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DOUG. Crackdowns, zero-days and Tik Tok porn.
All that, and extra, on the Naked Security podcast.
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Welcome to the podcast, all people.
I’m Doug Aamoth; he’s Paul Ducklin.
Paul, please excuse my voice.
I’m sickly, however I really feel mentally sharp!
DUCK. Excellent, Doug.
Now, I hope you had a very good week off, and I hope you probably did some nice Black Fridaying.
DOUG. I’ve too many children to do something satisfying… they’re too younger.
But we bought a few issues on Black Friday over the web.
Because, I don’t know, I can’t keep in mind the final time I’ve been to a retail retailer, however considered one of nowadays I’ll make my approach again.
DUCK. I assumed you have been over Black Friday, ever since you bought thwarted for a Nintendo Wii again within the 18th century, Doug?
DOUG. That’s true, sure.
That was waddling as much as the entrance of the road and a few girls saying, “You need a ticket”, seeing how lengthy the road was and saying, “OK, this is not for me.”
DUCK. [LAUGHS] The ticket was presumably simply to get *into* the queue… then you definately’d discover out whether or not they really had any left.
DOUG. Yes, they usually didn’t… spoiler!
DUCK. “Sir is only joining the pre-queue.”
DOUG. Yes.
So I didn’t really feel like combating a bunch of individuals.
All these pictures you see on the information… that may by no means be me.
We like to start out the present with This Week in Tech History phase, and we’ve a double function this week, Paul.
On 28 November 1948, the Polaroid Land Camera Model 95 went on sale on the Jordan Marsh division retailer proper right here in Boston.
It was the primary business instantaneous digicam, again in 1948.
And then sooner or later (and several other years) later, 29 November 1972, Atari launched its first product, slightly sport referred to as PONG.
DUCK. When you introduced your intention to announce the Land Camera as Tech History, I assumed… “It was 1968”.
Maybe slightly bit earlier – possibly within the late Fifties, a type of “Sputnik era” sort of factor.
1948, eh?
Wow!
Great miniaturisation for that point.
If you consider how large computer systems nonetheless have been, it wasn’t simply that they wanted rooms, they wanted their very own massive buildings!
And right here was this virtually magical digicam – chemistry in your hand.
My brother had a type of once I was slightly child, and I keep in mind being completely amazed by it.
But not as amazed, Doug, as he was when he discovered that I had taken a few footage redundantly, simply to see the way it labored.
Because, in fact, he was paying for the movie [LAUGHTER].
Which shouldn’t be fairly as low-cost because the movie in common cameras.
DOUG. No, sir!
Our first story is one other historical-type story.
This was the Christmas Tree worm in 1987, often known as CHRISTMA EXEC, which was written within the REXX scripting language:
REXX… I’d by no means heard of this earlier than.
It drew an ASCII-art Christmas tree and unfold by way of electronic mail, inflicting large disruption to mainframes the world over, and was sort of a precursor to the I Love You virus which affected IBM PCs.
DUCK. I feel lots of people underestimated each the extent of IBM’s networks within the Nineteen Eighties, and the facility of the scripting languages obtainable, like REXX.
You write this system as simply plain previous textual content – you don’t want a compiler, it’s only a file.
And should you identify the filename eight characters, thus CHRISTMA, not CHRISTMAS (though you might *sort* CHRISTMAS, as a result of it might simply ignore the -S)…
…and should you gave the filename the extension EXEC (so: CHRISTMA [space] EXEC), then if you typed the phrase “Christmas” on the command line, it might run.
It ought to have been a warning shot throughout all our bows, however I feel it was felt to be slightly little bit of a flash within the pan.
Until a yr later…
…then got here the Internet Worm, Doug, which in fact attacked Unix programs and unfold far and huge:
And by then I feel all of us realised, “Uh-oh, this viruses-and-worms scene could turn out quite troublesome.”
So, sure, CHRISTMA EXEC… very, quite simple.
It did certainly put up a Christmas tree, and that was meant to be the distraction.
You regarded on the Christmas tree, so that you most likely didn’t discover all of the little indicators on the backside of your IBM 3270 terminal displaying all of the system exercise, till you began receiving these Christmas Tree messages again from dozens of individuals.
[LAUGHTER]
And so it went, on and on and on.
“A very happy Christmas and my best wishes for the next year”, It stated, all in ASCII artwork, or maybe I ought to say EBCDIC artwork.
There’s a remark on the high of the supply code: “Let this EXEC run and enjoy yourself”.
And slightly additional down, there’s a be aware that claims: “Browsing this file is no fun at all.”
Which clearly should you’re not a programmer, is sort of true.
And beneath it says, “Just type Christmas from the command prompt.”
So, similar to trendy macro malware that claims to the person, “Hey, macros are disabled, but for your ‘extra safety’ you need to turn them back on… why not click the button? It’s much easier that way.”
35 years in the past [LAUGHS], malware writers had already found out that should you ask customers properly to do one thing that’s not in any respect of their curiosity, a few of them, presumably a lot of them, will do it.
Once you’d authorised it, it was in a position to learn your information, and since it may learn your information, it may get the record of all of the folks you usually corresponded with out of your so referred to as nicknames or NAMES file, and blasted itself out to all of them.
DOUG. I’m not saying I miss this time, however there was one thing oddly comforting, 20 years in the past, firing up Hotmail and seeing a whole bunch of emails from people who had me of their contacts record…
… and simply *realizing* that one thing was happening.
Like, “There’s a worm going around, clearly”, as a result of I’m getting only a deluge of emails from folks right here.
DUCK. People you’d by no means heard from for a few years… immediately they’d be throughout your mailbox!
DOUG. OK, let’s transfer proper alongside to the brand new, to the fashionable day…
…and this TikTok “Invisible Challenge”:
TikTok “Invisible Challenge” porn malware places us all in danger
Which is mainly a filter on TikTok you can apply that makes you appear invisible… so in fact, the very first thing folks did was, “Why don’t I take off all my clothes and see if it really makes me invisible?”
And then, in fact, a bunch of scammers are like, “Let’s put out some fake software that will ‘uninvisible’ naked people.”
Do I’ve that proper?
DUCK. Yes, sadly, Doug, that’s the lengthy and the wanting it.
And, sadly, that proved a really enticing lure to a major variety of folks on-line.
You’re invited to hitch this Discord channel to seek out out extra… and to get going, effectively, it’s important to just like the GitHub web page.
So it’s all this self-fulfilling prophecy….
DOUG. That a part of it’s (I hate to make use of the B-word [brilliant])… that side of it’s virtually B-word-worthy since you’re legitimising this illegitimate challenge, simply by everybody upvoting it.
.
DUCK. Absolutely!
“Upvote it first, and *then* we’ll tell you all about it, because obviously it’s going to be great, because ‘free porn’.”
And the challenge itself is all a pack of lies – it simply hyperlinks via to different repositories (and that’s fairly regular within the open supply supply-chain scene)… they appear like professional tasks, however they’re mainly clones of professional tasks with one line modified that runs throughout set up.
Which is a giant crimson flag, by the way in which, that even when this didn’t have the sleazy ‘undress people who never intended it’ porno theme in it.
You can find yourself with professional software program, genuinely put in off GitHub, however the technique of doing the set up, satisfying all of the dependencies, fetching all of the bits you want… *that* course of is the factor that introduces the malware.
And that’s precisely what occurred right here.
There’s one line of obfuscated Python; if you deobfuscate it, it’s mainly a downloader that goes and fetches some extra Python, which is super-scrambulated so it’s in no way apparent what it does.
The concept is actually that the crooks get to put in no matter they like, as a result of that downloader goes to a web site that the crooks management, to allow them to put something they need up for obtain.
And it seems to be as if the first malware that the crooks wished to deploy (though they might have put in something) was a data-stealing Trojan based mostly on, I feel, a challenge generally known as WASP…
…which mainly goes after fascinating information in your laptop, notably together with issues like cryptocoin wallets, saved bank cards, and importantly (you’ve most likely guessed the place that is going!) your Discord password, your Discord credentials.
And we all know why crooks love social media and instantaneous messaging passwords.
Because, after they get your password, they usually can attain out on to your mates, and your loved ones, and your work colleagues in a closed group…
…it’s a lot extra plausible that they have to get a a lot better success fee in luring in new victims than they do with spray-and-pray stuff comparable to electronic mail or SMS.
DOUG. OK, we are going to keep watch over that – it’s nonetheless creating.
But some excellent news, lastly: this “Cryptorom” rip-off, which is a crypto/romance rip-off…
…we’ve bought some arrests, big-time arrests, proper?
Multimillion greenback CryptoRom rip-off websites seized, suspects arrested in US
DUCK. Yes.
This was introduced by the US Department of Justice [DOJ]: seven websites related to so-called Cryptorom scammers taken down.
And that report additionally hyperlinks to the truth that, I feel, 11 folks have been lately arrested within the US.
Now, Cryptorom, that’s a reputation that SophosLabs researchers gave to this specific cybercrime scheme as a result of, as you say, it marries the method utilized by romance scammers (i.e. look you up on a courting website, create a pretend profile, turn into buddies with you) with cryptocurrency scamming.
Instead of the “Hey, I want you to fall in love with me; let’s get married; now send me money for the visa” sort of rip-off…
…the crooks go, “Well, maybe we’re not going to become an item, but we’re still good chums. [DRAMATIC VOICE] Have I got an investment opportunity for you!”
So it immediately feels prefer it’s coming from somebody you’ll be able to belief.
It’s a rip-off that entails speaking you into putting in an off-market app, even when you have an iPhone.
“It’s still in development; it’s so new; you’re so important; you’re right at the core of it. It’s still in development, so sign up for the TestFlight, the Beta program.”
Or they’ll go, “Oh, we’re solely publishing it to individuals who be a part of our enterprise. So give us cell system administration (MDM) management over your cellphone, after which you’ll be able to set up this app. [SECRETIVE VOICE} And don’t tell anyone about it. It’s not going to be in the app store; you’re special.”
And, of course, the app looks like a cryptocurrency trading app, and it’s backed by sweet-looking graphs that just strangely keep going up, Doug.
Your investments never really go down… but it’s all a pack of lies.
And then, when you want your money out, well (typical Ponzi or pyramid-scheme trick), sometimes they’ll let you take out a little bit of money… you’re testing, so you withdraw a bit, and you get it back.
Of course, they’re just giving you the money that you already put in back, or some of it.
DOUG. [SAD] Yes.
DUCK. And then your investments are going up!
And then they’re throughout you: “Imagine if you haven’t withdrawn that money? Why don’t you put that money back in? Hey, we’ll even loan you some more money; we’ll put something with you. And why not get your chums in? Because something big is coming!”
So you place within the cash, and one thing large occurs, like the value shoots up, and also you’re going, “Wow, I’m so glad I reinvested the money that I withdrew!”
And you’re nonetheless pondering, “The fact that I could have withdrawn it must mean these people are legitimate.”
Of course, they’re not – it’s only a greater pack of lies than it was initially.
And then, if you lastly assume, “I’d better cash out”,, immediately there’s all kinds of bother.
“Well, there’s a tax,” Doug, “There’s a government withholding tax.”
And you go, “OK, so I’m going to have 20% chopped off the top.”
Then the story is, “Actually, no, it’s not *technically* a withholding tax.” (Which is the place they only take the cash out of the sum and provide the relaxation)
“Actually, your account is *frozen*, so the government can’t withhold the money.”
You must pay within the tax… then you definately get the entire quantity again.
DOUG. [WINCING] Oh, God!
DUCK. You ought to odor a rat at this level… however they’re throughout you; they’re pressuring you; they’re weedling; if not weedling, they’re telling you, “Well, you could get into trouble. The government may be after you!”
People are placing within the 20% after which, as I wrote [in the article], I hope to not rudely: GAME OVER, INSERT COIN TO BEGIN NEW GAME.
In reality, you could then get contacted afterwards by someone who simply miraculously, Doug, goes, “Hey, have you been scammed by Cryptorom scams? Well, I’m investigating, and I can help you get the money back.”
It’s a horrible factor to be in, as a result of all of it begins with the “rom” [romance] half.
They’re not really after romance, however they *are* after sufficient of a friendship that you simply really feel you’ll be able to belief them.
So you’re really entering into one thing “special” – that’s why your family and friends weren’t invited.
DOUG. We’ve talked about this story a number of instances earlier than, together with the recommendation, which is within the article right here.
The dismount [main item] within the recommendation column is: Listen overtly to your family and friends in the event that they attempt to warn you.
Psychological warfare, because it have been!
DUCK. Indeed.
And second-last can be one to recollect: Don’t be fooled since you go to a scammer’s web site and it seems to be similar to the true deal.
You assume, “Golly, could they really afford to pay professional web designers?”
But should you have a look at how a lot cash these guys are making: [A] sure, they might, and [B] they don’t even actually need to.
There are loads of instruments on the market that construct high-quality, visually pleasant web sites with realtime graphs, realtime transactions, magical-looking, stunning net varieties…
DOUG. Exactly.
It’s really actually arduous to make a *dangerous* wanting web site these days.
You must strive further arduous!
DUCK. It’ll have an HTTPS certificates; it’ll have a legitimate-enough-looking area identify; and naturally, on this case, it’s coupled with an app *that your mates can’t try for you by downloading themselves* off the App Store and going, “What on earth were you thinking?”
Because it’s a “secret special app”, via “super-special” channels, that simply makes it simpler for the crooks to deceive you by wanting greater than ok.
So, take care, of us!
DOUG. Take care!
And let’s stick with regards to crackdowns.
This is one other large crackdown – this story is admittedly intriguing to me, so I’m to listen to the way you unravel it:
Voice-scamming website “iSpoof” seized, 100s arrested in large crackdown
This is a voice scamming website which was referred to as iSspoof… and I’m shocked that it was allowed to function.
This shouldn’t be a darkweb website, that is on the common net.
DUCK. I assume if all of your website is doing is, “We’ll offer you Voice Over IP Services [VoIP] with added cool value that includes setting up your own calling numbers”…
…in the event that they’re not overtly saying, “The primary goal of this is to do cybercrime”, then there could also be no authorized obligation for the internet hosting firm to take the location down.
And in case you are internet hosting it your self, and you’re the criminal… I assume it’s fairly troublesome.
It took a courtroom order in the long run, acquired by the FBI, I imagine, and executed by the Department of Justice, to go and declare these domains and put up [a message saying] “This domain has been seized.”
So it was fairly a prolonged operation, as I perceive, simply making an attempt to get behind this.
The downside right here is it made it very easy so that you can begin up a scamming service the place, if you name someone, their cellphone would pop up with the identify of their High Street financial institution that they themselves had entered into their cellphone contact record, striagh off *the financial institution’s personal web site*.
Because, sadly, there’s little or no authentication within the Caller ID or Calling Line Identification protocol.
Those numbers that pop up earlier than you reply the decision?
They aren’t any higher than hints, Doug.
But sadly, folks take them as a sort of gospel fact: “It says it’s the bank. How could anybody forge that? It MUST be the bank calling me.”
Not essentially!
If you have a look at the variety of calls that have been positioned… what was it, three-and-a-half-million within the UK alone?
10 million all through Europe?
I feel it was three-and-a-half million calls they positioned; 350,000 of these have been answered after which lasted greater than a minute, which means that the individual was starting to imagine the entire spoofing.
So: “Transfer funds to the wrong account”, or “Read out your two-factor authentication code”, or “Let us help you with your technical problem – let’s start by installing TeamViewer”, or whateveritis.
And even being invited by the crooks: “Check the number if you don’t believe me!”
DOUG. That leads us to a query that I had the entire time studying this text, and it dovetails properly with our reader remark for the week.
Reader Mahnn feedback, “The telcos should be getting a fair share of the blame for allowing spoofing on their network.”
So, in that spirit, Paul, is there something telcos can really do to cease this?
DUCK. Intriguingly, the subsequent commenter (thanks, John, for this remark!) stated, “I wish you’d mentioned two things called STIR and SHAKEN.”
These are American initiatives – since you guys love your backronyms, don’t you, just like the CAN-SPAM Act?
DOUG. We do!
DUCK. So, STIR is “secure telephone identity revisited”.
And SHAKEN apparently stands for (don’t shoot me, I’m simply the messenger, Doug!)… what’s it, “signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens”.
So it’s mainly like saying, “We finally got used to using TLS/HTTPS for websites.”
It’s not excellent, however not less than it supplies some measure so you’ll be able to confirm the certificates if you would like, and it stops simply anyone pretending to be anybody, anytime they like.
The downside is that these are simply initiatives, so far as I do know.
We have the expertise to do that, not less than for web telephony…
…however have a look at how lengthy it took us to do one thing so simple as getting HTTPS on virtually all the web sites on this planet.
There was an enormous backlash in opposition to it.
DOUG. Yes!
DUCK. And, paradoxically, it wasn’t coming from the service suppliers.
It was coming from folks going, “Well, I run a small website, so why should I have to bother about this? Why should I have to care?”
So I feel it could be a few years but earlier than there’s any sturdy identification related to incoming cellphone calls…
DOUG. OK, so it may take some time, [WRYLY] however as you say, we’ve chosen our acronyms, which is an important first step.
So, we’ve bought that out of the way in which… and we’ll see if this takes form ultimately.
So thanks, Mahnn, for sending that in.
If you may have an fascinating story, remark or query you’d prefer to submit, we’d like to learn it on the podcast.
You can electronic mail ideas@sophos.com, you’ll be able to touch upon any considered one of our articles, or you’ll be able to hit us up on social: @NakedSecurity.
That’s our present for right now; thanks very a lot for listening.
For Paul Ducklin, I’m Doug Aamoth, reminding you: Until subsequent time…
BOTH. Stay safe.
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