CCleaner Compromised, Hackers Collect Data from Affected PCs

Fresh details come from the Threat Intelligence Team of Avast on September 22, 2017 regarding the CCleaner malicious program which got uncovered September 18.

It so happened that the disk space of the infected PCs from where hackers targeting CCleaner had been collecting data finished, with the result, the database got deleted 12th September. This implies the actual information is completely lost that could have been retrieved while total PCs contaminated might be larger compared to initial belief.

Consequently, as is possible there are a greater number of technology companies whose networks have contracted a backdoor. Cisco Systems based in San Jose, California along with its cyber-security team named Talos unearthed as well as revealed the hack following an attack on the internal domain of Cisco itself and also the websites of Samsung, Google, Microsoft as well as other tech firms.

According to Craig Williams, cyber-security specialist from Cisco, the hackers employed a sophisticated reconnaissance system while targeting innumerable computers to penetrate the websites of technology firms so as for pulling out precious intellectual property. Phys.org posted this, September 22, 2017.

Cisco stated that the problem was resolved fast and the company sported the belief that none of its end-users was harmed as it had deactivated its C&C (command-and-control) infrastructure with the result the malware couldn't get executed. However, the security researchers from Cisco Talos and Avast say that the malware's delivery occurred effectively onto twenty select targets amidst a total of 700K PCs which apparently had been contaminated.

Researchers belonging to Cisco Talos are of the opinion that the CCleaner compromised version together with the malware should be removed since by nature the software stays hidden on end-users' devices while functions to examine fresh malware updates as long as 365 days.

And with CCleaner attacked, the supply chain's security problem yet again becomes prominent. As per Avast, the database server affected had just 4 days of information because of saturation of space on the system. The compromised CCleaner got supplied August 15 and it stayed so for access till September 11. End-users affected till when last claimed numbered 730,000.

» SPAMfighter News - 10/3/2017