US and Canadian Authorities Confirm China-Led Malware Attack on Government Entities
A sophisticated cyber attack targeting government entities and tech companies, attributed to Chinese hackers, has been confirmed by the US and Canadian authorities. The malware, dubbed "Brickstorm," was used by state-sponsored attackers to gain long-term access to internal networks of affected organizations.
The attackers, who are believed to be linked to China, exploited vulnerabilities in VMware vSphere cloud computing platforms to gain a foothold in targeted systems. This backdoor allowed them to steal sensitive information, manipulate files, and create hidden virtual machines, effectively taking control without detection.
According to reports from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and cybersecurity agencies, the attack could have begun as early as April 2024 and continued until at least September of this year. The attackers used eight different variants of Brickstorm malware, which were analyzed by experts.
The attack has raised concerns among government officials and tech companies, with VMware's parent company, Broadcom, urging its customers to update their security patches immediately. The Google Threat Intelligence Group also issued a warning, advising organizations to reevaluate their threat models and conduct hunting exercises against specified threat actors.
While the exact number of targeted entities remains unclear, the incident highlights the growing threat of state-sponsored hacking and the need for increased vigilance among government agencies and tech companies.
A sophisticated cyber attack targeting government entities and tech companies, attributed to Chinese hackers, has been confirmed by the US and Canadian authorities. The malware, dubbed "Brickstorm," was used by state-sponsored attackers to gain long-term access to internal networks of affected organizations.
The attackers, who are believed to be linked to China, exploited vulnerabilities in VMware vSphere cloud computing platforms to gain a foothold in targeted systems. This backdoor allowed them to steal sensitive information, manipulate files, and create hidden virtual machines, effectively taking control without detection.
According to reports from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and cybersecurity agencies, the attack could have begun as early as April 2024 and continued until at least September of this year. The attackers used eight different variants of Brickstorm malware, which were analyzed by experts.
The attack has raised concerns among government officials and tech companies, with VMware's parent company, Broadcom, urging its customers to update their security patches immediately. The Google Threat Intelligence Group also issued a warning, advising organizations to reevaluate their threat models and conduct hunting exercises against specified threat actors.
While the exact number of targeted entities remains unclear, the incident highlights the growing threat of state-sponsored hacking and the need for increased vigilance among government agencies and tech companies.
they're basically getting away with murder here.
also, i feel bad for vmware, they're basically being forced to do security updates on their customers... that's some major inconvenience.
I mean, these hackers from China are so advanced that they can even take control of internal networks without us knowing. It's scary to think about what kind of info they must be able to access... and why are we just sitting here, waiting for the next attack? Shouldn't we be more proactive about securing our digital lives? 
Like, how can we even be sure? The attackers used VMware vSphere cloud computing platforms to get in, and China doesn't really have those... or does they? 
It's all so suspicious... 
We can't just label China as the "villain" here... 
but on the other hand, maybe we're just giving China too much credit? 
The possibilities are endless... 
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. and what about all these security patches i'm supposed to update? like, can't they just make them more secure instead of having us do all the work? 
. also, why are gov entities not taking this seriously like, years ago? like, isn't it time for them to upgrade their security patches already?! 
. and btw, google's threat intel group is on the case, so at least that's some good news 
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. And it's not just gov'ts, tech companies are gettin' hit too. This Brickstorm malware is like a ghost - invisible & stealthy. It's scary thinkin' about all the sensitive info they could've gotten their hands on. We need better security measures in place, stat! 
. Anyway, glad VMware is on top of it and telling their customers to update ASAP 
. It's just another reminder that our online security is only as strong as the weakest link... or in this case, the slowest patch update