Security Leftovers
Submitted by Roy Schestowitz on Wednesday 2nd of October 2019 08:48:59 AM
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Hackers Turn to OpenDocument Format to Avoid AV Detection
Attackers have a new obfuscation technique that uses the OpenDocument file format for sneaking payloads past antivirus software.
Past macro-based attacks have relied on malware hitching a ride with .docx, .zip, .jar and many other file formats. But researchers at Cisco Talos said that because these attempts are nearly certain to be red flagged by endpoint protection, hackers are turning to the OpenDocument (ODT) format to avoid detection.
“The use of the ODT file format shows that actors are happy to try out different mechanisms of infection, perhaps in an attempt to see if… these documents have a higher rate of infection or are better at avoiding detection,” wrote Cisco Talos researchers Warren Mercer and Paul Rascagneres on Monday.
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[Older] Danish hearing aid firm slashes forecasts after breach [iophk: Windows TCO]
Demant, the maker of Oticon-branded hearing aids, explained in a statement issued late last week that it is still in the process of recovering from an unspecified “cyber incident” that occurred on September 3 and disrupted the manufacture and distribution of its products.
The Danish firm responded to the attack by “shutting down IT systems across multiple sites and business units” in order to contain the problem. Even though it acted promptly, and data backup was largely intact, its business was nonetheless severely affected.
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[Older] #1278700: Hearing aid manufacturer hit by cyber attack slashes profits by $95 million [iophk: Windows TCO]
Details remain sketchy, but the fact that the company shut down IT systems across multiple sites and business units around the world – and that they claim this helped contained the problem – suggest that the firm’s systems were infected by malware, potentially ransomware.
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[Older] Demant Group Companies Hit by Cyber Attack [iophk: Windows TCO]
Companies in the Demant Group, which include hearing aid manufacturers Oticon, Sonic Innovations, and Bernafon, were the victims of a cyber attack that affected their IT infrastructure on September 3. The group was forced to shut down its IT systems across multiple sites and business units to contain the issue last week, causing some companies in the group to come to a virtual standstill relative to digital ordering and communications.
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FDA warns of potential cyber vulnerabilities in internet-connected medical devices
The vulnerabilities, referred to by the agency as URGENT/11, have the potential to harm operating systems for medical devices connected to communications networks like Wi-Fi and equipment such as routers and phones.
According to the FDA, the cyber vulnerabilities could allow a remote actor to “take control” of the device, leading to a change in function, information leaks or causing the device to stop functioning
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Malvertiser exploited Chrome and WebKit flaws to display over one billion dodgy ads
According to researchers, malvertising campaigns by eGobbler typically last for a few days. In that period, eGobbler buys advertisements on genuine services but embeds malicious code in its adverts to perform unauthorised activity on users' browsers.
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When LexisNexis Makes a Mistake, You Pay For It
But consumer lawyers and privacy advocates worry the problem with mixed files and other data errors is likely to get worse. A Government Accountability Office report in 2013 noted "a vast increase" in the number and types of companies that collect and sell consumer data—often called data brokers—and suggested Congress consider stronger regulation of the industry, which includes LexisNexis. More than five years later, the regulatory landscape hasn't changed much, but the industry has continued to grow and evolve.
These days, Rapp says, it's almost impossible to avoid being tracked by data brokers—not just LexisNexis. "If you have a pulse, you have a report," he says.
Data brokers "operate in a legal vacuum" when it comes to many kinds of consumer data, says Lydia de la Torre, a data protection law professor at Santa Clara University who has worked with companies including eBay and PayPal on privacy issues. Although lawmakers have recently proposed a series of federal regulations to protect consumers from the industry, de la Torre isn't optimistic any will pass in the near term.
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