planet. It has a greater mass and radius than Jupiter, making it "puffier." If WASP-121b were any closer to its host star, it would be ripped apart by the star's gravity. Hide Caption 62 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemNASA's Kepler space telescope team has identified 219 more planet candidates, 10 of which are near-Earth size and in the habitable zone of their stars.Hide Caption 63 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's concept shows OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb, a planet orbiting an incredibly faint star 13,000 light-years away from us. It is an "iceball" planet with temperatures reaching minus-400 degrees Fahrenheit. Hide Caption 64 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemLHS 1140b is located in the liquid water habitable zone surrounding its host star, a small, faint red star named LHS 1140. The planet weighs about 6.6 times the mass of Earth and is shown passing in front of LHS 1140. Depicted in blue is the atmosphere the planet may have retained.Hide Caption 65 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAn artist's concept image of the surface of the exoplanet TRAPPIST-1f. Of the seven exoplanets discovered orbiting the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, this one may be the most suitable for life. It is similar in size to Earth, is a little cooler than Earth's temperature and is in the habitable zone of the star, meaning liquid water (and even oceans) could be on the surface. The proximity of the star gives the sky a salmon hue, and the other planets are so close that they appear in the sky, much like our own moon. Hide Caption 66 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemArtist's conception of the binary system with three giant planets discovered, where one star hosts two planets and the other hosts the third. The system represents the smallest-separation binary in which both stars host planets that has ever been observed.Hide Caption 67 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's impression shows the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our solar system. Hide Caption 68 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAn artist's rendering shows Earth-sized exoplanets TRAPPIST-1b and 1c in a rare double transit event as they pass in front of their ultracool red dwarf star, which allowed Hubble to take a peek at at their atmospheres. Hide Caption 69 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemOut of a new discovery of 104 exoplanets, astronomers found four similar in size to Earth that are orbiting a dwarf star. Two of them have the potential to support life. The craft depicted in this illustration is the NASA Kepler Space Telescope, which has helped confirm the existence of thousands of exoplanets. Hide Caption 70 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's impression shows a view of the triple-star system HD 131399 from close to the giant planet orbiting in the system. Located about 320 light-years from Earth, the planet is about 16 million years old, making it also one of the youngest exoplanets discovered to date.Hide Caption 71 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAn artistic impression of the planet Kepler-1647b, which is nearly identical to Jupiter in both size and mass. The planet is expected to be roughly similar in appearance. But it is much warmer: Kepler-1647b is in the habitable zone. Hide Caption 72 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemHD-106906b is a gaseous planet 11 times more massive than Jupiter. The planet is believed to have formed in the center of its solar system, before being sent flying out to the edges of the region by a violent gravitational event. Hide Caption 73 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemKepler-10b orbits at a distance more than 20 times closer to its star than Mercury is to our own sun. Daytime temperatures exceed 1,300 degrees Celsius (2,500 degrees Fahrenheit), which is hotter than lava flows on Earth. Hide Caption 74 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis Jupiter-like planet in the HD-188753 system, 149 light-years from Earth, has three suns. The main star is similar in mass to our own Sun. The system has been compared to Luke Skywalker's home planet Tatooine in "Star Wars." Hide Caption 75 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemKepler-421b is a Uranus-sized transiting exoplanet with the longest known year, as it circles its star once every 704 days. The planet orbits an orange, K-type star that is cooler and dimmer than our Sun and is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. Hide Caption 76 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemAstronomers discovered two planets less than three times the size of Earth orbiting sun-like stars in a crowded stellar cluster approximately 3,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus.Hide Caption 77 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artist's conception shows a hypothetical planet with two moons orbiting in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star. The majority of the sun's closest stellar neighbors are red dwarfs.Hide Caption 78 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemKepler-186f was the first validated Earth-sized planet to be found orbiting a distant star in the habitable zone. This zone a range of distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the planet's surface.Hide Caption 79 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemKepler-69c is a super-Earth-size planet similar to Venus. The planet is found in the habitable zone of a star like our sun, approximately 2,700 light years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus.Hide Caption 80 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThe Kepler-444 system formed when the Milky Way was just 2 billion years old. The tightly packed system is home to five planets that range in size, the smallest is comparable to the size of Mercury and the largest to Venus, orbiting their sun in less than 10 days. Hide Caption 81 of 82 Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar systemThis artistic concept image compares Earth, left, with Kepler-452b, which is about 60% larger. Both planets orbit a G2-type star of about the same temperature; however, the star hosting Kepler-452b is 6 billion years old -- 1.5 billion years older than our sun.Hide Caption 82 of 82Hot hot hotIf there is evidence of life to be gleaned from the techniques used to examine KELT-9b's atmosphere, it likely won't be on that particular planet. Nearly twice the size of Jupiter, KELT-9b is so close to its star that it orbits it every day and a half, rather than the year it takes Earth to go around the sun. As well as being incredibly close, the star is also about twice as hot as our own, and two and a half times more massive. It's the hottest star of an exoplanet that we know of, researcher Scott Gaudi told CNN last year. The heat of the star is such that it would appear white-blue to our eyes, while the planet would be bathed in orange and red light. Due to its incredibly hot, luminous and close star, KELT-9b is being blasted by ultraviolet and high-energy radiation. If you poured water on the surface, it would immediately disassociate into oxygen and hydrogen, Gaudi said.If this planet isn't strange enough, it also orbits perpendicular to its star, traveling around the star's poles rather than the equator. The researchers also believe that the orbit is like that of a top, getting closer and closer.If the orbit doesn't eventually plunge it into the star, KELT-9b is likely to be absorbed nonetheless, as its host runs out of hydrogen in about 300 million years and expands to three times its size, swallowing up its planetary neighbors.
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Story highlightsCommittee says it does not rule out the possibility an attack caused a Brexit voter registration website to crash"There is no evidence to suggest malign intervention," the UK Cabinet Office saysLondon (CNN)Foreign hacking could have occurred during last year's Brexit referendum but didn't make any difference to the outcome, according to a report published Wednesday by a UK parliamentary committee. Prior to the UK's referendum on leaving the European Union last June, the website for voter registration crashed. The UK government extended the June 7 deadline for voters to register to vote by a day as a result.In a report on the lessons to be learned from the EU referendum, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee said it "does not rule out the possibility that the crash may have been caused by a DDOS (distributed denial of service attack) using botnets."JUST WATCHEDUK triggers Article 50 to begin BrexitReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHUK triggers Article 50 to begin Brexit 03:16Its authors add that they "do not believe that any such interference had any material effect on the outcome of the EU referendum" but say they are "deeply concerned about these allegations about foreign interference."The Cabinet Office on Wednesday firmly denied that any foreign hacking caused the website to crash.Read More"We have been very clear about the cause of the website outage in June 2016. It was due to a spike in users just before the registration deadline. There is no evidence to suggest malign intervention," a Cabinet Office spokesperson said. An unprecedented surge of 525,000 people registered on the day the site crashed, as they tried to submit their details ahead of the cutoff for the June 23 referendum.Brexit: EU says it doesn't want to 'punish' Britain for leavingThe parliamentary committee's report commended the current government for making cyber security a priority but said more needed to be done, including setting up "permanent machinery" to monitor cyber activity around elections and referendums. "Lessons in respect of the protection and resilience against possible foreign interference in IT systems that are critical for the functioning of the democratic process must extend beyond the technical," it said. "The US and UK understanding of 'cyber' is predominantly technical and computer-network based. For example, Russia and China use a cognitive approach based on understanding of mass psychology and of how to exploit individuals. Exiting Europe: How the UK got here"The implications of this different understanding of cyber-attack, as purely technical or as reaching beyond the digital to influence public opinion, for the interference in elections and referendums are clear."Russia has been accused of interfering in the US presidential election campaign last year to the detriment of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, an allegation it denies. US President Donald Trump's administration has found itself embroiled in continuing controversy over ties between his aides and Russia.CNN's Hilary McGann contributed to this report.
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Popular enterprise software company Citrix that provides services to the U.S. military, the FBI, many U.S. corporations, and various U.S. government agencies disclosed last weekend a massive data breach of its internal network by "international cyber criminals."
Citrix said it was warned by the FBI on Wednesday of foreign hackers compromising its IT systems and stealing "business documents," adding that the company does not know precisely which documents the hackers obtained nor how they got in.
However, the FBI believes that the miscreants likely used a "password spraying" attack where the attackers guessed weak passwords to gain an early foothold in the company's network in order to launch more extensive attacks.
"While not confirmed, the FBI has advised that the hackers likely used a tactic known as password spraying, a technique that exploits weak passwords. Once they gained a foothold with limited access, they worked to circumvent additional layers of security," Citrix said in a blog post.
Although Citrix did not disclose many details about the breach, researchers at infosec firm Resecurity shed more light on the incident, claiming it had earlier alerted the Feds and Citrix about the "targeted attack and data breach."
Resecurity said the Iranian-backed IRIDIUM hacker group hit Citrix in December last year and again on Monday (March 4th) and stole at least 6 terabytes of sensitive internal files, including emails, blueprints, and other documents.
IRIDIUM is an Iranian-linked hacking group that was also behind recent cyber attacks against more than 200 government agencies worldwide, oil and gas companies, technology companies and other targets.
IRIDIUM proprietary techniques include bypassing multi-factor authentications for critical applications and services for further unauthorized access to VPN channels and SSO (Single Sign-On).
The massive data breach at Citrix has been identified as a part of "a sophisticated cyber espionage campaign supported by nation-state due to strong targeting on government, military-industrial complex, energy companies, financial institutions and large enterprises involved in critical areas of the economy," Resecurity said in a blog post.
"Based our recent analysis, the threat actors leveraged a combination of tools, techniques and procedures (TTPs) allowing them to conduct targeted network intrusion to access at least 6 terabytes of sensitive data stored in the Citrix enterprise network, including e-mail correspondence, files in network shares and other services used for project management and procurement."
Resecurity President Charles Yoo told NBC news that IRIDIUM broke its way into Citrix's internal network about 10 years ago, and has been lurking inside the company's system ever since.
The Florida-based company stressed that there was no sign that the hackers compromised any Citrix product or service, and that it launched a "forensic investigation," hired a top cybersecurity company, and took "actions" to secure its internal network.
Like the OPM breach, the consequences of the Citrix security incident could affect a broader range of targets, as the company holds sensitive data on other companies, including critical infrastructure, government and Enterprises.
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0-Day SCADA Exploits Publicly Exposed by Italian researchers
An Italian researcher has uncovered at least a dozen security flaws in software used in utilities and other critical infrastructure systems, prompting security advisories from the U.S. government. Security researcher Luigi Auriemma disclosed the attacks against six SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems including US giant Rockwell Automation.The step-by-step exploits allowed attackers to execute full remote compromises and denial of service attacks.Some of the affected SCADA systems were used in power, water and waste distribution and agriculture.Such zero-day information disclosure was generally frowned upon in the information security industry because it exposed customers to attack while published vulnerabilities remained unpatched.Attacks against SCADA systems were particularly controversial because exploits could affect a host of machinery from lift control mechanisms to power plants.
The advisories published by Luigi include short write-ups on each of the vulnerabilities, as well as proof-of-concept exploit code and examples. The affected products include those from Cogent, DAQFactory, Progea, Carel, and Rockwell, all of which fall under the general umbrella definition of SCADA.While some of the exploits include more advanced exploits, like heap and buffer overflows, some are simple Web directory traversal flaws requiring nothing more than a Web browser to exploit. An attacker can make a request like https://SERVER/..\..\..\..\..\..\boot.ini to the vulnerable Web server and retrieve files outside of the root directory of the Web server. In this example, the attacker can download the Windows boot.ini, which in and of itself is not a big concern, but does serve as good proof of the validity of the vulnerability and shows the ease in which the vulnerability can be exploited.
Starting at the top of the list of advisories on Luigi's site, I didn't have much luck finding servers using search strings based on product and company name. There were a few false positives, a few interesting telnet servers, but nothing of interest until I got to the Carel PlantVisor. There were 290 hits, and based on the server strings that identified the version (i.e., CarelDataServer 2.3.0.0, 2.2.0.0, 1.5.1.0), every single one is vulnerable. Additionally, a cursory glance at the SessionID for the Carel servers in the search results made me think it also suffers from a lack of entropy that could lead to easy session ID hijacking.
All of the vulnerabilities disclosed by Auriemma exist in the so-called Human Machine Interface (HMI) systems used to manage industrial control systems, said Joseph Weiss, managing partner at Applied Control Systems LLC and author of the book Protecting Industrial Control Systems from Electronic Threat.
"Vulnerabilities in HMI systems are not novel," but they should not be minimized, he said. Such vulnerabilities can be used to get at the downstream control system, he said. "You can use the HMI to get to the control device and you can use the control device to get to the HMI," he said. Without further analysis, it is too soon to say whether the flaws discovered by Auriemma are really critical or not, he said. A lot depends on the kind of applications for which the affected systems are used, he said. "Rockwell is a major manufacturer. They make a lot of systems, some of which are used in really critical applications," he added. There's no reason critical systems such as these should be exposed to the public.
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Story highlightsCristiano Ronaldo inspires Real Madrid to 4-0 victory over Celta Vigo in Spanish CupPortuguese forward missed out on Ballon d'Or award to Lionel Messi on MondayRonaldo's hat-trick relieves pressure on under fire manager Jose MourinhoChelsea are stunned by Swansea in the first leg of their League Cup tieCristiano Ronaldo may have lost out yet again to Lionel Messi in the race to be crowned the world's best footballer but he responded in the only way he knows how -- by finding the net for Spanish giants Real Madrid.The Portuguese winner again had to play second fiddle to Argentina's all-conquering striker Messi, who plays for Real's archrivals Barcelona, at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Zurich on Monday.But 48 hours later Ronaldo was firing in his 26th, 27th and 28th goals of the season as his hat-trick eased the pressure on under-fire manager Jose Mourinho with victory over Celta Vigo in the Spanish Copa del Rey.Real are holders of Spain's most prestigious competition behind the Primera Liga yet trailed Celta 2-1 after the first leg in December. But Ronaldo took just three minutes to level things up with a vicious, swerving shot from distance.Read: Messi crowned world's best for record fourth timeLess than 20 minutes later the 27-year-old doubled his tally as he swept Croatia international Luka Modric's incisive pass into the net.JUST WATCHEDMessi claims fourth Ballon d'OrReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMessi claims fourth Ballon d'Or 02:31JUST WATCHEDA day in the life of Cristiano Ronaldo ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHA day in the life of Cristiano Ronaldo 00:58JUST WATCHEDRonaldo's best ever goal?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRonaldo's best ever goal? 03:02JUST WATCHEDA different side of Cristiano RonaldoReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHA different side of Cristiano Ronaldo 01:14Ronaldo had another goal chalked off before halftime as Real enjoyed near total domination but it was a different story in the second period after Sergio Ramos received the 15th red card of his career.The defender got a second yellow card with 18 minutes remaining for catching Augusto Fernandez after they both fell to the turf. After that goalkeeper Iker Casillas, controversially dropped by Mourinho in recent weeks much to the anger of the club's fans, made two important saves to preserve Real's advantage before Ronaldo completed his treble with a low finish.Ronaldo then set up Germany midfielder Sami Khedira for a fourth goal to ensure a 5-2 aggregate victory and a clash with Valencia in the next round.Sevilla also went through to the quarterfinals. Despite a 2-1 home defeat by Malaga, Sevilla triumphed 6-2 on aggregate. They will now face Real Zaragoza who beat ten-man Levante 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate to progress to the last eight of the competition.In England, Chelsea were shocked 2-0 at home in the semifinals of the League Cup by fellow Premier League outfit Swansea.Read: Sympathy for the 'devil': In defense of Sepp BlatterA mistake in each half from Chelsea's Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic gifted goals to Spanish forward Michu and striker Danny Graham in the first leg of their final four clash.The League Cup, first contested in 1960, is regarded as the third competition in English football behind the Premier League and the FA Cup.Chelsea, managed by former Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez, now have a difficult task to qualify for the Wembley final when the two sides meet in Wales for the second leg on January 23.
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WhatsApp, the world's most popular end-to-end encrypted messaging application, patched an incredibly frustrating software bug that could have allowed a malicious group member to crash the messaging app for all members of the same group, The Hacker News learned.
Just by sending a maliciously crafted message to a targeted group, an attacker can trigger a fully-destructive WhatsApp crash-loop, forcing all group members to completely uninstall the app, reinstall it, and remove the group to regain normal function.
Since the group members can't selectively delete the malicious message without opening the group window and re-triggering the crash-loop, they have to lose the entire group chat history, indefinitely, to get rid of it.
Discovered by researchers at Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point, the latest bug resided in the WhatsApp's implementation of XMPP communication protocol that crashes the app when a member with invalid phone number drops a message in the group.
"When we attempt to send a message where the parameter 'participant' receives a value of 'null,' a 'Null Pointer Exception' is thrown," the researchers explain in a report shared with The Hacker News prior to its release.
"The parser for the participant's phone number mishandles the input when an illegal phone number is received. When it receives a phone number with a length, not in the ranger 5-20 or a non-digit character, it would read it as a 'null' string."
To be noted, the issue resided in both, WhatsApp for Android and iOS, but in an interview with The Hacker News, Check Point researcher Roman Zaikin confirmed that the exploit works smoothly against all vulnerable Android users, but sometimes doesn't reproduce on iOS.
The attack requires a malicious group member to manipulate other parameters associated with messages in a conversation that is otherwise protected using end-to-end encryption.
In order to carry out this attack, an attacker can leverage WhatsApp Web and a web browser debugging tool in combination with an open source WhatsApp manipulation tool that Check Point released last year.
The WhatsApp manipulation tool is an extension for Burp Suite penetration testing software that allows users to intercept, decrypt, and re-encrypt their WhatsApp communication using their own encryption keys.
As shown in the video demonstration, the researchers used this setup to trigger the crash bug against all members of a group by simply replacing the participant's parameter from the sender's phone number to 'a@s.whatsapp.net,' an invalid non-digit phone number.
"The bug will crash the app, and it will continue to crash even after we reopen WhatsApp, resulting in a crash loop," the researchers say.
"Moreover, the user will not be able to return to the group and all the data that was written and shared in the group is now gone for good. The group cannot be restored after the crash has happened and will have to be deleted in order to stop the crash."
It should be noted that the attack would not affect the sender since the malicious message was injected in transit after it left the sender's device.
Check Point responsibly reported this crash bug to the WhatsApp security team back in late August this year, and the company patched the issue with the release of WhatsApp version 2.19.58 in mid-September.
The WhatsApp developers also "added new controls to prevent people from being added to unwanted groups to avoid communication with untrusted parties altogether."
"Because WhatsApp is one of the world's leading communication channels for consumers, businesses and government agencies, the ability to stop people using WhatsApp and delete valuable information from group chats is a powerful weapon for bad actors," Oded Vanunu, Check Point's Head of Product Vulnerability Research said.
"WhatsApp greatly values the work of the technology community to help us maintain strong security for our users globally. Thanks to the responsible submission from Check Point to our bug bounty program, we quickly resolved this issue for all WhatsApp apps in mid September," WhatsApp Software Engineer Ehren Kret told The Hacker News.
WhatsApp users are highly recommended to always keep their apps up-to-date in order to protect themselves against known attacks.
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In March this year, we reported that the major card distributor companies, VISA and Mastercard are migrating to EMV chip cards, also known as PIN-and-Chip cards. Unlike traditional magnetic stripe payment cards, EMV chip cards generates a unique code for every transaction, making it nearly* impossible for criminals to use the card for counterfeit fraud.
But Nothing is perfectly secure, even not the PIN-and-Chip based payment cards. All anti-cloning theories were already proven wrong, when a group of researchers found a way to hack the Credit and Debit cards based on the latest Chip-and-Pin technology.
Back in 2012, we reported about a research paper entitled "Chip and Skim: cloning EMV cards with the pre-play attack" published (old paper) by team of researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, who demonstrated that Chip and PIN payment card systems are also vulnerable to Card Cloning.
The same team of researchers presented their EVM related research last Monday at the 2014 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy in San Jose, California. But this time they include one more critical vulnerability to the research paper (new modified research paper).
The Group includes Mike Bond, Omar Choudary, Steven J. Murdoch, Sergei Skorobogatov and Ross Anderson from the Computer Science Department. In Total, they presented two critical vulnerabilities in the "Chip-and-PIN" smart card payment system that makes EVM vulnerable to "pre-play" attack.
PREDICTING SO-CALLED 'UNPREDICTABLE NUMBERS'
EMV devices generate the so-called "unpredictable numbers" (UNs) for every transaction, but the researchers claimed that automated teller machines (ATMs) and point-of-sale (POS) terminals fail to properly generate random numbers that are required by the EMV protocol to securely authenticate transaction requests.
Researchers claimed to have found the computation patterns that would allow them to predict the randomly generated numbers. 'EMV implementers have merely used counters, timestamps or home-grown algorithms to supply this nonce.'
The vulnerability could be exploited by the cybercriminals to clone the credit and debit cards in such a manner that even bank procedures won't differentiate between the legitimate and fraud transactions.
NO PIN REQUIRED
They also demonstrated the Proof-of-Concept of another critical vulnerability, known as 'no PIN', which lets criminals use stolen chip and PIN cards without knowing the PIN.
Using a Malware or by performing a man-in-the-middle attack on the communications between a pin terminal and a customer's card allows the hacker to read off sufficient information to create a cloned card.
"The flaw is that when you put a card into a terminal, a negotiation takes place about how the cardholder should be authenticated: using a PIN, using a signature or not at all. This particular subprotocol is not authenticated, so you can trick the card into thinking it's doing a chip-and-signature transaction while the terminal thinks it's chip-and-PIN. The upshot is that you can buy stuff using a stolen card and a PIN of 0000 (or anything you want). We did so, on camera, using various journalists' cards. The transactions went through fine and the receipts say 'Verified by PIN'." the researcher explained.
CRIMINALS ALREADY USING THIS EXPLOIT
The worst fact about the vulnerability is that, the trick is already known to cyber criminals and fraudsters from past many months and currently they are even equipped with crime-ware hardwares those allow them to clone Chin-and-PIN based cards easily.
The Chip-and-PIN system has a 700-odd page manual, but the researchers says it has so many security holes in it, the whole thing should be re-written.
The adoption of EVM payment system is in the response to the massive data breach in one of the U.S largest retailers 'Target', marked the largest card heists in the U.S. history in which financial credentials of more than 110 million customers were compromised.
The data heist in various US retailers have forced them to take some major steps towards more secure transactions and they move on to the new Chip-and-Pin technology. However, Chip-and-Pin payment system is considered to be a safer than the "card swipe" payment system, but that doesn't mean it is fully protected. Cyber Criminals are just behind you every time to fetch your money, so be alert.
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Story highlightsUK astronaut Tim Peake runs 'virtual' London Marathon on a treadmill in orbitKenya's Eliud Kipchoge and Jemima Sumgong take titlesKipchoge just outside men's world recordThe millionth runner in the event's history will cross the finish line London (CNN)British astronaut Tim Peake provided the countdown for the 36th London Marathon Sunday before running his own virtual version of the race on a treadmill hundreds of miles above the Earth.A recorded message in which Peake wished the competitors luck was played on big screens before the runners set off in London and the 44-year-old astronaut began his own run on board the International Space Station.Hello #London! Fancy a run? :) #LondonMarathon https://t.co/CvaUjUo7IU pic.twitter.com/SLckqOp8Gk— Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) April 24, 2016
Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge won the men's race, in a course record time of two hours, three minutes and four seconds to triumph at the event for the second year in a row. His time was the second fastest of all time and only seven seconds outside the world best set at the 2014 Berlin Marathon by fellow Kenyan Dennis Kimetto.Kipchoge broke clear of another Kenyan, Stanley Biwott, with about three kilometers to go and sprinted home well ahead of Biwott with track legend Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia in third.Winner @EliudKipchoge smashing the course record #LondonMarathon #oneinamillion 🏆🇰🇪 pic.twitter.com/gJ463zr55E— LondonMarathon (@LondonMarathon) April 24, 2016
Read MoreFellow Kenyan Jemima Sumgong won the women's event with a time of two hours 22 minutes and 58 seconds, after suffering a nasty fall late in the race.Sumgong banged the side of her head on the road in a tangle with three other runners at a drinks station.With the side of her head cut, she bravely got up to rejoin the leaders and eventually pull away from last year's winner, Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia, in the closing stages. WINNER: She fell, she picked herself up and now she is the women's elite 2016 champion! Jemima #Sumgong WINS! 🏆🇰🇪 2:22:58 unofficial time.— LondonMarathon (@LondonMarathon) April 24, 2016
Marathon in a harnessPeake, the first British European Space Agency astronaut, ran the race for real in 1999, completing the 26.2-mile (42.16-kilometer) course in a time of three hours and 18 minutes, according to event organizers.British astronaut Tim Peake, on screen, speaks at a news conference ahead of the London Marathon.His latest effort was vastly different. Peake wore a harness that straps him to the space station's treadmill while watching a virtual-reality video simulating the marathon course.The video was populated with avatars depicting actual London Marathon runners who are using the Run Social app as they race.Peake was hoping to complete the race in a time of around four hours, marathon organizers said, but easily surpassed that by crossing the line in three hours 35 minutes and 21 seconds..@astro_timpeake is at 17 miles in 02:27 of the digital @VirginMoney #LondonMarathon 🚀— LondonMarathon (@LondonMarathon) April 24, 2016
His physiology was also monitored to assess how his body fares with the exertion in orbit. Two of his colleagues from the European Space Agency were also running in London in replica space suits, marathon organizers said.Not the firstPeake, who arrived at the International Space Station in December, is not the first astronaut to run a marathon in space. NASA's Sunita Williams ran on the space station treadmill during the Boston Marathon in 2007, completing the course in for hours and 24 minutes.London organizers said record numbers are expected this year, with more than 40,000 runners registered and more than 39,000 predicted to take part. This year's event will see the millionth runner in the history of the annual London race cross the finish line, organizers said.
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Story highlightsQueen Elizabeth unexpectedly drops in on a wedding while she's in ManchesterShe was invited but the bride and groom didn't really think she would comeThe bride calls the queen's presence "a wedding gift"John and Frances Canning didn't really expect Queen Elizabeth to come to their wedding, but when they learned she was going to be in Manchester, England, on the day of their nuptials, they sent an invitation on a whim.She showed up.Despite their shock, the groom had the presence of mind to bow, and the bride to curtsey as the monarch appeared and congratulated them, amateur video of the event showed."Basically it was a wedding gift for us," Frances Canning told CNN affiliate ITN.The queen's husband Prince Philip also wished the couple well.Queen Elizabeth was in Manchester Friday on official duties that included visits to Central Manchester University Hospitals and a new BBC complex.She is making appearances around the country this spring as she celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60 years on the throne.
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Security researchers at British software firm Snyk have revealed details of a critical vulnerability that affects thousands of projects across many ecosystems and can be exploited by attackers to achieve code execution on the target systems.
Dubbed "Zip Slip," the issue is an arbitrary file overwrite vulnerability that triggers from a directory traversal attack while extracting files from an archive and affects numerous archive formats, including tar, jar, war, cpio, apk, rar, and 7z.
Thousands of projects written in various programming languages including JavaScript, Ruby, Java, .NET and Go—from Google, Oracle, IBM, Apache, Amazon, Spring/Pivotal, Linkedin, Twitter, Alibaba, Eclipse, OWASP, ElasticSearch, JetBrains and more—contained vulnerable codes and libraries.
Went undetected for years, the vulnerability can be exploited using a specially crafted archive file that holds directory traversal filenames, which if extracted by any vulnerable code or a library, would allow attackers to unarchive malicious files outside of the folder where it should reside.
Using this Zip Slip attack an attacker can even overwrite legitimate executable files or configuration files for an application to trick the targeted system or the user into running it, "thus achieving remote command execution on the victim's machine," the company explains.
"The vulnerability can also cause damage by overwriting configuration files or other sensitive resources, and can be exploited on both client (user) machines and servers."
"The contents of this zip file have to be handcrafted. Archive creation tools don't typically allow users to add files with these paths, despite the zip specification allowing it. However, with the right tools, it's easy to create files with these paths."
The company has also published proof-of-concept Zip Slip archives and released a video demonstration, showing how attackers can exploit the Zip Slip vulnerability.
Since April, the company started privately disclosing the Zip Slip vulnerability to all vulnerable libraries and projects maintainers.
A list of all affected libraries and projects has also been posted on Snyk's GitHub repository, some of which have already fixed the issue with the release of updated versions.
Moreover, you can also read Snyk's blog post to learn more about vulnerable codes in different ecosystems through example snippets.
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Emotet, the notorious trojan behind a number of botnet-driven spam campaigns and ransomware attacks, has found a new attack vector: using already infected devices to identify new victims that are connected to nearby Wi-Fi networks.
According to researchers at Binary Defense, the newly discovered Emotet sample leverages a "Wi-Fi spreader" module to scan Wi-Fi networks, and then attempts to infect devices that are connected to them.
The cybersecurity firm said the Wi-Fi spreader has a timestamp of April 16, 2018, indicating the spreading behavior has been running "unnoticed" for close to two years until it was detected for the first time last month.
The development marks an escalation of Emotet's capabilities, as networks in close physical proximity to the original victim are now susceptible to infection.
How Does Emotet's Wi-Fi Spreader Module Work?
The updated version of the malware works by leveraging an already compromised host to list all the nearby Wi-Fi networks. To do so, it makes use of the wlanAPI interface to extract the SSID, signal strength, the authentication method (WPA, WPA2, or WEP), and mode of encryption used to secure passwords.
On obtaining the information for each network this way, the worm attempts to connect to the networks by performing a brute-force attack using passwords obtained from one of two internal password lists. Provided the connection fails, it moves to the next password in the list. It's not immediately clear how this list of passwords was put together.
But if the operation succeeds, the malware connects the compromised system on the newly-accessed network and begins enumerating all non-hidden shares. It then carries out a second round of brute-force attack to guess the usernames and passwords of all users connected to the network resource.
After having successfully brute-forced users and their passwords, the worm moves to the next phase by installing malicious payloads — called "service.exe" — on the newly infected remote systems. To cloak its behavior, the payload is installed as a Windows Defender System Service (WinDefService).
In addition to communicating with a command-and-control (C2) server, the service acts as a dropper and executes the Emotet binary on the infected host.
The fact that Emotet can jump from one Wi-Fi network to the other puts onus on companies to secure their networks with strong passwords to prevent unauthorized access. The malware can also be detected by actively monitoring processes running from temporary folders and user profile application data folders.
Emotet: From Banking Trojan to Malware Loader
Emotet, which was first identified in 2014, has morphed from its original roots as a banking Trojan to a "Swiss Army knife" that can serve as a downloader, information stealer, and spambot depending on how it's deployed.
Over the years, it has also been an effective delivery mechanism for ransomware. Lake City's IT network was crippled last June after an employee inadvertently opened a suspicious email that downloaded the Emotet Trojan, which in turn downloaded TrickBot trojan and Ryuk ransomware.
Although Emotet-driven campaigns largely disappeared throughout the summer of 2019, it made a comeback in September via "geographically-targeted emails with local-language lures and brands, often financial in theme, and using malicious document attachments or links to similar documents, which, when users enabled macros, installed Emotet."
"With this newly discovered loader-type used by Emotet, a new threat vector is introduced to Emotet's capabilities," Binary Defense researchers concluded. "Emotet can use this loader-type to spread through nearby wireless networks if the networks use insecure passwords."
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Adobe has rolled out an emergency software patch for its Flash Player to patch a critical zero-day vulnerability that is already exploited by the hackers in the wild.
The company said the flaw could potentially allow hackers to take control of the affected system and that it had evidence of "limited, targeted attacks" exploiting the flaw.
Therefore, Adobe is urging users and administrators to update their software immediately.
About the Zero-day Flaw:
The vulnerability, assigned CVE-2015-3113, is a remote code execution bug that enables hackers to take control of an affected computer system.
Cyber crooks are already exploiting this zero-day vulnerability in the wild in an effort to hijack computers, targeting systems running Internet Explorer on Windows 7 and Firefox on Windows XP.
The vulnerability was discovered and reported by FireEye researchers, who first noticed the flaw actively exploiting in a phishing campaign to target companies in the defense, aerospace, high tech, telecommunications, construction and engineering, and transportation.
Affected Products:
The flaw affects all the major operating systems including Windows, Mac and Linux systems.
According to the company, the following software can potentially be impacted by the severe bug:
Adobe Flash Player Extended Support Release version 13.0.0.292 and earlier 13.x versions for Windows and Macintosh
Adobe Flash Player 18.0.0.161 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh
Adobe Flash Player 11.2.202.466 and earlier 11.x versions for Linux
The fact that Flash is installed on almost every computer system and in almost all web browsers users are advised to update their software to the patched version of Flash Player as soon as possible.
Chrome users and Windows 8 users running Internet Explorer will receive the updated version of Flash automatically. Users of other browsers can get the patched versions from Adobe's download page.
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Cybersecurity researchers, for the first time, may have found a potential connection between the backdoor used in the SolarWinds hack to a previously known malware strain.
In new research published by Kaspersky researchers today, the cybersecurity firm said it discovered several features that overlap with another backdoor known as Kazuar, a .NET-based malware first documented by Palo Alto Networks in 2017.
Disclosed early last month, the espionage campaign was notable for its scale and stealth, with the attackers leveraging the trust associated with SolarWinds Orion software to infiltrate government agencies and other companies so as to deploy a custom malware codenamed "Sunburst."
Shared Features Between Sunburst and Kazuar
Attribution for the SolarWinds supply-chain compromise has been difficult in part due to little-to-no clues linking the attack infrastructure to previous campaigns or other well-known threat groups.
But Kaspersky's latest analysis of the Sunburst backdoor has revealed a number of shared features between the malware and Kazuar, leading the researchers to suspect that —
Both Sunburst and Kazuar were developed by the same threat group
The adversary behind Sunburst used Kazuar as an inspiration
The groups behind Kazuar (Turla) and Sunburst (UNC2452 or Dark Halo) obtained the malware from a single source
The developers of Kazuar moved to another team, taking their toolset with them, or
The Sunburst developers deliberately introduced these links as "false flag" to shift blame to another group
The commonalities shared between the two malware families include the use of a sleeping algorithm to stay dormant for a random period between connections to a C2 server, the extensive usage of the FNV-1a hash to obfuscate the malicious code, and the use of a hashing algorithm to generate unique victim identifiers.
While Kazuar randomly selects a sleeping period between two and four weeks between C2 connections, Sunburst randomly opts for a sleeping period between 12 and 14 days before contacting the server for initial reconnaissance. But researchers noted that the formula used to calculate the sleeping time remains the same.
Kazuar's Possible Links to Turla
Kazuar is a fully featured backdoor written using the .NET Framework and relies on a command-and-control (C2) channel to allow actors to interact with the compromised system and exfiltrate data. Its features run the typical spyware gamut, with support for running malicious commands, capture screenshots, and even deploy additional functionalities via a plugin command.
Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 team tentatively linked the tool to the Russian threat group Turla (aka Uroburos and Snake) based on the fact that the "code lineage in Kazuar can be traced back to at least 2005."
What's more, on November 18, 2020, Kazuar appears to have undergone a complete redesign with new keylogger and password-stealing functions added to the backdoor that's implemented in the form of a C2 server command.
While it's normal for threat actors to keep updating their toolset and introduce features designed to bypass endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems, Kaspersky researchers raised the possibility that the changes may have been introduced in response to the SolarWinds breach.
"Suspecting the SolarWinds attack might be discovered, the Kazuar code was changed to resemble the Sunburst backdoor as little as possible," the researchers said.
CISA Updates SolarWinds Advisory
Last week, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the National Security Agency (NSA), issued a joint statement formally accusing an adversary "likely Russian in origin" for staging the SolarWinds hack.
Furthermore, CISA, in an update to its advisory on January 6, said, "incident response investigations have identified that initial access in some cases was obtained by password guessing, password spraying, and inappropriately secured administrative credentials accessible via external remote access services."
"These code overlaps between Kazuar and Sunburst are interesting and represent the first potential identified link to a previously known malware family," Kaspersky researchers concluded.
"While Kazuar and Sunburst may be related, the nature of this relation is still not clear. Through further analysis, it is possible that evidence confirming one or several of these points might arise. At the same time, it is also possible that the Sunburst developers were really good at their opsec and didn't make any mistakes, with this link being an elaborate false flag."
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Idea Cellular Web Portal Hacked, Customers Info may be exposed !
Again a critical SQL Injection Vulnerability has been discovered by zSecure Team in a high profile web portal. This time it's Ideacellular web portal which compromises the entire site database. Any malicious smart black hats can create much more devastating attacks using this critical flaw such as: complete access to various database's as shown in screen-shots under proof of vulnerability which can later be misused to access various confidential information; complete database dump; possibility of uploading shell (not fully certain) and much more.
Target Website: https://www.ideacellular.com
Attack Type: Hidden SQL Injection Vulnerability
Database Type: MySql 5.0.27
Alert Level: Critical
Threats: Database Access, Database Dump
Credit: zSecure Team
Previous Vulnerability Discolsures: Dukascopy, Sify, TimesofMoney, Sharekhan
Proof of Vulnerability:
About the Company
Idea is the 3rd largest mobile services operator in India. Idea's strong growth in the Indian telephony market comes from its deep penetration in the non-urban and rural markets. IDEA Cellular is an Aditya Birla Group Company, India's first truly multinational corporation. The group operates in 26 countries, and is anchored by over 130,600 employees belonging to 40 nationalities. The Group has been adjudged the '6th Top Company for Leaders in Asia Pacific Region' in 2009, in a survey conducted by Hewitt Associates, in partnership with The RBL Group, and Fortune. The Group has also been rated 'The Best Employer in India and among the Top 20 in Asia' by the Hewitt-Economic Times and Wall Street Journal Study 2007.
Disclaimer
No data has been dumped; zSecure Team randomly tried the security of ideacellular web portal and in our very first attempt they discovered this critical flaw. Since this flaw was discovered in their very first attempt, existence of other flaws can't be denied.
Database has been accessed just to take screenshots so that they can make company believe that the aforesaid flaw actually because most of the companies use to treat the like advisories/disclosure as junk and don't believe the researcher's which may later cause them huge.
As well said zSecure Team respect the confidentiality of Ideacelluar that's why they restricted the contents of their screen-shots to database tables only. W e hope that company Ideacellular will take some immediate steps to fix-up this critical vulnerability asap.
Source
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Is anything safe? It's 2017, and the likely answer is NO.
Making sure your passwords are secure is one of the first line of defense – for your computer, email, and information – against hacking attempts, and Password Managers are the one recommended by many security experts to keep all your passwords secure in one place.
Password Managers are software that creates complex passwords, stores them and organizes all your passwords for your computers, websites, applications and networks, as well as remember them on your behalf.
But what if your Password Managers itself are vulnerable?
Well, it's not just an imagination, as a new report has revealed that some of the most popular password managers are affected by critical vulnerabilities that can expose user credentials.
The report, published on Tuesday by a group of security experts from TeamSIK of the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology in Germany, revealed that nine of the most popular Android password managers available on Google Play are vulnerable to one or more security vulnerabilities.
Popular Android Password Manager Apps Affected By One Or More Flaws
The team examined LastPass, Keeper, 1Password, My Passwords, Dashlane Password Manager, Informaticore's Password Manager, F-Secure KEY, Keepsafe, and Avast Passwords – each of which has between 100,000 and 50 Million installs.
"The overall results were extremely worrying and revealed that password manager applications, despite their claims, do not provide enough protection mechanisms for the stored passwords and credentials," TeamSIK said.
In each application, the researchers discovered one or more security vulnerabilities – a total of 26 issues – all of which were reported to the application makers and were fixed before the group's report went public.
Encryption Keys for Master Key Hard-Coded in the App's Code
According to the team, some password manager applications were vulnerable to data residue attacks and clipboard sniffing. Some of the apps stored the master password in plain text or even exposed encryption keys in the code.
For example, one high severity flaw affected Informaticore's Password Manager app, which was due to the app storing the master password in an encrypted form with the encryption key hard coded in the app's code itself. A similar bug was also discovered in LastPass.
In fact, in some cases, the user's stored passwords could have easily been accessed and exfiltrated by any malicious application installed on the user's device.
Besides these issues, the researchers also found that auto-fill functions in most password manager applications could be abused to steal stored secrets through "hidden phishing" attacks.
And what's more worrisome? Any attacker could have easily exploited many of the flaws discovered by the researchers without needing root permissions.
List of Vulnerable Password Managers and Flaws Affecting Them
Here's the list of vulnerabilities disclosed in some of the most popular Android password managers by TeamSIK:
MyPasswords
Read Private Data of My Passwords App
Master Password Decryption of My Passwords App
Free Premium Features Unlock for My Passwords
1Password – Password Manager
Subdomain Password Leakage in 1Password Internal Browser
HTTPS downgrade to HTTP URL by default in 1Password Internal Browser
Titles and URLs Not Encrypted in 1Password Database
Read Private Data From App Folder in 1Password Manager
Privacy Issue, Information Leaked to Vendor 1Password Manager
LastPass Password Manager
Hardcoded Master Key in LastPass Password Manager
Privacy, Data leakage in LastPass Browser Search
Read Private Data (Stored Master password) from LastPass Password Manager
Informaticore Password Manager
Insecure Credential Storage in Microsoft Password Manager
Keeper Password Manager
Keeper Password Manager Security Question Bypass
Keeper Password Manager Data Injection without Master Password
Dashlane Password Manager
Read Private Data From App Folder in Dashlane Password Manager
Google Search Information Leakage in Dashlane Password Manager Browser
Residue Attack Extracting Master Password From Dashlane Password Manager
Subdomain Password Leakage in Internal Dashlane Password Manager Browser
F-Secure KEY Password Manager
F-Secure KEY Password Manager Insecure Credential Storage
Hide Pictures Keepsafe Vault
Keepsafe Plaintext Password Storage
Avast Passwords
App Password Stealing from Avast Password Manager
Insecure Default URLs for Popular Sites in Avast Password Manager
Broken Secure Communication Implementation in Avast Password Manager
Researcher also going to present their findings at HITB conference next month. For more technical details about each vulnerability, users can head on to the TeamSIK report.
Since the vendors have addressed all these above-listed issues, users are strongly advised to update their password manager apps as soon as possible, because now hackers have all the information they require to exploit vulnerable versions of the password manager apps.
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Story highlightsPresident Vladimir Putin meets with security officials, blast victims in Volgograd"There is no justification for committing crimes against civilians," Putin saysThe two attacks in the space of 24 hours killed 34 people, state media sayThe first suspected suicide blast hit Volgograd's main rail station, the second a trolley busRussian President Vladimir Putin paid a New Year's Day hospital visit to some of those injured in two suspected suicide bombings in the city of Volgograd.More than 30 people were killed in the attacks on Sunday and Monday at a rail station and on a trolley bus, just six weeks before Russia is due to host the Winter Olympics.Putin's unannounced visit to Volgograd Wednesday came a day after he delivered a New Year's message on Russian state TV in which he vowed to fight until terrorists were defeated.He met with regional security and police officials in the city, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported."The abomination of this crime, that was -- or crimes -- that were committed here, in Volgograd, don't need any additional commentary," Putin said.JUST WATCHEDNew video shows Russian bomb explosionReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHNew video shows Russian bomb explosion 01:49JUST WATCHEDCan Putin keep winter games safe?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCan Putin keep winter games safe? 02:40JUST WATCHEDRussia on alert as Sochi games approachReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRussia on alert as Sochi games approach 02:06 Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian city Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian cityDeadly blasts in Russian city – A bomb blast tore through a trolleybus in Volgograd, Russia, on Monday, December 30, a day after a suicide bombing at the city's main railway station.Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian cityDeadly blasts in Russian city – An ambulance leaves the site of a trolleybus explosion.Hide Caption 2 of 10 Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian cityDeadly blasts in Russian city – Experts, firefighters and police officers examine the scene of the blast.Hide Caption 3 of 10 Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian cityDeadly blasts in Russian city – Police officers examine the area around the site of the explosion.Hide Caption 4 of 10 Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian cityDeadly blasts in Russian city – A demolition expert walks among the wreckage.Hide Caption 5 of 10 Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian cityRussian train station rocked by blast – Russian security forces stand guard outside a train station in Volgograd, following a suicide bomb attack on Sunday, December 29.Hide Caption 6 of 10 Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian cityRussian train station rocked by blast – A police officer guards the main entrance to the station.Hide Caption 7 of 10 Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian cityRussian train station rocked by blast – Bodies lie covered on the ground as police continue to investigate the scene.Hide Caption 8 of 10 Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian cityRussian train station rocked by blast – Police investigators inspect debris at the scene of the explosion.Hide Caption 9 of 10 Photos: Deadly blasts in Russian cityRussian train station rocked by blast – An officer stands guard outside the station.Hide Caption 10 of 10"No matter what motivated the criminals' actions, there is no justification for committing crimes against civilians, especially against women and children."Putin then laid flowers at the scene of Monday's attack, RIA Novosti said, before visiting a hospital to meet men and women undergoing treatment for their injuries.The blasts in Volgograd intensified fears of terrorism following a threat earlier this year from a Chechen extremist group to use "maximum force" to disrupt the February Olympic games in Sochi.No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, described as suspected suicide bombings.'Complete annihilation'In his address Tuesday, Putin acknowledged problems in 2013 but said the Russian people had a lot to look forward to in 2014. He also had a message for terrorists."We bow our heads to the victims of violent terrorist attacks. We will continue the fight against terrorists certainly, fiercely and consistently until their complete annihilation," he said.While security in Sochi and its surrounding area is considered to be very tight, the attacks in Volgograd, a major transportation hub for southern Russia, have raised concerns about the potential vulnerability of other areas of the country.Volgograd is a main transit point for people traveling by train to Sochi, a Black Sea resort situated just over 400 miles (645 kilometers) to the southwest.The death toll from the two attacks rose to 34 Tuesday when some of those hurt died from their injuries, state media reported.The number of people killed in an explosion at the Volgograd's main rail station Sunday now stands at 18, RIA Novosti said, citing the Emergencies Ministry. Another 16 died following the blast on a trolleybus during the morning rush hour Monday, the news agency said, attributing the information to health officials.There was a strong security presence in Volgograd for the city's New Year's Eve celebrations. More than 3,000 police and dozens of volunteers were on the streets overnight, the state-run Itar-Tass news agency reported, citing the local branch of Russia's Interior Ministry.Russian police earlier detained dozens of people in an anti-terror sweep in the city. It wasn't clear if any of those held had any suspected connection to the attacks or would face any charges.International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach voiced his confidence in Russia's ability "to deliver safe and secure Games in Sochi" in a letter to Putin Monday.Putin's amnestyIn what appeared to be a public relations offensive designed to improve his country's image ahead of the Winter Olympics, Putin introduced a sweeping amnesty law last month.Among those to benefit were two members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot, who were allowed to leave prison.The amnesty also freed 28 protesters and two journalists who were thrown in prison after being arrested in September aboard a Greenpeace ship as they protested against drilling for fossil fuels in the Arctic.Putin also pardoned former oil tycoon and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who had been jailed since 2003 and was convicted in 2005 of tax evasion and fraud.The Russian president has also faced international criticism over anti-gay legislation passed in July that banned "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations around minors."In an apparent jab at the anti-gay laws, the United States announced that its delegation to the Winter Olympics would include openly gay athletes such as tennis legend Billie Jean King and hockey player Caitlin Cahow.
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Story highlightsDrew Alleman, who kicked two field goals earlier, hits the 25-yard game-winnerNeither team scores a touchdownIt is the first-ever SEC regular season game matching the country's two top teamsCollege football's top-ranked LSU Tigers defeated the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide 9-6 in overtime Saturday night. LSU won the coin toss in overtime, electing to start on defense. The Crimson Tide's offense sputtered in the extra session with two incomplete passes, a penalty for having 12 men in the huddle and a sack for a 5-yard loss. Cade Foster, Alabama's placekicker, who had already missed three field goals earlier, missed another from 52 yards out.After that, LSU marched down the field, nearly scoring a touchdown but running back Michael Ford stepped out of bounds. Big game a work of heartLSU elected to attempt a field goal and Drew Alleman-- who kicked two field goals earlier -- hit the 25-yard game-winner.The game, before a Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd in Tuscaloosa, mainly witnessed field goals and punts. Neither team scored a single touchdown. The low score might be surprising, given that the teams totaled 45 points in 2010, 39 in 2009 and 48 in 2008.The game was the first-ever SEC regular season game matching the country's two top teams, which were undefeated going into play.Both teams were among the nation's best when it came to defense and Saturday's game was no exception with LSU notching a field goal in the last seconds for a 3-3 tie going into halftime. Alabama missed two field goals in the first half.'Game of the century' decided by kickersThe defensive standoff continued in the second half. Alabama went up 6-3 midway through the third quarter with a 46-yard field goal. LSU tied the game early in the fourth quarter with a 30-yard field goal.Recap: No.1 LSU vs. No. 2 AlabamaGoing into the game, LSU had outscored its opponent by 222 points this year, according to the school's athletics website. The game, broadcast by CBS, was played under clear but cool skies.
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(CNN)Football's world governing body FIFA has ruled that $6,543,510 (6,000,000 euros) must be paid by Cardiff City to French side Nantes for the transfer of Emiliano Sala, the striker who died in a plane crash over the English Channel earlier this year. Sala and pilot David Ibbotson were both traveling from Nantes towards Cardiff on January 21 when their light aircraft crashed, two days after the transfer had been agreed, according to FIFA.Important developing news re FIFA ruling on Sala fee - Cardiff will be expected FULL £15million fee. Nantes only complained about first instalment but precedent set for future instalments. Cardiff will appeal to CAS.FIFA had hoped clubs would settle the issue between them.— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) September 30, 2019 The dispute between the two clubs centered around whether Sala was a Cardiff or a Nantes player at the time of the plane journey, and whether Cardiff would have to pay the transfer fee agreed by the clubs. The $6 million fee corresponds to the first installment that was due to be paid after the transfer had been agreed, said FIFA.Monday's ruling can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.Read MoreVisit CNN.com/sport for more news, videos and featuresIt was revealed in August that Sala and Ibbotson were both exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide inside the plane before the crash. Sala, who scored 42 goals for Nantes since joining from Bordeaux in 2015, had just signed for Cardiff -- which has since been relegated from the Premier League -- for a reported £15 million ($19.3 million). The 28-year-old was on his way to his new club having said goodbye to his teammates in France.
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Eliza Anyangwe is the editor of As Equals. This essay accompanies the video, "Not Yet Satisfied" and follows a feature by Anyangwe, published by CNN in 2019. Read more from As Equals. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs.Accra, Ghana -- Hauwa Adam is beautiful and smart as a whip. She carries herself with the seductive ease of someone comfortable in their own skin and as she talks her left hand sometimes hangs at a right angle, palm up, neither beckoning nor rejecting. Her nails are red and match her lips and strappy mini dress. Her hair, styled in faux locs, hangs down to just below her shoulders; her big eyes glisten, and she laughs easily.So, I'm caught off-guard when this young woman tells me, as those big eyes begin to water, that she spent years hating her body, a hate stemming from all the pressure she felt to keep that body hidden away.JUST WATCHEDNot yet satisfied: Talking sex and sexuality in AfricaReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHNot yet satisfied: Talking sex and sexuality in Africa 06:58"I grew up in a Muslim home," she begins. "The typical conservative Muslim [home] in Ghana [where] you couldn't wear trousers, couldn't wear short skirts, couldn't wear tight clothes because your body is sacred and likened to toffee," she said."Your husband has to unwrap the toffee to enjoy it, but if you've already showcased everything -- the sides of your boobs, your hips, your butt --what's there for him to enjoy?"Adam, who is in her mid-twenties, recounts how she began dating only after leaving home for university. After two years together, she and her boyfriend had sex.Read More"That's when everything came running back to me," she says. "How much I hated my body. How much I couldn't feel good about what I was doing. The guilt of enjoying sex."I was in Accra in the summer of 2018, looking for other women who, like me, had grown up feeling as though their bodies didn't quite belong to them. First, because we were meant to focus on school and -- as in my case -- church, and then, once qualified, employed and a "woman of God," we were to dedicate ourselves to our husbands, our children and our community.There has unquestionably been much joy and satisfaction derived by many who live life this way, and a personal faith is by no means irreconcilable with the fight for equality among the genders. But my hunch was that besides me, there were many others deeply dissatisfied; who felt -- whether as a fully formed thought or just a gnawing sensation in their gut -- that their lives, and particularly their sex lives, were not fully their own.What's more, I'd noticed from years of covering international development and gender issues as a writer and editor, that Black, brown and poor women -- mostly the subjects of reporting and not often enough the storytellers -- had to content themselves with their bodies being described as contested geographical spaces might be.There are people, organisations and even governments fighting over whether you should access contraception or not; how many children you should have; whether you should be veiled or not; what your gender or sexual identity can be; how you should be treated if you earn your income from sex work; whether your attire or attitude makes you complicit in your sexual attack; or at what age you can be married off and at what price -- the latter, often in part, determined by whether or not you are still a virgin. Like inhabitants of a besieged territory, women -- and gender non-conforming people -- are often caught in the middle, ignored as their very bodies are being debated.
"If you can't negotiate contraception in your marriage, do you really think you're going to [negotiate] that high-powered job?"
Tiffany Mugo
It's easy to assume in a world where gender inequality is "endemic" -- as UN head Antonio Guterres said in March -- that talking about sex is at best irrelevant, and at worst irresponsible. But, as I would learn over the course of reporting the story and making the "Not Yet Satisfied" video, talking about sex and sexuality is in fact a key component to achieving gender equality. That in many parts of the world this topic is hard to talk about freely -- and even harder to live freely -- points to a far bigger problem than prudishness."We have a long history of sexual pleasure being denied to women," says Eli Coleman, director of the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School."Pleasure is threatening," he says. "It challenges those who are in power. As long as the society keeps women as second-class citizens, then men are in control. So denying [women] reproductive health, contraception, safe abortions, and certainly altering their body -- taking away the sexual pleasure aspects of one's anatomy -- keeps them suppressed and patriarchy in power."Coleman was President of World Association for Sexual Health (WASH) from 1997 to 2001 and was actively involved in drafting WASH's first ever Declaration on Sexual Pleasure, published in 2019.We speak as I try to understand what, if anything, has changed in the world since Adam and other members of Accra's Young Feminist Collective spoke with me about learning to reclaim their bodies and, with it, pleasure.For the veteran sexologist, the past few years have been marked by "serious backtracking.""Sexual and reproductive health all of a sudden seemed to be a dirty word," Coleman explains. "President Trump, when he was in power, Pompeo, our Secretary of State, was [saying] that we wouldn't sign on to anything in the UN that mentioned the word 'sexual health'. In April 2019, CNN reported that the pressure from the US on the UN Security Council did result in "significant changes to a resolution on sexual violence.""And, of course, you are aware of the prohibitions of anything that had to do with safe abortions or even contraceptive services," he adds, referring to the reinstatement of the so-called Mexico City Policy in 2017.Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah whose blog, Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women, was the focus of my reporting in 2019, today also talks about Ghana "going backwards in terms of human rights"."We are actually in a really dangerous place," she says, speaking to me from Accra where she is currently promoting her new book, The Sex Lives of African Women."A few months ago, 21 activists were arrested for taking part in human rights training on LGBTQ rights. At the moment, we have eight members of parliament pushing forward a bill that will make it illegal to say you are an ally, let alone be a queer person. It's [also] trying to enforce conversion therapy, which has been debunked all around the world."Sekyiamah talks about "far-right American evangelicals partnering with far-right civil society leaders in Ghana and the political elites". An investigation by openDemocracy's 50:50 project details these links. A main target of their ire? Comprehensive sex education (CSE).
Sekyiamah's influence with Adventures over the past decade has spread beyond Ghana, inspiring others to create content about sex and sexuality for audiences they recognised were completely underserved.South Africa's HOLAAfrica! is one such platform, and its founder, Tiffany Mugo, describes how the space for "sex positive" conversations has grown -- and along with it, the coordinated attempts to close it down."We're now in a world where comprehensive sex education is a multilateral, multinational-level conversation. But with the work that we do, we sometimes live in a bubble. On the other end of the scale, there are people who are ready to shut all of this down," she says.By way of example, Mugo adds: "There's essentially a neighbourhood Facebook group for the wider Joburg area, that's against CSE and it's got 100,000 people following it. Conservative groups have not come to play. They are funded and they're organized. One of the scariest things is how organized they are."When we met in Johannesburg, Mugo was producing The Wildness, which she describes as "an unedited podcast all about sex and sexuality by two queer women of color on the [African] continent. She has since written a sex guide and compiled Touch, "a collection of essays about sex, sexuality and sensuality, written by queer people."Everyone I spoke to saw their work as opening up necessary conversations about this one part of all our lives that is so important to our health and wellbeing and yet remains taboo and actively contested.She wants women to have good sex. So she started a website where they can talk about it (safely)Far from frivolous and salacious, talking about sexual pleasure -- even if the choice is to not be sexually active -- is part and parcel of reclaiming ownership of your body, and receiving tools through education so that you can make the best choices for you -- yes, in the bedroom but everywhere else too."Even as I write about having great sex, I need to know about rape culture. I need to know about abortion rights and economic rights as well, because I can't say "buy lube" without thinking about who can afford it -- and who can afford to negotiate safe sex," says Mugo."If you can't negotiate contraception in your marriage, do you really think you're going to [negotiate] that high-powered job?" she asks rhetorically."There is this great fear that if we talk about sexual pleasure, people will become more irresponsible and society will have more problems," Coleman acknowledges. "But the evidence is completely to the contrary. This is fundamental to what we know about developing societies: if you educate your citizenry, you have a greater society. But somehow when it comes to sex, we want to deny people that fundamental education.""Even the World Health Organization is moving to recognize that if they don't focus on the promotion of health in a positive way -- and including pleasure -- people are not going to listen," he says."You've got to put pleasure in!"CNN's Eliza Anyangwe reported from Ghana and South Africa during 2018 and 2019 before the global Coronavirus pandemic. This essay and the video "Not Yet Satisfied" were supported by the European Journalism Centre.*Header image by Yagazie Emezi for CNN. Read more from the As Equals series
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Story highlightsVatican: The papal ring and seal belonging to Benedict XVI have now been destroyedA chimney is installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican CityOnce the conclave starts, it will release smoke that signals whether a new pope is electedThe 115 cardinal-electors will vote for the first time on Tuesday afternoonVatican workmen scaled the roof of the Sistine Chapel Saturday, as they installed the chimney which will release the black or white smoke that signifies whether a new pope has been elected. The chimney is the first publicly visible sign of the preparations going on inside the chapel, which is where the Roman Catholic cardinals will gather on Tuesday for the start of the conclave -- the secret papal election.Footage released by the Vatican has shown the installation of two stoves inside the chapel. One is used to burn the cardinals' ballots after they are cast and the other to send up the smoke signal.If no one has won, a chemical is added to make the smoke black. This lets people waiting in St. Peter's Square below -- and the people watching on TV around the world -- know what is happening. White smoke means a new pope has been chosen. Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last day Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – Pope Benedict XVI speaks to the faithful for the last time from the balcony of his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on Thursday, February 28.Hide Caption 1 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – A woman watches a screen showing the departure of Pope Benedict XVI from Vatican City on February 28.Hide Caption 2 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – Pope Benedict XVI waves to the crowd from a balcony upon his arrival in Castel Gandolfo.Hide Caption 3 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – Nuns wait for Pope Benedict XVI in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.Hide Caption 4 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – A crowd packs Castel Gandolfo for Pope Benedict XVI's final appearance.Hide Caption 5 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – A nun looks out from the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo.Hide Caption 6 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – People watch a giant screen showing the departure of Pope Benedict XVI from Vatican City.Hide Caption 7 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – Nuns watch from Vatican City as Pope Benedict XVI leaves the balcony of the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.Hide Caption 8 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – The faithful gather for a last farewell to Pope Benedict XVI.Hide Caption 9 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – The helicopter with Pope Benedict XVI aboard flies past St. Peter's Square.Hide Caption 10 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – People crowd the gallery on top of St. Peter's Basilica as a helicopter carrying Pope Benedict XVI passes by on its way out of Vatican City.Hide Caption 11 of 12 Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI's last dayScenes from Pope Benedict XVI's last day – Pope Benedict XVI walks away from the window at Castel Gandolfo for the last time as head of the Catholic Church. He started his retirement February 28.Hide Caption 12 of 12JUST WATCHEDVatican's men-only policyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHVatican's men-only policy 02:56JUST WATCHEDChurch's history of saints and sinnersReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHChurch's history of saints and sinners 02:20JUST WATCHEDInside the conclave: How it worksReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHInside the conclave: How it works 02:06If the smoke is released after dark, a spotlight will be trained on the chimney so that it can still be seen, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Saturday.The stove will be tested before the conclave to make sure it can produce smoke, Lombardi said, but privately, so as not to cause too much excitement. The cardinals met Saturday morning for the latest in a series of sessions known as General Congregations. These are open to all the cardinals, not just those aged under 80, and are an important part of the preparations for the election.As well as getting to know their counterparts from around the world, the cardinals discuss the major issues facing the church, including its handling of allegations of child sex abuse by priests and a scandal over leaks from the Vatican last year that revealed claims of corruption, as well as the church's future direction.The final General Congregation will take place on Monday, the Vatican said. More than 130 cardinals have already spoken at the meetings.Once the conclave starts, the 115 cardinal-electors can't leave Vatican City until the process is done and aren't allowed to speak with anyone outside of the conclave. They stay in a Vatican hotel, Casa Santa Marta, for the duration and, in line with tradition, drew lots for their rooms during Saturday's meeting. 'Praying a lot'The cardinal-electors will move into Santa Marta first thing on Tuesday, the Vatican said. They will then attend a special morning Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.The first vote will be held that afternoon, with subsequent ballots cast over the following days until one of the contenders gains the two-thirds majority that means he is elected head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.The longest conclave held since the turn of the 20th century lasted five days.The Sistine Chapel, whose famous ceiling was painted by Renaissance artist Michelangelo, has been closed to tourists while the preparations for the conclave are made.Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, one of about a dozen leading candidates to become pope, wrote in a blog post Friday that he misses New York after 10 days and is sorry he won't be there on St. Patrick's Day."We cardinals sure are praying a lot," he said.Contrary to media reports, he said, the focus of the cardinals' meetings is much the same as it was two millenia ago, namely: "How most effectively to present the Person, message, and invitation of Jesus to a world that, while searching for salvation and eternal truth, are also at times doubting, skeptical, too busy, or frustrated."This means discussions on such subjects as preaching, teaching the faith, care of the poor and sick, and support for the church's clergy and the families that make up their congregations, Dolan said."Those are the 'big issues.' You may find that hard to believe, since the 'word on the street' is that all we talk about is corruption in the Vatican, sexual abuse, money. Do these topics come up? Yes! Do they dominate? No!" he wrote.Ring destroyedMeanwhile, the Italian press is full of speculation about which cardinal may win enough support from his counterparts to be elected, and what regional alliances are being formed.The United States has 11 of the 115 votes, making it the second largest national bloc after Italy.Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said Saturday that the symbolic Fisherman's Ring and the seal that Benedict XVI used as pope have been scratched to render them invalid.Three other symbols of Benedict XVI's papacy were destroyed in the same way, he said. The next pope will get a new Fisherman's Ring and seal with his own name on it after he is elected.Benedict XVI resigned 10 days ago, becoming the first pontiff to do so in six centuries.
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Story highlightsNew no.1 Rory McIlroy targets Masters success at AugustaMcIlroy led last year at Augusta before disastrous final round He believes return to form of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson good for the gameMcIlroy defends top ranking at WGC tournament at Doral this weekFresh from becoming world no.1 for the first time, Rory McIlroy is predicting "exciting times" for golf as the world's top players hit peak form ahead of the Masters at Augusta.The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland is only too aware that his reign at the top of the rankings could be brief with deposed no.1 Luke Donald and no.3 Lee Westwood both capable of dislodging him after this week's WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral in Florida.McIlroy will take three weeks off after that tournament to focus on the opening major of the season, desperate to erase the disappointment of last year when he led for 63 holes before imploding on the back nine on the final day.But he recognizes that he will face a big challenge from a revived Tiger Woods, who pushed him all the way in the Honda Classic with a stunning final round 62 at PGA National, and three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson, who won at Pebble Beach last month."I think it's fantastic for the game," McIlroy told gathered reporters after his latest triumph in Florida."To see what Phil did at Pebble, to see Tiger playing like he did today."Everyone is excited for Augusta and I'm looking forward to getting back there and giving it another shot."Both Donald, who won the money lists in Europe and the United States last season, and fellow Englishman Westwood, whose brilliant closing 63 at PGA National left him fourth behind McIlroy, will be desperate to win their first major titles next month.Reigning champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa is also running into form with a tied fifth finish Sunday.But according to McIlroy's compatriot Graeme McDowell, they all have work to do to match his stablemate."He's the best player I've ever seen tee-to-green, period," McDowell told the official PGA Tour website."I didn't have a chance to play with Tiger in the early to mid 2000s when Tiger was the man, but Rory McIlroy is the best."Former U.S. Open champion McDowell believes McIlroy's improvements on the greens, he holed a series of clutch putts on Sunday, has made the difference."As soon as he learned how to putt, he was going to be a dominating force," McDowell said. "You're starting to see that now."McIlroy flew to New York to see his girlfriend and former tennis no.1 Caroline Wozniacki after his latest win, but when he returns to Florida for this week's tournament on the famous Blue Monster course it will be with a renewed self-belief."I always felt like when I played my best, I would be hard to beat," McIlroy said."I feel like I've always been a pretty confident guy. But I think I've got a lot more belief in myself now when I'm going down the stretch. I definitely don't doubt myself as much as I used to."He will be hoping that confidence extends to the Masters where he will look to add to his U.S. Open triumph at Congressional last June.
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Story highlightsFootball shirts have come to symbolize moments in historySome kit colors have historical, political or geographical meaningFor Russia 2018, Adidas has paid homage to the past (CNN)World Cups not only showcase the world's finest players but some of the best and worst football kits in history. However, designing an international football uniform is no easy feat. Kits are made to represent not just the identity of the team, but fully encapsulate everything the nation is -- both past and present.Follow @cnnsport
Manufacturers spend months researching and designing how a team's shirt, shorts and socks should look, and what the kit should represent. Dreaming up a design is more than just using the country's national colors. While some countries use the colors from their flags, others use colors that have historical, political or geographical meaning. Photos: Unforgettable football shirt designsGermany – During the 1980s, the colors of Germany's flag started creeping into its usual black and white designs. It became one of the most famous kits of all time when Germany won its third World Cup in the final against Argentina in 1990.Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Unforgettable football shirt designsEngland – England famously wore its red away kit when it won the 1966 World Cup against West Germany. The shirt has continued to influence the designs ever since.Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Unforgettable football shirt designsThe Netherlands' loud and geometric 1988 European Championship kit was immortalized by victory and Marco van Basten scoring one of the greatest goals in history during the final against the Soviet Union.Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Unforgettable football shirt designsBelgium – Belgium sported a distinctive red, black and yellow argyle design across a white panel at the European Championship in 1984. It's proof that a great looking kit doesn't always inspire a great performance, says football kit design expert John Devlin.Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Unforgettable football shirt designsBrazil – Brazil's yellow kit has become one of the most famous symbols of not only Brazil, but football. As Devlin writes in his book, "When it comes to colors that encapsulate excellence and glamor in football, the palette of yellow, green, blue and white -- the colors of Brazil -- is often the first to spring to mind." Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Unforgettable football shirt designsSpain – While Spain's 1994 US World Cup wasn't the most successful in its history, the shirt -- featuring three stripes made up of yellow and navy diamonds -- was unique and was worn by the likes of Pep Guardiola, Miquel Nadal and Luis Enrique. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Unforgettable football shirt designsCroatia – Croatia's red and white checkered kit from its first World Cup in 1998 will forever be remembered as the design in which Davor Suker earned the Golden Boot.Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Unforgettable football shirt designsCameroon – Cameroon's full body suit for the 2004 African Cup of Nations became infamous after it was banned by FIFA for not following regulations.Hide Caption 8 of 8Read More"The identity of the team has to shine," John Devlin, expert in football kit design and author of International Football Kits (True Colours), tells CNN Sport."But what you also have to do, from my point of view, to create a truly great kit design, you have to acknowledge heritage and tradition."You have to embrace that but it's vital that it's modern and it's contemporary and it's rendered in a way that speaks the language of the time."With that comes massive responsibility for the manufacturers behind the designs, such as Adidas, Puma, Nike, Umbro and Hummel. While many are good, the World Cup certainly hasn't been without the occasional controversial or eye-watering design.READ: Russia 2018 -- who qualified and who missed outMexico's goalkeeper kit from the World Cup in 1994, worn by Jorge Campos.Symbolic of moments in history"It's a subjective thing, football shirts. Some people look at something and say it's beautiful while other people will say it's shocking," says Doug Bierton, who co-founded Classic Football Shirts, the world's largest collection of original kit. And while it's a subjective thing, over time the shirts -- whether good or bad -- become symbolic of moments in history. They often remind fans of unforgettable World Cup moments, not just on the pitch, but also in their personal lives.READ: The start of a new era for Serbian footballThen and now: Manufacturers have turned back time and have redesigned some of the most iconic shirts for this year's World Cup."Every shirt means something to somebody, whether it was their first match or just specific memories," Bierton tells CNN Sport. "The World Cup's a good reference point because it's once every four years and four years is quite a life-changing amount of time."By seeing the shirt, you can remember that match ... it's a visualization of that memory, it comes back just like that."The Netherlands, 1988One of those unforgettable shirts was worn by the Netherlands.Always dressed in a shade of unapologetic orange -- a nod to their royal family -- many football fans will remember the team's loud and geometric Adidas kit from the UEFA European Championships in 1988. The Netherlands' European Championship kit in 1988 became legendary."I think at the time it was just so radically different," Devlin says. "I remember I was 18 or 19 and I had a great love of kits and I thought, 'Blimey, what is going on here?' It was really shocking but somehow it was so outrageous it kind of lured you in."The design was so strong and so innovative, it was really brave to go for something like that."The Netherlands isn't the only team to wear the design over the years, but the shirt has forever been immortalized as one of the most iconic in history because of what was accomplished in it, including the moment Marco van Basten scored one of the greatest goals in history during the final against the Soviet Union. "They only wore it in that championship, and it's like bands that split up and never reform, it became immortalized and it ended and it became a legend," Devlin adds.Germany, 1988-1991Germany's black and white kit, worn here in the 1982 World Cup semifinal by Manfred Kaltz.Historically, Germany has often worn a simplistic black and white home kit -- colors derived from the flag of Prussia, a former state in Northern Europe which was a great power in the 18th century. However, during the 1980s, the colors of Germany's flag started creeping into designs and its kit was "elevated to a new level of beauty," as Devlin writes in his book. It was then that one of the most famous kits of all time was created: Adidas' patriotic West Germany kit from when the country hosted Euro '88.Devlin says Germany's kit design was "elevated to a new level of beauty" when the colors of its flag were incorporated into the design in 1988.While the shirt didn't get the Germans to the final, it made up for it two years later when they won the 1990 World Cup against Argentina -- their third World Cup win. That alone made it an unforgettable kit, but it was also the one worn during the first unified Germany match.Germany won the 1990 World Cup against Argentina in the iconic kit."Again, it was just so radically different. Beckenbauer, the manager at the time, said he wanted to get the German flag colors within the kit. But to do that, to really emblazon the flag across the shirt, was unlike anything else," Devlin says."Adidas were on fire at the time and it was a brave, bold move. It almost set the trend for the way things were going to go."When you talk about the Dutch and the German kits, it was quite a risky strategy but Adidas pulled it off. It was done with real class and attention to detail, they cracked it but there's a lot of teams that don't -- they either try too hard or it just doesn't work."Adidas has redesigned Germany's kit for this year's World Cup in Russia -- this time in monochrome.The Germany shirt's basic design will make a comeback at this year's World Cup, except this time in monochrome. Perhaps it's an attempt to create a good omen in Russia.BrazilOver time, Brazil's canary yellow kit has become an instant symbol of not only the country, but football.As Devlin writes in his book, "when it comes to colors that encapsulate excellence and glamor in football, the palette of yellow, green, blue and white -- the colors of Brazil -- is often the first to spring to mind." Cesar Sampaio wearing the famous canary yellow Brazilian kit.Those weren't always the colors of Brazil, but in 1953 a competition was published in the now defunct Correio da Manha newspaper to create a new team kit that reflected Brazil's nationality -- using the colors of its national flag. Green, representing the country's abundant fields and forests, gold for the country's raw wealth and the blue celestial globe representing the night sky over Brazil. The shirt reminds fans of some of football's greatest ever players -- from Pele, Garrincha and Zico to Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar.Brazil's forward, Ronaldo, donned the kit in 2002 -- as well as an unforgettable bad haircut.READ: World Cup draw: Ronaldo to face familiar foes as Portugal lands SpainEngland, 1966What makes England's kit unique is that the team looks just as comfortable in their traditional red away shirt as they do in their first choice of white, Devlin says."With England it's almost like a dual personality. They can still retain their identity -- they're very fortunate that they've got that two kit approach," he adds.In 1966 the red kit entered folklore after England wore it to win the World Cup against West Germany. It has influenced many England designs since.England wore its red away kit to win the 1966 World Cup against West Germany ."For an England fan to see the team winning it in red, it can't help but be anchored firmly in the team's palette," says Devlin."That success becomes that missing ingredient, so if you have success in the shirt that helps it becomes iconic and that's what happened." This year in Russia, England will wear a similar design to that of 1966, again with the hope that success rubs off.Croatia, 1998Then there's Croatia's famous red and white checkered kit -- instantly recognizable and unlike any other in the footballing world. Croatia wore a striking red and white checkered kit at the 1998 World Cup.While every kit has incorporated the design -- based off the Croatian coat of arms, the sahovnica -- the 1998 kit that was designed by Lotto is particularly remembered among fans. Not just for being the kit the young country wore to third place in its first World Cup, but also for encapsulating the unforgettable play of Davor Suker who went on to win the Golden Boot after scoring six goals in seven matches. Cameroon's infamous body suitOver the years, some kits have been banned because of designs stepping over the boundaries of FIFA's strict rules set out in its 104-page Equipment Regulation guideThat includes Puma's full body suit worn by Cameroon in the 2004 African Cup of Nations. Puma's Cameroon full body suit for the 2004 African Cup of Nations was banned by FIFA for not following its regulation guide.FIFA said it was illegal not to separate the shirts and shorts and banned the suit. Cameroon ignored the order and played in it again during the quarterfinal against Nigeria -- leading to a six-point deduction for its 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign and a $154,000 fine.While Puma took FIFA to court and the points were restored, FIFA's ban was upheld, and the one-piece was never seen on the field again. It wasn't the first time Puma and Cameroon bent the rules -- in 2002 the team also tried wearing sleeveless vests, which then had to have sleeves sewed on.Paying homage this year in Russia Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersPeru – On Thursday 16 November, Peru became the final team to secure a World Cup spot thanks to a 2-0 win over New Zealand in the second leg of their playoff match, ensuring qualification for La Blanquirroja for the first time since 1982.Hide Caption 1 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersPeru – Such were the magnitude of the celebrations in Lima when Jefferson Farfan put Peru 1-0 up, an earthquake detector in the city was activated at the exact moment of the goal.Hide Caption 2 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersDenmark – The Danes are also on their way to the World Cup after midfielder Christian Eriksen led the way with a hat-trick in an emphatic 5-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland in their playoff in Dublin.Hide Caption 3 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersDenmark – That treble took Eriksen's Russia 2018 qualifying campaign tally to 11 goals -- a new Danish record.Hide Caption 4 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersAustralia – But Eriksen wasn't the only midfielder to take home the match ball during qualifying that week, with Australia's Mile Jedinak coming to the fore in a 3-1 win against Honduras. Hide Caption 5 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersAustralia – After 29 months, 22 matches and hundreds of thousands of miles of traveling, the Socceroos celebrated qualifying for a fourth consecutive World Cup. Hide Caption 6 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersMorocco – The Atlas Lions booked their place at world football's greatest showpiece for the first time since 1998, topping Group C of African qualification without conceding a goal. Hide Caption 7 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersMorocco – Under manager Herve Renard, the only man to win the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries, Morocco have won five of their past seven fixtures. Hide Caption 8 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersSenegal – The Lions of Teranga joined them on the plane to Russia, topping Group D undefeated at the expense of Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and South Africa. Hide Caption 9 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersSenegal – It's the first time Senegal have qualified for a World Cup since 2002 when they defied the odds to reach the quarterfinals. Their captain that year, Aliou Cissé, now leads them from the dugout. Hide Caption 10 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersTunisia – A goalless draw at home to Libya on the final day was enough to see the Eagles of Carthage pip DR Congo to top spot in Group A of African qualifying. Hide Caption 11 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersTunisia – With a total of four World Cup group stage exits in their history, head coach Nabil Maâloul's men will hope to go at least one better at Russia 2018. Hide Caption 12 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersIceland – With a population of just 335,000, Iceland became the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup after beating Kosovo 2-0 to ensure the islanders topped European qualifying Group I. Hide Caption 13 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersIceland – Trinidad & Tobago, which has a population of 1.3 million, was the previous smallest country to reach a World Cup back in 2006.Hide Caption 14 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersNigeria – Nigeria were the first team from Africa to qualify for the upcoming World Cup, seeing off Group B opponents Zambia, Cameroon and Algeria.Hide Caption 15 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersNigeria – The Super Eagles have only failed to qualify for one tournament -- Germany 2006 -- since their World Cup debut in 1994.Hide Caption 16 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersEgypt – The Pharaohs qualified for Russia 2018 with a game to spare, topping Group E ahead of Ghana, Congo and Uganda to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1990. Hide Caption 17 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersEgypt – Goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, 44, made his international debut over two decades ago. Now he could become the oldest player in World Cup tournament history.Hide Caption 18 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersBrazil – Dispelling memories of their dismal 7-1 defeat to Germany at the 2014 World Cup, Brazil topped South American qualifying with ease, finishing ahead of the likes of Uruguay, Chile, Colombia and Argentina. Hide Caption 19 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersBrazil – Neymar, Paulinho, Gabriel Jesus, Philippe Coutinho and Willian scored 23 goals between them. Hide Caption 20 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersIran – Iran became the second team after Brazil to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, topping Group A of Asian qualifying without losing a game. Hide Caption 21 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersIran – Led by former Portugal and Real Madrid head coach Carlos Queiroz, the Iranians will hope to add to their single World Cup win -- secured against the US at France 1998 -- in Russia next year. Hide Caption 22 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersGermany – Boasting a 100% record in Group C of European qualifying, Germany could become the first team to retain the World Cup trophy since Brazil in 1962. Hide Caption 23 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersSerbia – Topping Group D of European qualifying ahead of the Republic of Ireland, Wales and Austria, Serbia qualified for a first major international tournament since 2010. Hide Caption 24 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersSerbia – With six goals to his name, striker Aleksander Mitrovic found the back of the net once every 119 minutes. Hide Caption 25 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersPoland – Poland booked their return to the World Cup after a 12-year absence, topping Group E ahead of the likes of Denmark, Montenegro and Romania. Hide Caption 26 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersPoland – No player scored more during European qualifying than Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich striker scored 16 times at a rate of once every 56 minutes. Hide Caption 27 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersEngland – Undefeated in Group F, Gareth Southgate's England qualified for their sixth World Cup with a game to spare. Hide Caption 28 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersSpain – Amid the furore of Catalonia's disputed independence referendum, Spain went undefeated and qualified from Group G of European qualifying with a match to spare after beating Albania 3-0.Hide Caption 29 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersBelgium – Spearheaded by the prolific Romelu Lukaku, Roberto Martinez's Red Devils dropped just two points throughout the entirety of their Group H European qualifying campaign. Belgium averaged 4.3 goals per game, more than any other team in World Cup qualifying. Hide Caption 30 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersJapan – With one ferocious sweep of his right foot against Australia, 21-year-old Yosuke Ideguchi booked Japan's place at Russia 2018. Hide Caption 31 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersJapan – Led by the likes of Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda, the Samurai Blue topped Group B by a single point to qualify for a sixth consecutive tournament. Hide Caption 32 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersSaudi Arabia – The Green Falcons beat Japan in the final round of Asian qualifying to finish second in a tightly contested group and book their place at Russia 2018. Hide Caption 33 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersSaudi Arabia – This will be Saudi Arabia's fifth appearance at a World Cup and the first since Germany 2006. Hide Caption 34 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersSouth Korea – Ever present at the World Cup since 1986, the Taeguk Warriors qualified for Russia 2018 courtesy of a second place finish in Group A of Asian qualifying. Hide Caption 35 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersArgentina – A hat-trick from Lionel Messi propelled Argentina into third in the South American qualifying table and an automatic spot. It was Messi's 44th career hat-trick and his fifth for Argentina.Hide Caption 36 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersUruguay – Messi's Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez scored twice in Uruguay's 4-2 win over Bolivia. The win ensured La Celeste finished second in South America qualifying. Suarez missed almost two years of playing competitive football for his country after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a group match at the World Cup in Brazil.Hide Caption 37 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersColombia – Colombia's Juan Cuadrado (C) leads a prayer after his team qualified for the 2018 World Cup following the 1-1 draw with with Peru in Lima. Colombia reached the quarterfinals in the 2014 tournament before losing 2-1 to hosts Brazil.Hide Caption 38 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersPanama – Panama qualified for the World Cup for the first time in their history after a 2-1 win against Costa Rica. Good news for the Panama national team but also the nation's citizens -- they were then given a public holiday by President Juan Carlos Varela.Hide Caption 39 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersPortugal – Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will also be at the World Cup after the Euro 2016 champions leapfrogged Switzerland to top Group B of European qualifying. Johan Djourou put the ball in his own net to hand the lead to Portugal, before Fernando Santos's men doubled their lead with a 57-minute Andre Silva strike.Hide Caption 40 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersFrance – Antoine Griezmann scored one goal and set up another for Olivier Giroud as the 1998 champions topped European Group A.Hide Caption 41 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersMexico – Mexico became the first nation from Central American qualifying to reach Russia 2018, only conceding five goals in 15 matches. Hide Caption 42 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersCosta Rica – The Tricolor joined them, qualifying for the upcoming World Cup in dramatic fashion courtesy of a header from Kendall Waston in the fifth minute of added time against Honduras.Hide Caption 43 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersCosta Rica – Oscar Ramirez's men finished second in CONCACAF qualifying behind Mexico. Hide Caption 44 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersSweden – A valiant performance from Sweden against Italy in November's playoff ensured the four-time winners failed to qualify for the first time since 1958.Hide Caption 45 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersCroatia – Elsewhere, Croatia drew 0-0 in their playoff with Greece but advanced to the finals 4-1 on aggregate.Hide Caption 46 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersSwizterland – Switzerland broke Northern Irish hearts by holding on to another goalless draw, advancing 1-0 on aggregate after a controversial penalty in the first leg.Hide Caption 47 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersRussia – Host nation Russia qualified for the 2018 World Cup without even having to kick a ball. The most recent competitive fixtures for Stanislav Cherchesov's men came in the 2017 Confederations Cup, where they crashed out in the group stage. Hide Caption 48 of 49 Photos: Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiersRussia – The draw for the 2018 World Cup is set to take place in Moscow's Kremlin building on Friday, December 1. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news and featuresHide Caption 49 of 49Sportswear manufacturer Adidas has been behind many of the most striking designs, which have become "true icons in the soccer world," said senior design director Juergen Rank in a statement.The company, he says, wants to "celebrate those icons in the world of today," and so many of Adidas' designs this year pay homage to the past with retro-influenced kits."(Fans) have a desire for authenticity and progression," says Rank. "They want something they immediately can identify with but at the same time it needs to contain the latest innovations and technologies of today. We bring the needs for the players and fans together."The design for Spain's kit this year, for instance, pays tribute to one of the nation's most famous shirts from the 1994 US World Cup. READ: David Villa: 'Spain has everything to take another World Cup'While Spain's 1994 kit (right) doesn't represent the most successful World Cup in the country's history, it was a unique design at the time.While that year wasn't the most successful in Spain's history, the shirt, featuring three stripes made up of yellow and navy diamonds, was unique and was worn by the likes of Pep Guardiola, Miquel Nadal and Luis Enrique. This year Adidas has brought it back to life -- though not without controversy. Adidas have redesigned Spain's 1994 World Cup kit for this year's competition in Russia.This year's kit has incorporated red into the stripes which sit closer together, causing a possible optical illusion which makes the navy appear purple. Some have argued it resembles the republican flag -- used by anti-monarchists. However, Spanish officials insist there is no intended link.Another throwback is Belgium's kit. Belgium wore a distinctive red, black and yellow argyle design across a white panel in the 1984 European Championship.Through the decades Belgium's kit has been designed by many manufacturers but Devlin says that Adidas is the firm that has arguably dressed the side with the most style. The country's red, black and yellow argyle design across a white panel from the European Championship in 1984 has gone down in history as one of the best -- thanks to its unusual design.Belgium's World Cup kit in Russia is a nod to the 1984 version.This year it returns, but without the white panel. But Devlin says the shirt is proof that a great-looking kit doesn't always inspire a great performance after Belgium suffered an embarrassing 5-0 defeat by France. READ: Rewriting football history -- with the help of VARInspiring millions - both players and fansFans dress in orange, in support of the Netherlands.Not only do good designs boost player confidence and inspire fans, shirts can also unite nations, according to Devlin."(Kits bring) international pride. It's something that the whole country can get involved with and when the team is doing well and there's a buzz around football, you see football shirts everywhere," he says."It's an incredibly powerful tool to unite the country."
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Boston (CNN)It's the image we'll always remember: the Boston Marathon bomber flipping the bird. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, already well on his way to being the most hated man in Boston, raised his middle finger to a surveillance camera in his cell at the federal courthouse on July 10, 2013. Later that day, he was arraigned on the 30 counts he now stands convicted of -- setting off the weapons of mass destruction that killed three people at the marathon's finish line and fatally shooting a campus cop between the eyes. Prosecutors presented this image of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as an unremorseful jihadist.For prosecutors, the image of a defiant defendant, middle finger raised in profane insult, was pure gold. It made it so much easier to demonize Tsarnaev, to argue that he should pay for his crimes with his life. The battle over the control of images and their spin has always been essential to this case. When Tsarnaev's tousle-haired, softly lit selfie appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, a retired cop was so incensed that he leaked some far less glamorous photos of the defendant. In those, Tsarnaev was bloodied and a laser targeted his forehead as he surrendered in a backyard in Watertown, Massachusetts.There are so many other images, almost too many to count, and they can't and shouldn't be overlooked. They show the people who are no longer here, and the others who lost part of themselves in the blasts of April 15, 2013. Read MoreThey're what this trial is really all about.The 13th JurorNo cameras are allowed at the Tsarnaev trial. But CNN's Ann O'Neill will be there every day. Think of her as The 13th Juror, bringing insights here weekly. And follow @AnnoCNN on Twitter daily.Federal prosecutors rested their case Thursday after presenting three days of powerful victim impact evidence. One image that sticks with me is a candid photo of Chinese grad student Lingzi Lu grinning and wearing Minnie Mouse ears. Living in the United States was her big adventure, and it lasted just seven months. Like most of her generation from China, Lingzi was an only child. Her parents, who had expected her to care for them in their old age, encouraged her to pursue her advanced studies in Boston. When she died, they did not take her back to China. They said she was a part of Boston, now, and buried her here in a pink bridal dress and a tiara. Her mother placed a gold hope bracelet on her wrist, and a matching one on her own, before heading back to China.Lingzi, her aunt said, "was a beautiful nerd." Two memorable photos tell us who Krystle Campbell was. In one, she wears a frilly red costume and tap shoes. As she got older, her father said, she chose tomboy pursuits. She was always his "Princess," but he seemed proudest of the photo of her in a baseball uniform. She played hardball as a kid, holding her own against the boys. "She had a pretty good arm," he said. And she could hit. She also had a wide grin and can-do spirit that won friends easily. She was the glue in her family, the one who rounded up all the aunts, uncles and cousins for big gatherings. And, she was the one person her brother felt understood him.The MIT officer who was killed, Sean Collier, wanted to be a cop his whole life. He came from what his stepfather called a "Brady Bunch family" -- six kids from two marriages. He had two sisters named Jennifer -- "dark-haired Jennifer" and "redhead Jennifer," the family called them.Collier wouldn't kill bugs, always setting them free outside, his brother said. And when they played cops and robbers, he was always the cop.Who were the victims?His essence was forever captured in a photo showing his mom pinning a badge on his chest at his police academy graduation. His face shines with pride. "That was probably the happiest day of his life," said his stepfather, Joe, who works for the state attorney general.And then there is Martin Richard, who was 8 when he died the most horrific death imaginable. A writer friend of mine once pondered after a school shooting how one writes an obituary for a child. If it was a good life, he observed, there wouldn't be much to say because it would be uneventful and filled with simple, ordinary pleasures.And so we are left with images of Martin and his gap-toothed smile, big ears and sprinkling of freckles, wearing a Red Sox uniform or a string of green St. Patrick's Day beads. But the photo nobody can forget is the peace sign on a poster Martin made for a school project and its message: "No more hurting people." I've seen the other, more disturbing images -- the ones too graphic to show here. Krystle Campbell's mouth opened in a scream, even as her friend, Karen McWatters, pressed their faces together. She held Campbell's hand while the blood drained from her body. "My legs hurt," Campbell said, and then her hand went limp. Lingzi Lu, her delicate musician's hands covering her eyes, screamed and tried to blot out the horror as she, too, bled to death in the street. A police officer, who stood by her side even after she died, recalled how she couldn't stop vomiting.We are haunted by the pool of blood in the seat of Collier's squad car, and how it seems almost too red. In the autopsy photo, the bullet hole in his head seems too tidy, considering the damage it did.Unforgettable, too, is what we saw of Martin, a tiny lump through the smoke as his mother, Denise, kneeled over him and begged him to live. "Please, Martin, please," she cried over and over.Jurors and spectators heard the blasts and the screams for the first time during the penalty phase of the trial. A high school senior's panicked wailing still rings in our ears; she survived but nearly lost her leg. In another clip, the first bomb is heard. Somebody says, "What the hell is that? Oh, my God. Something blew up. Oh, my God! Holy s---!" And then a second, louder blast goes off. For a moment, there is only silence, followed by bloodcurdling screams. Two more images from this trial will haunt everyone who saw them. The first shows Tsarnaev, wearing a white, turned-around ball cap, standing by a tree behind about a dozen children, including Martin Richard. The kids are lined up along a barricade and there's a metal grate around the tree. That's where Tsarnaev dropped his backpack containing a four-quart pressure cooker packed with gunpowder, nails and BBs. It was less than 4 feet away from Martin, who caught the full force of the blast.In a video shown Thursday, Steve Woolfenden enters the frame as Tsarnaev starts to slink away. Woolfenden is pushing his son, Leo, in a three-wheeled stroller. The bomb goes off and he and Martin and Denise Richard are blown to the sidewalk. Leo sits in his stroller, crying, "Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Daddy!"Woolfenden loses his leg -- he can see his boot, with the foot still in it, next to him on the sidewalk. Leo has a cut on his head and a skull fracture. Denise Richard has shrapnel in her eye, and Martin is obviously beyond saving. Tsarnaev vanished into the crowd. For two years, the last known image of him was the leaked photo of his surrender. Until Tuesday, when Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini asked a jury to make Tsarnaev pay for his crimes with his life. She unveiled the finger photo, a screen grab from a cellblock security camera. Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidence Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceA jury condemned Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death on Friday, May 15, for his role in killing four people and wounding hundreds more in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. See photos that were released as evidence in his trial.Hide Caption 1 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis undated photo of a young Tsarnaev with his brother, Tamerlan, was shown by the defense in the sentencing phase of the trial. Tamerlan died after being shot by police and run over by a car driven by his brother in the massive manhunt that followed the bombings.Hide Caption 2 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceKatie Russell met Tamerlan Tsarnaev at a nightclub and dropped out of college to marry him. Her mother, Judith Russell, testified that Tamerlan came between Katie and her family and that Katie became isolated. She eventually converted to Islam and changed her name to Karima Tsarnaeva. She was the breadwinner. But when company came for dinner, she cooked, served the men and then retired to another room.Hide Caption 3 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis collection of photos of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in his wrestling days was introduced by the defense.Hide Caption 4 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis photo of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, recovered from his computer, was shown during the sentencing phase.Hide Caption 5 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis image shows victims' positions in the crowd prior to the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013.Hide Caption 6 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceTsarnaev "flips the bird" in a jail cell during his first arraignment on July 10, 2013. The image was presented to jurors in the sentencing phase of his trial.Hide Caption 7 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceTsarnaev poses in front of a black standard adopted by various militant Islamist groups in this Instagram photo that was entered as evidence.Hide Caption 8 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors say Tsarnaev was a self-radicalized jihadist who pored over militant writings, including the article "How to Build a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom." It was found on his laptop and other devices, part of a full-edition download of Inspire magazine, a glossy English-language propaganda tool put out by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.Hide Caption 9 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis Russian manual on how to fire a handgun was found in the apartment where Tsarnaev's brother, Tamerlan, lived. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police in Watertown, Massachusetts, on April 19, 2013.Hide Caption 10 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis copy of The Sovereign, which calls itself the "newspaper of the resistance," was also found in Tamerlan Tsarnaev's apartment.Hide Caption 11 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidencePictured here is a box of bullets found on a street after the shootout in Watertown. The brothers' fingerprints were on the box, prosecutors said.Hide Caption 12 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceA pressure cooker was embedded in the side of a resident's Honda during the Watertown shootout.Hide Caption 13 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidencePhotos of the Watertown shootout were entered into evidence. Neighbors came to their windows and then retreated. One grabbed his infant son and headed toward the back of his house with his wife. Another grabbed a camera and took photographs from an upstairs window.Hide Caption 14 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThe Tsarnaevs had carjacked a Mercedes SUV in Watertown before the shootout. The vehicle was covered in bulletholes, and the rear window was shattered.Hide Caption 15 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis unexploded pipe bomb was found at the scene of the shootout between police and the Tsarnaev brothers in Watertown.Hide Caption 16 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors said these boards were attached to the boat where police found Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hiding. A carved message reads, "Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop."Hide Caption 17 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceSmashed phones and an ATM card owned by carjacking victim Dun Meng were in the yard where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found.Hide Caption 18 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors say this surveillance image shows Tsarnaev visiting an ATM hours before a police chase and chaotic shootout in which more than 200 rounds were fired.Hide Caption 19 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceAnother view of Tsarnaev's visit to the ATM.Hide Caption 20 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceExhibits related to the shooting death of MIT Officer Sean Collier were introduced to the jury on Wednesday, March 11. This image from the crime scene appears to show a bloody gun.Hide Caption 21 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis burned tank top and yellow hoodie belonged to bombing survivor Jessica Kensky.Hide Caption 22 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors say this Fox Racing logo was from one of the backpacks containing a bomb.Hide Caption 23 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors say this still image from surveillance video shows Tsarnaev in the UMass Dartmouth gym the day after the bombings.Hide Caption 24 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors showed the jury photos of what they say are Tsarnaev's writings inside the boat he was captured in.Hide Caption 25 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis image is from a surveillance camera outside the Forum restaurant in Boston's Copley Square just after the bombing.Hide Caption 26 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors presented two Twitter accounts linked to Tsarnaev that, they said, showed targeting the marathon had been on his mind for at least a year. One account, @J_tsar, contained 1,100 tweets and was the more mainstream of the two. On the day of the 2012 Boston Marathon, a tweet from the account read, "They will spend their money & they will regret it & they will be defeated."Hide Caption 27 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors said the second Twitter account is evidence that Tsarnaev led a double life. By day, he was a slacker college sophomore. By night, he was a wannabe jihadist, posting on the account @Al_firdausiA. In one tweet, he urged people to listen to radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki's lectures. "You will gain an unbelievable amount of knowledge," he said in March 2013, just weeks before the bombings. Prosecutors also allege in an indictment that Tsarnaev downloaded al-Awlaki's writings, calling him a "well-known al Qaeda propagandist." Al-Awlaki had been killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011.Hide Caption 28 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceHide Caption 29 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceA Boston Marathon bombing victim is tended to in the street.Hide Caption 30 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceVictims at the finish line just after the bombing.Hide Caption 31 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceEight-year-old Martin Richard, the youngest victim, can be seen standing on the rail in the front row.Hide Caption 32 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceA closer view of 8-year-old Martin Richard in the crowd before the bombing.Hide Caption 33 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceBoston police tend to a wounded child. CNN has chosen not to show the young victim's face.Hide Caption 34 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceMayhem along Boylston Street.Hide Caption 35 of 35In this phase of the trial, prosecutors must show that Tsarnaev's crimes were especially cruel and heinous, and that his character places him among the worst of the worst criminals. If Pellegrini was attempting to demonize the defendant, she initially was hugely successful. Spectators gasped in the three courtrooms set aside to accommodate the throngs who attend this trial daily. Even the most jaded members of the media were taken aback. "Almost three months after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had murdered Krystle Marie Campbell, Lingzi Lu, Martin Richard and Officer Sean Collier, he was here in this courthouse," Pellegini said, setting the scene. She reminded jurors of the "manifesto" Tsarnaev had scrawled in a boat while hiding from police: "He had one more message to send," she said, ominously.And there Tsarnaev was, standing on a bench in an orange jumpsuit, his mouth contorted and one eye blackened, raising the third finger salute."This is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev -- unconcerned, unrepentant and unchanged," Pellegrini said. "Without remorse, he remains untouched by the grief and the loss that he caused."You could almost hear Pellegrini say, "Voila!" as she ended her argument with the stunning visual aid.The New York Post featured the cellblock photo on its cover, along with the headline: "NO, F*#% YOU! Boston bomber remorseless." JUST WATCHEDBoston Marathon bomber flips the bird at cameraReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBoston Marathon bomber flips the bird at camera 01:55The defense tried to soften the blow on Wednesday, showing the video of the holding cell flip off during cross-examination of a federal marshal.Frozen in time, the still photo makes it appear as if Tsarnaev is defiant. But in the video, he seems more bored than angry, a 19-year-old kid stuck in a holding cell. His raised middle finger passes quickly, just one gesture among several. His actions seem rooted not in jihad, but in teenage selfie culture. He paces, preens his thick, curly hair, stands on one foot and pushes his face into the camera. He flashes two fingers in a "V" and then leaves the middle one standing. It only takes a second or two. And then he plops back down on the bench in cell No. 4. His expression seems more like mugging for the camera."I've seen people looking into the camera, yes," Deputy U.S Marshal Gary Olivera acknowledged under cross-examination. "A lot of times people do it to get our attention."53% say Boston bomber should face death penaltyDefense attorney Miriam Conrad suggested in her questioning that the glass covering the lens may be used by inmates as a mirror, and Olivera reluctantly conceded that was possible. So, what was spun by federal prosecutors as a defiant gesture by an unremorseful jihadist might just be the adolescent preening of a self-absorbed narcissist. It might have been a bit of an oversell.In the end, it really doesn't matter whether Tsarnaev flipped the bird because he's a terrorist or because he's a jerk.What matters are the images of all those other people, and what he did to them.
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Story highlightsThe king's son-in-law is under investigation in connection with his foundationUrdangarin is an Olympic medalist in handball His lawyer says he's innocentThe son-in-law of Spain's King Juan Carlos has been summoned to testify before a magistrate Saturday as a suspect in a fraud scandal that has created unprecedented problems for the popular royal family.Inaki Urgangarin, who was granted the title of Duke of Palma when he married the king's youngest daughter, Princess Cristina, in 1997, is under investigation for allegedly diverting public funds that were earmarked for his foundation for private use.Through his lawyer, Urdangarin has denied the charges. No trial has been set in the case, which has riveted national attention."People can understand if politicians, businesses or unions do this, but when it happens in the royal family, that is a hard blow for all Spaniards," said Gerardo Correas, an expert on royal affairs who runs the International School of Protocol in Madrid.The investigation, officially secret, has been top news for months in Spain as details were reported. The court in Palma de Mallorca has publicly confirmed only the basic charge of misappropriation of public funds and named Urdangarin and some former associates as suspects.Urdangarin, an Olympic medalist in handball, led a private foundation that secured lucrative contracts from regional governments to promote sports and tourism.As the case gained notoriety, the royal palace announced last December that the Duke of Palma would not take part in official ceremonies, which is a key role for members of the royal family.The royal household is widely respected for the king's role -- as head of state -- in guiding Spain to democracy after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.Also last December, the royal family publicly revealed its finances for the first time in an effort to boost public confidence and transparency.Then the king, in his annual Christmas address, issued a warning to public officials."Fortunately, we live in a state of law and any objectionable action should be tried and punished according to the law," the king said. "Justice is for all."Correas said the king "was clearly referring to the Duke of Palma, distancing himself from the duke."Madrid's wax museum already has moved the image of Urdangarin away from the royal family. He now stands alone in the section for sports figures.Urdangarin will mount a vigorous defense, said his lawyer, Mario Pascual Vives."I am still convinced that he is innocent," Pascual Vives said. "And I have always said that her highness, Princess Cristina, is not involved in this at all."Urdangarin and the princess have lived with their children in Washington, D.C., in recent years.Speculation was high earlier Friday about whether he would have to walk past cameras Saturday morning to enter the courthouse -- as other suspects under investigation in the case have done -- or whether he would enter in the courthouse in a vehicle, largely out of sight. The court late Friday issued a statement announcing that Urdangarin will be allowed to enter the courthouse in a vehicle on an "exceptional" basis made strictly for security reasons. Other suspects in the case have had to walk past cameras to enter the building.The testimony will be in a closed-door session, with no cameras allowed, in the investigating magistrate's chambers. Prosecutors and Urdangarin's defense lawyer would also attend.The judge has not said publicly when the investigation might conclude. After that, the judge may set a trial, and indict suspects who currently face only preliminary charges, or clear these suspects of all charges.
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In an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel Magazine, American whistleblower Edward Snowden has Confirmed that Stuxnet Malware was developed by NSA and Israel Together.
Stuxnet made international headlines in 2010 for specifically target a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, Iran. Stuxnet was designed to make the centrifuges spin out of control and cause physical damage to the plant in Natanz. Stuxnet temporarily disabled 1,000 centrifuges that the Iranians were using to enrich uranium.
Asked whether the NSA collaborates with Israel, Snowden said: "Yes, all the time. The NSA has a large section for that, called the FAD - Foreign Affairs Directorate."
"The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together," Snowden said when asked if the NSA had any involvement in the Stuxnet program.
Last year an even more complex computer virus called Flame was discovered and while initially it was not linked to Stuxnet, further investigation by Kaspersky Labs identified a module within both which indicated that the writers of Flame were the same as those behind Stuxnet.
Snowden also confirmed in the interview in Der Spiegel that the NSA was "in bed with the Germans, just like with most other Western states."
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Zemra Botnet Leaked, Cyber Criminals performing DDoS Attacks
The Zemra DDoS Bot is currently sold in various forums for about 100 € and detected by Symantec as Backdoor.Zemra. Zemra first appeared on underground forums in May 2012.
This crimeware pack is similar to other crime packs, such as Zeus and SpyEye, in that is has a command-and-control panel hosted on a remote server.
Zemra uses a simple panel with an overview of all statistics is needed.With the help of two graphs can be seen operating machinery and the region location.In addition, statistics on online and for more information. You have a chance to see everything online Socks5 and export them to the list.Traffic is encrypted and protected using the algorithm AES, each client communicates with a unique generated key.
Note : In "Tools Yard" we have Posted Zemra Source Code, Only for Educational Purpose.
A brief functional:
• Intuitive control panel
• DDos (HTTP / SYN Flood / UDP)
• Loader (Load and run).
• Cheat visits (visits to the page views).
• USB Spread (spread through flash drives)
• Socks5 (picks up socks proxy on the infected machine)
• Update (Updates the bot)
• [color = red] The process can not be completed because the He is critical.
• 256 Bit AES encryption of traffic from the bot to the server
• Anti-Debugger
• There is a choice of a particular country bots perform the job
After inspecting the source code, symantec identifies that two types of DDoS attacks that have been implemented into this bot: HTTP flood and SYN flood.
"To reduce the possibility of being infected by this Trojan, Symantec advises users to ensure that they are using the latest Symantec protection technologies with the latest antivirus definitions installed." Symantec suggest in a blog post.
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In past few months, the malware developers are more focusing on proliferating and upgrading malicious malwares to target Point-of-Sale (POS) machines. Due to the lack of concern and security measures, point-of-sale (POS) systems have become an attractive target for cybercriminals and malware writers.
BlackPOS malware caused massive data breaches in various US retailers targeting POS machines and the largest one is TARGET data breach occurred during the last Christmas holidays. The third-largest U.S. Retailer in which over 40 million Credit & Debit cards were stolen, used to pay for purchases at its 1500 stores nationwide in the U.S.
Neiman Marcus, Michaels Store were also targeted involving the heist of possibly 110 million Credit-Debit cards, and personal information. BlackPOS malware was embedded in point-of-sale (POS) equipment at the checkout counters to collect secure data as the credit cards were swiped during transactions.
Now the latest one is the 'Nemanja botnet,' a recently discovered new piece of malware that has infected almost 1,500 point-of-sale (POS) terminals, accounting systems and other retail back-office platforms from businesses across the world.
"The bad actors combine several attack vectors in order to infect operators' stations – "drive-by-download" and remote administration channels hacking." researchers said.
This massive, global botnet campaign was unearthed by the Security researchers at the cybercrime intelligence firm IntelCrawler, which includes more than 1,478 hosts in almost 35 countries worldwide, including the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, China, Japan, Israel and Italy, as well as other developing countries.
"The analyzed botnet has affected various small businesses and grocery stores in different parts of the world, making the problem of retailers' insecurity more visible after past breaches. Past incidents showed high attention from modern cybercriminality to retailers and small business segments having Point-of-Sale terminals." Intercrowler explained in a blog post.
IntelCrawler is the company that most actively investigate the electronic crimes related to the Point-of-Sale (POS) systems. IntelCrawler is also the same firm that discovered the BlackPOS malware used in Target data breach and it also had traced the malware author of BlackPOS malware in the beginning of the year.
Nemanja botnet was discovered by the cyber intelligence company in March. It includes POS malware with keylogging capabilities that is highly being used by cybercriminals to steal sensitive information such as username and passwords and in this case, attackers used this feature to steal payment or personal identifiable data from various bank office systems and databases.
"IntelCrawler predicts that very soon modern POS malware will become a part of RAT/Trojans and other harmful software acting as a module, which may be used along with keylogger and network sniffing malware." Intercrowler explained.
IntelCrawler predicts a significant increase for the number of data breaches in the future and that in coming days modern PoS malware will be incorporated as modules into malicious remote access tools (RATs) or other Trojan programs and will be used along other components, like those for keylogging or network traffic sniffing.
Point-of-sale (POS) systems are critical components in any retail environment and users are not aware of the emerging threats it poses in near future, so to overcome the upcoming threats we should know its architecture, the areas of attacks and the defense measures. For this you can refer a Book 'Hacking Point of Sale: Payment Application Secrets, Threats, and Solutions' to grab the in-depth research of the point-of-sale (POS) systems, how it works, how it could be exploited, and what protection measures should be taken.
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One of the oldest active malware families, Pushdo, is again making its way onto the Internet and has recently infected more than 11,000 computers in just 24 hours.
Pushdo, a multipurpose Trojan, is primarily known for delivering financial malware such as ZeuS and SpyEye onto infected computers or to deliver spam campaigns through a commonly associated components called Cutwail that are frequently installed on compromised PCs. Pushdo was first seen over 7 years ago and was a very prolific virus in 2007.
Now, a new variant of the malware is being updated to leverage a new domain-generation algorithm (DGA) as a fallback mechanism to its normal command-and-control (C&C) communication methods.
DGAs are used to dynamically generating a list of domain names based on an algorithm and only making one live at a time, blocking on 'seen' Command & Control domain names becomes nearly impossible.
With the help of a DGA, cyber criminals could have a series of advantages like overcoming domain blacklisting, resisting domain takedowns by simply registering another domain generated by the same DGA, avoiding dynamic analysis and extraction of C&C domain names.
According to researchers at Bitdefender, about 6,000 compromised systems in the 1.5 million-strong botnet now host this new PushDo variant. The most affected countries so far by the new Pushdo variant are in India, Vietnam and Turkey, but systems in the United Kingdom, France and the United States have also been targeted, according to the security software firm Bitdefender.
MOST AFFECTED COUNTRIES
Vietnam - 1319
India - 1297
Indonesia - 610
United States - 559
Turkey - 507
Iran, Islamic Republic of - 402
Thailand - 345
Argentina - 315
Italy - 302
Mexico - 274
The Romanian firm reckons 77 systems have been compromised in the UK just in the past 24 hours, with more than 11,000 infections reported worldwide over the same period of time.
"We managed to successfully intercept Pushdo traffic and gain some idea of the size of this botnet," states Catalin Cosoi, chief security strategist at Bitdefender.
"The sheer scale of this criminal operation, unsophisticated as it may be, is rather troubling and there are indications that the botnet is still in a growth phase. We shall be continuing our investigation as a key priority and further updates shall be made available in the coming days."
Despite four takedowns in past years of PushDo command-and-control (C&C) servers, the botnet endures, evolving and flourishing by continuously adding evasion techniques to mask its C&C communications.
Apart from DGA, attackers have also resurfaced the public and private encryption keys used to protect the communication between the bots and the Command and Control Servers, but the protocol used for the communication remained the same.
They have also added an "encrypted overlay" to the latest Pushdo binaries, which acts as a "checkup," making sure the malware sample doesn't run properly unless certain conditions specified in the overlay are not met, said the blog post.
This new approach of cyber criminals would make life harder for the FBI and law enforcement agencies who are trying every effort to take down Botnets across the world.
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(CNN)World No. 1 Novak Djokovic announced on social media on Thursday that he will compete in the Tokyo Olympics."I booked my flight for Tokyo and will proudly be joining #TeamSerbia for the Olympics," Djokovic said in a tweet.Djokovic, who has won the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon this year, has the chance to become the first man to win a so-called Golden Slam should he win the singles gold medal in Tokyo and later the US Open in New York. The only tennis player to have won all four majors and Olympic gold in a calendar year is Steffi Graf, when she accomplished the feat in 1988.Following winning Wimbledon, Djokovic had put himself at "50-50" on competing in the Olympics, citing the lack of spectators as well as the strict Covid-19 restrictions.Djokovic is tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most major singles titles in men's tennis, with 20.Read MoreNadal and Federer are part of a growing list of players opting not to compete in this year's Olympics. Those not going to Tokyo also include Serena Williams, Sofia Kenin, Dominic Thiem, Simona Halep, Nick Kyrgios, Bianca Andreescu, Denis Shapovalov, Victoria Azarenka, Angelique Kerber and Vasek Pospisil.The Olympics are scheduled to start July 23. The US Open is scheduled to be held August 30 through September 12 in New York.
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(CNN)The Pittsburgh Steelers are making headlines during their bye week, which is typically not something NFL teams want to do.Steelers linebacker Anthony Chickillo, 26, was arrested Sunday and charged with assault after a dispute with his girlfriend, the NFL said on its website.The incident occurred at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania, some 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, according to Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Robert Broadwater.The State Police said they received a domestic disturbance call at 1:40 a.m. on Sunday. What started as an argument between Chickillo and his girlfriend, Alysha Newman, became physical, according to Broadwater.Chickillo "grabbed both arms and forced her against the wall, then threw her on the ground," Broadwater said.Read MoreChickillo was arraigned Sunday and released on a $10,000 unsecured bond. He is charged with simple assault, harassment and criminal mischief, according to court documents obtained by CNN.Court documents did not list an attorney for Chickillo. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 30.Newman was given a summary citation, also known as summary harassment, which usually results in nothing but a fine, Broadwater said.Chickillo was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft and has played his whole pro career with the team in a reserve role. He was not present Monday at the Steelers' practice facility, where the rest of the team was practicing."He has been instructed to not be in the building today as we gather more information and work with the NFL Office," Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten told CNN.CNN's Kristina Sgueglia, Jill Martin, Evan Simko-Bednarski and Monica Haider contributed to this report.
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(CNN)NATO will send a written proposal to the Kremlin later this week to "try to find a way forward" amid growing tensions over Russia's troop build-up on Ukraine's border, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday."We will outline that we are ready to sit down ... and discuss arms control, disarmament, transparency on military activities, risk reduction mechanisms, and other issues which are relevant for European security. And also to sit down and listen to Russian concerns," Stoltenberg said. The NATO chief said last week that the Western military alliance would soon send its written proposals to Russia, responding to Moscow's security demands and suggest serious talks on arms control and measures of transparency on military activities and missile deployments.Stoltenberg's comments came a day after NATO announced that some member countries were putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to Eastern Europe.The moves signaled mounting fears of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, following months of military maneuvering by Moscow that has set off a tit-for-tat series of escalations with NATO.Read MoreSpeaking from Brussels, Stoltenberg said there is "still a diplomatic way out" of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, "but that requires that Russia de-escalates and is ready to engage in good faith in political talks with NATO and NATO allies."Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko (R) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (C) arrive to attend the NATO-Russia Council at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, on January 12.Russia has deployed tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine since last year, and is sending forces into neighboring Belarus for joint exercises next month that Ukrainian officials fear could serve as a "full-fledged theater of operations" from which to launch an attack. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied it is planning to attack Ukraine, but has argued that NATO support for the country constitutes a growing threat on Russia's western flank."NATO will not deploy NATO combat troops to Ukraine, but we need to be sure that there is no misunderstanding about our readiness, our commitment to defend all allies, especially in the eastern part of the alliance," Stoltenberg told CNN, explaining that was why the alliance had increased its presence in the eastern part of the alliance, in the Black Sea and Baltic regions. The West fears Russia is about to attack Ukraine. But that's not the way Russians are seeing it on TVIn a statement on Monday, NATO said that member states had announced a number of deployments to Eastern Europe in recent days. They include Denmark sending a frigate to the Baltic Sea and four F-16 fighter jets to Lithuania; the Netherlands deploying two F-35 fighter aircraft to Bulgaria; France expressing its readiness to send troops to Romania; and the US considering increasing its military presence in the East. There was no suggestion in the statement that the troops would be used to assist Ukraine, which is not a NATO member.Stoltenberg told CNN that NATO was weighing whether to further increase its position with "enhanced forward presence or battlegroups, also in the southeast of the alliance.""Strong deterrence is the best way to prevent any attack on any NATO ally and the best way to prevent a conflict," he added.High-level talks between the West and Russia wrapped earlier this month without any breakthroughs, leaving prospects of de-escalation and future diplomacy in doubt. The US and its NATO allies had hoped the talks could spur Russia to pursue a path of "de-escalation and diplomacy," but Russian officials were incensed over the US and NATO's refusal to entertain a contentious list of security demands. The demands include a ban on Ukraine entering NATO and that the alliance roll back its expansion in Eastern Europe. The US and its NATO allies have repeatedly said such proposals from Moscow are non-starters.
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(CNN)Fourteen people involved in recent group thefts at high-end Los Angeles stores have been arrested, authorities said.Groups working in tandem stole property "using weapons and physical force to overwhelm and intimidate store employees and other patrons" in 11 instances from November 18-28, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore announced in a press conference Thursday.Among these incidents were four robberies, six burglaries and one grand theft, said Moore, who linked them to a series of what he described as smash-and grab thefts in the state and across the country. Why some US cities are facing a spree of 'smash-and-grab' crimes Not all the recent group thefts have targeted high-end stores either, as there have also been similar crimes perpetrated against pharmacies and cannabis dispensaries.Group robberies last month in California, Illinois and Minnesota have led to state and local law enforcement committing more resources toward combating organized theft. Read More"These crimes were characterized with multiple suspects working together and coordinate instances involving destruction of property, assault on store employees, and caravans of vehicles parking very close to high-end retail stores," said Moore.All 14 suspects in the Los Angeles crimes are out of custody, Moore said. Some suspects are still outstanding. The amount of property that was stolen is worth about $338,000 and more than $40,000 in property damage, according to Moore, who said the stolen items are likely being resold at a discounted price.
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(CNN)All good things must come to an end, and so it was that Magnus Carlsen's record-breaking streak without defeat in classical chess was halted by Jan-Krzysztof Duda on Saturday.World champion Carlsen, whose unbeaten run had stretched back 125 games -- or two years, two months and 10 days -- was downed by world No. 15 Duda in round five of the Norway Chess tournament. Carlsen's previous defeat in classical chess came against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in July 2018.Jan-Krzysztof Duda (left) downed Magnus Carlsen in the Norway Chess tournament."It had to happen at some point," the Norwegian said of the defeat. "But in any case, it's very, very disappointing."READ: Magnus Carlsen wants to revolutionize the ancient gameRead MoreREAD: Magnus Carlsen wins richest and most-watched online chess event everDuda's win capped off a stellar day for Polish sport as it came hot on the heels of Iga Swiatek winning the French Open -- the country's first grand slam singles title. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki took to Twitter to congratulate both Duda and Swiatek on their victories. Jan-Krzysztof Duda (left) hands Magnus Carlsen his first defeat in more than two years in classical chess during the Norway Chess tournament."I'm really happy, obviously, I didn't expect to win this game at all," Duda told chess24. "I wasn't very happy with my play so I thought losing to Magnus is nothing terrible at all. That was relaxing me, (thinking) okay, it's not a big deal considering the games I played earlier in this tournament."Revenge came swiftly for Carlsen. In the sixth round, he faced Duda again and this time defeated his opponent in 26 moves. Norway Chess, which runs from October 5 to 16 in the city of Stavanger, is the first elite-level in-person tournament since competitions moved online amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Cybersecurity researchers on Thursday disclosed a new attack wherein threat actors are leveraging Xcode as an attack vector to compromise Apple platform developers with a backdoor, adding to a growing trend that involves targeting developers and researchers with malicious attacks.
Dubbed "XcodeSpy," the trojanized Xcode project is a tainted version of a legitimate, open-source project available on GitHub called TabBarInteraction that's used by developers to animate iOS tab bars based on user interaction.
"XcodeSpy is a malicious Xcode project that installs a custom variant of the EggShell backdoor on the developer's macOS computer along with a persistence mechanism," SentinelOne researchers said.
Xcode is Apple's integrated development environment (IDE) for macOS, used to develop software for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
Earlier this year, Google's Threat Analysis group uncovered a North Korean campaign aimed at security researchers and exploit developers, which entailed the sharing of a Visual Studio project designed to load a malicious DLL on Windows systems.
The doctored Xcode project does something similar, only this time the attacks have singled out Apple developers.
Besides including the original code, XcodeSpy also contains an obfuscated Run Script that's executed when the developer's build target is launched. The script then contacts an attacker-controlled server to retrieve a custom variant of the EggShell backdoor on the development machine, which comes with capabilities to record information from the victim's microphone, camera, and keyboard.
"XcodeSpy takes advantage of a built-in feature of Apple's IDE which allows developers to run a custom shell script on launching an instance of their target application," the researchers said. "While the technique is easy to identify if looked for, new or inexperienced developers who are not aware of the Run Script feature are particularly at risk since there is no indication in the console or debugger to indicate execution of the malicious script."
SentinelOne said it identified two variants of the EggShell payload, with the samples uploaded to VirusTotal from Japan on August 5 and October 13 last year. Additional clues point to one unnamed U.S. organization that's said to have been targeted using this campaign between July and October 2020, with other developers in Asia likely to be targeted as well.
Adversaries have previously resorted to tainted Xcode executables (aka XCodeGhost) to inject malicious code into iOS apps compiled with the infected Xcode without the developers' knowledge, and subsequently use the infected apps to collect information from the devices once they are downloaded and installed from the App Store.
Then in August 2020, researchers from Trend Micro unearth a similar threat that spread via modified Xcode projects, which, upon building, were configured to install a mac malware called XCSSET to steal credentials, capture screenshots, sensitive data from messaging and note taking apps, and even encrypt files for a ransom.
Like XCSSET, XcodeSpy takes an easier route, since the goal appears to be to strike the developers themselves, although the ultimate objective behind the exploitation and the identity of the group behind it remains unclear as yet.
"Targeting software developers is the first step in a successful supply chain attack. One way to do so is to abuse the very development tools necessary to carry out this work," the researchers said.
"It is entirely possible that XcodeSpy may have been targeted at a particular developer or group of developers, but there are other potential scenarios with such high-value victims. Attackers could simply be trawling for interesting targets and gathering data for future campaigns, or they could be attempting to gather AppleID credentials for use in other campaigns that use malware with valid Apple Developer code signatures."
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(CNN)As a massive winter storm takes aim starting Friday at much of the eastern US, officials from the Southeast to New England are preparing for what could be crippling ice and heavy snow. A significant winter storm with snow, sleet, and freezing rain expected to impact the eastern USMore than 50 million people from the Midwest eastward are under winter weather alerts as predicted rain, snow, sleet or freezing rain threatens dangerous road conditions and frigid temperatures. Check if snow is forecast for your regionThe storm is due to dive into the lower Mississippi Valley region by Friday night, then meander Saturday across the Southeast before heading north Sunday and Monday along the Eastern Seaboard. Here's how leaders of some states along its path are getting ready for the winter blast: Read MoreGeorgiaGeorgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued an order Friday declaring a state of emergency for dozens of counties in preparation for the upcoming winter storm, which is expected to bring freezing rain, ice and snow to the region.Among the dangers parts of the state could see is the accumulation of black ice on roadways and powerful wind gusts that could exacerbate potential damages, including power outages and downed trees, according to the order. During a media briefing earlier Friday, Kemp said the state was deploying resources to protect residents against severe weather and, if needed, to also assist neighboring states. Kemp urged Georgians to be "weather aware" this weekend, adding, "you can help us minimize risks, reduce the time it takes to recover and most importantly keep everyone safe."Pretreatment of roads began Friday morning and will take about 18 hours to complete, Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said Friday. Interstates will be double-treated. 25 ways to stay warm this winter that won't break the bankWhen pretreatment stops, plowing and spreading of salt and gravel will begin. Roughly 19,500 miles of roadway have to be treated and plowed, McMurry said. A day earlier, he warned the state expects to see downed trees, limbs and power lines, and urged motorists to "take this storm very seriously and stay off the roads.""There's still a lot of uncertainty with the level of this storm, but it is pretty clear that we are going to experience a significant weather event in some parts of Georgia over the weekend," said James Stallings, the director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.South CarolinaGov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon, and urged South Carolinians to monitor conditions and take winter safety precautions."South Carolina will be impacted by a major winter storm this weekend, likely beginning Sunday morning," McMaster said in a statement issued by his office. "There is a potential for very dangerous conditions caused by accumulations of ice and snow, which will likely result in power outages across the state."South Carolina's Transportation Department "has initiated its winter storm operations plan to counter a 'worst-case scenario' of winter weather conditions," according to a statement Wednesday. Crews planned to use anti-icing pretreatments as early as Thursday on priority roads and bridges.Residents were urged to stay off roads to allow crews to work safely, Transportation Secretary Christy Hall said in the statement. "The safest solution is for drivers to stay off the roads if at all possible. If you must drive, slow down and watch for crews performing deicing and plowing operations," Hall said."We are monitoring the possibility of winter storm weather in the Upstate and Midlands region this weekend," Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted Thursday. "Residents in these areas should start monitoring local weather forecasts and prepare safety precautions ahead of this weekend."
North CarolinaLabor shortages in North Carolina portend longer response times for clearing roads as the winter storm bears down, the state Department of Transportation said Friday. Gov. Roy Cooper signed a state of emergency Thursday to activate state resources ahead of the storm and allow for federal reimbursement, if conditions allow, according to a news release. "This storm will bring significant impacts from snow, sleet and freezing rain in different parts of the state, with likely power outages and travel disruptions," Cooper said in a statement. "North Carolinians should pay close attention to their local weather forecast over the next few days, and make sure they are personally prepared before Saturday afternoon."Virginia"We expect this storm to have a significant impact in many parts of Virginia," Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement Friday, his last full day in office before handing the reins to Glenn Youngkin.I-95 in Virginia reopens after winter storm strands some drivers for more than 24 hours"Declaring a state of emergency now allows our emergency responders to prepare, and to move supplies and equipment where they expect to need them the most," he said. "This also gives Governor-elect Youngkin the ability to respond to any storm needs swiftly.""I urge Virginians to take this storm seriously and make preparations now."Parts of Virginia are still dealing with last week's winter storm that left motorists stranded on Interstate 95, including restoring power and removing debris. "This upcoming weather system is likely to include additional downed trees, more electrical outages, and significant impacts on travel conditions," Northam's office said.Virginia transportation officials said they are dedicating more than 100 snow plows and other pieces of heavy equipment to a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 95 ahead of this weekend's storm. "We want to execute and make sure that travel continues through the whole region," Virginia Department of Transportation spokesperson Kelly Hannon told CNN. Some trucks will be focused on specific interchanges in three northern Virginia counties, including the city of Fredericksburg, Hannon said. The state's transportation department will also employ six heavy-duty wrecker tow trucks that can remove tractor trailers from the highway. More than a dozen department employees will be driving on the interstate to monitor and report any deteriorating conditions, Hannon added. The department is urging drivers not to travel on Sunday, Hannon said, as the agency is expecting the storm to be a mixed event of snow, sleet and freezing rain. West VirginiaA state of preparedness has been declared for all 55 counties in West Virginia due to the winter storm, according to a statement Friday from Gov. Jim Justice's office. It gives agencies preparing for and responding to the storm "posturing personnel and resources to respond quickly should an emergency develop."The state emergency management agency "monitors for any events that may threaten the citizens of West Virginia, including severe weather threats. We're prepared at all times to respond should there be an emergency," its director, G.E. McCabe, said in the statement. ConnecticutConnecticut Gov. Ned Lamont directed his state to "severe cold weather protocol" starting at noon ET Friday through Wednesday -- his second such act this year."It's looking like we are going to see another blast of arctic temperatures moving into the state, followed by the potential for a winter storm," Lamont said Friday in a news release. "These conditions can be extremely dangerous if someone is outdoors for extended periods of time, which is why we are urging anyone in need to seek shelter."CNN's Amy Simonson, Jennifer Henderson and Pete Muntean contributed to this report.
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Story highlightsIn June 2013, Brooklynn Mohler, 13, was unintentionally shot and killed by her best friendAn estimated 1.7 million to 2 million American children live in homes with unsecured firearmsSo far this year, at least 212 minors have unintentionally killed or injured someone with a gun, study saysBrooklynn's parents are on a crusade to save other children and families from their pain (CNN)About two months before a bullet killed her daughter, Darchel Mohler stood in the very kitchen where the fateful gun would be retrieved and played the role she had mastered: Overprotective Mother. Her daughter, Brooklynn, had just turned 13 and Mohler visited Brooklynn's best friend's nearby home in Las Vegas to lay down some rules with the friend's single father. It was the sort of conversation that mortified Darchel's three kids. When Brooklynn was visiting, she told him, there could be no boys. No alcohol. No going out after dark. If she ever got in a car, her seat belt had to be on. "I told him, 'The girls are teenagers, and we have to work together to get them through being teenagers,'" Darchel remembers. "I was the captain of Brooklynn's ship, and I was going to get her through the fog." She and her husband, Jacob, thought their bases were covered. But on the horizon was an issue they didn't foresee: Firearms. Read MoreThey never thought to address that one.'Don't be sorry -- do something'In 2013, 69 children under the age of 14 died from the accidental discharge of a gun, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brooklynn was one of them. But another comprehensive report on child gun deaths puts that number at 100.It's a form of tragedy that's bound to continue, gun control advocates say. An estimated 1.7 million to more than 2 million children in America live in homes where guns are not safely stored or secured. And children in America are 16 times more at risk of being killed in unintentional shootings than their peers in other high-income countries, according to the report, "Innocents Lost," spearheaded by the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. So far this year, at least 212 children, ages 17 or younger, have unintentionally killed or injured someone with a firearm, the group has calculated.The latest national headline-grabber came out of Chicago, when a 6-year-old boy grabbed a gun from the top of the family refrigerator and shot and killed his 3-year-old brother while playing "cops and robbers." Stories like this one kick the Mohlers in the gut -- and reinforce the work they do in their daughter's memory.By sharing their story through the Brooklynn Mae Mohler Foundation, their Facebook page "Justice for Brooklynn" and events in their community, the Mohlers are on a mission to make sure other families don't suffer like they have. They are not alone in this crusade. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America launched a campaign -- the Be SMART campaign -- which specifically encourages conversations about firearms in homes and is geared toward pushing for responsible gun ownership and storage. And on the legal front, 28 states and the District of Columbia have enacted child access prevention laws, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which ostensibly should help prevent such tragedies. The problem, though, is that these laws impose varying levels of criminal liability on gun owners when firearms fall into the hands of children. Nevada is among 13 states that impose a weaker standard. There, an adult is only liable if he or she "intentionally, knowingly and/or recklessly" provides firearms to minors. As Jacob explains, if the friend's father had physically handed the gun to his daughter, he would have been held accountable in Brooklynn's death. Since he wasn't there, he was off the hook. Yes, the Mohlers wish the laws in Nevada had held the father of their daughter's friend responsible. They hate that people refer to such shootings as accidents when in their minds what happened to Brooklynn was pure negligence -- and absolutely preventable. But they've chosen to leave hot-potato, drawn-out political and legal battles to those who have time. What matters most to them requires immediate attention. The Mohlers want parents to ask if there are unsecured firearms in the homes where their children play. They want gun owners to pledge that they will safely store and secure firearms. And they want children to vow that they will stay away from guns. It's as simple as that."There's no one who can argue with our message, and that's by design," says Jacob, a gunowner himself. "We do this not because we chose to. It chose us. When people say they're sorry, I say don't be sorry -- do something." What could have beenDarchel, on a break from her job as a surgical technologist, thinks about Brooklynn and remembers how she couldn't wait to see what that girl would become.Brooklynn Mohler loved Disneyland. This photo was taken during a surprise mommy-daughter weekend to the park in February 2012. She was well-rounded: an honor roll student, a competitive gymnast and runner, a violinist. President of her elementary school, Brooklynn was a natural leader. She'd round up younger kids in the neighborhood to play school. She was the teacher. "Jacob and I were the principal and vice principal," Darchel says with a laugh. Real teachers, who knew what Brooklynn was about, would pass off old teaching materials for her to use. She exuded compassion. Darchel recalls wondering where Brooklynn's clothes had gone in middle school, only to find out her daughter had been giving them away to a girl she thought needed them more. Stray animals weren't allowed anywhere in Brooklynn's radius. The family already had three dogs, two of them rescues, but their backyard regularly served as a holding pen for others until they, too, found homes -- or space in a no-kill shelter.Jacob, a commercial and residential home inspector, had and still has two guns of his own. Brooklynn always hated them. She associated them with hunting and killing animals, which she, unsurprisingly, despised.As they've always been, the guns are locked in a large fireproof safe, bolted to the wall and floor. Jacob liked them for sport and enjoyed shooting clay pigeons. They've gathered dust since losing Brooklyn; the fun in them is gone.The children were taught early that guns were not toys. If they ever came across guns, their father told them, they should get as far away as possible.Brooklynn listened. She was shot in the back as she walked away.Not a prankJacob was annoyed when he showed up at Brooklynn's friends house to pick her up on June 4, 2013. He'd been trying to reach her on her cell phone, to tell her he was close, but she wasn't answering his text messages -- which wasn't like her. The only reason she had a phone was so that her parents could reach her.When the door opened, her friend's little brother blurted out that Brooklynn was hurt. Jacob first thought he was being pranked.The friend was holding Brooklynn and said she thought she'd been shot. He thought to himself, "What the hell are you guys doing with a gun," but he looked at his daughter and couldn't see any blood or a wound. When he rolled her over, he spotted the hole through her lower spine. He went into panic mode, thinking then that she'd either die or be paralyzed. The story goes that the friend took a 9mm Glock from the kitchen cabinet. Her father had given her a couple of lessons and left it for her in case there was ever an intruder, Jacob says. That gave her a confidence she hadn't earned, he suspects. She thought it was disarmed, that she'd taken out the bullets, and was messing with it when it fired. The friend was freaking out while keeping 911 on the line. Jacob used the CPR training he'd had as Brooklynn gasped for breath. Later, he'd learn that the bullet tore through his daughter's spine before puncturing a lung and then her heart."Stay with me! C'mon! Don't go!" he said as he worked to save her before the ambulance came."I ultimately knew I was losing her," he says now. People who've lost loved ones to gun violence often recount that moment when they got the call. For Jacob, it wasn't getting a call but rather making the call -- to his wife.When Darchel answered her phone, it was her turn to think she was being pranked. She didn't recognize the voice on the other end and quickly hung up. When Jacob called back, she was slapped with reality.Channeling the griefEven as he was coming home from the hospital after his daughter died, Jacob remembers saying to his brother-in-law that something had to be done, something about guns had to change.Brooklynn used to dream that she would someday own a sprawling farm. It would be a safe haven for every unwanted animal in the world, her father says. When she first learned about chinchillas, she said she'd need a chinchilla wing. As they planned her funeral, they knew they didn't want a house full of dying flowers. Instead, they asked for donations to a no-kill animal shelter. To this day, people give to the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Brooklynn's name. Brooklynn, upper right, appears in her last formal Mohler family portrait, taken in December 2011. With her is her older brother, Levi; her parents, Darchel and Jacob; and her younger sister, Madisson. The Mohlers host an annual 5K Run for Safe Guns; the most recent drew 800 participants. Multiple times a year, they set up tables at events, like the National Night Out hosted by law enforcement, to talk to people, ask them to sign pledges and pass out free gun locks -- supplied to the Mohlers at no cost by the police department. If someone local emails to inquire about a lock, Jacob will hand deliver it. Almost daily, they receive notes from across the country through their Facebook page. The Mohlers have never spoken to Brooklynn's friend. For a while, Darchel says she tried to get to her; she wanted to know every detail of what happened that day. But she's never had the opportunity. She can only hope the girl has gotten help. About two years after the shooting, Jacob phoned the father. "I said everything I had to say," Jacob continues. He only stopped when the father began to weep. "I said, 'I don't want to listen to you cry,' and I hung up on him." Darchel says she forgives; she must in order to heal. There's no manual on how to navigate life after losing a child this way, but she says she, her husband and their two other children -- daughter Madisson, 12, and son Levi, 18 -- grieve together and she tries to model moving forward through the pain.Part of that means channeling her grief into this cause. "I grieve like every other mother, but I'm not going to give up. I'm not going to crawl under a rock. I'm not going to be quiet about it. She deserves more," Darchel says. "I have one life. The inevitable is death. I will be with her someday. And I will try my best while I'm here to give her voice and make sure no other family will endure this."The Mohlers want people to put children's safety above the need to have firearms so easily accessible. Risking the scenario that happened to Brooklynn -- and to her friend -- as well as to the two young brothers in Chicago show why."It's too much to put on the child," she says. "We're the adults. We're the responsible ones."
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A new vulnerability has been disclosed in iOS Camera App that could be exploited to redirect users to a malicious website without their knowledge.
The vulnerability affects Apple's latest iOS 11 mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices and resides in the built-in QR code reader.
With iOS 11, Apple introduced a new feature that gives users ability to automatically read QR codes using their iPhone's native camera app without requiring any third-party QR code reader app.
You need to open the Camera app on your iPhone or iPad and point the device at a QR code. If the code contains any URL, it will give you a notification with the link address, asking you to tap to visit it in Safari browser.
However, be careful — you may not be visiting the URL displayed to you, security researcher Roman Mueller discovered.
According to Mueller, the URL parser of built-in QR code reader for iOS camera app fails to detect the hostname in the URL, which allows attackers to manipulate the displayed URL in the notification, tricking users to visit malicious websites instead.
For the demo, the researcher created a QR code (shown above) with the following URL:
https://xxx\@facebook.com:443@infosec.rm-it.de/
If you scan it with the iOS camera app, it will show following notification:
Open "facebook.com" in Safari
When you tap it to open the site, it will instead open:
https://infosec.rm-it.de/
I have tested the vulnerability, as shown in the screenshot above, on my iPhone X running iOS 11.2.6 and it worked.
QR (Quick Response) code is a quick and convenient way to share information, but the issue becomes particularly more dangerous when users rely on QR codes for making quick payments or opening banking websites, where they might end up giving their login credentials away to phishing websites.
The researcher had already reported this flaw to Apple in December last year, but Apple hasn't yet fixed the bug to the date.
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There's both good news and bad news for Fortnite game lovers.
Fortnite, one of the most popular games in the world right now, is coming to Android devices very soon, but players would not be able to download Fortnite APK from the Google Play Store.
Instead, Epic Games software development company has confirmed the Fortnite APK for Android will be available for download exclusively only through its official website, bypassing the Google Play Store.
Why Fortnite for Android Bypassing Google Play Store?
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney cites two main reasons for this decision.
First, offering Fortnite APK downloads directly from its official website will allow the company to "have a direct relationship" with its consumers.
Second, since Google takes a 30 percent cut of revenue each time a user makes an in-app purchase through its Play Store, the decision will allow the company to save millions. This should not be shocking as Fortnite on iOS made $15 million in just first three weeks.
Moreover, one should not forget, by covering Android, Epic Games is targeting the other 85 percent of the world's smartphone audience with the release of Fortnite for Android.
"When you search for Fortnite on iOS, you'll often get PUBG or Minecraft ads. Whoever bought that ad in front of us is the top result when searching for Fortnite," Sweeney said in an interview with GamesBeat.
"It's just a bad experience. Why not just make the game available directly to users, instead of having the store get between us and our customers and inject all kinds of cruft like that? It's a general criticism I have of the smartphone platforms right now."
Sweeney argues that profit-sharing, such as Microsoft or Nintendo's cut of Fortnite in-game purchases, is OK on gaming consoles "where there's enormous investment in hardware, often sold below cost, and marketing campaigns in broad partnership with publishers."
However, Sweeney says that Google's 30% cut is "disproportionate to the cost of the services these stores perform, such as payment processing, download bandwidth, and customer service."
Fortnite for Android Downloads Could Put Users Security At Risk
However, it should be noted that offering Fortnite APK from a third-party website is risking Android users in terms of security by escaping the built-in protections provided by the Google Play Store.
Fortnite for Android has not been launched yet, but due to current popularity and craziness across the globe surrounding the video game, we have seen how a large number of Android users are falling for malicious or fake Fortnite APKs distributed by cybercriminals and scammers.
Though Play Store is also not entirely immune to malware, recommending a large number of users to install (via sideloading) a third-party app outside of the official app store would leave an opportunity open for hackers to spread malware.
The move will simply encourage users to manually enable "Install Apps from Unknown Sources" option in the settings menu or accept a variety of Android security prompts in order to install Fortnite game directly from the Epic Games website.
So, thousands of people out there searching, "how to install Fortnite on Android" or "how to download Fortnite APK for Android" on the Internet, could land themselves on unofficial websites, ending up installing malware.
To play Fortnite on Android, players first need to visit the Fortnite.com website to first download the Fortnite Launcher, which will then let them load the Fortnite Battle Royale onto their devices.
"But from a customer perspective, it sucks. Security experts, tech companies, and app developers all agree it's best practice to only download apps from trusted developers, and only from legitimate app stores," Selena Larson raised security concerns in a blog post.
"By shirking these practices, Epic Games is normalizing behavior that can lead to kids' phones getting hacked."
"For instance, hackers could masquerade as legit Fortnite representatives or gamers and trick people into downloading malware. This method of phishing Android users to install bad apps and spyware has been used by state-backed adversaries and average bad actors alike."
Right now, there is no concrete release date yet for Fortnite for Android, but speculations suggest the world's most famous battle royale game—with more than 125 million players at the current—will be launching as a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 exclusive for 30 days.
Epic Games did not comment on the Fortnite's partnership with Samsung, but said the game is going to work on high-end Android devices—that's 300 million or so out of the 2.5 billion Android devices in the world.
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(CNN)Smoke from severe wildfires raging on the West Coast has blown thousands of miles east, reaching parts of the Midwest, Canada and upstate New York. The Western US has the worst air quality in the world, group saysAt least 35 people have died in the fires, the worst of which are burning in California, Oregon and Washington state. They've burned over 4.6 million acres in the West, devastating the environment and sullying air quality. Now, smoke from those fires has swept eastward in two large swaths: One has blown across the upper western US to Michigan and the Great Lakes region and over to Rochester, New York. The other has traveled across the southwest through Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky, ending in the Mid-Atlantic, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Satellite and Product Operations. Smoke from the Western wildfires has traveled thousands of miles east to the Midwest and even upstate New York, satellite images show.Light to medium smoke cover also blew east into Toronto and Ottawa in Canada, as well as north to Vancouver and northeast to Calgary in Western Canada. A narrow strip of land between both smoke paths was spared, including parts of Nevada, Utah and Colorado. The haze hasn't impacted air quality in most of the eastern US. From North Dakota to New York, air quality is still considered "good" in areas where smoke has traveled. Air quality is still hazardous in parts of California, Oregon and Washington, according to AirNow, an air quality database maintained by government agencies including NOAA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read MoreThis year's fire season is unprecedented in scale and severity. There are currently 87 large wildfires actively burning in 10 states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, and over 3 million acres have burned in California alone.There could be far worse disasters on the horizon. Climate scientists warn that as global temperatures increase, so will the prevalence of catastrophic wildfires. Hot and dry conditions, conducive for wildfires, are already becoming the norm -- it's up to humans to mitigate the activity that has accelerated climate change, scientists say. CNN's Judson Jones and Drew Kann contributed to this report.
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In an unprecedented sting operation, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) ran an encrypted chat service called ANoM for nearly three years to intercept 27 million messages exchanged between criminal gang members globally.
Dubbed Operation Ironside (AFP), Operation Greenlight (Europol), and Operation Trojan Shield (FBI), the long-term covert probe into transnational and serious organized crime culminated in the arrests of 224 offenders on 526 charges in Australia, with 55 luxury vehicles, eight tons of cocaine, 22 tons of cannabis and cannabis resin, 250 firearms, and more than $48 million in various currencies and cryptocurrencies seized in raids around the world.
A total of more than 800 arrests have been reported across 18 countries, including New Zealand, Germany, and Sweden. Europol called it the "biggest ever law enforcement operation against encrypted communication."
The communications allegedly involved plots to kill, orchestrate mass drug trafficking, and gun distribution, according to the AFP, which gained lawful access to these encrypted messages through using the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018.
"For almost three years, the AFP and the FBI have monitored criminals' encrypted communications over a Dedicated Encrypted Communications Platform," AFP said. "The AFP built a capability that allowed law enforcement to access, decrypt and read communications on the platform. The AFP and FBI were able to capture all the data sent between devices using the platform."
The cryptographic barriers were surmounted by inserting a master key into ANoM's encryption system that was stealthily attached to every message, thus enabling the law enforcement to execute a man-in-the-middle (MitM) scheme to decrypt and retrieve the messages as they were transmitted.
For devices located outside of the U.S., an encrypted "BCC" copy of the messages was forwarded to a server located in an unnamed third country, from where it was forwarded to a second FBI-owned server for subsequent decryption.
ANoM (aka Anøm) is said to have been intentionally created to fill the vacuum left by Phantom Secure, another encrypted phone service dismantled by the FBI in 2018, thereby allowing the agencies to eavesdrop on the conversations unbeknownst to the criminals.
In a move echoing that of Phantom Secure, criminals needed to be part of a closed network to get hold of a phone on which ANoM came preinstalled, while the devices themselves were stripped of all other functionality.
Among some of the features of the app included the ability to —
Send encrypted text and voice messages
Make secure voice calls
Share photos, videos, animated GIFs, locations, drawings, and
Send files of any type
In addition, phone owners also had the option to verify their contacts via a QR code, create distribution lists, and chat completely anonymously without even requiring a phone number, according to a listing from the now taken down anom.io website.
Operation Ironside follows similar law enforcement actions that involved infiltrating encrypted chat platform EncroChat to tap millions of encrypted messages sent by organized crime networks through the platform. Earlier this year, a coordinated exercise under the name "Operation Argus" staged major interventions against Sky ECC, leading to nearly 275 raids and the arrest of 91 suspects, besides seizing 17 tonnes of cocaine and €1.2 million.
A Trojan Horse to Trap Crime Syndicates
In controlling the encrypted chat network right from its inception in 2018, ANoM was a cleverly designed trap meant to ensnare domestic and international organized crime syndicates who had previously relied on other platforms to facilitate murders and drug smuggling.
To that end, the FBI recruited a confidential human source, who had previously sold phones from both Phantom Secure and Sky Global to criminal organizations and had "invested a substantial amount of money into the development of a new hardened encrypted device" (i.e., ANoM), to penetrate the crime networks and distribute the devices.
Besides agreeing to cooperate with law enforcement authorities for the possibility of a reduced prison sentence, the FBI paid the informant $179,508 for the services rendered as well as for living and travel expenses.
"The devices organically circulated and grew in popularity among criminals, who were confident of the legitimacy of the app because high-profile organised crime figures vouched for its integrity," the AFP said. By May 2021, the phones, which were procured from the black market, had increased to 11,800 in number, of which about 9,000 are in active use, spanning over 300 criminal syndicates operating in more than 100 countries.
The top five countries where ANoM devices are currently used are Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia, and Serbia, unsealed court documents show, with its user base having grown significantly in the aftermath of Sky ECC's disruption.
"After the takedown of Sky ECC in March 2021, many organised crime networks sought a quick encrypted replacement for a communication platform that would allow them to evade law enforcement detection," Europol said. "This was a deliberate and strategic aspect of OTF Greenlight / Operation Trojan Shield resulting in the migration of some of the criminal Sky ECC customer base to the FBI-managed platform ANoM."
The international coalition that participated in the joint operation consisted of Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the U.K. (including Scotland), and the U.S.
"A goal of the Trojan Shield investigation is to shake the confidence in this [hardened encrypted device] industry because the FBI is willing and able to enter this space and monitor messages," the court documents stated.
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We are already aware about the fact that most probably every mobile app is collecting our data in one or the other form. Thanks to Edward Snowden, who provided the secret documents that revealed that the world's most popular Smartphone applications, including gaming apps such as Angry Birds, are telling the government intelligence agencies (NSA) everything about us.
We reported earlier that how the government intelligence agencies, such as British intelligence agency GCHQ and U.S. intelligence firm NSA, use popular games to collect users' personal data including their GPS location.
Yes, the popular game Angry Bird, which is the top-selling paid mobile application in the United States and Europe for the iPhones, Android and has been downloaded more than a billion times by the devoted game players worldwide, who often spend hours squawking and playing the game. In fact earlier this month, CBS 60 Minutes shows that how Rovio shares users' locations.
Recently, the Security vendor FireEye posted a detailed critique of Angry Birds that again raises questions on the Rovio's Angry Bird. The security firm claimed that many popular Smartphone mobile apps, including Rovio's ubiquitous Angry Birds game is sharing users' data to advertising companies and 3rd party networks, which was previously denied by the developers of Angry Birds in the month of January.
Like many other app developers, Rovio is also making money by selling ad space in its games. To do this, they collect as much information on players as possible, usually by introducing new deals and features in return for supplying them with your email address, age and other identifiers.
ANGRY BIRDS SHARING DATA WITH ADVERTISING COMPANIES
According to the security firm, the new update of Angry Bird available on Google Play store on 4th March, works together with Burstly, ad-mediation platform and third-party ad networks including Jumptap and Millennial Media to share and store users' almost all kinds of information such as age, gender, and many more. It first fetches the customer id, then uploads the personal data to the cloud and then transmits it to the other advertising clouds.
"Once a Rovio account is created and personal information uploaded, the user can do little to stop this personal information sharing. Their data might be in multiple locations: Angry Birds Cloud, Burstly and third-party ad networks such as Jumptap and Millennial Media," researchers say.
Angry Birds app also offers a newsletter signup to players, that update Angry Birds players with new games, episodes, and special offers. Rovio's newsletter signup collects the player's first and last name, email address, date of birth, country of residence, and gender.
ROVIO DOES NOT PROVIDE USER DATA TO NSA, BUT NSA HAVING IT
Rovio, the firm behind the making of the Angry Bird stressed that it was migrating towards its own ad platform and that they are not sharing it with other 3rd party networks or any Government Agencies.
Declining to the claims, Rovio issued a statement in the month of January that reads, "The alleged surveillance may be conducted through third party advertising networks used by millions of commercial web sites and mobile applications across all industries. If advertising networks are indeed targeted, it would appear that no internet-enabled device that visits ad-enabled web sites or uses ad-enabled applications is immune to such surveillance. Rovio does not allow any third party network to use or hand over personal end-user data from Rovio's apps."
"Our fans' trust is the most important thing for us and we take privacy extremely seriously. We do not collaborate, collude, or share data with spy agencies anywhere in the world."
Previous news stories explained that how NSA is intercepting users' data via popular mobile apps without the knowledge of service providers or app developers, so nothing here that leads to a change of surveillance state, because it might be possible that Government Agencies are collecting apps data through advertising companies.
Users are advised to play Angry Birds or any other Mobile game without signing up an account in order to avoid sharing personal data, but that won't stop the game from sharing device information.
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Story highlightsSlma Shelbayah: I wear a headscarf to support diversity; since presidential election, I don't feel safe to do soShe says it's the obligation of the incoming President Trump to push back at hate and embrace the diversity of AmericaSlma Shelbayah is an assignment editor and producer for the CNN Wire. She is also an adjunct professor in the College of Business and Mass Communication at Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. Shelbayah frequently speaks on topics such as international communication, Islam, culture and leadership. The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers. (CNN)Over the presidential campaign and in the heated days after the election, I've seen report after report of racist incidents and hate crimes. It seems as though the fear-mongering rhetoric used throughout the campaign may have given a free ticket to those ready to act with hate. JUST WATCHEDAna Navarro: Trump 'unleashed' feelings of racismReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAna Navarro: Trump 'unleashed' feelings of racism 02:09Some of the stories have touched me on an even more personal level, like seeing stories of Muslim women being insulted or attacked for wearing headscarves. That some women must fear for their safety in America because of a personal choice they make when getting dressed absolutely baffles me. They are being forced to conform.How can some people be so hateful to attack others with such confidence and not consider the consequences? This issue rocks me to my core for two reasons:The first? Nearly a year ago I wrote a commentary in these pages about removing my hijab to find myself. I decided to wear it only part time, and then, after experimenting with it, chose to keep it on full time. What is hijab? A scarf -- a simple piece of material in many sizes, shapes and colors wrapped over a Muslim woman's head. While for most people the reason to cover may be religious, mine is primarily social.Read MoreI choose to wear a hijab as a symbolic expression of diversity in society. I exercise my freedom without fear or influence.JUST WATCHEDWoman in hijab forced to leave Trump event ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWoman in hijab forced to leave Trump event 01:53Really: what's the big deal? It's literally just another piece of clothing. But for various reasons, some people try to define it in black or white terms. The reality is that it stands for many things related to fashion, religion, politics and society. It's personal and intimate. It is a woman's choice: what to wear or not wear, an exercise of her preference. In America, I am free to wear it as I please.But the freedom feels threatened in a Trump America. Keeping a hijab on may potentially cost me my safety and endanger my young daughters. I find myself worried about every trip I take outdoors with them. Thoughts of being attacked or putting my girls in harm's way fill my head. I wonder: Is it just safer to take it off again so I don't "look" Muslim? My faith whispers to keep it on in defiance of fear — and in my conviction that diversity is a right and a strength in this country.'Make America White Again': Hate speech and crimes post-electionAnd the second reason for my alarm?My older daughter voluntarily shares with just about anyone that she is of Turkish, Egyptian, Pakistani and Indian descent, adding that her ultimate pride is in being American and Muslim. Since her toddler years, she has seen her cultural background as one of the most exciting aspects of her life. I teach both my girls to embrace diversity and cherish it in others. They have traveled to many countries and are aware of the complex world around them. I have raised them to honor everyone for their unique differences.Now, it seems everything I've taught my daughters about diversity as empowerment has been challenged.I am having to explain the intolerance and hate that surfaced in our nation during the presidential campaign, and seems to be erupting anew since the election. My girls have questions about the spiteful rhetoric they overhear, despite my efforts to protect them from it. They even asked me if news of a Muslim ban was true and if our family will have a place to live. Trump's failure on 'heeby jobbies'Suddenly, I find myself needing to prepare them for another life lesson: Honoring diversity in others does not guarantee the same in return.But there is more: Openly threatening a woman if she does not remove an article of clothing and further taking action by touching that woman is a violation — an assault. And as Americans who stand for the rights and freedoms of all, we cannot condone assault, regardless of which side of the political spectrum we may lean. No one should contemplate hiding their way into safety by changing the way they look or dress. And it is not only Muslims in headscarves: Other minorities find themselves looking for ways to fit in while maintaining their identities and staying safe. At least I can remove a scarf from my head; others cannot change their skin color or features to hide their way into safety. JUST WATCHEDFirst U.S. Olympic Muslim athlete to wear a hijabReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFirst U.S. Olympic Muslim athlete to wear a hijab 02:09America, we are bigger and better than the few among us who choose to act out of fear rather than love. The America I know is not limited to certain beliefs, it is inclusive of our uniqueness. It has space for all of us.We cannot allow hateful speech or differences to divide us. We cannot allow divisiveness to drive us into a fall. We must stand up for ourselves and for our fellow Americans. We must remain united. This is not a matter of religious choice, it's the duty of each of us to ensure and protect the same rights for others that we want granted to ourselves.And this brings me to our President-elect, Donald Trump, for whom I have a message:Views on Election 2016Van Jones talks to Trump votersTim Naftali: Trump, don't repeat NixonThe backlash against progress 'Riggin ironic: More people voted for Clinton Doctor: Trump's reality on health careFrida Ghitis: Speak out vs. bigotsDemocrats need to start overJoseph J. Ellis: Backlash against progress Peter Bergen: Trump's national security guruWhat would Jackie O. say about Melania? How Trump can avert a human tragedyTrump's shocking victory: What it meansWomen leaders on Clinton lossThe 2016 election: A cartoon viewJulian Zelizer: What Trump did rightThe people have elected you to become the next President of the greatest nation in the world. We have heard you speak numerous times throughout the campaign about your plans to protect our citizens from the dangers in the world. Thank you for having the passionate desire to keep us safe. But consider this: Security begins at home. Allowing division over differences can lead to hateful crimes, racial slurs and intolerance, and makes Americans less safe. Shortly after you won the election, you stated you would be president to all Americans. In an interview on TV the other night, you even looked into the camera and told your supporters to stop harassing minorities. "Stop it," you said. I am counting on you to mean it. We need to hear, expressed as loudly as during the campaign, that you believe this country is for ALL Americans. Reassure us that our nation will no longer be motivated by fear and that it will come together as one full of a diversity that is respected and embraced. We want you to use your rhetoric. Use your resources. Tweet us messages of tolerance and unity. I, along with my daughters and all other Americans who value the freedoms and justice afforded to us, anticipate you will start with making America great at home first. The America that we know stands for liberty and justice for all, so that none of us have to ever contemplate the way I am right now, trading our free choice for safety.Editor's note: This commentary has been revised from an earlier version that was published prematurely.
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Docker Hub, one of the largest cloud-based library of Docker container images, has suffered a data breach after an unknown attacker gained access to the company's single Hub database.
Docker Hub is an online repository service where users and partners can create, test, store and distribute Docker container images, both publicly and privately.
The breach reportedly exposed sensitive information for nearly 190,000 Hub users (that's less than 5 percent of total users), including usernames and hashed passwords for a small percentage of the affected users, as well as Github and Bitbucket tokens for Docker repositories.
Docker Hub started notifying affected users via emails informing them about the security incident and asking them to change their passwords for Docker Hub, as well as any online account using the same password.
"On Thursday, April 25th, 2019, we discovered unauthorized access to a single Hub database storing a subset of non-financial user data. Upon discovery, we acted quickly to intervene and secure the site."
"For users with autobuilds that may have been impacted, we have revoked GitHub tokens and access keys, and ask that you reconnect to your repositories and check security logs to see if any unexpected actions have taken place."
The company has not revealed any further details about the security incident or how the unknown attackers gained access to its database.
Docker says the company is continuing to investigate the security breach and will share more information as it becomes available.
The company is also working to enhance its overall security processes and reviewing its policies following the breach.
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Tokyo (CNN)Reports of this summer's Tokyo Olympic Games being canceled due to Covid-19 are "categorically untrue", the International Olympic Committee said in a statement to CNN on Friday.The Japanese government also said on Friday that it is determined the Games will go ahead following an unconfirmed report that a cancellation might be imminent. On Friday, the Times of London, citing an unnamed senior member of the ruling coalition, reported that Japanese authorities had privately concluded that the Olympics could not proceed due to the ongoing pandemic. CNN has not independently verified this report, which officials have refuted"Some news reports circulating today are claiming that the government of Japan has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be canceled because of the coronavirus," said the statement from the IOC. "This is categorically untrue ... All parties involved are working together to prepare for a successful Games this summer."Read MoreIn a statement, the Tokyo 2020 organizers said that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had expressed to them his determination to hold the Games, and that meetings were ongoing to ensure that they could go ahead while implementing thorough infection countermeasures and other precautions due to the pandemic. "All our delivery partners including the national government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the IOC and the IPC are fully focused on hosting the Games this summer," the statement said. "We hope that daily life can return to normal as soon as possible, and we will continue to make every effort to prepare for a safe and secure Games."JUST WATCHEDOlympic prep continues in Tokyo despite rumors of cancellationReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHOlympic prep continues in Tokyo despite rumors of cancellation 03:32Speaking in parliament Friday morning, Suga said the Games "will be a symbol of humanity overcoming the novel coronavirus, and a chance to showcase Japan's reconstruction from the devastating (2011) earthquake and tsunami to the world.""We are determined to work closely together with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, and the IOC to realize a safe and secure Olympics," Suga said.Other Olympic officials were also quick to deny the claims made by the Times. "Unfortunately, I need to address unfounded rumors that Tokyo Games will be canceled, rumors that only create more anxiety for the athletes in our sports," Australian Olympic Committee CEO Matt Carroll told reporters Friday. "The Tokyo Games are on. The flames will be lit on the 23rd of July 2021. This has been just reconfirmed again by the Japanese Prime Minister this afternoon." In a thread on Twitter, Canadian Olympic chief David Shoemaker said his team was "unaware of any decision taken by the Japanese government as is being reported." "The Canadian Olympic Committee has confidence that the Games can be staged safely and successfully given what has been learned in sport over the last several months and the emphasis the IOC and Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee have placed on Covid-19 countermeasures," he said. "We continue in our preparation to participate at Tokyo 2020 with a focus on the health and safety of our athletes, their families, and their communities." Saturday marks six months until the postponed Games are due to begin.CNN's Aleks Klosok contributed to this report.
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The Russian government is offering almost 4 million ruble which is approximately equal to $111,000 to the one who can devise a reliable technology to decrypt data sent over the Tor, an encrypted anonymizing network used by online users in order to hide their activities from law enforcement, government censors, and others.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) issued a notice on its official procurement website, originally posted on July 11, under the title "шифр «ТОР (Флот)»" ;which translates as "cipher 'TOR' (Navy)" an open call for Tor-cracking proposals whose winner will be chosen by August 20.
The MIA specifically wants researchers to "study the possibility of obtaining technical information about users and users' equipment on the Tor anonymous network," according to a translated version of the Russian government's proposal.
Only Russian nationals and companies are allowed to take part in the competition "in order to ensure the country's defense and security." The participants require to pay a 195,000 ruble (about $5,555) application fee in order to participate in the competition.
Tor, which was actually invented at the U.S. Navy, anonymizes the identity of an online user by encrypting their data and sending it through a unique configuration of nodes known as an onion routing system – making it difficult to trace.
Now in the hands of a nonprofit group, the project continues to receive millions of dollars in funding from the U.S. government every year, but boasts approximately 4 million users worldwide, among them many tech-savvy digital activists in countries where technical censorship and surveillance are prevalent.
Tor has encountered problems in Russia before. Nonetheless, the MVD had previously sought to ban the use of any anonymizing software, though the proposal was dropped last year.
SERIOUS THREAT FOR ACTIVISTS AND WHISTLEBLOWERS
Anonymity, which is of everybody's interest, specially of activists, journalists, researchers, whistleblowers, who uses Tor anonymity service to hide their activities, are now under great threat from both sides.
In my opinion, announcing a million dollar competition doesn't provide any government full authority to hack the widely used anonymity network. Such move has put both, Russian and U.S Governments in the same category.
Tor has been the constant target of government intelligence agencies and other entities seeking to unveil the identities of anonymous Internet users. Even the U.S. government intelligence agency NSA and U.K. intelligence GCHQ made multiple attempts and spend significant resources to target users of Tor and to break Tor program's anonymity as revealed by Global surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden last year.
Last year, it was revealed that a zero-day vulnerability in Firefox was used to unmask users of the privacy-protecting "hidden services" Tor, which was estimated to be an effort of the FBI in order to crack down on Freedom Host, a Tor server provider, as part of a child pornography case.
A talk at the upcoming Black Hat security conference in August entitled 'You don't have to be the NSA to Break Tor: De-Anonymizing Users on a Budget,' by the researchers from Carnegie Mellon University was abruptly pulled earlier this week, because the materials they would discuss have not been approved for public release by the university or the Software Engineering Institute (SEI).
Just few days ago, Exodus Intelligence reported that its researchers had found a critical zero-day security vulnerability in the privacy and security dedicated Linux-based TAILS, an operating system designed to be booted from a CD or USB stick that uses Tor and other services to hide the identity of the users and leave no trace of their activities on their computer machines. While, the developers with the Tor Project said that they are working on the issues to fix the weakness as soon as possible.
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Story highlightsProtesters staged a sit-in at Gezi Park after Istanbul authorities announced it was being rebuiltThe demonstration turned violent after riot police moved in with tear gas and water cannonProtesters have been chanting for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to resignThe rioting has spread to other provinces of Turkey and scores of people have been injuredWhat started as a peaceful sit-in over plans to demolish a park in central Istanbul has grown to become the biggest protest movement against Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan since he was elected more than 10 years ago.What prompted the protests?Gezi Park sits in Istanbul's main commercial district and is the last green space in the city center. So, it didn't go down well with many residents when authorities announced they want to raze the park and put in its place a replica of 19th Century Ottoman barracks -- containing a shopping mall. On Friday, a district court ordered a temporary stop to any construction. Mayor Kadir Topbas emphasized the park demolition was not related to the shopping mall project, but was a part of a wider renovation project of Taksim Square. But many of the demonstrators say their anger is no longer directed against the proposed government plan. In Istanbul, the crowds have been chanting "Tayyip resign" -- referring to Erdogan -- and "shoulder to shoulder against fascism." JUST WATCHEDGezi Park protests peaceful for nowReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHGezi Park protests peaceful for now 02:46JUST WATCHEDTurkish protesters target prime ministerReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTurkish protesters target prime minister 03:06JUST WATCHEDProtests threaten Erdogan's grand plansReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHProtests threaten Erdogan's grand plans 02:42JUST WATCHEDPolitical turmoil in TurkeyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPolitical turmoil in Turkey 02:13Read more: Turkey protests show no sign of letdownOn Tuesday, the KESK confederation of public sector workers --representing 240,000 members -- called a two-day strike to protest what it called the "facism" of Erdogan's governing party.Why did the demonstrations turn violent?At first, the protests involved a handful of angry residents holding sit-ins. But the numbers quickly grew. Riot police moved in, lobbing tear gas and pepper spray and protesters responded by hurling bottles, blocking bulldozers and setting up barricades. Then, outraged by the behavior of security forces, demonstrators began attacking police.International human rights groups Amnesty International and Greenpeace have denounced what they describe as the excessive use of police force against peaceful protesters.A spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton issued a statement that said Ashton "regrets disproportionate use of force by members of the Turkish police." Ashton also called for talks between the two sides.Erdogan conceded Saturday that Turkish security forces had made excessive use of tear gas against demonstrators.Read more: War-torn Syria issues travel warning against Turkey"There have been errors in the actions of the security forces, especially with regard to use of pepper gas. Right now that is being investigated, researched," he said."There is an error there, sure. When it is used excessively we are against it as well. And in fact there was such excess." However, on Monday, Erdogan dismissed allegations that security forces used excessive force, and denied that Turkey could be on the cusp of its own "Arab Spring." "We are servants of the people, not masters. We did not use violence," he said before leaving for a four-day trip to North Africa.On Tuesday, Turkey's semi-official news agency Andalou quoted Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc as saying the country's security and intelligence forces were working to prevent the escalation of violence. "They are doing a hard job. When they are executing their jobs, they may sometimes use extraordinary even excessive use of force. But they wait in a passive mode unless something comes from the other side," Arinc said. He said security forces had been ordered to only use gas in self-defense.How widespread are the protests?Since Friday, there have been protests in 67 of Turkey's 81 provinces, according to Andalou. There have been reports of confrontations in the capital, Ankara, as well as the port cities of Izmir and Adana.The Turkish Medical Association claimed that at least 3,195 people had been injured in clashes Sunday and Monday. Only 26 of them were in serious or critical condition, it said.One protester, Mehmet Ayvalitas, died of his injuries, the association said. And the governor of Hatay in southeastern Turkey said that a 22-year-old man, Abdulah Comert, was killed with a firearm by unknown suspects during demonstrations late Monday, Andalou reported.More than 700 people have been detained since Tuesday last week, and most have been released, it said. Why do the protesters want Erdogan to step down?JUST WATCHEDUpdate on Turkey's unrestReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHUpdate on Turkey's unrest 01:33JUST WATCHEDTurkish citizens want PM to resignReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTurkish citizens want PM to resign 00:46JUST WATCHEDProtest in Turkey turns violentReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHProtest in Turkey turns violent 01:12JUST WATCHEDErdogan: Powerful, popular, polarizingReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHErdogan: Powerful, popular, polarizing 02:26The police crackdown on the park demonstrators set off the wider unrest. Now, the scope of the protests shows there is a bigger issue, about freedom of speech and accusations of heavy-handed government, at stake.Elected to power than a decade ago, Erdogan is the most powerful and popular politician Turkey has seen in generations, but his approach to leadership doesn't sit well with all Turks, said Asli Aydintasbas, a columnist for Milliyet Newspaper.Read more: Court to hear case at center of Istanbul protests"We have a prime minister who has done great deeds and he really has run the economy well," she said. "But you also have this paternalistic style: 'I know what's good for you. I, as your father, can decide on the park, the bridge, the city and the constitution.' So, I think people are just wanting to have a more inclusive form of democracy in Turkey." Tuncay, a 28-year-old demonstrator, told CNN on Saturday. "The Erdogan government is usually considered as authoritarian. He has a big ego; he has this Napoleon syndrome. He takes himself as a sultan... He needs to stop doing that. He's just a prime minister."How has Erdogan reacted?A defiant Erdogan shows no inclination to give in to protesters' demands. On Monday, Erdogan said: "Those in Turkey who speak of the Turkish Spring are right; the season is, in fact, spring," he said. "But there are those trying to turn it into a winter."He said opponents who had failed to defeat his party in elections were trying to beat it "by other means." "The issue of trees in Gezi Park thing is just the trigger," he said.Fadi Hakura, associate fellow and manager of the Turkey Project at London-based think-tank Chatham House, said demonstrations were not equivalent to the uprisings that led to the toppling of other Arab leaders two years ago."Unlike Egypt and other Arab countries, Turkey is a functioning, albeit incomplete, democracy and has been since 1950," he said."Erdogan received a resounding mandate of almost half the vote in the last general elections in 2011. He still remains the most popular politician in Turkey, while the opposition is widely seen by many Turks as weak and ineffective."Hakura said the protests coincided with a "rapidly slowing economy" and "the ultimate determinant of Erdogan's staying power will be the state of the Turkish economy rather than anti-government demonstrations."Read more: Why Turkey's protests are no Arab SpringSo is Erdogan authoritarian?In November 2012, Erdogan won leadership of his Justice and Development Party, or AKP, for the third time, reaching the party's term limit. However, the AKP's internal constitution was amended during the party congress to allow parliamentarians who have already served three terms -- such as Erdogan -- to be re-elected after sitting out an election cycle. "One of the most important aspects of the convention was the message that the prime minister is not going anywhere," Suat Kiniklioglu, a former AKP parliamentarian and director of the Strategic Communication Center based in Ankara, wrote in an e-mail to CNN at the time."Instead he will try to become a president who can maintain his party affiliation, or will try to change the system into a presidential or semi-presidential system," he said.Has religion played any role in the unrest?Hakura says the protests partially reflect "the deep ideological polarization between secular, liberal-minded Turks, and the more religious Turks."The modern Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious orders."Secular Turks complain that the Islamist-rooted government is intolerant of criticism and the diversity of lifestyles," he says and "so far, Erdogan's robust and muscular stance vis-à-vis the demonstrators has reinforced those perceptions."Erdogan describes his AKP party as a "conservative democratic" party but some fear the AKP's conservative Islamic values are encroaching on Turkey's traditional secularism.Writing for Hurriyet Daily News, Yusuf Kanli said an "arrogant" Erdogan had taken a series of wrong steps ahead of the protests, including passing legislation that placed additional restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol. Erdogan had referred to "two boozers" who had introduced liberal alcohol laws, Kanli said."That was an obvious reference to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the diehard secular founding father of the republic, and his comrade in arms and second president Ismet Inonu," he wrote. Culture wars frequently pit Turkey's ruling Muslim elite against more secular segments of Turkish society.The AKP narrowly avoided being banned from politics in 2008 when it was fined by the country's constitutional court for alleged anti-secular activities. The court has also blocked legislation to lift a ban on Islamic headscarves at public universities. Read more: Turkey's Erdogan hails constitutional referendum winLast month, there was an outcry in social media and newspaper columns when Turkish Airlines -- which is 49% government-owned -- announced it was banning certain shades of lipstick and nail polish among flight attendants. A similar uproar had ensued when the company announced it would stop serving alcohol on a number of domestic and international routes.Do Turks have freedom of speech?On June 3, the Committee to Protect Journalists quoted news accounts and local journalists as saying the press had "come under fire from both government officials and protesters" during the demonstrations.It referred to criticism of social media and news outlets by Erdogan, saying "when top government officials make anti-media statements, hostility against journalists is interpreted as allowed, even approved," and urged him to publicly denounce violence against journalists.In 2012, the organization said there were 49 imprisoned journalists in Turkey, making it one of the world's "worst jailers of the press," alongside Iran and China.Last month, Emma Sinclair-Webb, from Human Rights Watch, said that one of Turkey's "most fundamental human rights problems is in fact intolerance of free speech.""Politicians regularly sue journalists for defamation. Editors and publishers are mostly unwilling to permit much criticism of the government for fear of harming their bosses' other business interests," Sinclair-Webb said. "The European Court of Human Rights has found over and over that Turkey has violated free speech. But prosecutors, courts, and government figures are still applying different standards to Turkey, muzzling views they don't want to hear," she said.Read more: Turkey silencing the guns -- and criticsTurkey applied to join the European Union in 1987. In a 2012 progress report, The European Commission said "important reforms are needed to strengthen human rights structures and the number of criminal proceedings brought against human rights defenders is a matter of concern."It said an increase in violations of freedom of expression also raised "serious concerns" with "pressure on the press by state officials and the firing of critical journalists" leading to widespread self-censorship. In a statement on its website, Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says promotion and protection of human rights are "among the priority policy objectives of Turkey.""In this regard, Turkey has been going through a comprehensive reform process in recent years with a view to further strengthening democracy, consolidating the rule of law and ensuring respect for fundamental rights and freedoms."Erdogan's chief adviser, Ibrahim Kalin, said Saturday that the protesters had a right to express their discontent, within limits."People are entitled to disagreement with the government; they can exercise their democratic rights, but they can do so within the context of a democratic society," he said. Is it safe to visit Turkey at the moment?Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised British nationals to avoid all demonstrations "following recent demonstrations in Istanbul and other cities in Turkey in which police used tear gas and water cannons," but it has not told its citizens to avoid travel to Istanbul. The U.S. has also warned its citizens to beware of demonstrations, in Turkey, which is one of Washington's key allies in the Middle East. "U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Turkey should be alert to the potential for violence, avoid those areas where disturbances have occurred, and avoid demonstrations and large gatherings."Australia advised its citizens to "avoid protests and demonstrations throughout Turkey as they may become violent." Meantime, war-torn Syria has warned its citizens not to visit its neighbor.''The Foreign and Expatriates Ministry advises the Syrian citizens against traveling to Turkey during this period for fear for their safety, due to the security conditions in some Turkish cities that have deteriorated over the past days and the violence practiced by Erdogan's government against peaceful protesters," it said in a statement Sunday.
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(CNN)The candidate lineups for the upcoming Democratic presidential debates in Detroit will be decided by a live, random draw Thursday night during a special edition of Anderson Cooper 360 at 8 p.m. ET on CNN and CNNgo.The CNN debate brings the Democratic candidates to the battleground state of Michigan, which Trump won in 2016. As the race for the Democratic nomination tightens at the top of the field, the debate offers the presidential hopefuls a chance to make their case to a vast national television audience and engage directly with their opponents.The debate will come shortly after former special counsel Robert Mueller is expected to testify publicly before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees.The Democratic National Committee informed 20 candidates Wednesday evening that each had qualified to participate in one of two, party-sanctioned debates airing July 30 and 31 on CNN.The candidates also learned Wednesday evening the random draw will be split into three parts to determine the lineups for each debate night. CNN and the DNC said they decided to establish three groupings "to ensure support for the candidates is evenly spread across both nights." Public polling was used to decide each grouping, CNN and DNC officials said.Read MoreThe First Draw will include 10 candidates: Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan and author Marianne Williamson.The Second Draw will include six candidates: New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke and businessman Andrew Yang.The Final Draw will include four candidates: Former Vice President Joe Biden, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.CNN anchors Brianna Keilar (First Draw), Victor Blackwell (Second Draw) and Ana Cabrera (Final Draw) will conduct each draw separately in the 8 p.m. hour, with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer introducing and recapping each draw. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper will lead the conversation with political experts analyzing specific matchups and the strategies the candidates are likely to use in this highly anticipated debate.During each draw, cards with a candidate's name will be placed into a dedicated box, while a second box will hold cards printed with the date of each night. For each draw, the anchor will retrieve a name card from the first box and then match it with a date card from the second box.Once the draw is completed Thursday night, CNN will announce the podium positions -- based upon public polling -- for each debate night.
Three draw groups The 20 candidates who made the debate stage did so by registering at least 1% in any three qualifying polls released from the beginning of the year through July 16.In an effort to divide the candidates equally between the two debates based on their current standing in the polls, CNN is using the results of the eight qualifying polls released since the June debate. Based on an average of those eight polls, the candidates were divided into three groups: Those averaging 10% or more, those averaging between 1% and 9.9%, and those averaging less than 1%.Each of those three groups will be split in half by random draw during tonight's special edition of Anderson Cooper 360, so that half in each group appear on stage each night.Podium orderOnce all three groups have been divided into the two nights, the podium order will be revealed, and that, too, is based on public polling.For those candidates who are averaging 1% or higher in the eight polls released since the June debate, podium placement will be determined based on that average, with candidates holding the highest averages standing in the center of the stage.For the 10 candidates whose post-debate average is below 1%, podium placement will be determined instead based on their performance in all of the 37 qualifying polls conducted this year.Podium placement for those 10 candidates will be determined first by the number of qualifying polls in which they received 1% support or more, and if there is a tie, an average of each candidate's best three qualifying polls will be the first tiebreaker. If there is still a tie based on those two measures, the post-June debate average will break that tie.This story has been updated with more details about the live draw.
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Last year, the popular system cleanup software CCleaner suffered a massive supply-chain malware attack of all times, wherein hackers compromised the company's servers for more than a month and replaced the original version of the software with the malicious one.
The malware attack infected over 2.3 million users who downloaded or updated their CCleaner app between August and September last year from the official website with the backdoored version of the software.
Now, it turns out that the hackers managed to infiltrate the company's network almost five months before they first replaced the official CCleaner build with the backdoored version, revealed Avast executive VP and CTO Ondrej Vlcek at the RSA security conference in San Francisco on Tuesday.
6-Months Timeline of CCleaner Supply Chain Attack
Vlcek shared a brief timeline of the last year's incident that came out to be the worst nightmare for the company, detailing how and when unknown hackers breached Piriform, the company that created CCleaner and was acquired by Avast in July 2017.
March 11, 2017 (5 AM local time)—Attackers first accessed an unattended workstation of one of the CCleaner developers, which was connected to Piriform network, using remote support software TeamViewer.
The company believes attackers reused the developer's credentials obtained from previous data breaches to access the TeamViewer account and managed to install malware using VBScript on the third attempt.
March 12, 2017 (4 AM local time)—Using the first machine, attackers penetrated into the second unattended computer connected to the same network and opened a backdoor through Windows RDP (Remote Desktop Service) protocol.
Using RDP access, the attackers dropped a binary and a malicious payload—a second stage malware (older version) that was later delivered to 40 CCleaner users—on the target computer's registry.
March 14, 2017—Attackers infected the first computer with the older version of the second stage malware as well.
April 4, 2017—Attackers compiled a customised version of ShadowPad, an infamous backdoor that allows attackers to download further malicious modules or steal data, and this payload the company believes was the third stage of the CCleaner attack.
April 12, 2017—A few days later, attackers installed the 3rd stage payload on four computers in the Piriform network (as a mscoree.dll library) and a build server (as a .NET runtime library).
Between mid-April and July—During this period, the attackers prepared the malicious version of CCleaner, and tried to infiltrate other computers in the internal network by installing a keylogger on already compromised systems to steal credentials, and logging in with administrative privileges through RDP.
July 18, 2017—Security company Avast acquired Piriform, the UK-based software development company behind CCleaner with more than 2 billion downloads.
August 2, 2017—Attackers replaced the original version of CCleaner software from its official website with their backdoored version of CCleaner, which was distributed to millions of users.
September 13, 2017—Researchers at Cisco Talos detected the malicious version of the software, which was being distributed through the company's official website for more than a month, and notified Avast immediately.
The malicious version of CCleaner had a multi-stage malware payload designed to steal data from infected computers and send it back to an attacker-controlled command-and-control server.
Although Avast, with the help of the FBI, was able to shut down the attackers' command-and-control server within three days of being notified of the incident, the malicious CCleaner software had already been downloaded by 2.27 million users.
Moreover, it was found that the attackers were then able to install a second-stage payload on 40 selected computers operated by major international technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Intel, Samsung, Sony, HTC, Linksys, D-Link, Akamai and VMware.
However, the company has no proofs if the third stage payload with ShadowPad was distributed to any of these targets.
"Our investigation revealed that ShadowPad had been previously used in South Korea, and in Russia, where attackers intruded a computer, observing a money transfer." Avast said.
"The oldest malicious executable used in the Russian attack was built in 2014, which means the group behind it might have been spying for years."
Based on their analysis of the ShadowPad executable from the Piriform network, Avast believes that the malicious attackers behind the malware have been active for a long time, spying on institutions and organizations so thoroughly.
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Story highlightsJosh Palmer, Emma McKeon will not be taking part in Monday's closing ceremony The discipline comes after they failed to return to the Olympic Village after a night out (CNN)A big night out in Copacabana has ended badly for Australian swimmers Josh Palmer and Emma McKeon, costing them the chance to be part of the biggest Rio party of all. Not only did Palmer get mugged, they're also both banned from taking part in the Games' closing ceremony Monday after failing to return to the Olympic Village in good time. The country's chef de mission, Kitty Chiller, said the punishment comes after Palmer, McKeon and a number of other athletes left a nightclub in the early hours of the morning.
"McKeon chose to stay the night with swimming friends in the Copa district without informing Team Management," Chiller said in a statement. Palmer "headed to a beach kiosk with a friend and continued drinking."According to the statement, Palmer told officials that once his friend had left, a man approached him and forced him to withdraw $1,000 cash from a nearby ATM.Read MoreHe was later found by two businessmen who reported the swimmer was disoriented and had lost his wallet and phone. They phoned the Australian Consulate, who contacted the head of security for the Australian Olympic Team, Greg Nance.Palmer has chosen not to make a formal complaint to police about the robbery.ALSO READ: Lochte, Brazil police differ on robberyHeightened security "Palmer and McKeon's behavior was unacceptable and they breached disciplinary protocols," said Chiller in the statement. To clarify, I've followed AOC safety protocol in not travelling to village alone. My error was not texting my team manager. #noclosingforme— Emma McKeon (@emma_mckeon) August 18, 2016As well as not taking part in Monday's closing ceremony, Palmer and McKeon are now under curfew and prohibited to leave the Olympic Village between the hours of 8pm and 8am. Swimming team management have also imposed a 2:00am curfew on all team members for the rest of the Games.Mike Tancred, Director for media and communications for the Australian Committee, told CNN Monday that new security measures had been put in place in light of the incident involving US swimmer Ryan Lochte. Australian Olympic team demands security after Rio paralympian mugged.Tancred told CNN at the time that the Australian committee had made Rio's beaches off-limits at night, but not the boulevard at Ipanema and Copacabana. They had also asked the athletes to travel in groups of three or more. McKeon won four medals in the pool in Rio — gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay, bronze in the 200m freestyle, silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay, and another silver in the 4x100m medley relay.Palmer finished fifth in his heat of the 100m breaststroke on day one of the Games.ALSO READ: The myth of sex and athletic performance, finally explained Both athletes have reportedly apologized.
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Android has Fallen! Yet another set of Android security vulnerabilities has been discovered in Qualcomm chipsets that affect more than 900 Million Android smartphones and tablets worldwide.
What's even worse: Most of those affected Android devices will probably never be patched.
Dubbed "Quadrooter," the set of four vulnerabilities discovered in devices running Android Marshmallow and earlier that ship with Qualcomm chip could allow an attacker to gain root-level access to any Qualcomm device.
The chip, according to the latest statistics, is found in more than 900 Million Android tablets and smartphones.
That's a very big number.
The vulnerabilities have been disclosed by a team of Check Point researchers at the DEF CON 24 security conference in Las Vegas.
Critical Quadrooter Vulnerabilities:
The four security vulnerabilities are:
CVE-2016-2503 discovered in Qualcomm's GPU driver and fixed in Google's Android Security Bulletin for July 2016.
CVE-2016-2504 found in Qualcomm GPU driver and fixed in Google's Android Security Bulletin for August 2016.
CVE-2016-2059 found in Qualcomm kernel module and fixed in April, though patch status is unknown.
CVE-2016-5340 presented in Qualcomm GPU driver and fixed, but patch status unknown.
Qualcomm is the world's leading designer of LTE (Long Term Evolution) chipsets with a 65% share of the LTE modem baseband market. If any one of the four flaws is exploited, an attacker can trigger privilege escalations for gaining root access to an affected device.
All an attacker needs is to write a piece of malware and send it to the victim. When installed, the malware offers the attacker privilege escalation on the affected devices.
According to the researchers, the attack can also be conducted through a malicious app. An attacker needs to trick a user into installing a malicious app that, unlike other malware, would execute without requiring any special permission checks.
"Such an app would require no special permissions to take advantage of these vulnerabilities, alleviating any suspicion users may have when installing," Check Point researchers write in a blog post.
If any of the four vulnerabilities are successfully exploited, an attacker could gain root access to an affected device, giving the attacker full access to the device, including its data, camera and microphone.
List of Affected Devices (Popular)
More than 900 Million Android devices that ship with Qualcomm chip are vulnerable to the flaws.
Here's the list of some of the popular affected devices, though there are far more devices that are impacted by one or more Quadrooter vulnerabilities.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung S7 Edge
Sony Xperia Z Ultra
OnePlus One, OnePlus 2 and OnePlus 3
Google Nexus 5X, Nexus 6 and Nexus 6P
Blackphone 1 and Blackphone 2
HTC One, HTC M9 and HTC 10
LG G4, LG G5, and LG V10
New Moto X by Motorola
BlackBerry Priv
How to Check if Your Device is Vulnerable?
You can check if your smartphone or tablet is vulnerable to Quadrooter attack using Check Point's free app.
Since the vulnerable software drivers, which control communication between Qualcomm chipset components, come pre-installed on these devices at the time of manufacturing, they can only be fixed by installing a patch from the devices' distributors or carriers after receiving fixed driver packs from Qualcomm.
"This situation highlights the inherent risks in the Android security model," the researchers say. "Critical security updates must pass through the entire supply chain before they can be made available to end users."
Three of the four vulnerabilities have already been fixed in Google's latest set of monthly security updates, and a patch for the remaining flaw will be rolled out in the upcoming September update.
Since Qualcomm has already released the code, the phone manufacturers could be able to issue patches to the individual devices as soon as possible.
Android Nexus devices are already patched via the over-the-air updates, but other smartphone models will need to wait until their lazy phone manufacturers integrate the fixes into their own custom Android ROMs.
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Story highlightsTunisian's referee Jdidi Slim suspended by Confederation of African Football ThursdayJdidi was heavily criticized following his performance during Burkina Faso vs Ghana semifinalOfficial failed to award two penalties, disallowed a valid strike and sent off Jonathan PitroipaBurkinabe hope to win appeal against Pitroipa red card FridayTunisian referee Slim Jdidi, the man whose performance came close to overshadowing Burkina Faso's astonishing fairytale passage into the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, was suspended by the Confederation of African Football on Thursday.Jdidi's officiating during the Burkinabe's semifinal victory over Ghana has been heavily criticized after he made a number of questionable decisions.Chief amongst those was the 117th-minute sending off of Jonathan Pitroipa for simulation, despite the forward quite clearly being fouled inside the Ghana penalty area.Burkina Faso fairytale ready for one last chapterWhile Burkina Faso eventually prevailed 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw, all the talk after the game centered on Jdidi's failure to award a legitimate penalty, his decision to disallow a valid goal and the red card he issued to Pitroipa."We would have expected a better standard," Confederation of African Football (CAF) secretary-general Hicham El Amrani told a media conference.JUST WATCHEDNigerians out in force for Africa CupReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHNigerians out in force for Africa Cup 00:55JUST WATCHEDBurkina Faso upsets Ghana in footballReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBurkina Faso upsets Ghana in football 01:54JUST WATCHEDJuventus midfielder: Stop racismReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHJuventus midfielder: Stop racism 00:51JUST WATCHEDTiny island makes football historyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTiny island makes football history 03:42"There is a meeting tomorrow (Friday) to discuss the Pitroipa incident."The Burkinabe are also hopeful that Pitroipa will have his suspension overturned, although that depends on whether Jdidi admits to the error in his match report. "The organizing committee does not have the power to change the referee's decision unless the referee admits he made a mistake in his official report," said El Amrani.Super Eagles' end Ivory Coast's AFCON hopesBurkina Faso's team manager Gualbert Kabore confirmed that the team had appealed against Pitropia's suspension and insists there is a good chance the forward will be available for Sunday's final against Nigeria.Kabore told AFP: "The Burkina Faso Football Federation wrote an official letter of appeal to CAF (competition organizers)."We lodged it in the two hours after the match as stipulated by the regulations."We think we have a good chance of winning the appeal."There were some scandalous decisions, we don't know why, we're asking lots of questions, there are lots of theories. "Curiously, the players reacted better than us (the team management). They said if the referee is against us that must mean we are the stronger side."
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As we have reported you earlier that Microsoft is pulling out their Windows XP support after April 8 2014. Since a vast majority of bank ATMs around the world currently runs on Windows XP, but if they'll continue sticking to it after the deadline, then they'll be exposed to all kinds of security threats, as Microsoft will no longer provide the security patches thereafter.
Many countries' Banks have got a way out, many banks have arranged or are in the process of arranging extended support for Windows XP for which they are ready to pay Microsoft millions of dollars, but may be not in the case of India. Yes, India will never feed Microsoft for providing extra support to the older version; rather they could switch over to the Linux operating system.
India has around 115,000 ATMs across the country at present and the counts will go up in coming days, but the end of life for XP will not affect banks and functioning of ATMs as the financial institutions across the country are well prepared for life without the much popular OS, according to the Indian Banks Association (IBA).
ATMs will continue to run the outdated system for some time past the expiration date, thanks to Windows Embedded powering ATMs, cash registers. According to Microsoft, Windows XP Embedded is less susceptible to viruses, and the company is providing support for it until early 2016.
IBA says neither branches nor cash vending machines will be shut down once Microsoft stops support for the system from April 8. Many Banks have already moved to Windows 7, or are in the process of moving, which will require hardware upgrades and some are considering to choose Linux. These hardware upgrades and software enhancements might be a costly headache for ATM manufacturers and banks, but the improvements are a win for customers who use these machines on a daily basis.
"Banks are definitely well-prepared and the industry is seized of the matter. I am very sure that you will not see a problem where ATMs or bank counters are shut because of this," said the industry lobby's chief executive MV Tanksale at an event in Mumbai. "Only the old ATMs may face some problem as all the newer machines are running on newer platforms," he added.
Indian banks do not themselves operate their ATMs, rather outsource them to third-party vendors like Diebold and NCR.
Girish Chavan, national manager of Diebold said, "all ATMs are not connected to the Internet so a hacker would need to reach it through the bank's network,....and to breach a bank's firewall is not easy." But maybe firms are underestimating the tactics of hackers and cybercriminals, who are always one step ahead in hacking ATMs and defeating all current security mechanisms.
A few months back it was revealed at the Chaos Computing Congress that hackers in Europe are targeting ATM Machines using Malware-loaded USB drives to steal money.
The malware infection rate for Windows XP is already almost six times higher than Windows 8 systems. So, to switch on to the other operating system will benefit the organizations and financial institutions.
Moreover, Indian ATM manufacturer Vortex offers a low-power Linux based system called Ecoteller, for example, that's being used in developing countries.
The Reserve Bank of India had highlighted the issue on Tuesday, saying banking operations may be hit once the Windows XP gets phased out.
"Banks are definitely well prepared and the industry is seized of the matter. I am very sure that you will not see a problem where ATMs or bank counters are shut because of this," chief executive MV Tanksale said.
"The probability of attacks on such a system may increase and it may be difficult to defend such attacks in the absence of Microsoft support," RBI had said in a circular to banks.
The Tamil Nadu State Government's has recently advised all its departments to move on to free open source software BOSS Linux as a key benefit of it will ultimately be a huge saving to the government.
"Consider installing BOSS (Bharat Operating System Solutions) Linux as one of the mandatory operating system," said the order issued by the TN Information Technology Department. "The huge investment cost involved in purchasing closed source software (such as Windows XP) may be avoided, which in turn translates into huge savings for the government," the order stated.
So, if your Bank is planning to upgrade their ATMs, should it be Windows 7/8 or Linux??
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(CNN)After making history with his victory at the Open earlier this month, Collin Morikawa might well be the favorite to win Olympic gold in the country where half his family is from. Morikawa, who is half Japanese, became the first man to win both the PGA Championship and the Open on his tournament debuts having won his maiden major last year. And now he is in Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as part of a four-man Team USA delegation, looking to win the country's first ever Olympic gold medal in men's single golf. After finishing in the top 15 of the Olympic Golf Ranking at the close of the qualification period, Morikawa joined Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau in receiving the honor of representing the US at the Summer Games. Unfortunately for 2020 US Open winner DeChambeau, he has been forced to withdraw after testing positive for Covid-19. He has since been replaced by 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed. Read MoreJust over two years ago, Morikawa was ranked 1,039th in the world having finished tied for 14th at the RBC Canadian Open in June 2019. Now, he is a two-time major winner heading to the Olympics. And he says he's ready to soak everything up while in Japan. "(His excitement) is through the roof to really think about where I was two years ago as an amateur and where I am now in the world, everything I've done so far," he told CNN Living Golf's Shane O'Donoghue. "It's crazy to think that I have this opportunity, but it's something that I'm never going to take for granted. No one's going to be able to take it away from me and to be representing Team USA, it's one of the biggest honors really."Morikawa practices ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games golf competition.Playing for his countryWhile Morikawa is making his first appearance for Team USA, it is not his first time playing as part of a team in a golf tournament. During his amateur career, the 24-year-old participated in team formats at the Arnold Palmer Cup, the Walker Cup and the Eisenhower Trophy. But competing at the Olympics as part of Team USA is going to "top all of that by a million times" because of the Games' global appeal, according to the world No. 3. "For golf, we're such an individual sport. And even though the Olympics -- yeah, we're playing individually, and we're making ourselves trying to win gold or whatever. You're playing for your country and those were the best memories I made as an amateur," he said. "And this is just going to top all of that by a million times because it's on a professional stage, it's worldwide. So really anytime you wear USA on your sleeve or your chest or wherever it may be, it's something that, it's always going to be with you."When the golf competition kicks off on Thursday, July 29, at Kasumigaseki Country Club, Morikawa will be suiting up alongside three of the top-12 ranked golfers in the world. As well as describing having "chills" when pulling on a jersey with the US flag embossed on it, the high caliber of the selected players -- and the players that missed out -- showcases the strength of American golf at the moment. "I think it shows the strength of young golf and a lot of young players right now. But we all want to beat up on each other. I think we try and do that. I haven't really talked to them since we've all made the team, but I know everyone's excited to be on that team. "You can't be on the team and not be excited to represent Team USA because I think you ask any player that's ever represented their country -- wherever they're from -- it's the biggest honor, especially since we play such an individual sport, when we're able to be on a team, um, it means that much more to us." Morikawa plays during a practice round at Kasumigaseki Country Club ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games.Familiarity For Morikawa, coming to play in Japan will be a special honor given his Japanese heritage. Although his Japanese relatives have moved to the US, being half Japanese and having a Japanese surname "definitely resonates with a lot of people" in the country, says the two-time major winner. "It's cool to see people just somehow relate and see me: yes, I'm an American, but yes, I'm an Asian-American. And just see opportunities and hope that people that look like me could have this opportunity to go out and make an Olympic team."He recalls first making the trip to Japan with his family in 2017 when he was in college, falling in love with the people and culture in the process. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videosMorikawa plays a shot from a bunker during a practice round of the men's golf event at the 2020 Summer Olympics.However, being a self-confessed foodie, it was the cuisine that really grabbed Morikawa and is one of the main things he's looking forward to in Tokyo. "I could eat sushi all day," he gushed. "When we played the ZOZO Championship (in October 2020), I remember we were in this little town around the airport, and I think every player went to this one sushi spot in it and hands down, it's probably one of my favorite places I've ever been to. "Definitely, something I look forward to," he added.
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A Google security engineer has not only discovered a Windows zero-day flaw, but has also stated that Microsoft has a knack of treating outside researchers with great hostility.
Tavis Ormandy, a Google security engineer, exposed the flaw on Full Disclosure, that could be used to crash PCs or gain additional access rights. The issue is less critical than other flaws as it's not a remotely exploitable one.
Ormandy said on Full Disclosure, "I don't have much free time to work on silly Microsoft code, so I'm looking for ideas on how to fix the final obstacle for exploitation.".
He's been working on it for months, and according to a later post, he has now a working exploit that "grants SYSTEM on all currently supported versions of Windows."
"I have a working exploit that grants SYSTEM on all currently supported versions of Windows. Code is available on request to students from reputable schools," Ormandy adds.
Microsoft acknowledged the vulnerability late Tuesday. "We are aware of claims regarding a potential issue affecting Microsoft Windows and are investigating"
Ormandy also insulted Microsoft on Full Disclosure, saying "As far as I can tell, this code is pre-NT (20+ years) old, so remember to thank the SDL for solving security and reminding us that old code doesn't need to be reviewed ;-)."
Security company Secunia has also picked up on the flaw, saying it could be used in a privilege escalation attack, or a denial of service hit. "The vulnerability is confirmed on a fully patched Windows 7 x86 Professional (win32k.sys version 6.1.7601.18126) and reported on Windows 8. Other versions may also be affected."
Ormandy had first published information about the vulnerability in March to GitHub in an effort to solicit help or entice other researchers to investigate.
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FlashBack Checker - Tool Detects Flashback Mac Malware
A Mac developer has posted a tool that detects a Flashback malware infection on Apple's computers. Last week we posted about, More than 600000 Macs system infected with Flashback Botnet. That's slightly more than 1 percent of all 45 million Macs in the world still a relatively small number, but a worrisome one for Mac users, as the tally of infected machines continues to grow.
FlashBack Checker - 38KB tool was created by Juan Leon, a software engineer at Garmin International, the Kansas-based company best known for its GPS devices.
When Flashback Checker is run, it displays "No signs of infection were found" or provides additional information if it does detect changes the malware has made to the Mac.
According to Dr. Web, the Russian security company that was the first firm to quantify Flashback infections, nearly 2% of all Macs have been hit by the malware.
Dr. Web used a different technique to detect Flashback than Leon. Rather than examine the Mac itself, Dr. Web's tool compares the UUID (universally unique identifiers) of a machine to the list of UUIDs of infected Macs it compiled after commandeering a hacker command-and-control (C&C) server.
To help tackle the recent Flashback malware threat, Apple released a couple of updates for the Java runtime in OS X to bring it up to the latest Java release (version 1.6.0_31), which patches the vulnerability being exploited.
The download is posted to github and can run on Mac OS X10.5 and above. Leon also posted the source code for those interested in checking it out.
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Millions of Android devices are at serious risk of a newly disclosed critical vulnerability that allows attackers to secretly overwrite legitimate applications installed on your smartphone with their malicious versions.
Dubbed Janus, the vulnerability allows attackers to modify the code of Android apps without affecting their signature verification certificates, eventually allowing them to distribute malicious update for the legitimate apps, which looks and works same as the original apps.
The vulnerability (CVE-2017-13156) was discovered and reported to Google by security researchers from mobile security firm GuardSquare this summer and has been patched by Google, among four dozen vulnerabilities, as part of its December Android Security Bulletin.
However, the worrisome part is that majority of Android users would not receive these patches for next few month, until their device manufacturers (OEMs) release custom updates for them, apparently leaving a large number of smartphone users vulnerable to hackers.
The vulnerability affects apps using APK signature scheme v1 installed on devices running Android versions 5 (Lollipop) and 6 (Marshmallow).
Explained: How Android Janus Vulnerability Works?
The vulnerability resides in the way Android handles APK installation for some apps, leaving a possibility to add extra bytes of code to an APK file without affecting the application's signature.
Before proceeding further, you need to know some basics about an APK file.
A valid APK file is a type of archive file, just like Zip, which includes application code, resources, assets, signatures, certificates, and manifest file.
Earlier versions of Android operating system 5.0 (Lollipop) and 6.0 (Marshmallow) also support a process virtual machine that helps to execute APK archives containing a compiled version of application code and files, compressed with DEX (Dalvik EXecutable) file format.
While installing an Android app or its update, your device checks APK header information to determine if the archive contains code in the compressed DEX files.
If header says APK archive contains DEX files, the process virtual machine decompiles the code accordingly and executes it; otherwise, it runs the code as a regular APK file.
It turns out that an APK archive can contain DEX files as well as regular application code simultaneously, without affecting its validity and signatures.
Researchers find that this ability to add extra bytes of code due to lack of file integrity checking could allow attackers to prepend malicious code compiled in DEX format into an APK archive containing legitimate code with valid signatures, eventually tricking app installation process to execute both code on the targeted device without being detected.
In other words, the hack doesn't require attackers to modify the code of legitimate applications (that makes signatures invalid)—instead, the vulnerability allows malware authors to merely add some extra malicious lines of code to the original app.
Attack Scenarios
After creating malicious but valid versions of legitimate applications, hackers can distribute them using various attack vectors, including spam emails, third-party app stores delivering fake apps and updates, social engineering, and even man-in-the-middle attacks.
According to the researchers, it may be "relatively easy to trick some users because the application can still look exactly like the original application and has the proper signature."
I find man-in-the-middle attack more interesting, as it could allow hackers to push malicious installation for the apps designed to receive its updates over an unencrypted HTTP connection.
"When the user downloads an update of an application, the Android runtime compares its signature with the signature of the original version. If the signatures match, the Android runtime proceeds to install the update," GuardSquare explains.
"The updated application inherits the permissions of the original application. Attackers can, therefore, use the Janus vulnerability to mislead the update process and get an unverified code with powerful permissions installed on the devices of unsuspecting users."
"For experts, the common reverse engineering tools do not show the injected code. Users should always be vigilant when downloading applications and updates," the security firm added.
Since this vulnerability does not affect Android 7 (Nougat) and latest, which supports APK signature scheme version 2, users running older Android versions are highly recommended to upgrade their device OS (if available).
It's unfortunate, but if your device manufacturer neither offers security patches nor the latest Android version, then you should not install apps and updates from outside of Google Play Store to minimise the risk of being hacked.
Researchers also advised Android developers always to apply signature scheme v2 in order to ensure their apps cannot be tampered with.
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TrickBot, one of the most notorious and adaptable malware botnets in the world, is expanding its toolset to set its sights on firmware vulnerabilities to potentially deploy bootkits and take complete control of an infected system.
The new functionality, dubbed "TrickBoot" by Advanced Intelligence (AdvIntel) and Eclypsium, makes use of readily available tools to check devices for well-known vulnerabilities that can allow attackers to inject malicious code in the UEFI/BIOS firmware of a device, granting the attackers an effective mechanism of persistent malware storage.
"This marks a significant step in the evolution of TrickBot as UEFI level implants are the deepest, most powerful, and stealthy form of bootkits," the researchers said.
"By adding the ability to canvas victim devices for specific UEFI/BIOS firmware vulnerabilities, TrickBot actors are able to target specific victims with firmware-level persistence that survives re-imaging or even device bricking capability."
UEFI is a firmware interface and a replacement for BIOS that improves security, ensuring that no malware has tampered with the boot process. Because UEFI facilitates the loading of the operating system itself, such infections are resistant to OS reinstallation or replacement of the hard drive.
TrickBot emerged in 2016 as a banking trojan but has since evolved into a multi-purpose malware-as-a-service (MaaS) that infects systems with other malicious payloads designed to steal credentials, email, financial data, and spread file-encrypting ransomware such as Conti and Ryuk.
Its modularity and versatility have made it an ideal tool for a diverse set of threat actors despite attempts by cyber vendors to take the infrastructure down. It has also been observed in conjunction with Emotet campaigns to deploy Ryuk ransomware.
"Their most common attack chain largely begins via Emotet malspam campaigns, which then loads TrickBot and/or other loaders, and moves to attack tools like PowerShell Empire or Cobalt Strike to accomplish objectives relative to the victim organization under attack," the researchers said. "Often, at the end of the kill-chain, either Conti or Ryuk ransomware is deployed."
To date, the botnet has infected more than a million computers, according to Microsoft and its partners at Symantec, ESET, FS-ISAC, and Lumen.
From a Reconnaissance Module to an Attack Function
The newest addition to their arsenal suggests that TrickBot can not only be used to target systems en masse with ransomware and UEFI attacks but also provide criminal actors even more leverage during ransom negotiation by leaving a covert UEFI bootkit on the system for later use.
The development is also yet another sign that adversaries are extending their focus beyond the operating system of the device to lower layers to avoid detection and carry out destructive or espionage-focused campaigns.
TrickBot's reconnaissance component, observed for the first time in October 2020 right after the take-down attempts orchestrated by the US Cyber Command and Microsoft, targets Intel-based systems from Skylake through Comet Lake chipsets to probe for vulnerabilities in the UEFI firmware of the infected machines.
Specifically, the researchers found that TrickBoot takes aim at the SPI flash chip that houses the UEFI/BIOS firmware, using an obfuscated copy of RWEverything tool's RwDrv.sys driver to check if the BIOS control register is unlocked and the contents of the BIOS region can be modified.
Although the activity is limited to reconnaissance so far, it wouldn't be a stretch if this capability is extended to write malicious code to the system firmware, thereby ensuring that attacker code executes before the operating system and paving the way for the installation of backdoors, or even the destruction of a targeted device.
What's more, given the size and scope of the TrickBot, an attack of this kind can have severe consequences.
"TrickBoot is only one line of code away from being able to brick any device it finds to be vulnerable," the researchers noted. "The national security implications arising from a widespread malware campaign capable of bricking devices is enormous."
With UEFI persistence, "TrickBot operators can disable any OS level security controls they want, which then allows them to re-surface to a modified OS with neutered endpoint protections and carry out objectives with unhurried time on their side."
To mitigate such threats, it's recommended that the firmware is kept up-to-date, BIOS write protections are enabled, and firmware integrity is verified to safeguard against unauthorized modifications.
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(CNN)Robert Lewandowski led his side to victory with an 11-minute hat-trick as Bayern Munich demolished RB Salzburg 7-1 to reach the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.On his 100th start in the Champions League, Lewandowski opened his scoring account 12 minutes into the game, forcing Max Wöber to concede a penalty which he readily converted. Nine minutes later, the Polish striker scored another penalty to put Bayern 2-0 ahead. Then, as the clock just ticked into the 23rd minute, Lewandowski completed his hat-trick, tapping the ball into the net after it rebounded off Salzburg goalkeeper Philipp Kohn -- the hat-trick is the earliest scored from the start of a match in Champions League history, according to UEFA.Lewandowski now sits on 85 Champions League goals and reached the mark in 104 matches, faster than any player in history with PSG star Lionel Messi second on 107.Lewandowski celebrates after completing his hat-trick.With the game and tie already decided, Lewandowski's teammates did the rest, with Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané contributing a goal apiece, and Bayern stalwart Thomas Müller scoring another two. Salzburg could only a muster a single goal in response, scored by 18-year-old Maurits Kjaergaard in the 70th minute.Read MoreThe 7-1 final score stood in marked contrast to the first leg where Salzburg held Bayern to a 1-1 draw, keeping its hopes alive of becoming the first Austrian side to reach the Champions League quarterfinals since 1985.Leroy Sané celebrates scoring Bayern's seventh goal on the night with his teammates.After the disappointing performance in the first leg, Bayern showed precisely why it's a six-time winner of Europe's top club competition. Following its much-publicized defensive frailties of late, the German giant proved that attack is indeed the best form of defense with a 3-4-2-1 formation. Bayern limited Salzburg to just 28% possession and fired nine shots on target compared to Salzburg's four. The nine-time defending Bundesliga champion now advances to the quarterfinals and will find out its next opponent at the next Champions League draw on March 18.
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Story highlightsThe crash left a trail of wreckage in the Black SeaSame model involved in 2011 crash that killed Polish PresidentMoscow (CNN)The Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft that crashed while carrying 92 people on board was one of Russia's best known models.The plane, which was carrying 84 passengers and eight crew members, disappeared from radar Sunday morning local time after taking off from the Adler airport near Sochi -- the Russian city on the Black Sea, state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.A photo of a Tupolev Tu-154, the same plane that disappeared Sunday morning after taking off near Sochi, Russia.The plane, which first took off from Moscow, was flying to the Russian Hmeymim airbase in Latakia, Syria, where the country has a large military presence, for a concert ahead of New Year's Eve, a source told Russia's state news agency Tass.The plane underwent routine maintenance in September and was operated by an experienced pilot, the ministry of defense said according to Sputnik. So what's the story with the aircraft?Read MoreRussian workhorseThe Tu-154 is a Russian workhorse -- an aircraft that became synonymous with air travel in the Soviet Union and after its fall in 1991.The first model entered service in 1972 before undergoing some modernization in 1986 with new engines added to improve fuel consumption.Recognizable by its three engines at the back, it has a resemblance to its Western contemporary, the Boeing 727.CNN MapThe shape of the Tu-154 can be misleading, though, since it's a durable, robust aircraft that has been used in all sorts of runway and landing conditions.The aircraft has been phased out by most companies in recent years but remains integral to the Russian military.They are often used to transport VIPs such as officials and journalists from Moscow to Syria.A picture shows a Tupolev-154 (TU-154) aircraft. This particular plane was manufactured in 1983 and had 6,689 hours of flight, according to the ministry of defense, which was quoted by Tass."The last repair was on December 29, 2014, and in September 2016 it underwent scheduled maintenance," the ministry said, according to TASS.The ministry identified the pilot as Roman Volkov, describing him as a "class 1 pilot" with more than 3,000 hours of flying, according to Russian media.Previous problemsRussian rescuers inspect the wreckage of a Polish government Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft which crashed in April 2010.The Tu-154 has been involved in a number of fatal accidents, although many have been due to poor weather.The aircraft's most notorious accident was in April 2010, when a plane carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski crashed in Smolensk, western Russia, killing all 96 people on board.The crash was blamed on pilot error rather than the aircraft.An Iranian man stands next to debris of the Caspian Airlines Tupolev-154 at its crash site near the city of Qazvin, northwest of Tehran, on July 16, 2009. In July 2009, all 168 people on board a Tu-154 were killed when their flight from Iran to Yerevan, Armenia, came down in Qazvin province in Iran.A cross is seen over the debris at the crash site the Russian Tupolev Tu-154 plane in Sukha Balka, 40kms from Ukrainian city of Donetsk/In August 2006, 170 people were killed when a Tu-154, belonging to Pulkovo Airlines, went down close to Donetsk, Ukraine, shortly after the pilot reported a fire on board and heavy turbulence.
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Threat actors have been discovered distributing a new credential stealer written in AutoHotkey (AHK) scripting language as part of an ongoing campaign that started early 2020.
Customers of financial institutions in the US and Canada are among the primary targets for credential exfiltration, with a specific focus on banks such as Scotiabank, Royal Bank of Canada, HSBC, Alterna Bank, Capital One, Manulife, and EQ Bank. Also included in the list is an Indian banking firm ICICI Bank.
AutoHotkey is an open-source custom scripting language for Microsoft Windows aimed at providing easy hotkeys for macro-creation and software automation that allows users to automate repetitive tasks in any Windows application.
The multi-stage infection chain commences with a malware-laced Excel file that's embedded with a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) AutoOpen macro, which is subsequently used to drop and execute the downloader client script ("adb.ahk") via a legitimate portable AHK script compiler executable ("adb.exe").
The downloader client script is also responsible for achieving persistence, profiling victims, and downloading and running additional AHK scripts from command-and-control (C&C) servers located in the US, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
What makes this malware different is that instead of receiving commands directly from the C&C server, it downloads and executes AHK scripts to accomplish different tasks.
"By doing this, the attacker can decide to upload a specific script to achieve customized tasks for each user or group of users," Trend Micro researchers said in an analysis. "This also prevents the main components from being revealed publicly, specifically to other researchers or to sandboxes."
Chief among them is a credential stealer that targets various browsers such as Google Chrome, Opera, Microsoft Edge, and more. Once installed, the stealer also attempts to download an SQLite module ("sqlite3.dll") on the infected machine, using it to perform SQL queries against the SQLite databases within browsers' app folders.
In the final step, the stealer collects and decrypts credentials from browsers and exfiltrates the information to the C&C server in plaintext via an HTTP POST request.
Noting that the malware components are "well organized at the code level," the researchers suggest the inclusion of usage instructions (written in Russian) could imply a "hack-for-hire" group that's behind the attack chain's creation and is offering it to others as a service.
"By using a scripting language that lacks a built-in compiler within a victim's operating system, loading malicious components to achieve various tasks separately, and changing the C&C server frequently, the attacker has been able to hide their intention from sandboxes," the researchers concluded.
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(CNN)It's hard to fathom the pressure that Eileen Gu would have been feeling as she waited to drop into her third jump of freeski big air qualifying on Monday.The 18-year-old -- who elected to represent her mother's native China over the United States, her country of birth -- has become the poster child for these Winter Games, her face adorning billboards across the country.Gu is among the favorites to medal at Beijing 2022, having secured gold at the 2021 X Games in halfpipe and slopestyle, as well as bronze in big air.Eileen Gu is the poster child for a new type of Chinese athlete. But one wrong move could send her tumblingHowever, after landing her opening qualifying jump, Gu failed on her second after losing a ski during the attempt. With the two best scores of three jumps counting towards the skiers' qualification totals, Gu needed to land her third to have any chance of reaching Tuesday's final.Much to the delight of the fans in attendance -- and no doubt the millions more watching across the country -- she did enough with her third jump to qualify in fifth place.Read More"It's a relief," she admitted after securing her spot in the final. "The wind switched in between the first and second runs and you could see a lot of people were going slow."I was the fifth person to drop, but I didn't notice it until it was too late, so my ski popped off. After that, my coach made an adjustment, so it didn't happen in the third run. Of course, there was a lot of pressure going into it. READ: Eileen Gu is the poster child for a new type of Chinese athlete. But one wrong move could send her tumblingEileen Gu made it through to the freeski big air final."I wouldn't be satisfied not making finals, but I was just focusing on my trick. I know there are people watching me, it's a pressure on me. But I knew I could do that trick, I've been doing it since I was nine, so I was just talking to myself in the right way."Gu has seen her popularity in China soar in the lead up to Beijing 2022 as she has been featured on magazine covers and promotional videos for the Games. She boasts nearly two million followers on China's Twitter-like social media platform Weibo and has secured multiple Chinese sponsorship deals. One headline in state-run media Xinhua dubbed her the "Snow Princess."But Gu appears to have taken this pressure in her stride, managing the weight of expectation with maturity that belies her years."This [pressure ahead of the third run] will stand me in good stead for the final," she said. "I'm happy to be able to perform under pressure, and it speaks a lot to the amount of mental training I've been doing."I'm excited for tomorrow [Tuesday]. This was just qualifying and the goal is not to win qualifiers, it's to make the final. Tomorrow is the big show and, hopefully, I can put on a big show for everyone."Gu has become a household name in China since choosing to represent her mother's country of birth.'Greater sense of purpose'Gu's controversial decision to choose to represent China over the US in 2019 prompted some criticism.Fox News labeled her the "ungrateful child of America," a sentiment found frequently under her social media posts."This was an incredibly tough decision for me to make," she wrote in an Instagram post at the time. "I am proud of my heritage and equally proud of my American upbringings."Gu explained "the opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mom was born" helped her make the decision, calling the chance to represent China at Beijing 2022 "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love."After her third jump, an emotional Gu felt vindicated in her decision as she saw the number of fans that had come out to support her, as well as seeing the sport's popularity grow in China."I am so grateful for all the fans out here," she said. "It's a Covid Olympics and the volunteers have to go through quarantine, the fans have to go through quarantine just to come out here and support myself and the rest of the field.Eileen Gu competes during the freeski big air qualification on Monday."That support means so much to me and I'm sure it does to the other athletes. To be able to make the final of the first freeski big air in Olympic history, that's a historic moment for myself, for China, for the sport of free skiing."So just to have been a part of it and to have motivated just a bit of that freeski spirit that is growing at an extreme rate right now in China. To have made even the tiniest impact in that makes me feel like I've already met my goal."In 2015, just after China was awarded the 2022 Winter Games, the country set the target of getting 300 million people involved in snow sports by the time the Olympics began.In the lead up to the Games, China claimed it had far surpassed that figure with 346 million people taking part in winter sports activities.When she was nine years old, Gu says she came up with the idea of hosting a slopestyle competition in China, which became the first contest of its kind in the country."That was my idea," she recalled. "I competed in it and won it, and now I'm competing in the first big air in Olympic history in China, so it really is a full circle moment. "To see those milestones being hit now, to see those 300 million people on snow here in China. Eileen Gu has become the poster child for Beijing 2022."Even girls internationally, being able to read DMs (direct messages), to read comments and feel as though I am doing something bigger than just skiing and flipping through the air because it's cool."It is cool, but feeling like I have a greater sense of purpose means a lot to me."Gu said it has been "a lot" to become a role model for millions aged just 18, "but you're never too young to make change," she said. "I don't really believe in the concept that you have to wait until you're older to be able to have some kind of global impact."Especially now, with the digital generation, it's our time to make change and speak out on topics we find relevant and personal to ourselves. As a young person, I am just doing my duty."Additional reporting by CNN's Jessie Yeung
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Carberp Banking Trojan Scam - 8 Arrested in Russia
8 Men suspected of being involved in the Carberp phishing scam have been arrested in Russia. The men were arrested after a joint investigation by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) and Federal Security Service (FSB).
According to the MVD, the investigation found that two brothers were the ringleaders of the gang, and developed a plan to steal money from the accounts of online banking customers. The eight suspects allegedly stole more than 60 million Rubles ($2 million) from 90 victims using the Carberp Trojan.
Russian security firm who assisted with the investigation, pegged the stolen loot at 130 million Rubles ($4.5 million). Police confiscated computers, bank cards, notary equipment, fake documentation, and more than 7 million Rubles ($240,000) in cash during the raid.
The gang used the Carberp and RDP-door Trojans to snare victims. Carberp is a well-known Trojan that was recently seen on Facebook as part of a scam where attackers notify Facebook users that their accounts are temporarily locked. All they had to do to get them back was provide their first and last names, email addresses, dates of birth, passwords, and a 20-euro Ukash voucher.
The suspects will be accused of creating, using and disseminating of harmful computer programs, theft and illegal access to computer information and, if convicted, could be jailed for up to 10 years.
In addition to bank fraud, the gang was also involved in distributed denial-of-service attacks, the security firm found.
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Story highlightsTeam Lotus confirm that Steve Nielsen will become their new sporting directorNielsen will be taking over the reins from German Dieter Gass The announcement follows the news that Lotus will be known as Caterham F1 CNN-sponsored Team Lotus have confirmed that Steve Nielsen has accepted an offer to join them as their new sporting director, after initially rejecting the post last year.Nielsen, who has worked for Tyrrell, Benetton and Arrows in Formula One, as well as the Lotus team in their original guise, will be taking over from Dieter Gass next month, who is returning to his native GermanyIn 2000, Nielsen rejoined Benetton as sporting manager and has led the them through to its current set-up as Renault ever since.FIA approves team name changes for 2012 seasonTeam Lotus, who will be changing their name to Caterham F1 for the 2012 season, confirmed the news in an official statement with chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne saying: "Firstly we are sorry to say goodbye at the end of the season to Dieter Gass."Dieter was instrumental in helping us put our first car on the grid in 2010 and for bringing the team to such a high level in record time. "But it is excellent news that Steve has accepted the offer to join us as sporting director. I have worked with him extensively in the past at both Tyrrell and Renault where we played our parts in helping to build championship winning teams, which is what we are aiming to do with Team Lotus."Team principal Tony Fernandes added: "I first met Steve in Singapore 2010 and offered him a job then which he turned down, so I am delighted he has finally taken up the chance to join us."It is a good mark of our team that we can attract people of Steve's caliber and I am thrilled that someone who is so well respected, and is coming from a team that is ahead of us in so many ways, shares our belief in our ability to grow and challenge the midfield."
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(CNN)With the departure of Donald Trump from the White House, Russia-watchers can be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief: From the moment Russian President Vladimir Putin called Trump the front-runner for the 2016 Republican nomination, it's been near-impossible to look at Moscow through anything but the lens of Washington politics and scandal.That doesn't mean President Joe Biden can Make Russia Boring Again. Administrations may come and go, but the geopolitical challenge to the US from the Kremlin leader, it seems, remains constant. Let's begin with the obvious: US-Russia relations are at their lowest point since the end the Cold War. US agencies are still sorting through the aftermath of a massive cyber breach blamed on Moscow. Western governments are demanding answers from the Kremlin on the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. And the US has steadily stepped up sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine and Moscow's interference in the 2016 US presidential election. And as one of his first moves, Biden has ordered a sweeping intelligence review of suspected Russian mischief-making, from alleged bounties on US troops in Afghanistan to interference in the 2020 election. Biden's director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, will lead the effort, and the president's pick for CIA director, veteran diplomat William Burns, is also a Russia expert. But Russia -- a country with a nuclear arsenal rivaling that of the US -- can't simply be placed in the penalty box. Policy experts generally agree that the Russian government must play a role in responding to major world crises, from reining in Iran's nuclear ambitions to recently halting the brief, bloody war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Read MoreUS sanctions Russia-linked disinformation network for involvement in attempts to influence US electionAnd that means the Biden administration must deal with Putin in order to tackle a range of foreign-policy issues, particularly a proposed return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Russia is party to the deal, which Trump abandoned in 2018. Even some of the most outspoken US critics of Putin -- such as Michael McFaul, the former US ambassador to Russia -- acknowledge that the US must selectively engage Russia on pressing global issues such as pandemic response and climate change.But don't expect Biden's policy to be described as a "reset" -- that's a dirty word in Washington when it comes to Russia policy. Back in 2009, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov a "reset" button as part of a bid to reboot relations with Russia. The gift went down like a lead balloon: The button was mistranslated to read "overload."Things went from bad to worse. After Russian parliamentary elections in 2011 were marred by allegations of widespread fraud, Putin blamed Clinton for promoting "foreign interference" in Russia as demonstrators took to the streets.In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and backed a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, further scaling up confrontation with the West. And then there was Trump's embarrassing performance at a 2018 summit meeting with Putin in Helsinki, where the then-US president sided with the Kremlin leader, saying he didn't "see any reason why" Russia would be responsible for interference in the 2016 US presidential election.Still, there seems to be a grudging consensus in Washington that current engagement with Russia just doesn't work. Back in August, a group of US foreign-policy worthies signed an open letter calling for a "rethink" of US policy toward Russia. Trump's ex-Russia adviser Fiona Hill: US increasingly seen as 'object of pity'"It makes no sense for two countries with the power to destroy each other and, in 30 minutes, to end civilization as we know it to lack fully functioning diplomatic relations," said the letter, which was signed by (among others) Fiona Hill, Trump's former top Russia adviser, and by Jon Huntsman, his former ambassador to Moscow.That open letter prompted a response by a more hawkish group of former diplomats, military and intelligence professionals and other experts who argued Putin's kleptocracy needed to be more severely constrained.The signatories to the first letter responded that they were not seeking a "reset" with Russia, just a "clear-eyed" appraisal of Russia policy. Both groups, however, agree that the US needs to work with Russia on arms control. And one of the first issues a Biden presidency will face is the expiration on February 5 of the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the last treaty limiting US and Russian nuclear arsenals. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday the new administration was prepared to work with Russia on an extension of the treaty. Key takeaways from the first confirmation hearings for Biden nomineesArms control is a technical and unsexy business that requires substantial patience and diplomacy. But it's very necessary: Trust between the US and Russia has evaporated and the two countries have abandoned agreements that are meant to reduce the risk of world-ending military miscalculations.But the issue that is really driving the conversation around US-Russia relations is one of Russian domestic politics. The poisoning of opposition leader Navalny in August reinvigorated the debate about how to deal with Russia, in a way that even Russian interference in the 2016 election failed to do. And Navalny recently upped the stakes with his dramatic return to Russia: Two days after his arrest at the Russian border, Navalny's investigative team dropped a massive online investigation into Putin's alleged personal wealth.Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, called for Navalny's release following his arrest on arrival in Moscow. "Mr. Navalny should be immediately released, and the perpetrators of the outrageous attack on his life must be held accountable," Sullivan said on Twitter. "The Kremlin's attacks on Mr. Navalny are not just a violation of human rights, but an affront to the Russian people who want their voices heard." Putin has all the resources of the state and a formidable security apparatus that can smother domestic political opposition. But Navalny appears to be betting that Putinism is entering its gerontocratic stage, with an aging and isolated leader out of touch with the people. It seems unlikely that street protests could oust Putin, but domestic political opposition seems to have received a major boost from Navalny's willingness to roll the dice and return from abroad. Navalny shouldn't be mistaken for a traditional Western liberal: The anti-corruption campaigner has elements of populism and Russian nationalism in his politics, and he has shown a pragmatic willingness to ally with more pliant and generally pro-government parties to challenge Putin's ruling United Russia party in local elections. He even slammed Twitter's decision to ban Trump, calling it an "unacceptable act of censorship." As Navalny's moves show, who wins or loses Russia is a matter for Russians to decide.
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Story highlights Masked attackers flee after mosque shooting late SaturdayA suicide bomber targets the funeral of a police officer, killing sevenState media: The officer was killed in a shootout with militants Russia blames the attacks on militants who want to establish an Islamic stateAt least six people were wounded when two masked men opened fire inside a mosque in Russia's North Caucasus region Saturday night, Russian officials said Sunday.Also Saturday, a suicide bombing in Ingushetia killed at least seven people and wounded 11 who were attending the funeral of a police officer who was killed in another attack the same day, the state news agency Ria Novosti reported Sunday.Russia blames the attacks on militants who want to establish an Islamic state in the Caucasus region.The mosque attackers fled the scene, according to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.The shooting happened inside a Shiite mosque in the city of Khasavyurt, a predominantly Sunni region, Ria Novosti reported.The bombing targeted a house in rural Sagopshi that was hosting the funeral for Ilez Korigov Malgobek, who was killed in a shootout Saturday with militants, the news agency quoted investigators as saying.In May, at least eight people were killed and 20 wounded in a suicide car bombing in the capital of Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan. The twin explosions killed five police officers, two rescuers and a civilian.
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(CNN)The US public and even some health experts may have underestimated the Covid-19 vaccine made by Janssen, a division of Johnson & Johnson, new data shows. And there's emerging evidence that it could still play an important role ahead. A study published Thursday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open found that the J&J vaccine remains durable and effective, even through the surge of cases caused by the Delta variant. It was 76% effective overall in preventing Covid-19 infections and 81% effective in preventing Covid-related hospitalizations. The study also showed that it provided lasting immunity at least six months after the shots.Pfizer/BioNTech seek FDA authorization for fourth Covid-19 vaccine doses for people 65 and upAnd a CNN analysis of information collected by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed the J&J vaccine had the lowest breakthrough infection rate of all the vaccines since the week ending December 25, the latest five weeks of available data. In January, during the Omicron surge, breakthrough infections were highest among those who received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, followed by those who got Moderna. Those vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson shot had the lowest incidence of breakthrough infections.As of the week ending January 22, there were 650 infections per 100,000 people with the J&J vaccine. With Moderna, there were 757 per 100,000, and with Pfizer, the rate was 862 per 100,000.Read MoreUnvaccinated people were particularly vulnerable to getting sick during the Omicron and Delta surges, just as they were with the original version of the coronavirus. They were 3.2 times as likely to get sick as people who had the J&J vaccine. The unvaccinated were 2.8 times as likely to become infected than those who got Moderna and 2.4 times as likely as those who got Pfizer. US drug overdose deaths reach another record high as deaths from fentanyl surge"What we saw in the summertime and the fall during the Delta surge is that all three vaccines protected very, very well. But breakthrough rates in August, September of last year with the Janssen vaccine were slightly higher than Pfizer, and Moderna was slightly lower. But those differences were relatively small," said Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He helped to develop and study the J&J vaccine."But what we saw over time is that those differences then narrowed," he said. "And by the first week of December, what we saw in the data is that the lines cross," with incidence rates for the J&J/Janssen vaccine becoming lower than the others. 'Reassuring' data for J&J recipientsIn March 2021, the J&J vaccine was the third to be authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration, and the initial response was more muted than the milestone authorizations of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.The vaccines work differently. The mRNA vaccines deliver blueprints, essentially, that train your body trains to fight that particular infection and any similar infection down the road. Adenovirus-vector vaccines, like J&J's, use a virus that can act like a Trojan horse. But instead of soldiers jumping out, the adenovirus releases genes that encode the coronavirus' spike protein. The J&J vaccine stood out for other reasons, too: It came as a convenient single dose and didn't require special refrigeration, whereas the mRNA vaccines required two doses, and Pfizer's needed special cold storage. The flexibility was appealing for people who were afraid of shots or didn't have the time to get two shots. It was also better for countries without a solid health care infrastructure. Europe thought it was done with Covid-19. But the virus isn't done with EuropeBut its performance tempered some of the enthusiasm around it, especially from the public.Whereas the mRNA vaccines were hailed for "astonishing" efficacy of more than 90%, the news that J&J was 65% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 among clinical trial volunteers underwhelmed some.From the start, the J&J vaccine supply was more limited. After after the vaccine was authorized, the federal government briefly paused its use due to safety concerns around rare blood clotting events. Even once vaccinations resumed, the pace of J&J vaccinations never recovered.In December, the CDC changed its recommendations to say shots made by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech are preferred over J&J's. It also urges people who got the J&J shot to get a booster of one of the mRNA vaccines two months later.The protection that the Covid-19 vaccines offered has waned over time, and none of them works as well against the variants that have popped up since the original coronavirus surfaced. But the science is starting to show that people who got the J&J Covid-19 vaccine may have some advantage. Should parents be worried about vaccine effectiveness for 5- to 11-year-olds? An expert weighs inBarouch told CNN that he "wasn't surprised at all" to see that the durability of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine appears to be last longer than that of the mRNA vaccines -- Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna -- based on the incidence of breakthrough infections.The mRNA vaccine technology has been shown to quickly elicit a potent and robust immune response after vaccination, but that can wane over time. Johnson & Johnson's virus-vector platform may not spark as powerful of an immune response in the short term, but it is known to have strong durability."Over time, the efficacy of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines goes down, the efficacy of the J&J vaccines remains stable, and so it is exactly as you would predict: that they will converge and they will then cross," Barouch said.The J&J vaccine also might have "a particular edge," he said."The immune system is actually made of two arms: the antibodies side and the T cells. And the type of T cells that are critical for prevention of serious illness are called CD8 T cells," Barouch said. "The J&J vaccine raises better CD8 T cells than the Pfizer and other mRNA vaccines, so the J&J vaccine might have a particular edge for variants like Omicron that largely escaped from antibody responses."Overall, Barouch called this data "very reassuring" for recipients of the J&J vaccine."They should be reassured that they received a vaccine that gives very good protection for a long period of time," Barouch said. "And I think the second message is that I think people should learn about these new data in terms of considering booster shots, as well."Prospects as a booster?David Montefiori, a virologist at Duke University Medical Center, said "the J&J vaccine has kind of gotten a bad rap because of the efficacy, but the stability of the response is intriguing." The antibody level went down with every vaccine during the Omicron surge, and that could mean people need an additional booster. More research is needed to find out.A yet-unpublished study by the National Institutes of Health looking at a mix-and-match vaccine strategy saw good results when J&J was included, Montefiori said. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team."In people who got the Pfizer vaccine initially and then a boosted with the J&J vaccine, those people made pretty high levels of neutralizing antibodies to Omicron: 10 times higher than people who got two shots with just the J&J vaccine," he said. "So the J&J vaccine might be a good booster for people who got an mRNA vaccine initially."The Johnson & Johnson vaccine can be used for primary doses or as a booster, but the CDC says the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are recommended in most situations because of the risk of serious adverse events with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The J&J vaccine has been linked to rare cases of blood clots with low platelets, known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome or TTS. "It occurs at a rate of about 3.83 cases per million Janssen doses and has resulted in deaths," the CDC says.Dr. Angela Branche, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Rochester, said the side effect profile of the J&J vaccine "remains something that's of concern for some groups where that risk is high." Women ages 30 to 49 years are at increased risk of this rare adverse event, the CDC says.But if that research pans out, the J&J vaccine may be useful as a booster for only certain populations. "For some groups where that risk of developing serious blood clots is not very high, like older adults, this may be a good strategy," Branche said. Montefiori said the vaccine deserves more study."I think there might still be a place for the J&J vaccine in the long-term picture of this pandemic," Montefiori said.CNN's Jacqueline Howard and Tasnim Ahmed contributed to this report.
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Story highlights"We have completed the guidelines," German chancellor says Exit talks between UK and 27 other EU members were due to start June 19 (CNN)German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she doesn't expect any delays in the start of Brexit talks between the European Union and the UK despite the outcome of this week's British election.JUST WATCHEDElection shock undercuts UK on world stageReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHElection shock undercuts UK on world stage 01:29Concerns grew that Brexit negotiations could be put on hold after Britain's Conservative Party failed to secure a majority in Parliament and a clear mandate in the snap election Thursday. Formal exit talks between the UK and the 27 other EU members were due to start June 19.Britain voted to leave the EU last year in a referendum that became popularly known as Brexit."We are ready. We have completed the guidelines, the framework," Merkel said Friday during a visit to Mexico City.Read More"And from everything I have heard from Britain today, they will respect their negotiations calendar. We want to do this quickly, respecting the calendar. Right now, I don't see any obstacles for the negotiations to take place as planned."Brexit talks come up German leader Angela Merkel visits Mexico. The parties must reach an agreement by March 2019 if the UK is to avoid crashing out of the bloc with no deal."We don't know when Brexit talks start," European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted Friday as the election results became clear. "We know when they must end. Do your best to avoid a 'no deal' as a result of 'no negotiations.' ''Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, said he was also ready to start talks and hoped the UK general election would not have an impact. We don't know when Brexit talks start. We know when they must end. Do your best to avoid a "no deal" as result of "no negotiations". #GE2017— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) June 9, 2017
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, indicated on Twitter that the EU was prepared to show some patience, making it clear that talks should not begin until the political situation had settled in the UK.#Brexit negotiations should start when UK is ready; timetable and EU positions are clear. Let's put our minds together on striking a deal— Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) June 9, 2017
Some EU officials and members of the European Parliament took aim at British Prime Minister Theresa May -- who called the UK's snap election in an attempt to strengthen her hand in the Brexit talks -- and the wider Conservative Party.Winners and losers from the UK electionOn Twitter, Siegfried Muresan, spokesman for the European Parliament's largest grouping, the European People's Party, said, "EU did not want #Brexit, but has been prepared to negotiate it since last year. UK wanted it, but is still not ready to negotiate."He then posted, "Fact is, UK has no good options. Since 24 June 2016 (the date of EU referendum) Unfortunate."
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Story highlightsCourt documents stemming from 2005 arrest show Cherif Kouachi's interest in jihadSecurity forces kill Kouachi and brother after standoff over Paris terror attacksDocuments: Kouachi wanted to travel to Iraq via Syria "to go and combat the Americans"Paris (CNN)One of the two main terrorists accused in this week's attacks in Paris had a long history of jihad and anti-Semitism, according to court documents that CNN obtained in conjunction with French newsmagazine L'Express. In a 400-page court record, Cherif Kouachi was described as wanting to travel to Iraq through Syria "to go and combat the Americans."JUST WATCHEDSee how the Hebdo suspects were taken downReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSee how the Hebdo suspects were taken down 01:57On Friday, security forces surrounded and killed Kouachi, 32, and his older brother, Said, 34, in Dammartin-en-Goele, France, the town's mayor said. The Kouachi brothers were wanted in Wednesday's massacre at the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris that left 12 people dead.JUST WATCHEDDocuments link Charlie Hebdo attacker to jihadistsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHDocuments link Charlie Hebdo attacker to jihadists 03:02In the 2007 French court documents, Cherif Kouachi stated in a deposition, "I was ready to go and die in battle," and "I got this idea when I saw the injustices shown by television on what was going on over there. I am speaking about the torture that the Americans have inflicted on the Iraqis."The court documents -- dated December 2007 -- stem from a 2005 arrest. They say Cherif Kouachi was raised in orphanages and foster homes from a young age, and became involved in a group in Paris' 19th arrondissement. He was arrested with other young men from that part of Paris for a conspiracy to go to Iraq and fight as jihadists.Read MoreIn the documents, prosecutors outlined strong details of Kouachi's interest in jihad, interest in martyrdom and strong links to anti-Semitism, attacking and killing Jews. Kouachi stated he came to the idea of jihad through Farid Benyettou, a well-known spiritual leader who's been long associated in France with supporting jihad and terrorism, and is associated with a mosque in the 19th arrondissement. Through Benyettou, Kouachi was studying how to wield arms and use Kalashnikovs. Under a section titled "Motivations of Influence" describing Kouachi, court records said he stated "the wise leaders in Islam told him and his friends that if they die as martyrs in jihad they would go to heaven" and "that martyrs would be greeted by more than 60 virgins in a big palace in heaven."The documents also said, "(F)or him any place on earth where there is such an injustice is justification for jihad; what was going on Iraq was in his eyes such an injustice."The mosque, called La Mosquee de Stalingrad, has since been demolished and appears to be under construction. Court records show Kouachi said he didn't consider himself a good enough Muslim, and said he had only been to the mosque two or three times before he met Benyettou, and he had been smoking cannabis. Kouachi told investigators he committed himself to the idea of jihad during Ramadan in 2004. He told his friends he was going to Syria to fight. The documents say when police interviewed his accomplices they stated that Kouachi "said he was ready to firebomb and to destroy Jewish shops in Paris."When officials confronted Kouachi with that information, he told them "that's not exactly what I said. ... I don't hide having proposed anti-Semitic ideas, but I would note that I never really would have done that."
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TapLogger Android Trojan cab Determine Tapped Keys
Today's smartphones are shipp ed with various embedded motion sensors, such as the accelerometer, gyroscope, and orientation sensors. These motion sensors are useful in supporting the mobile UI innovation and motion-based commands. However, they also bring potential risks of leaking user's private information as they allow third party applications to monitor the motion changes of smart phones.
A team of researchers from Pennsylvania State University (PSU) and IBM have devised an Android-based Trojan that can use a handset's onboard movement sensors to crack passwords.
The team created an experimental app called TapLogger, which is based on the premise that when you tap on your touch screen, you're not just interacting with the screen, but moving the entire device. So if you hit a button in the upper right corner, your phone will actually move in that direction slightly, and that subtle movement is then read by the accelerometer and other sensors built-in to your device.
TapLogger was created by Zhi Xu, a PhD candidate in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at PSU, Kun Bai, a researcher at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center and Sencun Zhu, an associate professor of Computer Science and Engineering at PSU's College of Engineering.
Accelerometer and orientation sensor data are not protected under Android's security model, and this means that they are exposed to any application, regardless of its permissions on the system, the research team said in a paper that was presented during the ACM Conference on Security and Privacy in Wireless and Mobile Networks on Tuesday.
In August 2011, a pair of researchers from University of California proposed a similar attack and designed a concept application called TouchLogger to demonstrate it.
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(CNN)Brendan Cox, the husband of slain British lawmaker Jo Cox, said Wednesday that President Donald Trump has "become a purveyor of hate" after retweeting three anti-Muslim videos from a British far-right account. "This is like the President retweeting the Ku Klux Klan. This is not a mainstream organization and for the President of the United States, our greatest ally as a country, to be retweeting, to be providing a microphone to those voices," Cox told CNN's Anderson Cooper on "AC360." "I think no matter what your perception of the UK, I think has been shocked by that."The videos, posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, a far-right and ultranationalist political group, depict purported Muslims assaulting people and, in one video, smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary.JUST WATCHEDTrump sparks criticism with retweets ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTrump sparks criticism with retweets 02:33"These narratives have impact," Cox said. Cox's wife, a member of Parliament, was killed in June 2016 by a 53-year-old man with extreme right wing views as he shouted "Britain first." Read More"When you retweet and endorse an organization like this, what that does is it changes people's views of what is acceptable," Cox said. "It means that people are more open about their hatred. It means they're more likely to act on their hatred."Trump retweets anti-Muslim videosWhite House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended Trump's retweets, telling reporters he shared them to start a conversation about border security and immigration."I think his goal is to promote strong borders and strong national security," Sanders told a small group of reporters after appearing on Fox News.Sanders also downplayed questions about whether the videos were authentic, because "the threat is real."Cox slammed Sanders' response, calling it "an absurd justification." "I'm sure she has the hardest job of anybody in the world," he said. "But I think even in the list of desperate attempts to defend something that was indefensible this was a pretty pathetic attempt at doing so." Cox went on to describe his wife as a humanitarian who cared for her constituents and would be disgusted by the President sharing anti-Muslim content. "She would have been, if she was still here, as outraged I think as anybody that the President with whom we should have an incredibly close relationship is actively undermining our cohesion as a country -- is actively supporting this extremist group I think she would be horrified by.""Of course we can disagree about the role of Islam in our society," Cox said. "We can disagree about immigration. We should be able to disagree about all of these things and still say that hatred has no part in our society."Elizabeth Landers and James Masters contributed to this report.
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Security researchers have discovered two separate malware campaigns, one of which is distributing the Ursnif data-stealing trojan and the GandCrab ransomware in the wild, whereas the second one is only infecting victims with Ursnif malware.
Though both malware campaigns appear to be a work of two separate cybercriminal groups, we find many similarities in them. Both attacks start from phishing emails containing an attached Microsoft Word document embedded with malicious macros and then uses Powershell to deliver fileless malware.
Ursnif is a data-stealing malware that typically steals sensitive information from compromised computers with an ability to harvest banking credentials, browsing activities, collect keystrokes, system and process information, and deploy additional backdoors.
Discovered earlier last year, GandCrab is a widespread ransomware threat that, like every other ransomware in the market, encrypts files on an infected system and insists victims to pay a ransom in digital currency to unlock them. Its developers ask payments primarily in DASH, which is more complex to track.
MS Docs + VBS macros = Ursnif and GandCrab Infection
The first malware campaign distributing two malware threats was discovered by security researchers at Carbon Black who located approximately 180 variants of MS Word documents in the wild that target users with malicious VBS macros.
If successfully executed, the malicious VBS macro runs a PowerShell script, which then uses a series of techniques to download and execute both Ursnif and GandCrab on the targeted systems.
The PowerShell script is encoded in base64 that executes the next stage of infection which is responsible for downloading the main malware payloads to compromise the system.
The first payload is a PowerShell one-liner that evaluates the architecture of the targeted system and then accordingly downloads an additional payload from the Pastebin website, which is executed in the memory, making it difficult for traditional anti-virus techniques to detect its activities.
"This PowerShell script is a version of the Empire Invoke-PSInject module, with very few modifications," Carbon Black researchers said. "The script will take an embedded PE [Portable Executable] file that has been base64 encoded and inject that into the current PowerShell process."
The final payload then installs a variant of the GandCrab ransomware on the victim's system, locking them out of their system until they pay a ransom in digit currency.
Meanwhile, the malware also downloads a Ursnif executable from a remote server and once executed, it will fingerprint the system, monitor web browser traffic to collect data, and then send it out to the attackers' command and control (C&C) server.
"However, numerous Ursnif variants were hosted on the bevendbrec[.]com site during this campaign. Carbon Black was able to discover approximately 120 different Ursnif variants that were being hosted from the domains iscondisth[.]com and bevendbrec[.]com," the researchers said.
MS Docs + VBS macros = Ursnif Data-Stealing Malware
Similarly, the second malware campaign that was spotted by security researchers at Cisco Talos leverages a Microsoft Word document containing a malicious VBA macro to deliver another variant of same Ursnif malware.
This malware attack also compromises targeted systems in multiple stages, starting from phishing emails to running malicious PowerShell commands to gain fileless persistence and then downloading and installing Ursnif data-stealing computer virus.
"There are three parts to the [PowerShell] command. The first part creates a function that is later used to decode base64 encoded PowerShell. The second part creates a byte array containing a malicious DLL," Talos researchers explained.
"The third part executes the base64 decode function created in the first part, with a base64 encoded string as the parameter to the function. The returned decoded PowerShell is subsequently executed by the shorthand Invoke-Expression (iex) function."
Once executed on the victim computer, the malware collects information from the system, puts into a CAB file format, and then sends it to its command-and-control server over HTTPS secure connection.
Talos researchers have published a list of indicators of compromise (IOCs), along with the names of payload file names dropped on compromised machines, on their blog post that can help you detect and stop the Ursnif malware before it infects your network.
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The US National Security Agency (NSA) on Monday issued an advisory warning that Russian threat actors are leveraging recently disclosed VMware vulnerability to install malware on corporate systems and access protected data.
Specifics regarding the identities of the threat actor exploiting the VMware flaw or when these attacks started were not disclosed.
The development comes two weeks after the virtualization software company publicly disclosed the flaw—affecting VMware Workspace One Access, Access Connector, Identity Manager, and Identity Manager Connector products for Windows and Linux—without releasing a patch and three days after releasing a software update to fix it.
In late November, VMware pushed temporary workarounds to address the issue, stating permanent patches for the flaw were "forthcoming." But it wasn't until December 3rd the escalation-of-privileges bug was entirely resolved.
That same day, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a brief bulletin encouraging administrators to review and apply and patch as soon as possible.
Tracked as CVE-2020-4006, the command injection vulnerability was originally given a CVSS score of 9.1 out of a maximum of 10 but was revised last week to 7.2 to reflect the fact that a malicious actor must possess valid credentials for the configurator admin account in order to attempt exploitation.
"This account is internal to the impacted products and a password is set at the time of deployment," VMware said in its advisory. "A malicious actor must possess this password to attempt to exploit CVE-2020-4006."
Although VMware didn't explicitly mention the bug was under active exploitation in the wild, according to the NSA, adversaries are now leveraging the flaw to launch attacks to pilfer protected data and abuse shared authentication systems.
"The exploitation via command injection led to installation of a web shell and follow-on malicious activity where credentials in the form of SAML authentication assertions were generated and sent to Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services, which in turn granted the actors access to protected data," the agency said.
SAML or Security Assertion Markup Language is an open standard and an XML-based markup for exchanging authentication and authorization data between identity providers and service providers to facilitate single sign-on (SSO).
Besides urging organizations to update affected systems to the latest version, the agency also recommended securing the management interface with a strong, unique password.
Furthermore, the NSA advised enterprises to regularly monitor authentication logs for anomalous authentications as well as scan their server logs for the presence of "exit statements" that can suggest possible exploitation activity.
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German investigating authorities have raided the offices of Munich-based company FinFisher that sells the infamous commercial surveillance spyware dubbed 'FinSpy,' reportedly in suspicion of illegally exporting the software to abroad without the required authorization.
Investigators from the German Customs Investigation Bureau (ZKA), ordered by the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office, searched a total of 15 properties in Munich, including business premises of FinFisher GmbH, two other business partners, as well as the private apartments of the managing directors, along with a partner company in Romania from October 6 to 8.
For those unaware, FinSpy is extremely powerful spying software that is being sold as a legal law enforcement tool to governments around the world but has also been found in use by oppressive and dubious regimes to spy on activists, political dissidents and journalists.
FinSpy malware can target both desktop and mobile operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux, and gives its operator spying capabilities, including secretly turning on victims' webcams and microphones, recording everything they types on the keyboard, intercepting calls, and exfiltration of sensitive data.
However, a new report from BR (Bayerischer Rundfunk) and (Norddeutscher Rundfunk) NDR suggests the spying firm illegally exported FinSpy to other countries without the correct export license issued by the federal government.
The Munich public prosecutor's office is now investigating "suspected violations of the Foreign Trade Act against managing directors and employees of FinFisher GmbH and at least two other companies," said a spokeswoman to BR and NDR.
The raids were part of a criminal complaint [pdf] filed by the GFF, Netzpolitik, Reporters Without Borders (ROG), and the European Center for Constitutional Rights and Human Rights (ECCHR) against the managing directors of FinFisher GmbH in July 2019.
In 2015, a permit requirement for exports of FinSpy to non-EU countries was introduced across Europe, but even after the federal government not issued a single export license, the surveillance software was found on a Turkish website in 2017 to spy on members of the opposition and was used in Egypt to target NGOs.
This strongly suggests that the surveillance company illegally exported the FinSpy software despite the existing permit requirements.
Unfortunately, the German media site has taken down the original report it posted last year after FinFisher sued the publication and won the case.
We will update the article as and when new information becomes available.
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Story highlightsMaria Sharapova will face Serena Williams in the women's French Open finalRussia's Sharapova holds her nerve to beat Victoria Azarenka in three setsWilliams destroys Italian Sara Errani by winning 6-0 6-1 in just 46 minutesThe world's top two players will battle it out for the French Open title on Saturday, but their route to the Roland Garros final could not have been more different.Relief was evident on the face of defending champion and world No. 2 Maria Sharapova who survived a third-set comeback from Victoria Azarenka to nail down a hard-fought 6-1 2-6 6-4 victory.Conversely, Serena Williams, the world No. 1, was so dominant against Sara Errani that the Italian ironically celebrated the only game she won in a match that lasted just 46 minutes and ended 6-0 6-1.Sharapova must now try and arrest her poor record against the American, having won just two of their 15 encounters. Saturday's meeting will be the first time since 1995 that the top two seeds have faced each other in the final.Read: Suzanne Lenglen: The first diva of tennisSharapova, from Russia, had been coasting in the first set but her Belarusian opponent battled back to exert similar dominance over the second.JUST WATCHEDCan Sharapova retain French Open title?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCan Sharapova retain French Open title? 01:51JUST WATCHEDMonica Seles is now a novelistReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMonica Seles is now a novelist 03:56JUST WATCHEDIn or out? Let Twitter decideReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHIn or out? Let Twitter decide 02:30JUST WATCHEDSecrets below Roger Federer's feetReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSecrets below Roger Federer's feet 03:07JUST WATCHEDSecrets of a French Open umpire unveiledReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSecrets of a French Open umpire unveiled 02:47JUST WATCHEDIvanovic targets more French titlesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHIvanovic targets more French titles 00:50But a delay for rain allowed Sharapova to regroup and when she returned to Court Philippe Chatrier the 26-year-old fought off a late Azarenka charge to book a second successive final."I really had to play to the end today and I am extremely happy to be back in the final," Sharapova told reporters at a press conference."(The rain delay) gave me a little bit of time to think of what I did well in the first set and try to get that back again for the third."Azarenka agreed the short rain break had stalled her comeback and played into her opponent's hands."I think the break kind of changed the momentum, for sure," she said. "When we got back out I kind of didn't start the same way I was playing in the second set. "I was just trying to make things happen too quick and started missing the ball. You know, it was a little bit unfortunate and inconsistent in that particular moment."There were no such twists and turns in the other semifinal as Williams punished Errani, the No. 5 seed, right from the first point to reach only her second final in Paris.Williams hit 40 winners while Errani could only manage two. The Italian managed to claim just five points on Williams' serve."I told myself: 'Serena, just concentrate' and that's what I did," Williams, who beat sister Venus to win the 2002 French Open, said in an on-court interview."Against Maria, I will have to prepare slightly differently. She's a great player. But it's magnificent to be back in the final after 11 years."Errani, a losing finalist to Sharapova last year, was philosophical after her sixth straight defeat to her American opponent."I enjoyed it," she told reporters. "It was a great court, great weather. What she did today was unbelievable. She is so strong and is an unbelievable player.""It was a great day. I tried but that's sport. Sometimes you lose, but you have to stay in there and try until the last point. I gave it my all, but there was nothing I could do."
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Story highlightsFitness crucial to modern America's CupHuman power drives onboard systemsTraditional arm grinders vs. pedal powerRaces can be won or lost on fitness (CNN)Some see sailing as a sedate sport, but you know the game has changed when the "athletes" are described as "superhumans" and undergo special forces training.That's just what Oracle Team USA has been doing to cope with the demands of sailing the new high-tech breed of America's Cup catamarans.Follow @cnnsport
Teams argue that to keep the cutting-edge craft "flying" on their hydrofoils, crews in this year's 35th America's Cup will be fitter, faster and stronger than ever before.Artemis Racing chief Iain Percy, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, described sailing these 50-miles-per-hour missiles as "beyond physical." Read More"For the first time in the America's Cup, racing boats will get past (opponents on the water) because they have fitter people -- that's quite nice," Percy told CNN.Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill added: "We've never seen anything like it in sailing. It's like sprinting up a hill for 25 minutes."Some days you look at the heart rate data and it looks like a few guys are having heart attacks."'Endurance base'Prior to the last installment of the prestigious race in 2013, sailing changed drastically. JUST WATCHEDThe ACC: the boat of the 2017 America's CupReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe ACC: the boat of the 2017 America's Cup 01:46Tall aerodynamic wing sails that harness wind power better, and foils mounted under the hull that can lift the boat out of the water, both helped to dramatically enhance speed when conditions were right.Subsequently, effort from the sailors was needed in more intensive bursts, with huge 110 kg grinders -- manually-operated winches that help power the boat -- the norm.Great to host fitness bloggers in @bermuda for an intense gym session with @BGW82 & @neilhunter__ . Find out more https://t.co/7hyaRjgtrH pic.twitter.com/TZ6WeKmouc— Land Rover BAR (@LandRoverBAR) March 15, 2017
Sailing has become "a completely different sport," says the Land Rover BAR team's head of strength and conditioning Ben Williams."I broke down the old America's Cups and the work-to-rest ratio was 1:6. In the last Cup in San Francisco it was 6:1," he told CNN."Because that's more of a constant output, the guys need more of an endurance base."The new AC50 boats have only six sailors on board, compared to 11 in the last edition, with the helmsman and wing trimmer tied up with steering, foil control, sail-setting and strategy, leaving four crew in the engine room. Even then, the aft grinder often doubles as tactician.Cup rules limit the crew's total weight to 525 kg, an average of 87.5 kg per sailor. Where possible, the duo in the stern will be lighter, giving the grinders more potential in terms of muscle power. The designers' job is to build the most efficient systems they can to harness that energy. "The fact is we're heavily undermanned," Spithill says. "There is always too much to do and not enough guys to do it." READ: Building of the Oracle 'beasts'READ: 'Incredible' boats take to the wavesREAD: America's Cup -- sailing's F1READ: Can Bermuda ride America's Cup wave?'Watt farming'On top of a busy sailing schedule, Land Rover BAR's training regime involves 12-15 hours a week in the gym, combined with yoga sessions to enhance mobility and prevent injury."We've come a long way in understanding what it takes" -Ben Williams, Head of Strength & Conditioning @landroverbar #GetToKnow 💪 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/f3O6enktTZ— America's Cup (@americascup) February 10, 2017
It also focuses on nutrition, and blood analysis for vitamin and mineral monitoring, tailored to each individual.The British team combines upper-body weight training with four cardio sessions a week so the crew can produce power over long periods of time, similar to a cycling time trial.High-intensity interval training -- using a grinder, rowing machines, ski ergos or bikes -- is designed to improve the sailors' performance when they are nearing their VO2 maximum -- the highest rate of oxygen consumption. "The reality is, your best sailor mentally and tactically may not be your best sailor when his heart is beating at 186 beats per minute and he's head down sweating all over the pedestal," adds Williams, who describes himself as a "watt farmer."Fitness expert Ross Edgley called the Land Rover BAR sailors "superhumans" and "specimens" after training with the team at its Bermuda base.'Smart decisions'The ability to think clearly while performing at the extremes of physical capability is the reason Spithill has sought the help of US Navy Seals as his team bids to win a third successive America's Cup.Watch athlete Louis Sinclair power through a grind test. Grinders are the powerhouses on our @AmericasCup race yachts. #mondaymotivation pic.twitter.com/FkLUlfmyGN— ORACLE TEAM USA (@OracleTeamUSA) March 20, 2017
Sessions have focused on taking sailors to exhaustion in the gym and then asking them to make decisions or complete tasks, such as puzzles, both individually and as a team. In one exercise -- the ice-bucket memory game -- sailors were immersed in ice baths while exhausted teammates had to solve puzzles to release them. If they got it wrong, they had to do a 50-meter dash and then try again. The Seals also put them in a hostage simulation, armed with paint guns, where the emphasis was on team work, leadership and planning. The Oracle team has recently worked with professional freedivers, learning techniques to hold their breath for up to four minutes under water -- both for safety and to develop the ability to remain calm and not panic in stressful situations.R1 - The vital statistics. For more info: https://t.co/YEgz88d9VU #BringTheCupHome #TechTuesday pic.twitter.com/IRlrqzH2vU— Land Rover BAR (@LandRoverBAR) February 7, 2017
"Everyone on the boat has to have a strong mental game," said Spithill, who skippered the US syndicate to that remarkable come-from-behind 9-8 win against challenger Team New Zealand in San Francisco in 2013."Guys have to make split-second decisions, and usually when you make mistakes it's when you're tired or stressed. That's exactly what these boats do to you, and the consequences if you make a mistake are like an F1 driver going into a wall."It just comes down to making smart decisions when you're exhausted or under stress. That's what special forces guys have got to be good at. The consequences for them are pretty big."We've taken out big-wave surfers, X-Games stars, NFL and MLB guys, and every single one of them has been shocked and said they couldn't believe the environment we have to work in."Arm vs. leg power?For five of the six teams in this year's America's Cup, all this power generation has come from traditional arm-operated grinders, meaning most of the training has been focused on the upper body.But Emirates Team New Zealand sent shockwaves through the competition when it unveiled its new boat with cycling-style winch pedestals.The Kiwis have kept their innovative design under wraps for more than a year, alongside covert cycle-specific training with Olympic bronze medal-winning cyclist Simon van Velthooven.VIDEO: It's not just about the bikes... It's about what powers the bikes. #NewZealandsCup #ETNZ #cyclor #americascuphttps://t.co/j9PXDKPRl5 pic.twitter.com/PjMXcqYjqB— EmiratesTeamNZ (@EmiratesTeamNZ) February 20, 2017
The theory is the bigger leg muscles will be able to produce more power, for longer. That, in turn, means more energy available for maneuvers, and the option to choose faster foils which need more adjusting because of their instability."Traditionally it has always been about upper-body grinding, here we're completely flipping everything on its head," physical trainer Hubert Woroniecki said in an Emirates Team New Zealand video last month. "There's a substantial increase in power output using the legs. It's been about a year of hard work, we've gone through a lot of base work and now we've hit a few phases of intensive and the guys are making big jumps."Olympic gold medalist rower Joseph Sullivan described the set-piece test rides, using Watt bikes, as "brutal." His fellow grinder Sam Bell, in the same team video, opted for "disgusting." "It's actually quite similar to a rowing race, you just hit a physical limit where your body is telling you to stop, but you just have to stay there, you just have to keep going," Bell said.READ: America's Cup team gambles on bikes'Addictive'Spithill and Softbank Team Japan's former New Zealand skipper Dean Barker are among those to have dismissed the pedal technology, arguing the increased wind resistance and the inefficiency in dismounting a bike to run across to the other side of the boat during a turn outweighs the power advantages.#GetToKnow Swedish challenger @artemisracing starting with a look inside their grueling training program. #MondayMotivation #bestsailors 💪🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/ODUqK2ZZIv— America's Cup (@americascup) February 20, 2017
Amid all this arm and leg bulking up, Russell Coutts, a former America's Cup winner and now chief executive of the organizing body, also believes sailing expertise shouldn't be ignored."I really don't think this will be a deciding factor, overall I think there are other factors which will be much more important, such as the way they control the wing sail or the way they position boats on the racecourse," Coutts told Yachting World.Visit CNN.com/sailing for more news and videosThe proof will out on Bermuda's Great Sound in June, but either way the modern America's Cup has taken sailing fitness into a new realm."It's incredibly addictive," said Spithill. "Once you start operating at that sort of level where you're right at the edge -- man, it's a lot of fun as well."
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Google researcher has discovered a severe vulnerability in modern web browsers that could have allowed websites you visit to steal the sensitive content of your online accounts from other websites that you have logged-in the same browser.
Discovered by Jake Archibald, developer advocate for Google Chrome, the vulnerability resides in the way browsers handle cross-origin requests to video and audio files, which if exploited, could allow remote attackers to even read the content of your Gmail or private Facebook messages.
For security reasons, modern web browsers don't allow websites to make cross-origin requests to a different domain unless any domain explicitly allows it.
That means, if you visit a website on your browser, it can only request data from the same origin the site was loaded from, preventing it from making any unauthorized request on your behalf in an attempt to steal your data from other sites.
However, web browsers do not respond in the same way while fetching media files hosted on other origins, allowing a website you visit to load audio/video files from different domains without any restrictions.
Moreover, browsers also support range header and partial content responses, allowing websites to serve partial content of a large media file, which is useful while playing a large media or downloading files with pause and resume ability.
In other words, media elements have an ability to join pieces of multiple responses together and treat it as a single resource.
However, Archibald found that Mozilla FireFox and Microsoft Edge allowed media elements to mix visible and opaque data or opaque data from multiple sources together, leaving a sophisticated attack vector open for attackers.
In a blog post published today, Archibald detailed this vulnerability, which he dubbed Wavethrough, explaining how an attacker can leverage this feature to bypass protections implemented by browsers that prevent cross-origin requests.
"Bugs started when browsers implemented range requests for media elements, which wasn't covered by the standard. These range requests were genuinely useful, so all browsers did it by copying each others behaviour, but no one integrated it into the standard," Archibald explained.
According to Archibald, this loophole can be exploited by a malicious website using an embedded media file on its webpage, which if played, only serves partial content from its own server and asks the browser to fetch rest of the file from a different origin, forcing the browser to make a cross-origin request.
The second request, which actually is a cross-origin request and should be restricted, will be successful because mixing visible and opaque data are allowed for a media file, allowing one website to steal content from the other.
"I created a site that does the above. I used a PCM WAV header because everything after the header is valid data, and whatever Facebook returned would be treated as uncompressed audio," Archibald said.
Archibald has also published a video, and a proof-of-concept exploit demonstrating how a malicious website can fetch your private content from websites like Gmail and Facebook, whose response will be same for the malicious site as your browser loads them for you.
Since Chrome and Safari already have a policy in place to reject such cross-origin requests as soon as they see any redirection after the underlying content appears to have changed between requests, their users are already protected.
"This is why standards are important. I believe Chrome had a similar security issue long ago, but instead of just fixing it in Chrome, the fix should have been written into a standard, and tests should have been written for other browsers to check against," Archibald said.
FireFox and Edge browsers that were found vulnerable to this issue have also patched the vulnerability in their latest versions after Archibald responsibly reported it to their security teams.
Therefore, FireFox and Edge browser users are highly recommended to make sure that they are running the latest version of these browsers.
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Story highlightsBubba Watson pulls out of Players Championship to spend more time with young familyMasters champion will take a month off to concentrate on wife Angie and adopted son CalebThe 33-year-old couldn't be swayed by tournament's $9.5 million prize purseHe also skips this week's Quail Hollow event, where Webb Simpson leads after day oneEven by Bubba Watson's unpredictable standards, his decision to pull out of this month's Players Championship to spend more time with his family is an unusual one.The Masters champion revealed he is skipping one of golf's biggest tournaments -- often referred to as the fifth major, with $9.5 million total prize money -- to spend quality time with wife Angie and their recently adopted two-month-old son."I've decided to pull out of the Players. I need to spend more time with Caleb and Angie, plan to take at least a month off. The Players is one of the best weeks of the year but bonding with my son and wife is what it is all about right now," he wrote on Twitter."Sorry to disappoint fans but the Players has one of the best fields all year, tourney is more than fine without me," Watson said in another tweet. It seems the prestigious PGA Tour event -- boasting a whopping $1.7 million prize for its winner -- wasn't enough to tear Bubba away from baby.JUST WATCHEDWacky world of Bubba WatsonReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWacky world of Bubba Watson 02:36JUST WATCHEDBubba Watson: 'It's a whirlwind'ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBubba Watson: 'It's a whirlwind' 04:31JUST WATCHEDBubba Watson on Augusta National's rulesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBubba Watson on Augusta National's rules 01:16"I feel blessed and excited that I get to spend quality time with Caleb and Angie in the next few weeks. I am lucky to play golf for a living, it allows me to pick my own schedule," he tweeted.Wells Fargo Championship leaderboardThe 33-year-old, who earned the nickname "Wacky Watson" for his oddball home videos on YouTube, will miss the Players for the first time since his debut in 2007. The American has missed the cut in three out of five trips to TPC Sawgrass, and recorded his best finish back in 2009 when he tied for 37th.Watson's decision has been backed by the U.S. circuit's governing body."We respect Bubba's decision in light of the unique and life-changing circumstances of the past month," said PGA Tour executive vice-president of communications Ty Votaw. "His focus on his family is admirable, as was his decision to honor his commitment to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans as defending champion. We look forward to having him back on the tour soon."Watson admitted ahead of last month's Zurich Classic that he'd rather be at home than defending his New Orleans title.It has been his only tournament since winning the Masters with a miraculous shot from the woods and onto the green in a playoff against South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen. Photos: Ernie Els: A father's love Photos: Ernie Els: A father's loveClose to home – Ernie Els is most famous for his golfing exploits, but as his career reaches its twilight years he is focusing on a cause dear to his heart. Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Ernie Els: A father's loveA playful dad – The former world No. 1swings his son Ben over his shoulder during the fourth annual Els for Autism Pro-Am charity golf tournament, held in March 2012.Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Ernie Els: A father's loveLearning from the best – Ben, seen here at another fundraising tournament in 2010, was diagnosed with autism when he was four years old. Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Ernie Els: A father's loveBen diagnosed – Now nine, the youngster still struggles to speak and attends a specialist school in Florida. He is pictured here with his father in their former home in England in 2003.Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Ernie Els: A father's loveSouth African roots – Els often returns to his native South Africa for vacations with his wife Liezl, Ben and daughter Samantha. He has invested heavily in the Cape region where he grew up, opening a golf foundation for disadvantaged youngsters, a wine and restaurant business and a resort.Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Ernie Els: A father's loveA family's love – Els (pictured with Liezl with Ben in 2011) says he has met some families with three autistic children and admitted it would be "one of the hardest things in the world."Hide Caption 6 of 6 Photos: McIlroy reclaims top ranking from Donald Photos: McIlroy reclaims top ranking from DonaldDonald finishes down field – Luke Donald never recovered from an opening round of four-over 75 at Harbour Town Golf Links.Hide Caption 1 of 3 Photos: McIlroy reclaims top ranking from DonaldMcIlroy on top – Rory McIlroy replaced Donald as No. 1 despite a disappointing showing at the Masters in his last tournament. He spent this week with his girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki in Copenhagen.Hide Caption 2 of 3 Photos: McIlroy reclaims top ranking from DonaldPettersson wins by five shots – Carl Pettersson of Sweden won the RBC Heritage by five shots from Zach Johnson for his fifth PGA Tour title.Hide Caption 3 of 3Fresh from the media whirlwind that surrounded him since winning his first major at Augusta, Bubba failed to live up to the hype, finishing 18th at TPC Louisiana.He decided to miss this week's $6.5 million Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina, where some of golf's biggest names returned to action on Thursday.Former world No. 1 Tiger Woods was tied for 56th after the opening round, having shot one-under-par 71. The American, who won the tournament in 2001, was six shots off the lead shared by his playing partner Webb Simpson.Ryan Moore and Stewart Cink also carded seven-under 65 to be a shot ahead of a group of five players.World No. 2 Rory McIlroy's tactic of taking a long holiday before the tournament did not yield immediate results. The Northern Irishman, who will defend his U.S. Open title next month, finished the opening day at Quail Hollow equal 39th after a 70.Four-time major champion Phil Mickelson recovered from an early triple bogey to join Woods on 71.
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(CNN)Russian boxer Maxim Dadashev has died in a US hospital after his fight with Puerto Rico's Subriel Matias. The fight was on Friday in Maryland. Dadashev was 28 years old."Top Rank is devastated to report that Maxim Dadashev passed away earlier this morning due to injuries sustained during last Friday's bout," Dadashev's promoter, Top Rank, said in a statement. "Maxim was a talented fighter inside the ring and a loving husband and father outside the ropes. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.""Maxim was a terrific young man," added Top Rank founder and CEO Bob Arum. "We are all saddened and affected by his untimely death."Dadashev and Matias fought at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland on Friday night. The winner of the fight would've been the mandatory challenger to Josh Taylor for his title belt.Read MoreDadashev's trainer Buddy McGirt stopped the fight after the 11th round.Matias was dominating Dadashev and was ahead 109-100, 108-101 and 107-102 on the scorecards at the time of stoppage, according to ESPN's Dan Rafael. In reviewing footage from the fight, McGirt could be seen and heard pleading with Dadashev to stop the fight, noting he had taken a lot of hits.Dadashev had to be helped out of the ring, and he started to vomit and lost consciousness before making it to the dressing room, ESPN reported. He was taken to UM Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly, Maryland where he underwent emergency brain surgery for a subdural hematoma, which is bleeding in the brain, the network said.It added that Dadashev had to be placed into a medically induced coma after the operation in order to allow the brain swelling to subside."As you can imagine the news this morning has devastated us all," McGirt wrote in a message to CNN. "Out of respect for his family I will refrain from making any comment at this time other than to say Maxim was and always will be a phenomenal young man and boxer."Dadashev originally hails from St. Petersburg, Russia but was based out of Oxnard, California. He had a professional boxing record of 13 wins and one loss, with 10 of his wins coming by knockout, according to Top Rank.The Russian Boxing Federation has announced that they have opened an investigation into the matter.Homero DeLaFuente contributed to this report.Story has been updated with a statement from Top Rank, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum and trainer Buddy McGirt.
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As if the exponential rise in phishing scams and malware attacks in the last five years wasn't enough, the COVID-19 crisis has worsened it further.
The current scenario has given a viable opportunity to cybercriminals to find a way to target individuals, small and large enterprises, government corporations.
According to Interpol's COVID-19 Cybercrime Analysis Report, based on the feedback of 194 countries, phishing/scam/fraud, malware/ransomware, malicious domains, and fake news have emerged as the biggest digital threats across the world in the wake of the pandemic.
Image source: interpol.int
There are primarily two reasons for emerging cyber threats in 2020:
Most of the population is working, learning, shopping, or running their business from home, where they're using personal devices from the home/public internet connection, which are usually unsafe and hence highly vulnerable to cybercrimes.
The cybercriminals are using the COVID-19 theme to exploit people and enterprises through malicious e-mails and domains. For example, many scammers have rolled out campaigns offering COVID-19 vaccines, free medical tests and testing kits, tax rebates for donation to pandemic relief funds, information on COVID-19 cases, and new job opportunities due to the economic downturn. Some have even launched fake e-commerce websites selling COVID-19 safety, health, and sanitization products.
Let's take a look at a few examples of cyber threats and security breaches that have taken place in 2020.
Scams
In April 2020, swindlers impersonated the World Health Organization (WHO) to send e-mails to the public seeking donations to a fictitious COVID-19 fund.
In March 2020, the Department of Justice in the United States filed a legal appeal in the federal court to shut down a website called coronavirusmedicalkit[.]com, which claimed to sell free vaccine kits.
Phishing
A phishingscam campaign sent out fake Zoom invites to employees from HR. The idea was to phish out their passwords.
Several UK citizens received an e-mail from a fake government ID telling them to claim a tax refund to protect against the COVID-19 crisis.
Malware
The Powershell malware attacks in 2020 have witnessed a sharp increase of 117% in North America.
Ryuk has emerged as one of the biggest malware threats to US hospitals and healthcare providers in 2020.
Ways to Safeguard Against COVID-19 Digital Threats
Cyber risk management calls for both preventive and detective measures listed below:
1 — Educate Your Staff
Most phishing e-mails appear so legitimate that your employees are likely to open the attachment or embedded link without verifying the sender's e-mail id or the information in the message's body.
Create cybersecurity awareness among your employees to help them identify unauthenticated e-mails. Tell them to double-check the sender's e-mail address and look for grammatical errors or unusual requests. If they suspect anything, they should immediately get in touch with the IT team instead of forwarding the e-mail to co-workers.
2 — Encrypt and Backup Data
You must use full-disk encryption software to encrypt all sensitive data of your company, customers, and employees.
It is also always a good idea to take a system backup of your databases, files, and databases at regular intervals.
The general rule of backup is 3-2-1: create at least three copies, two of which should be on different mediums (devices/cloud), and one copy should be off-site for disaster recovery.
3 — Fortify Cybersecurity Policy for Remote Working
It is crucial to create a strict rulebook for your employees, laying down the protocol for using home computing devices and internet connection. They should use a secure internet connection, avoid the use of office devices for personal use, and store official files/information only on company storage systems.
Also, make sure that your company implements robust firewall rules and multi-layer authentication for VPN, critical business systems, and any other remote network connections. Let your employees know the company-approved applications and collaboration tools they have to use.
4 — Use Anti-Virus Solutions
This may sound like basic security protocol, but it is extremely important to install sophisticated and trustworthy anti-virus software on your company servers and devices.
5 — Secure Your Web and Mobile Applications
With COVID-19 pushing the world to embrace digital on every front, your web and mobile applications are more at risk from cyber threats and security violations. Hence, you must proactively monitor application security risks and take preventive measures to mitigate them.
You can do so by implementing AppTrana, a risk-based, fully managed application security solution offered by Indusface. AppTrana provides real-time protection against OWASP exploits, DDOS attacks, Bot Mitigation, and Zero-Day attacks.
You can also consider Indusface WAS, which is a comprehensive web application vulnerability detection solution. It provides Automated DAST Scanner combined with on-demand Manual Penetration Testing and false-positive removal via manual verification.
If you are looking for mobile security solutions, then Indusface MAS runs in-depth Pen-testing with multiplatform coverage, including iOS, Android, and Windows, for vulnerability detection.
Conclusion
COVID-19 has put the pressing need on organizations to re-strategize their cybersecurity policy to keep digital threats at bay.
It is also essential to understand that cyber threats are here to stay even after the ongoing pandemic because global digital usage is expected to increase continuously in the coming years.
Hence, it would help if you get prepared on all fronts to combat the cyber-attacks effectively.
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