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Programming

Rust Users Push Back as Popular 'Serde' Project Ships Precompiled Binaries (bleepingcomputer.com) 17

"Serde, a popular Rust (de)serialization project, has decided to ship its serde_derive macro as a precompiled binary," reports Bleeping Computer.

"The move has generated a fair amount of push back among developers who worry about its future legal and technical implications, along with a potential for supply chain attacks, should the maintainer account publishing these binaries be compromised." According to the Rust package registry, crates.io, serde has been downloaded over 196 million times over its lifetime, whereas the serde_derive macro has scored more than 171 million downloads, attesting to the project's widespread circulation... The Serde ecosystem consists of data structures that know how to serialize and deserialize themselves along with data formats that know how to serialize and deserialize other things," states the project's website. Whereas, "derive" is one of its macros...

Some Rust developers request that precompiled binaries be kept optional and separate from the original "serde_derive" crate, while others have likened the move to the controversial code change to the Moq .NET project that sparked backlash. "Please consider moving the precompiled serde_derive version to a different crate and default serde_derive to building from source so that users that want the benefit of precompiled binary can opt-in to use it," requested one user. "Or vice-versa. Or any other solution that allows building from source without having to patch serde_derive... Having a binary shipped as part of the crate, while I understand the build time speed benefits, is for security reasons not a viable solution for some library users."

Users pointed out how the change could impact entities that are "legally not allowed to redistribute pre-compiled binaries, by their own licenses," specifically mentioning government-regulated environments.

The official response from Serde's maintainer: "The precompiled implementation is the only supported way to use the macros that are published in serde_derive. If there is implementation work needed in some build tools to accommodate it, someone should feel free to do that work (as I have done for Buck and Bazel, which are tools I use and contribute significantly to) or publish your own fork of the source code under a different name.

"Separately, regarding the commentary above about security, the best path forward would be for one of the people who cares about this to invest in a Cargo or crates.io RFC around first-class precompiled macros so that there is an approach that would suit your preferences; serde_derive would adopt that when available."
Security

WinRAR Flaw Lets Hackers Run Programs When You Open RAR Archives (bleepingcomputer.com) 41

A critical vulnerability (CVE-2023-40477) has been patched in WinRAR, enabling remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by luring victims into opening a specially crafted RAR file. The severity rating is only 7.8 though due to user deception being necessary. BleepingComputer reports: The vulnerability was discovered by researcher "goodbyeselene" of Zero Day Initiative, who reported the flaw to the vendor, RARLAB, on June 8th, 2023. "The specific flaw exists within the processing of recovery volumes," reads the security advisory released on ZDI's site. "The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a memory access past the end of an allocated buffer."

RARLAB released WinRAR version 6.23 on August 2nd, 2023, effectively addressing CVE-2023-40477. Therefore, WinRAR users are strongly advised to apply the available security update immediately. Apart from the RAR4 recovery volumes processing code fix, version 6.23 addresses an issue with specially crafted archives leading to wrong file initiation, which is also considered a high-severity problem.

Encryption

Google Releases First Quantum-Resilient FIDO2 Key Implementation (bleepingcomputer.com) 16

An anonymous reader quotes a report from BleepingComputer: Google has announced the first open-source quantum resilient FIDO2 security key implementation, which uses a unique ECC/Dilithium hybrid signature schema co-created with ETH Zurich. FIDO2 is the second major version of the Fast IDentity Online authentication standard, and FIDO2 keys are used for passwordless authentication and as a multi-factor authentication (MFA) element. Google explains that a quantum-resistant FIDO2 security key implementation is a crucial step towards ensuring safety and security as the advent of quantum computing approaches and developments in the field follow an accelerating trajectory.

To protect against quantum computers, a new hybrid algorithm was created by combining the established ECDSA algorithm with the Dilithium algorithm. Dilithium is a quantum-resistant cryptographic signature scheme that NIST included in its post-quantum cryptography standardization proposals, praising its strong security and excellent performance, making it suitable for use in a wide array of applications. This hybrid signature approach that blends classic and quantum-resistant features wasn't simple to manifest, Google says. Designing a Dilithium implementation that's compact enough for security keys was incredibly challenging. Its engineers, however, managed to develop a Rust-based implementation that only needs 20KB of memory, making the endeavor practically possible, while they also noted its high-performance potential.

The hybrid signature schema was first presented in a 2022 paper (PDF) and recently gained recognition at the ACNS (Applied Cryptography and Network Security) 2023, where it won the "best workshop paper" award. This new hybrid implementation is now part of the OpenSK, Google's open-source security keys implementation that supports the FIDO U2F and FIDO2 standards. The tech giant hopes that its proposal will be adopted by FIDO2 as a new standard and supported by major web browsers with large user bases. The firm calls the application of next-gen cryptography at the internet scale "a massive undertaking" and urges all stakeholders to move quickly to maintain good progress on that front.

IT

'Gaming Chromebooks' With Nvidia GPUs Apparently Killed With Little Fanfare (arstechnica.com) 34

An anonymous reader shares a report: Google and some of its Chromebook partners decided to try making "gaming Chromebooks" a thing late last year. These machines included some gaming laptop features like configurable RGB keyboards and high refresh rate screens, but because they still used integrated GPUs, they were meant mostly for use with streaming services like Nvidia's GeForce Now and Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming. But there were also apparently plans for some gaming Chromebooks with the power to play more games locally. Earlier this year, 9to5Google spotted developer comments earlier this year pointing to a Chromebook board (codenamed Hades) that would have included a dedicated GeForce RTX 4050 GPU like the one found in some Windows gaming notebooks. This board would have served as a foundation that multiple PC makers could have used to build Chromebooks. But these models apparently won't be seeing the light of day anytime soon. Developer comments spotted by About Chromebooks this week indicate that the Hades board (plus a couple of other Nvidia-equipped boards, Agah and Herobrine) has been canceled, which means that any laptops based on that board won't be happening.
IT

DirectX 12 Support Comes To CrossOver on Mac With Latest Update (arstechnica.com) 18

Codeweavers took to its official forums today to announce the release of CrossOver 23.0.0, the new version of its software that aims to make emulating Windows software and games easier on macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS systems. From a report: CrossOver 23 has updated to Wine 8.0.1, and it's loaded with improvements across all its platforms. The most notable, though, is the addition of DirectX 12 support under macOS via VKD3D and MoltenVK. This marks the first time most Mac users have had access to software that relies on DirectX 12; previously, only DirectX 11 was supported, and that went for other software solutions like Parallels, too. This new release adds "initial support" for geometry shaders and transforms feedback on macOS Ventura. Codeweavers claims that will address a lot of problems with "missing graphics or black screens in-game" in titles like MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, and Octopath Traveler.
Security

White House Orders Federal Agencies To Shore Up Cybersecurity, Warns of Potential Exposure (cnn.com) 15

The White House ordered federal agencies to shore up their cybersecurity after agencies have lagged in implementing a key executive order President Joe Biden issued in 2021. From a report: Multiple federal departments and agencies have, as of the end of June, "failed to fully comply" with critical security practices prescribed by the executive order, "leaving the U.S. Government exposed to malicious cyber intrusions and undermining the example the Government must set for adequate cybersecurity practices," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a memo to Cabinet secretaries this week.

Sullivan asked senior officials from across the departments to ensure they achieve "full compliance" with the executive order's security requirements by the end of the year. His memo is addressed to agencies outside of the Pentagon. "This morning the National Security Advisor shared a memo with federal departments and agencies to ensure their cyber infrastructure is compliant with the President's Executive Order to improve the nation's cybersecurity," a National Security Council spokesperson told CNN. "As we've said, the Biden-Harris Administration has had a relentless focus on strengthening the cybersecurity of nation's most critical sectors since day one, and will continue to work to secure our cyber defenses."

Security

Major US Energy Organization Targeted In QR Code Phishing Attack 13

A phishing campaign has targeted a notable energy company in the U.S., bypassing email security filters to slip malicious QR codes into inboxes. BleepingComputer reports: Roughly one-third (29%) of the 1,000 emails attributed to this campaign targeted a large US energy company, while the remaining attempts were made against firms in manufacturing (15%), insurance (9%), technology (7%), and financial services (6%). According to Cofense, who spotted this campaign, this is the first time that QR codes have been used at this scale, indicating that more phishing actors may be testing their effectiveness as an attack vector. Cofense did not name the energy company targeted in this campaign but categorized them as a "major" US-based company.

Cofense says the attack begins with a phishing email that claims the recipient must take action to update their Microsoft 365 account settings. The emails carry PNG or PDF attachments featuring a QR code the recipient is prompted to scan to verify their account. The emails also state that the target must complete this step in 2-3 days to add a sense of urgency. The threat actors use QR codes embedded in images to bypass email security tools that scan a message for known malicious links, allowing the phishing messages to reach the target's inbox.

To evade security, the QR codes in this campaign also use redirects in Bing, Salesforce, and Cloudflare's Web3 services to redirect the targets to a Microsoft 365 phishing page. Hiding the redirection URL in the QR code, abusing legitimate services, and using base64 encoding for the phishing link all help evade detection and get through email protection filters.
Security

Cyberattack On Listings Provider Halts US Real Estate Markets (arstechnica.com) 24

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Home buyers, sellers, real estate agents, and listing websites throughout the US have been stymied for five days by a cyberattack on a California company that provides a crucial online service used to track home listings. The attack, which commenced last Wednesday, hit Rapottoni, a software and services provider that supplies Multiple Listing Services to regional real estate groups nationwide. Better known as MLS, it provides instant access to data on which homes are coming to the market, purchase offers, and sales of listed homes. MLS has become essential for connecting buyers to sellers and to the agents and listing websites serving them.

"If you're an avid online refresher on any real estate website, you may have noticed a real nosedive in activity the last couple of days," Peg King, a realty agent in California's Sonoma County, wrote in an email newsletter she sent clients on Friday. "Real estate MLS systems across the country have been unusable since Wednesday after a massive cyberattack against major MLS provider, Rapattoni Corporation. This means that real estate markets (like ours!) can't list new homes, change prices, mark homes as pending/contingent/sold, or list open houses."

While Rapattoni has referred to the incident as a cyberattack, it has been widely reported that the event is a ransomware attack, in which criminals gain unauthorized access to a victim's network, encrypt or download crucial data and demand payment in exchange for decrypting the data or promising not to publish it. Rapattoni has so far not said publicly what sort of attack shut it down or other details. Rapattoni has yet to say whether personal information has been compromised. [...] Not all regional listing services are affected because some use data vendors other than Rapattoni. The damage the outage is causing to agents, buyers, renters, and sellers could get worse unless services are restored in the next few days.
On Sunday, Rapattoni wrote: "We are continuing to investigate the nature and scope of the cyberattack that has caused a system outage and we are working diligently to get systems restored as soon as possible. All technical resources at our disposal are continuing to work around the clock through the weekend until this matter is resolved. We still do not have an ETA at this time, but we will continue to update you and keep you informed of our efforts."
The Almighty Buck

Bank of Ireland IT Blunder Allows Customers To Withdraw More Money Than What's Held In Their Accounts (independent.ie) 38

Long lines have formed at ATMs around Ireland tonight as a cash machine glitch is allowing customers to withdraw more cash than they have in their accounts. Independent.ie reports: The fault with the online app allows people who have no money in their account to transfer up to 500 euros into a Revolut account. Some people claimed they were able to get access to 1,000 eros, but the bank insisted the daily withdrawal limit is 500 euros. Once people use their Bank of Ireland app to transfer the funds to Revolut they can then withdraw the cash from the Revoult account through any ATM.

Huge queues at ATMs in Dublin, Limerick, Dundalk and other parts of the country were reported this evening as people took advantage of the screw-up to withdraw cash from their Revolut accounts. There were reports in Dundalk of gardai (the state police force of the Irish Republic) having to control crowds at ATMs in the town. The frenzied withdrawal of cash was despite warnings on social media that there is no such thing as free cash and the money will have to be repaid.
The bank said in a statement: "We are working on a technical issue that is impacting a number of our services including our mobile app and 365Online. We are working to fix this as quickly as possible and apologize to customers for any inconvenience caused."

"We would like to remind customers that if they transfer or withdraw funds -- including over their normal limits -- this money will be debited from their account," the bank added. "While we are conscious customers may not be able to check their balance at this time, they should not withdraw or transfer funds if they are likely to become overdrawn."
Security

Congressman Bacon Says His Emails Were Hacked in Campaign Linked To China (bloomberg.com) 22

US Representative Don Bacon said he is among those whose emails were hacked in an espionage campaign that Microsoft has attributed to China. From a report:Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska and a strong advocate for US military support to Taiwan, posted on social media that the FBI had notified him that the Chinese Communist Party hacked into his personal and campaign emails over the course of a month, from May 15 to June 16. "The CCP hackers utilized a vulnerability in the Microsoft software, and this was not due to 'user error,'" he wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Bacon, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, received an email from Microsoft indicating he may have been hacked and advising him to change his password on June 16, according to Maggie Sayers, Bacon's press secretary. She said that following subsequent notification from the FBI that he had been hacked, Bacon determined emails relating to political strategy, fundraising and personal banking information may have been breached. As a former US Air Force intelligence officer, he is careful to avoid writing sensitive emails relating to China and Taiwan, she said.

Security

Discord.io Temporarily Shuts Down After Breach Affecting 760,000 Members (bleepingcomputer.com) 3

Long-time Slashdot reader destinyland shares a report from BleepingComputer: The Discord.io custom invite service has temporarily shut down after suffering a data breach exposing the information of 760,000 members. Discord.io is not an official Discord site but a third-party service allowing server owners to create custom invites to their channels. Most of the community was built around the service's Discord server, with over 14,000 members.

Yesterday, a person known as 'Akhirah' began offering the Discord.io database for sale on the new Breached hacking forums. As proof of the theft, the threat actor shared four user records from the database. The most sensitive information in the breach is a member's username, email address, billing address (small number of people), salted and hashed password (small number of people), and Discord ID. "This information is not private and can be obtained by anyone sharing a server with you. Its inclusion in the breach does, however, mean that other people might be able to link your Discord account to a given email address," Discord.io explained about the leaking of Discord IDs.

Iphone

iPhone 14, 14 Pro Owners Complain About Battery Capacity That's Already Falling Off (theverge.com) 53

Some iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro owners have complaints reminiscent of the bad old days of "batterygate," reporting that with less than a year of service on the clock, their phones are already reporting more battery degradation than expected. From a report: Sam Kohl of AppleTrack tweeted in July that his iPhone 14 Pro had already dropped to a maximum capacity of 90 percent, a much faster dropoff than previous iPhones he'd owned, and the thread shows many other people with the same experience. Kohl followed up with a video posted yesterday about the issue, saying it makes it hard for him to recommend the phone, especially considering how much it costs with a price of $999.

Officially, Apple says iPhone batteries should "retain up to 80 percent of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles." The iPhone 15 series is expected to launch soon, and recent rumors have claimed those devices will see a battery size increase of 10 - 18 percent compared to current devices. He's not the only one seeing these kinds of numbers. Verge alum and Wall Street Journal senior tech columnist Joanna Stern wrote in her newsletter just this week that her iPhone 14 Pro is showing 88 percent battery capacity. Around The Verge, reports are mixed, with two 14 Pros down to 93 and 91 percent and another at 97 percent. In previous years, most haven't seen a drop in reported capacity until two years of use, at least.

Privacy

Millions of Americans' Health Data Stolen After MOVEit Hackers Targeted IBM (techcrunch.com) 24

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Millions of Americans had their sensitive medical and health information stolen after hackers exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in the widely used MOVEit file transfer software raided systems operated by tech giant IBM. Colorado's Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), which is responsible for administering Colorado's Medicaid program, confirmed on Friday that it had fallen victim to the MOVEit mass-hacks, exposing the data of more than four million patients.

In a data breach notification (PDF) to those affected, Colorado's HCPF said that the data was compromised because IBM, one of the state's vendors, "uses the MOVEit application to move HCPF data files in the normal course of business." The letter states that while no HCPF or Colorado state government systems were affected by this issue, "certain HCPF files on the MOVEit application used by IBM were accessed by the unauthorized actor." These files include patients' full names, dates of birth, home addresses, Social Security numbers, Medicaid and Medicare ID numbers, income information, clinical and medical data including lab results and medication, and health insurance information. HCPF says about 4.1 million individuals are affected.

IBM has yet to publicly confirm that it was affected by the MOVEit mass-hacks, and an IBM spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by TechCrunch. The breach of IBM's MOVEit systems also impacted Missouri's Department of Social Services (DSS), though the number of affected individuals is not yet known. More than six million people live in Missouri state. In a data breach notification posted last week, Missouri's DSS said: "IBM is a vendor that provides services to DSS, the state agency that provides Medicaid services to eligible Missourians. The data vulnerability did not directly impact any DSS systems, but impacted data belonging to DSS." DSS says that the data accessed may include an individual's name, department client number, date of birth, possible benefit eligibility status or coverage, and medical claims information.

Crime

Bomb Threat Causes Mass Evacuation at DEF CON Hacking Convention (theregister.com) 45

A bomb threat against Caesars Forum, the main venue for this week's DEF CON hacking convention, led to the halls being cleared on Saturday evening and the building searched by fire crews and police officers. The Register reports: The timing was very bad, coming in the evening of the main party night for the event. The conference Goons, the red-shirted volunteers who serve as guides and organizers, were praised by attendees for managing the evacuation with aplomb, but when it became clear that the search for the suspect device was going to be hard to find, the DEC CON team cancelled the evening's festivities at Caesars, to the disappointment of thousands.

"Last night we were asked to evacuate the building due to a report of a suspicious package. Local police and fire departments conducted a thorough investigation and ultimately determined that the package was safe," the organizers said. "They also conducted additional sweeps of the building as a precaution before allowing our team to return and prepare for today's con. We are working quickly to keep the original schedule on track, but please check here for additional updates before arriving at DEF CON." The event kicked off on August 10 and wrapped up by August 13.

Presumably the hoax caller thought of themselves as a merry prankster, rather than the selfish idiot who ruined everyone's night - particularly the timing for those in the Track Four hall who were enjoying 2001: A Space Odyssey and who were forced to miss the crucial last 10 minutes of the movie. While tricks and pranks are something of a tradition, they only get respect if they are clever and intricate, not some fool showing they could use a telephone. It's not like security at the show wasn't heavy enough. The event was patrolled regularly by security guards in body armor with handguns, tasers, the occasional police dog, and a host of other equipment that was a bit of an overkill for a bunch of peaceable hackers. Dubbed by some as "Gravy SEALs," by the end of the show they were visibly warming up, and this hack saw several of them accepting stickers from attendees.

Businesses

Rockstar Games Acquires Modding Team That It Previously Banned (arstechnica.com) 18

In 2015, popular Grand Theft Auto V mod FiveM was banned by Rockstar after the gaming giant alleged that FiveM's work "contains code designed to facilitate piracy." Eight years later, Rockstar is taking a decidedly different tone in announcing that Cfx.re -- the mod team behind FiveM and a similar mod for Red Dead Redemption 2 -- is now "officially a part of Rockstar Games." ArsTechnica: With no apparent sense of irony, Rockstar said in a Friday blog post announcing the acquisition that it has "watched with excitement as Rockstar's creative community have found new ways to expand the possibilities of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2, particularly through the creation of dedicated roleplay servers."

But that statement ignores the distinct lack of excitement Rockstar exhibited when it barred the Rockstar Social Club accounts of many FiveM modders and others associated with promoting the project back in 2015. "Our policy on such violations of our terms of service are clear, and the individuals involved in its creation have had their Social Club accounts suspended," the company said at the time.

Desktops (Apple)

An Apple Malware-Flagging Tool Is 'Trivially' Easy To Bypass (wired.com) 9

One of the Mac's built-in malware detection tools may not be working quite as well as you think. From a report: At the Defcon hacker conference in Las Vegas, longtime Mac security researcher Patrick Wardle presented findings today about vulnerabilities in Apple's macOS Background Task Management mechanism, which could be exploited to bypass and, therefore, defeat the company's recently added monitoring tool. There's no foolproof method for catching malware on computers with perfect accuracy because, at their core, malicious programs are just software, like your web browser or chat app. It can be difficult to tell the legitimate programs from the transgressors. So operating system makers like Microsoft and Apple, as well as third-party security companies, are always working to develop new detection mechanisms and tools that can spot potentially malicious software behavior in new ways.

Apple's Background Task Management tool focuses on watching for software "persistence." Malware can be designed to be ephemeral and operate only briefly on a device or until the computer restarts. But it can also be built to establish itself more deeply and "persist" on a target even when the computer is shut down and rebooted. Lots of legitimate software needs persistence so all of your apps and data and preferences will show up as you left them every time you turn on your device. But if software establishes persistence unexpectedly or out of the blue, it could be a sign of something malicious. With this in mind, Apple added Background Task Manager in macOS Ventura, which launched in October 2022, to send notifications both directly to users and to any third-party security tools running on a system if a "persistence event" occurs. This way, if you know you just downloaded and installed a new application, you can disregard the message. But if you didn't, you can investigate the possibility that you've been compromised.

Encryption

Google's Chrome Begins Supporting Post-Quantum Key Agreement to Shield Encryption Keys (theregister.com) 13

"Teams across Google are working hard to prepare the web for the migration to quantum-resistant cryptography," writes Chrome's technical program manager for security, Devon O'Brien.

"Continuing with our strategy for handling this major transition, we are updating technical standards, testing and deploying new quantum-resistant algorithms, and working with the broader ecosystem to help ensure this effort is a success." As a step down this path, Chrome will begin supporting X25519Kyber768 for establishing symmetric secrets in TLS, starting in Chrome 116, and available behind a flag in Chrome 115. This hybrid mechanism combines the output of two cryptographic algorithms to create the session key used to encrypt the bulk of the TLS connection:

X25519 — an elliptic curve algorithm widely used for key agreement in TLS today
Kyber-768 — a quantum-resistant Key Encapsulation Method, and NIST's PQC winner for general encryption

In order to identify ecosystem incompatibilities with this change, we are rolling this out to Chrome and to Google servers, over both TCP and QUIC and monitoring for possible compatibility issues. Chrome may also use this updated key agreement when connecting to third-party server operators, such as Cloudflare, as they add support. If you are a developer or administrator experiencing an issue that you believe is caused by this change, please file a bug.

The Register delves into Chrome's reasons for implementing this now: "It's believed that quantum computers that can break modern classical cryptography won't arrive for 5, 10, possibly even 50 years from now, so why is it important to start protecting traffic today?" said O'Brien. "The answer is that certain uses of cryptography are vulnerable to a type of attack called Harvest Now, Decrypt Later, in which data is collected and stored today and later decrypted once cryptanalysis improves." O'Brien says that while symmetric encryption algorithms used to defend data traveling on networks are considered safe from quantum cryptanalysis, the way the keys get negotiated is not. By adding support for a hybrid KEM, Chrome should provide a stronger defense against future quantum attacks...

Rebecca Krauthamer, co-founder and chief product officer at QuSecure, told The Register in an email that while this technology sounds futuristic, it's useful and necessary today... [T]he arrival of capable quantum computers should not be thought of as a specific, looming date, but as something that will arrive without warning. "There was no press release when the team at Bletchley Park cracked the Enigma code, either," she said.

Power

Microsoft Spotted 15 High-Security Vulnerabilities in Industrial SDK Used by Power Plants (arstechnica.com) 23

Ars Technica reports that Microsoft "disclosed 15 high-severity vulnerabilities in a widely used collection of tools used to program operational devices inside industrial facilities" (like plants for power generation, factory automation, energy automation, and process automation).

On Friday Microsoft "warned that while exploiting the code-execution and denial-of-service vulnerabilities was difficult, it enabled threat actors to 'inflict great damage on targets.'" The vulnerabilities affect the CODESYS V3 software development kit. Developers inside companies such as Schneider Electric and WAGO use the platform-independent tools to develop programmable logic controllers, the toaster-sized devices that open and close valves, turn rotors, and control various other physical devices in industrial facilities worldwide... "A denial-of-service attack against a device using a vulnerable version of CODESYS could enable threat actors to shut down a power plant, while remote code execution could create a backdoor for devices and let attackers tamper with operations, cause a PLC to run in an unusual way, or steal critical information," Microsoft researchers wrote.

Friday's advisory went on to say: "[...] While exploiting the discovered vulnerabilities requires deep knowledge of the proprietary protocol of CODESYS V3 as well as user authentication (and additional permissions are required for an account to have control of the PLC), a successful attack has the potential to inflict great damage on targets. Threat actors could launch a denial-of-service attack against a device using a vulnerable version of CODESYS to shut down industrial operations or exploit the remote code execution vulnerabilities to deploy a backdoor to steal sensitive data, tamper with operations, or force a PLC to operate in a dangerous way."

Microsoft privately notified Codesys of the vulnerabilities in September, and the company has since released patches that fix the vulnerabilities. It's likely that by now, many vendors using the SDK have installed updates. Any who haven't should make it a priority.

"With the likelihood that the 15 vulnerabilities are patched in most previously vulnerable production environments, the dire consequences Microsoft is warning of appear unlikely," the article notes.

A malware/senior vulnerability analyst at industrial control security firm Dragos also pointed out that CODESYS "isn't widely used in power generation so much as discrete manufacturing and other types of process control. So that in itself should allay some concern when it comes to the potential to 'shut down a power plant'." (And in addition, "industrial systems are extremely complex, and being able to access one part doesn't necessarily mean the whole thing will come crashing down.")
Transportation

Teens Hacked Boston Subway Cards For Infinite Free Rides, and This Time Nobody Got Sued (wired.com) 38

Long-time Slashdot reader UnCivil Liberty writes: Following in the footsteps of three MIT students who were previously gagged from presenting their findings at Defcon 2008 are two Massachusetts teens (who presented at this year's Defcon without interference).

The four teens extended other research done by the 2008 hacker team to fully reverse engineer the "CharlieCard," the RFID touchless smart card used by Boston's public transit system. The hackers can now add any amount of money to one of these cards or invisibly designate it a discounted student card, a senior card, or even an MBTA employee card that gives them unlimited free rides. "You name it, we can make it," says Campbell.

Government

US Spy Agencies Will Start Sharing More Cyber-Threat Intelligence with Private Companies (msn.com) 17

An anonymous reader shared this report from the Wall Street Journal: U.S. spy agencies will share more intelligence with U.S. companies, nongovernmental organizations and academia under a new strategy released this week that acknowledges concerns over new threats, such as another pandemic and increasing cyberattacks. The National Intelligence Strategy, which sets broad goals for the sprawling U.S. intelligence community, says that spy agencies must reach beyond the traditional walls of secrecy and partner with outside groups to detect and deter supply-chain disruptions, infectious diseases and other growing transnational threats. The intelligence community "must rethink its approach to exchanging information and insights," the strategy says.

The U.S. government in recent years has begun sharing vast amounts of cyber-threat intelligence with U.S. companies, utilities and others who are often the main targets of foreign hackers, as well as information on foreign-influence operations with social-media companies... The emphasis on greater intelligence sharing is part of a broader trend toward declassification that the Biden administration has pursued.

"The new strategy is meant to guide 18 U.S. intelligence agencies with an annual budget of about $90 billion... "

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