Russian hackers intensified attacks on phones of soldiers of AFU - State Special Communications

Hackers associated with the GRU have intensified cyber attacks on the mobile phones of soldiers of the Armed Forces.

According to Censor.NET, this was reported to the State Special Communications.

"Russian hackers have increased the number of cyberattacks on mobile devices of the Ukrainian military. In the second half of 2023, hackers associated with the GRU actively used messengers and social engineering to spread malicious software," the report says.

Features of attacks

using legitimate products as cloaking: Hackers disguised spyware as legitimate software installers, such as the Nettle situational awareness system;
distribution of malicious software via Signal and Telegram: attackers used these messengers to distribute malicious files, disguising them as cyber security instructions from CERT-UA;
quick reaction and adaptation: hackers quickly responded to new protection methods and developed new attack vectors;
Windows software targeting: Most messenger attacks were aimed at spreading Windows malware, as many militaries use desktop versions of messengers.
use of decoy files: attackers distributed malicious programs in the form of Zip or Rar archives, disguising them as updating certificates for the Delta situational awareness complex.

Recommendations for the military

do not download files from unknown sources, even if they come from people you know;
do not open links in suspicious messages;
update the operating system and software on your devices;
use strong passwords and don't use the same password for different accounts.

Author: Екатерина Людвик