Russian 'Trojan Horse' Bug Lurking in Critical Infrastructure US Computers Since 2011
'Trojan Horse' Bug Lurking in Vital US Computers Since
2011
Nov 6, 2014, 2:13 PM ET
By JACK CLOHERTY and PIERRE THOMAS
A destructive “Trojan Horse” malware program has
penetrated the software that runs much of the nation’s critical infrastructure
and is poised to cause an economic catastrophe, according to the Department of
Homeland Security.
National Security sources told ABC News there is evidence
that the malware was inserted by hackers believed to be sponsored by the
Russian government, and is a very serious threat.
The hacked software is used to control complex industrial
operations like oil and gas pipelines, power transmission grids, water
distribution and filtration systems, wind turbines and even some nuclear
plants. Shutting down or damaging any of these vital public utilities could
severely impact hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Hackers Breach White House's Unclassified Computer
Network
DHS said in a bulletin that the hacking campaign has been
ongoing since 2011, but no attempt has been made to activate the malware to
“damage, modify, or otherwise disrupt” the industrial control process. So while
U.S. officials recently became aware the penetration, they don’t know where or
when it may be unleashed.
DHS sources told ABC News they think this is no random
attack and they fear that the Russians have torn a page from the old, Cold War
playbook, and have placed the malware in key U.S. systems as a threat, and/or
as a deterrent to a U.S. cyber-attack on Russian systems – mutually assured
destruction.
The hack became known to insiders last week when a DHS
alert bulletin was issued by the agency’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber
Emergency Response Team to its industry members. The bulletin said the
“BlackEnergy” penetration recently had been detected by several companies.
DHS said “BlackEnergy” is the same malware that was used
by a Russian cyber-espionage group dubbed “Sandworm” to target NATO and some
energy and telecommunications companies in Europe earlier this year. “Analysis
of the technical findings in the two reports shows linkages in the shared
command and control infrastructure between the campaigns, suggesting both are
part of a broader campaign by the same threat actor,” the DHS bulletin said.
The hacked software is very advanced. It allows
designated workers to control various industrial processes through the
computer, an iPad or a smart phone, sources said. The software allows
information sharing and collaborative control.
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