US and Canadian cybersecurity agencies have confirmed that a sophisticated malware campaign, known as "Brickstorm," has been targeting government entities and tech companies in an effort to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
The attackers, linked to the Chinese government, allegedly infiltrated at least one government entity by exploiting vulnerabilities in the VMware vSphere cloud computing platform. They used a backdoor to establish long-term access to the victim's internal network, allowing them to steal credentials, manipulate files, and create "rogue" virtual machines. This effectively gave the attackers control over the affected system without being detected.
The cyber attack could have begun as early as April 2024 and lasted until at least September this year. The attackers reportedly used eight different samples of Brickstorm malware, although it's unclear how many organizations were targeted or compromised in total.
In response to the alleged hack, Broadcom, the owner of VMware vSphere, has informed its customers that they should download up-to-date security patches whenever possible. Additionally, Google's Threat Intelligence Group has urged organizations to reevaluate their threat models and conduct "hunt exercises" against specified threat actors.
The attack highlights the ongoing threat posed by state-sponsored hackers and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access.
The attackers, linked to the Chinese government, allegedly infiltrated at least one government entity by exploiting vulnerabilities in the VMware vSphere cloud computing platform. They used a backdoor to establish long-term access to the victim's internal network, allowing them to steal credentials, manipulate files, and create "rogue" virtual machines. This effectively gave the attackers control over the affected system without being detected.
The cyber attack could have begun as early as April 2024 and lasted until at least September this year. The attackers reportedly used eight different samples of Brickstorm malware, although it's unclear how many organizations were targeted or compromised in total.
In response to the alleged hack, Broadcom, the owner of VMware vSphere, has informed its customers that they should download up-to-date security patches whenever possible. Additionally, Google's Threat Intelligence Group has urged organizations to reevaluate their threat models and conduct "hunt exercises" against specified threat actors.
The attack highlights the ongoing threat posed by state-sponsored hackers and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access.
this Brickstorm malware thing is WILD!!! 
i mean who gets targeted by govt sponsored hackers lol? i'm literally shaking thinking bout all those government entities & tech companies being exploited...like what even is a backdoor? 
sounds super sketchy to me. idk how many orgs were hit but it's def not good. i guess bc broadcom warned ppl 2 download patches ASAP? 
and google's all like reevaluate ur threat model & do hunt exercises...like, gotta keep ur systems on lock 
. this just goes 2 show how serious cyber threats r in today's digital age...we gotta stay vigilant! 
it's wild how sophisticated these attacks can be apparently the attackers used a backdoor in the VMware vSphere platform to get in undetected 
. I mean, it's like, come on, guys! You can't just keep exploiting vulnerabilities in cloud computing platforms and getting away with it 
.
. I mean, shouldn't they be doing this already? I've been using VMware vSphere for ages and never thought twice about the security implications 
. We need more awareness around cybersecurity issues like this one. It's not just about protecting ourselves, but also our businesses and communities 
.
. And it's not like this is an isolated incident - we're hearing about all sorts of state-sponsored hacking going on everywhere 
is that not crazy? I mean I know we need better security or whatever, but ugh the thought of those hackers getting away with all that stuff... and it's been going on since april last year?? how many people were affected?! 
it's like, we need to upgrade our security game ASAP 
I'm not surprised though, state-sponsored hackers have been doing this for ages 
it's like, we should be on top of this stuff already 
Like, shouldn't there be some consequences for them or something? 
wouldn't that be way better than having to download them one by one from the vendor... 
or what if Google's Threat Intelligence Group is just trying to protect their own interests, you know? 
. how many orgs were compromised?? we need to know more about these threats actors and how they're using our own tech against us 
. and what's with the "hunt exercises" ?? sounds like a big job for organizations to do, but i guess it's better than being hacked 
. anyway, this just goes to show that we need more international cooperation on cybersecurity issues... can't have our own govs looking out for us only 
. We need to be vigilant about our own online security, using strong passwords, keeping our software up-to-date, and being cautious with links and attachments 
. It's a reminder that we're all in this together, and our collective awareness is the best defense against these types of threats 
.
and it's not like this is some new or groundbreaking thing. brickstorm malware sounds super generic to me - probably just some fancy name for a basic hacking tool 
It's like, we're all so connected and vulnerable online. The fact that these hackers are using backdoors to get into systems is just mind-boggling... how do they even manage that? 
. But for real, this Brickstorm malware thing is giving me anxiety, and I'm not alone. We all need to look out for each other online!