Air Gapped
APT37 hackers use new malware to breach air-gapped networks
North Korean hackers are deploying newly uncovered tools to move data between internet-connected and air-gapped systems, spread via removable drives, and conduct covert surveillance. The malicious campaign has been named Ruby Jumper and is attributed to the state-backed group APT37, also known as ScarCruft, Ricochet Chollima, and InkySquid. Air-gapped computers are disconnected from external networks, especially […]
SmartAttack uses smartwatches to steal data from air-gapped systems
A new attack dubbed ‘SmartAttack’ uses smartwatches as a covert ultrasonic signal receiver to exfiltrate data from physically isolated (air-gapped) systems. Air-gapped systems, commonly deployed in mission-critical environments such as government facilities, weapons platforms, and nuclear power plants, are physically isolated from external networks to prevent malware infections and data theft. Despite this isolation, they […]
European govt air-gapped systems breached using custom malware
An APT hacking group known as GoldenJackal has successfully breached air-gapped government systems in Europe using two custom toolsets to steal sensitive data, like emails, encryption keys, images, archives, and documents. According to an ESET report, this happened at least two times, one against the embassy of a South Asian country in Belarus in September 2019 […]
New PIXHELL acoustic attack leaks secrets from LCD screen noise
A novel acoustic attack named ‘PIXHELL’ can leak secrets from air-gapped and audio-gapped systems, and without requiring speakers, through the LCD monitors they connect to. In a PIXHELL attack, malware modulates the pixel patterns on LCD screens to induce noise in the frequency range of 0-22 kHz, carrying encoded signals within those acoustic waves that can […]
New RAMBO attack steals data using RAM in air-gapped computers
A novel side-channel attack dubbed “RAMBO” (Radiation of Air-gapped Memory Bus for Offense) generates electromagnetic radiation from a device’s RAM to send data from air-gapped computers. Air-gapped systems, typically used in mission-critical environments with exceptionally high-security requirements, such as governments, weapon systems, and nuclear power stations, are isolated from the public internet and other networks to […]