Weekly Cybersecurity Recap April 29

Digital attacks are on the rise as we transition to the first week of May.  Though the weather is warming, cybercriminals are remaining within the comfy confines of home, infiltrating one network after another. Here's a quick recap of the top attacks publicized in the week gone by.

T-Mobile Data Breach

T-Mobile has been hacked several times.  The most recent digital attack was performed by Lapsus$ hackers.  Though the attack did not result in the theft of highly sensitive information, the Lapsus$ hacking collective illegally accessed the telecommunications provider's internal systems multiple times.  Lapsus$ hackers obtained access to T-Mobile's employee accounts, stealing source code applicable to multiple T-Mobile projects. The hackers also obtained access to software tools that are critical to operations.  

The credentials abused to obtain access to T-Mobile's system were rendered nonfunctional to thwart subsequent digital attacks.  It is believed that the Lapsus$ hackers purchased the login credentials on the dark web or another black market.  However, there is also the potential that Lapsus$ hackers performed social engineering to convince T-Mobile employees to provide their login credentials.

NPM Bug Permits Hackers to Send Malware

Hackers are taking advantage of a bug in NPM.  Cyber security professionals first identified the bug with the cloud security firm Aqua.  The logical flaw makes it appear that libraries do not pose a threat when, in reality, they are rogue libraries that are installed and wreak havoc.  Though NPM remediated the digital security flaw in the final week of April, multiple systems were compromised.

Aqua cyber security specialists also noted that the NPM platform has additional weaknesses connected to two-factor authentication that sets the stage for abuse, including the unauthorized use of accounts to publish malicious packages.  In plain terms, this means the digital security weakness allows users of NPM to control accounts without authorization or clearance.

Android Device Monitoring

It appears as though digital miscreants are monitoring millions of Android smartphones.  The high likelihood of smartphone monitoring was revealed by the cyber security professionals at Check Point. Compromised chipset bugs within Android phones allow for eavesdropping.  To be more specific, the phones have smartphone chips containing audio decoders that set the stage for digital criminals to remotely access them. 

The manipulation of the audio decoders empowers hackers to illegally access media within phones and even listen in on conversations.  There is also an opportunity for hackers to transmit malware to the phones.  MediaTek and Qualcomm make the vulnerable chipsets within Android smartphones.

Jira Authentication Issue

Atlassian's digital security team has quickly created a patch to overcome authentication issues within Jira.  The patch was provided in response to an authentication bypass that is not digitally secure.  The company's public relations team has provided a security advisory warning on social media, noting its Jira software should be patched as soon as possible. The flaw within the company's software allows hackers to manipulate targets from afar.  

Digital miscreants can sidestep the software's barriers and obtain access to the software without meeting security standards.  Hackers are taking advantage of the flaw by transmitting an HTTP request to sidestep authorization requirements.