Tag: telegram
“Panda Shop” Takes “Smishing” to a New Level
‘Smishing’ - cybercrime involving sending deceptive SMS text messages - has just been taken to a new and dangerous level by China’s crime syndicates. Cybersecurity company, Resecurity, has discovered a devastating new smishing kit known as "Panda Shop," which comes complete with interactive manuals on how to use it.
MacOS users targeted by ‘infostealer’ malware
Apple computer users are suffering a growing number of ‘infostealer’ attacks across multiple regions and industries. These are a form of malicious software created to breach computer systems in order to steal sensitive information. The Palo Alto Networks Unit42 research group has detected a 101 percent increase in macOS infostealers in the last two quarters of 2024. The researchers identified three particularly prevalent macOS infostealers: Poseidon, Atomic, and Cthulhu. The developers of Atomic Stealer sell it as malware as a service (MaaS) in hacker forums and on Telegram. The Atomic Stealer operators usually distribute their malware via malvertising - the use of online advertising to spread malware. This typically involves injecting malicious or malware-laden advertisements into legitimate online advertising networks and webpages. It is capable of stealing notes and documents, browser data such as passwords, and cookies, cryptocurrency wallets, and instant messaging data. Atomic Stealer, also known as AMOS was first discovered in April 2023.
“Crazy Evil” Threatens Cryptocurrency Ecosystem
A new and rising threat to decentralized financing has been identified. Threat intelligence researcher, the Insikt group, has uncovered “Crazy Evil,” a rapidly growing Russian crypto-scam gang that targets cryptocurrency users and influencers. According to Insikt Group, over ten active social media scams are linked directly to Crazy Evil, garnering millions of dollars in illicit funds and infiltrating tens of thousands of devices. Crazy Evil is what is referred to as a “traffer” team, which Insikt describes as “a collective of social engineering specialists tasked with redirecting legitimate traffic to malicious landing pages.” Allegedly operating since 2021 on dark web forums and amassing thousands of followers on their public Telegram channels, Crazy Evil’s primary targets are cryptocurrency users, non-fungible token (NFT) traders and gaming professionals - all of whom often use decentralized platforms with little or no regulatory oversight.
Pastor Charged with Cryptocurrency Scam
Washington-based Pastor Francier Obando Pinillo has been charged for his involvement in “Solano Fi,” a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment business that Pinillo claims “came to him in a dream.” A pastor in a church based in Pasco, Washington, Pinillo allegedly took advantage of his position to sway members of the congregation to invest in Solano Fi, defrauding over a thousand victims of millions of dollars in what he claimed was a “safe and guaranteed investment.” “Fraudulent investment schemes are not new, but cryptocurrency scams are a new way fraudsters take money from hardworking, honest people,” states US Attorney Vanessa Waldref. The landmark case illustrates how cryptocurrency scams have now become mainstream. Fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes have previously been viewed as the province of highly organized hostile nation-state-backed cybercriminals and shadowy ‘market makers”. But the Pinillo case illustrates how even relatively unskilled crooks are now capable of preying on the greed of unsuspecting investors.
Russian cyber gangs escalate attacks on US
Two Russian groups, the People’s Cyber Army and Z-Pentest, claim to have taken attacks on critical infrastructure in the US to a new and more dangerous level. Dark web researchers at threat intelligence firm Cyble have discovered Telegram videos detailing attacks on US energy and water facilities far beyond the previously supposed capabilities of such groups. Cyble believes that the two groups may be working in cooperation with one another. Previously, the People’s Cyber Army, which also goes by the name of the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn, and lesser-known groups such as Z-Pentest, have largely confined their attacks on US critical infrastructure to simple and easy-to-repel distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
Brussels backs down on mass surveillance
The European Union (EU) Council has made a last-minute withdrawal of the EU’s highly controversial planned “Chat Control” legislation, which was due to vote yesterday. This would have effectively introduced mass digital surveillance by means of fully automated real-time monitoring of all messaging and chats. The EU would appear to finally have heeded the harsh warnings that have been coming from the cybersecurity and communication sectors since the controversial ruling was first proposed in 2022. For the six months prior to Thursday’s decision, the EU Belgian Council presidency has been sitting on a deadlock between EU countries. Germany and Poland have heeded privacy experts' warnings of a potential police state. But Ireland and Spain are pressing for draconian new online laws to fight a rise in online child sexual abuse material that has grown since the start of Europe’s widespread lockdowns two and a half years ago.
Telegram chief’s arrest ignites global cyber-war
In the wake of Telegram owner and founder Pavel Durov’s shock arrest in Paris on Saturday, the French state is being hit by a growing wave of cyber-attacks designed to cause maximum embarrassment to beleaguered French president Emmanuel Macron. Durov was released from police custody in France on Wednesday and has been transferred to court for questioning ahead of a possible indictment that could result in a long prison sentence. A post on X by SaxX, reportedly the nom de Twitter of cybersecurity consultant Clément Domingo, listed 10 websites in France that bore the brunt of the first wave of cyber-attacks orchestrated by a new online hacktivist group, #opDurov.
The EU bares its teeth – again
The EU has bared its cyber teeth for the second time in a week. Hard on the heels of the arrest of Telegram founder and owner, Pavel Kurov, Uber has been slapped with a $290 million fine for allegedly violating the European Union (EU)’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by failing to protect personal data of European taxi drivers held on servers located in the US. The Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) enforced the regulation by imposing a fine on Uber, which transmitted European drivers’ personal data to the US, including drivers’ account details, taxi licenses, location data, photos, payment details, identity documents and, in some cases, even criminal records and medical data.
Telegram chief arrested in Paris
Speculation is today mounting concerning the arrest of the popular encrypted messaging app Telegram head and founder, Pavel Durov, at Le Bourget airport north of Paris on Saturday evening. The arrest has been widely reported in France, although the authorities have yet to issue a full statement. In the past, the French president. Emmanuel Macron and his team have been enthusiastic users of Telegram, using it to orchestrate their political strategies. But Durov’s arrest on Saturday is now being seen as part of an attempt by the UK and the European Union to curtail the reach and influence of largely unregulated communications platforms such as Telegram and X (formerly Twitter). This theory is born out of sources close to the situation, who believe that Durov will face charges of complicity in drug trafficking, crimes against children, and fraud – all allegedly stemming from a lack of moderation controls on Telegram.
Bangladeshi Police Officer Caught Selling Citizen Data on Telegram – June 6th
In late April, the Brigadier General of Bandladesh's NTMC announced that two police officers had been caught selling citizen data on Telegram. Bangladeshi officials said the data allegedly sold included national identity details of citizens, cell phone call records, and other “classified secret information.”
Google’s Improvements to Chrome’s ‘Safe Browsing’ Mode – March 18th
Google announced major security-focused revamps to Chrome's 'Safe Browsing' mode, which enables the service to work while checking against a server-side malware-site list in real-time. The added safety feature to Google Chrome's 'Safe Browsing' mode is a massive improvement compared to the browsing mode cross-checking against lists of malware-infected sites that were manually added every two hours.
Suspected Hackers Behind Meta Social Media Temporary Shutdown – March 6th
Cyberint reported that three threat actor groups (Skynet, Godzilla, and Anonymous Sudan) are suspected to be behind the temporary shutdown of Meta social media platforms; Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Despite the claims from the three threat actor groups on the Meta shutdown across various Telegram groups, there is still suspicion that these claims could be a hoax.