Ransomware That Hit Europe’s Computers Did Not Come From NSA Leak – NBCNews.com
Some media reports about the ransomware -- called WannaCry -- that rocked the UK health system, Spain's telecom industry, and other targets in Europe Friday say that hackers pulled it from a leaked NSA tool kit.
That's not really accurate.
Instead, computing experts say and a review of the computing code shows, the leaked NSA tool kit demonstrated to the hackers how they could attack these systems. The hackers didn't use NSA code, but they did copy something from the tool kit.
"WannaCry ransomware uses one of the exploitsreleased recently by Shadowbrokers in the leaked NSA tools archive," said Andrew Komarov, chief intelligence officer for the cybersecurity firm InfoArmor. "This is pretty normal practice, where cybercriminals are using the latest vulnerabilities in order to increase the efficiency of their malware."
The name of the NSA tool that the hackers drew on to develop the new ransomware is called "Eternalblue".
The software fix for the vulnerability that the ransomware exploits came out in March, before the Shadowbrokers leak, so experts say there was theoretically time to patch systems in advance of an attack.
Komarov said there was no indication that WannaCry or Friday's attack had anything to do with the NSA "or any other state-sponsored cyber offensive activities."
The FBI is warning that unknown hackers have launched cyberattack with 'destructive malware' in the U.S. Kacper Pempel
The Agency announced late Tuesday that it has established a "Korea Mission Center" to "harness the full resources, capabilities, and authorities of the Agency in addressing the nuclear and ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea." The CIA also announced that Director Mike Pompeo has named a "veteran intelligence officer" to run the center but declined to name the officer for security reasons.
Both publicly and privately, the agency has said North Korea has been one of, if not the most, difficult of intelligence targets.
"Creating the Korea Mission Center allows us to more purposefully integrate and direct CIA efforts against the serious threats to the United States and its allies emanating from North Korea," said Pompeo. "It also reflects the dynamism and agility that CIA brings to evolving national security challenges."
Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden says he will block the nomination of Donald Trumps pick to be the top Treasury intelligence official until Treasurys anti-money-laundering agency produces documents requested by the Senate Intelligence Committee related to Trump.
Sen. Wyden says he will maintain a hold on the nomination of Sigal Mandelker to be under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence until the documents are produced.
This week, Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, announced that the committee had asked the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for records relating to President Trump and his associates.
"I have stated repeatedly that we have to follow the money if we are going to get to the bottom of how Russia has attacked our democracy," Wyden said. "That means thoroughly review any information that relates to financial connections between Russia and President Trump and his associates, whether direct or laundered through hidden or illicit transactions. The office which Ms. Mandelker has been nominated to head is responsible for much of this information."
Wyden-0702508-18401- 0010
Three senior defense officials report that Iran test-fired a high-speed torpedo near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
The Hoot torpedo is still in the testing phase, the officials report, but once it is fully operational it should be able to travel about12,000 yards (approximately six nautical miles) at a speed of about 200 knots per hour (approximately 250 miles per hour). None of the officials couldsay whether the test was successful or not.
The USS George HW Bush strike group is in the Gulf right now but all three officials said the test did not pose a threat to U.S. shipsor assets in the region.
Two of the officials said that the Iranian military last tested this torpedo in February 2015.
The ACLU is suing four federal agencies for records related to the Jan. 29 raid in Yemen that killed a Navy SEAL and civilians, including children.
The civil liberties organization filed a freedom of information request for documents in March and then filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court on Monday to force the government to respond.
"After conducting an internal investigation, the government released little information about the circumstances surrounding the Raid, the legal or factual justifications for it, and its consequences," the suit said.
Among the information the ACLU wants is an accounting of the civilians killed in the raid, which erupted in a deadly firefight after, as one senior U.S. intelligence official told NBC News, "almost everything went wrong."
The head of U.S. Central Command told Congress between four and 12 civilians were killed, but Human Rights Watch and others have put the toll higher.
The Trump administration has characterized the raid as a huge success. However, NBC News has reported in March that none of the intelligence gleaned from the operation so far has proven actionable or vital.
A man stands on the rubble of a house destroyed by a Saudi-led airstrike in the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 16, 2017. At least one Saudi-led airstrike near Yemen's rebel-held capital killed at least five people on Wednesday, the country's Houthi rebels and medical officials said. Hani Mohammed / AP
Gregory Lepsky appeared in a New Jersey federal courtroom Friday to face charges that he planned to detonate a pressure cooker bomb in New York City in the name of ISIS.
Seamus Hughes of George Washington's Program on Extremism pulled this inventory of the defendant's internet search history from the case file.
Eight men accused of plotting to attack the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on behalf of ISIS were sentenced Thursday.
The men were found guilty in a Brazilian court of recruiting and promoting terrorism and face sentences that range from five to 15 years in prison. They were arrested in a series of raids in late July 2016, several weeks before the Games.
They had all pledged allegiance to an ISIS offshoot, authorities said, anddiscussed a plan to contaminate one of Rio de Janeiro's water reservoirs.
"All of the accused were dedicated to promoting the terrorist organization called the Islamic State through the social networks Facebook, Twitter and Instagram," said the judge in the case, Marcos Josegrei da Silva.
The suspects, all Brazilian citizens, discussed plans in email threads, and via messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, according to court documents reviewed by NBC News.
Some celebrated other terrorist attacks, like the shooting at the Orlando nightclub.
It doesn't appear any of them knew each other aside from conversations online and messaging apps.
The convictions are the first under Brazil's new anti-terrorism law. Previously, terrorism was not clearly defined in Brazil and was treated like any other crime; now an individual can face up to 22 years in jail if found guilty of preparing terrorist acts.
One of the men sentenced under Brazil's new terrorism law for a plot against the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Court Documents
The newest issue of the ISIS magazine Rumiyah includes instructions for would-be terrorists about how to kill pedestrians with trucks. In infographic form, the instructions list the characteristics of the ideal vehicles ("slightly raised chassis and bumper"), where to buy, steal or rent the trucks, and the ideal targets.
The latest installment of the magazine's "Just Terror Tactics" feature comes as the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has just sent a warning about truck attacks to law enforcement agencies across the U.S.
Truck Attacks Poster Propaganda
We've got a bad feeling about this.
The Russian government jumped on the "May the 4th Be With You" bandwagon by tweeting the message "Come to our side" over a photo of a key Star Wars character.
Han Solo? Nope.
Luke Skywalker? Nah.
Yoda, you ask? Nyet.
The Russian Embassy in the U.K. chose a photo of Darth Vader, a villain bent on galactic domination, to personify itself on what's come to be known as Star Wars Day.
Hopefully it's just a snarky joke from a Twitter account known for trolling. Otherwise, someone tell the Pentagon to fire up the Millennium Falcon.
See more here:
Ransomware That Hit Europe's Computers Did Not Come From NSA Leak - NBCNews.com
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