Another global ransomware cyber-attack

Link

Companies across the globe are reporting that they have been struck by a major ransomware cyber-attack.

Experts suggest the malware is taking advantage of the same weaknesses used by the Wannacry attack last month.

"It initially appeared to be a variant of a piece of ransomware that emerged last year," said computer scientist Prof Alan Woodward.

"The ransomware was called Petya and the updated version Petrwrap.

"However, now that's not so clear."

The Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab reported that it believed the malware was a "new ransomware that has not been seen before" despite its resemblance to Petya.

As a result, the firm has dubbed it NotPetya. Kaspersky added that it had detected suspected attacks in Poland, Italy, Germany, France and the US in addition to the UK, Russia and Ukraine.

"A South Korean hosting firm just paid $1m to get their data back and that's a huge incentive," he said. "It's the biggest incentive you could offer to a cyber-criminal."

Following in Wannacry's footsteps, it looks like a new lucrative business is on the rise. They even followed the same formula, asking for $300 worth of Bitcoins. I see this becoming a trend.

Is this just a get-rich-quick scheme from a bunch of hackers or are these attacks building up to something much bigger?

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

A shame the US intelligence agencies developed this hacking software and then let it get loose into the world.

But whatever the origin of the hacking operation, the actual software used is almost certainly the same that was created by the NSA and subsequently leaked by a disgruntled non-Russian employee. Now we are just waiting for the confirmation.

As a reminder, the quick proliferation of the original WannCry malware, which infected nearly 300,000 computers worldwide within a day, was due entirely to its use of two powerful software exploits that were released to the public in April by the anonymous hacker group calling itself the Shadow Brokers, which said the exploits were developed by the US National Security Agency (NSA).

On Tuesday, Edward Snowden asked "How many times does @NSAGov's development of digital weapons have to result in harm to civil infrastructure before there is accountability?"

www.zerohedge.com...

Oh well.

Let me speak for the media, Hillary supporters, dem politicians and hollywood when I firmly place the blame on...

"RUSSIANS!!!!"

The real war is ongoing.

This is scary. Those targets are infrastructure related.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Imagine what will happen if they can hack into the New York Stock Exchange servers or say Bank of America checking/savings accounts?

Interesting times we're living in...

ETA: This is a Forbes article discussing the Petya ranscomware hack attack in more detail: link

a reply to: Grambler

I don't remember, but was Wannacry blamed on Russians?

Edward snowden has tweeted he believes it to be the NSA who are the Ones behind the hack
mobile.twitter.com...

a reply to: FamCore

I wouldn't be surprised if hackers have the capability to shut down everything like an EMP attack, and they are just waiting for the right moment.

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

Edward snowden has tweeted he believes it to be the NSA who are the Ones behind the hack

Wow, that is interesting. Thank you for sharing.

originally posted by: Grambler
Let me speak for the media, Hillary supporters, dem politicians and hollywood when I firmly place the blame on...

Well I be danged. Exactly ONE post away from the OP and you're already doing some unwanted, unneccessary and totally not called for political trolling. Sheez, man, this was not about American politics, but about RANSOMWARE.

a reply to: Grambler

Let me speak for the media, Hillary supporters, dem politicians and hollywood when I firmly place the blame on...

"RUSSIANS!!!!"

I'm neither of the fictitious, make-believe labels which you not so subliminally used to ad-hom attack anyone who doesn't agree with you...

But why not the Russians?

I'm not saying it's the Ruskies but with the Trump admin making up lies about Syria trying to set up an upcoming chemical attack this could be Russia hitting back. Russia spoke out against the outrageous claims coming from the White House.

White House accuses Assad of planning 'another chemical weapons attack'

Syria has denied the Trump administration's charge that it may be planning "another chemical weapons attack," which the White House said "would likely result in the mass murder of civilians."

The White House did not provide specific evidence to support the allegation, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad has dismissed, according to The Associated Press.

abcnews.go.com...

This could be Russia saying keep away?

I honestly doubt it but you seem so confident that it can't be.

Please explain your reasoning (if you actually have any) without the ad-hom attacks.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
a reply to: FamCore

I wouldn't be surprised if hackers have the capability to shut down everything like an EMP attack, and they are just waiting for the right moment.

Well, no, they can't. They can, however, use backdoors and user stupidity to misuse systems. The number of backdoors is limited.

originally posted by: ForteanOrg

originally posted by: Grambler
Let me speak for the media, Hillary supporters, dem politicians and hollywood when I firmly place the blame on...

Well I be danged. Exactly ONE post away from the OP and you're already doing some unwanted, unneccessary and totally not called for political trolling. Sheez, man, this was not about American politics, but about RANSOMWARE.

Did you bother to read the link I posted?

Nah, you were to busy getting on your high horse to actually do that.

As noted earlier, Ukraine was quick to accuse Russia. An advisor to Ukraine's interior minister said the virus got into computer systems via "phishing" emails written in Russian and Ukrainian designed to lure employees into opening them. According to the state security agency, the emails contained infected Word documents or PDF files as attachments.

www.zerohedge.com...

Already the accusations toward russia begin.

But I guess you don't want us pointing out the hypocrisy, especially when it seems that NSA tech might be the reason for this.

a reply to: ForteanOrg

I'm not an expert, so I don't understand the difficulties involved, but I wouldn't be surprised they are only testing the waters.

A global cyber attack I would assume is quite a feat, so thinking it can potentially get much worse isn't too far-fetched is it?

originally posted by: Mikehawk
a reply to: Grambler

Let me speak for the media, Hillary supporters, dem politicians and hollywood when I firmly place the blame on...

"RUSSIANS!!!!"

I'm neither of the fictitious, make-believe labels which you not so subliminally used to ad-hom attack anyone who doesn't agree with you...

But why not the Russians?

I'm not saying it's the Ruskies but with the Trump admin making up lies about Syria trying to set up an upcoming chemical attack this could be Russia hitting back. Russia spoke out against the outrageous claims coming from the White House.

White House accuses Assad of planning 'another chemical weapons attack'

Syria has denied the Trump administration's charge that it may be planning "another chemical weapons attack," which the White House said "would likely result in the mass murder of civilians."

The White House did not provide specific evidence to support the allegation, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad has dismissed, according to The Associated Press.

abcnews.go.com...

This could be Russia saying keep away?

I honestly doubt it but you seem so confident that it can't be.

Please explain your reasoning (if you actually have any) without the ad-hom attacks.

Here you go Fortean! Care to lecture him on how this isn't about politics, but its about ransomware?

The reason is

1. Russia was attacked also.

2. Ukraine jumped to blame Russia. The last time Russia was blamed for hacking the Ukraine (you know by Crowd strike, the DNC friendly service that was the only ones allowed to look at the DNC server) it turned out to be totally false.

3. The technology seems to be from the NSA.

4. If you believe that the US is lying about the chemical attacks (something I am skeptical of to) then why wouldn't they also lie here to blame russia?

The point of my posts saying Russia will be blamed is that it will distract from the fact that the NSA let these tools loose on the world, and people will want to distract from this.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

This is dangerous! We are to the point where this will cost someone their life!

Sick of this bs. How about someone work for money instead of scamming the world?

a reply to: Grambler

The plot just keeps on thickening by the day!

originally posted by: Grambler
a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

A shame the US intelligence agencies developed this hacking software and then let it get loose into the world.

Not just the software, the spooks also forced the various OS companies to incorporate backdoors and holes which could be accessed for snooping inside any computer Langley was interested in. What staggering hubris for anyone to believe only the CIA would ever know about these access holes and have the ability to use them.

a reply to: Martin75

My gut is telling me this is only the beginning and the money is not their main priority.

Just testing the waters.

a reply to: Grambler

You wrote: "Let me speak for the media, Hillary supporters, dem politicians and hollywood when I firmly place the blame on..."

.. and that was neither informative, funny, called for - and it is exactly what causes this forum to be in its current deplorable state. Cut it out.

Now, back to the topic. No, it was almost certainly not the NSA that introduced backdoors - it was dear old Microsoft themselves, incidentally. However, the NSA has indeed found and used these backdoors and "incidentally" forgot to report these to the public.

Its called Petya, its a WannaCry variation.

I've been foolin with it since 04:00AM

This is pure BS.