CyberSecurity news
FlagThis - #northkorea
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@www.microsoft.com
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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a major crackdown on North Korean remote IT workers who have been infiltrating U.S. tech companies to generate revenue for the regime's nuclear weapons program and to steal data and cryptocurrency. The coordinated action involved the arrest of Zhenxing "Danny" Wang, a U.S. national, and the indictment of eight others, including Chinese and Taiwanese nationals. The DOJ also executed searches of 21 "laptop farms" across 14 states, seizing around 200 computers, 21 web domains, and 29 financial accounts.
The North Korean IT workers allegedly impersonated more than 80 U.S. individuals to gain remote employment at over 100 American companies. From 2021 to 2024, the scheme generated over $5 million in revenue for North Korea, while causing U.S. companies over $3 million in damages due to legal fees and data breach remediation efforts. The IT workers utilized stolen identities and hardware devices like keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switches to obscure their origins and remotely access victim networks via company-provided laptops. Microsoft Threat Intelligence has observed North Korean remote IT workers using AI to improve the scale and sophistication of their operations, which also makes them harder to detect. Once employed, these workers not only receive regular salary payments but also gain access to proprietary information, including export-controlled U.S. military technology and virtual currency. In one instance, they allegedly stole over $900,000 in digital assets from an Atlanta-based blockchain research and development company. Authorities have seized $7.74 million in cryptocurrency, NFTs, and other digital assets linked to the scheme. Recommended read:
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@securityonline.info
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The North Korean threat actor WaterPlum, also known as Famous Chollima or PurpleBravo, is behind the latest iteration of the OtterCookie malware, version 4. This cross-platform malware is designed to target financial institutions, cryptocurrency platforms, and FinTech companies across the globe. OtterCookie's evolution demonstrates a significant advancement in its capabilities, posing an increased threat level. The malware is often deployed through the "Contagious Interview" campaign, which uses fake job offers to entice victims into opening malicious payloads.
OtterCookie v4 boasts enhanced credential theft capabilities, with modules specifically designed to steal credentials from Google Chrome, MetaMask, and iCloud Keychain. One module decrypts and extracts passwords from Chrome using the Windows Data Protection API (DPAPI), while another targets the MetaMask extension in browsers like Chrome and Brave, as well as iCloud Keychain, to harvest sensitive data. These stolen credentials are then stored in a local database before being exfiltrated. These advancements represent a significant leap from earlier versions of OtterCookie which primarily functioned as a file grabber. A key feature of OtterCookie v4 is its ability to detect virtual machine environments, including VMware, VirtualBox, Microsoft Hyper-V, and QEMU. This allows the malware to evade analysis and detection by security researchers and automated sandbox environments. The malware's cross-platform functionality allows it to operate across Windows, macOS, and Linux, significantly broadening its potential impact. Researchers first exposed OtterCookie in December 2024, and the malware has rapidly evolved since then, with version 3 appearing in February 2025 and version 4 in April 2025. Recommended read:
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@www.silentpush.com
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gbhackers.com
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North Korean operatives have infiltrated hundreds of Fortune 500 companies, posing a significant threat to IT infrastructure and sensitive data. Security experts revealed at the RSAC 2025 Conference that the infiltration extends across virtually every major corporation, with many Fortune 500 companies unknowingly employing North Korean technical workers. This alarming trend raises serious concerns about potential security breaches and data theft. The experts said that dozens of experts and law enforcement at RSA said the campaign is now out of control, impacting thousands of companies.
Even tech giant Google has detected North Korean technical workers in their talent pipeline as job candidates and applicants, although they have not been hired to date. "If you're not seeing this, it's because you're not detecting it, not because it's not happening to you," warned Iain Mulholland, senior director of security engineering at Google Cloud, emphasizing the universality of the threat. Insider risk management firm DTEX corroborated these findings, reporting that 7% of its customer base-representing a cross-section of the Fortune 2000-has been infiltrated by North Korean operatives working as full-time employees with privileged access. The North Korean IT worker scam has expanded beyond the tech and crypto industries and is now a threat to all companies. One cybersecurity expert even found evidence that a U.S. political campaign in Oregon hired a North Korean IT worker to build its website. Initially, the workers primarily focused on legitimate employment to generate funds for the regime in Pyongyang, but experts are now seeing a tactical shift toward extortion, which has been observed. Recommended read:
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@cyberscoop.com
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North Korean operatives have infiltrated hundreds of Fortune 500 companies, posing a significant and growing threat to IT infrastructure and sensitive data. Security leaders at Mandiant and Google Cloud have indicated that nearly every major company has either hired or received applications from North Korean nationals working on behalf of the regime. These individuals primarily aim to earn salaries that are then sent back to Pyongyang, contributing to the country's revenue stream. Cybersecurity experts warn that this issue is more pervasive than previously understood, with organizations often unaware of the extent of the infiltration.
Hundreds of Fortune 500 organizations have unknowingly hired these North Korean IT workers, and nearly every CISO interviewed has admitted to hiring at least one, if not several, of these individuals. Google has also detected North Korean technical workers within its talent pipeline, though the company states that none have been hired to date. The risk of North Korean nationals working for large organizations has become so prevalent that security professionals now assume it is happening unless actively detected. Security analysts continue to raise alarms and highlight the expansive ecosystem of tools, infrastructure, and specialized talent North Korea has developed to support this illicit activity. The FBI and cybersecurity experts are actively working to identify and remove these remote workers. According to Adam Meyers, Head of Country Adversary Operations at CrowdStrike, there have been over 90 incidents in the past 90 days, resulting in millions of dollars flowing to the North Korean regime through high-paying developer jobs. Microsoft is tracking thousands of personas and identities used by these North Korean IT workers, indicating a high-volume operation. Uncovering one North Korean IT worker scam often leads to the discovery of many others, as demonstrated by CrowdStrike's investigation that revealed 30 victim organizations. Recommended read:
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