Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Share Post: Reddit Facebook
NSA’s Windows Hacking Tools Leaked, Millions of Users Exposed UPDATED
#1
http://news.softpedia.com/news/nsa-s-win...4898.shtml  NSA’s Windows Hacking Tools Leaked, Millions of Users Exposed UPDATED
Shadow Brokers post Windows hacking tools online
Apr 14, 2017 21:54 GMT  ·  By Bogdan Popa ·  Share:      
A set of tools allegedly belonging to the NSA and used to break into Windows systems across the world was posted online by infamous hacker group Shadow Brokers.

It appears that the hacking software was stolen from the NSA last summer and it can be used for hacking the majority of Windows versions currently out there, except for Windows 10.

On the other hand, the leaked data appears to also include exploits aimed at Windows 10 systems, though the majority of hacking tools are designed for older versions of the operating system, such as Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8.1. There are also several hacking tools for Windows Server versions.

Microsoft hasn’t yet issued a statement to confirm the hack, but it goes without saying that the leak happened at a time when many IT experts might be caught off-guard because of the weekend and the Easter holiday. Furthermore, part of Microsoft’s security teams is also likely to be out of the office, and all of these only leave the millions of users out there exposed to attacks.

No way to remain protected
Security experts warn that with the hacking tools now available online, the number of attacks aimed at Windows systems is very likely to skyrocket during the weekend, especially because newbie hackers have more time to launch their attacks, while at the same time being able to find victims easily because users spend more time online on their days off.

Edward Snowden has also confirmed the leak, explaining that “this is not a drill, NSA exploits affecting many fully-patched Windows systems have been released to the wild. NSA did not warn Microsoft.”

As for ways to remain protected until Microsoft delivers patches, there’s really no hackerproof solution right now, other than running Windows 10, though there’s evidence that this operating system version can be hijacked as well. Security experts recommend to keep critical systems offline for a few days, at least until after the weekend, but it’s very clear this isn’t the most convenient solution right now.

We’ve contacted Microsoft to ask for more information on this leak and we’ll update the article when an answer is offered.

UPDATE: Microsoft has provided us with the following statement: "We are reviewing the report and will take the necessary actions to protect our customers." :@ :@ :@
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Customized Trojan Stole Data From 3M Windows PC Users mrtrout 0 685 07-02-2021 , 05:51 AM
Last Post: mrtrout
  Android apps exposed data of millions of users through cloud authentication failure mrtrout 0 1,068 05-21-2021 , 12:58 AM
Last Post: mrtrout
  533 million Facebook users' phone numbers and personal data have been leaked online SALAMA Youssef 0 1,344 04-04-2021 , 09:47 PM
Last Post: SALAMA Youssef
  ‘ZEE5’ Has Leaked the Data of Nine Million Users but Didn’t Disclose It Bjyda 0 995 03-05-2021 , 12:33 AM
Last Post: Bjyda
  MIllions of VPN users have personal details stolen Bjyda 0 816 02-26-2021 , 11:03 PM
Last Post: Bjyda

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)