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Reuter reports on an advanced iOS virus targeting Hong Kong protestors:
Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a computer virus that spies on Apple Inc's iOS operating system for the iPhone and iPad, and they believe it is targeting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
The malicious software, known as Xsser, is capable of stealing text messages, photos, call logs, passwords and other data from Apple mobile devices, researchers with Lacoon Mobile Security said on Tuesday.
The original post on Lacoon's Web site (which Reuter used) notes:
A link to the Android spyware, disguised as an app to help coordinate Occupy Central protests in Hong Kong, was sent as an anonymous message to Whatsapp users there on Thursday. In its investigation of that spyware, Lacoon uncovered the Xsser mRAT hosted on the same Command and Control (CnC) domain with the project being named Xsser. Though called Xsser, this is not related to an XSS attack.
The Xsser mRAT is itself significant because while there have been other iOS trojans found previously, this is the first and most advanced, fully operational Chinese iOS trojan found to date. Although it shows initial signs of being a targeted attack on Chinese protesters, the full extent of how Xsser mRAT is being used is anyone’s guess. It can cross borders easily, and is possibly being operated by a Chinese-speaking entity to spy on individuals, foreign companies, or even entire governments.
[...]When infected, Xsser mRAT exposes virtually any information on iOS devices including SMS, email, and instant messages, and can also reveal location data, usernames and passwords, call logs and contact information.
In the meantime, Bloomberg says the U.S. Law Enforcement seeks to halt Apple/Google encryption of mobile data, but are not sure how to proceed: appeal to executives or seek congressional legislation.
Looks like the US and Chinese agencies aren't that dissimilar: both sides want the citizens with the pants down and the lubrication applied on their own expense (paid by taxes).
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 01 2014, @10:08PM
(1) dirt cheap is still more expensive than something you already own and carry with you all the time
(2) 50,000 people all on a handful of walkie-talkie frequency bands would be useless
(3) can't send text messages over walkie-talkies
(4) can't forward voice messages from walkie-talkies to youtube
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Wednesday October 01 2014, @10:17PM
(1) less expensive than clear proof that you belong on a dissident list, or worse
(2) They can try to agree to all listen to the leaders of the protest, rather than all talk. Or my friends and I can be the only one using the walkie talkies and watch the police knock at the neighbor's doors over the next months.
(3) That's a feature you should market, ideal for school kids and protestors (was a project at my eng school, never happened because cell phone did)
(4) You still have a phone for voicemail, it's just off when you're at the protest and you'll forward your messages (why?) when you're in a safer place.
Given the number of advocates of decentralized comms on SN, it's odd that the first reply I get prefers to use the state-controlled system.
(Score: 1) by Buck Feta on Wednesday October 01 2014, @10:29PM
(2) They can try to agree to all listen to the leaders of the protest, rather than all talk.
I'm sure the cops will agree not to talk on the protest frequencies.
- fractious political commentary goes here -
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bob_super on Wednesday October 01 2014, @10:41PM
Sure, the same way that they won't send txts to all people nearby saying "go home", or take down the cell towers, or turn off the internet, or filter specific protests websites, or release malware to all the smartphones nearby. They will also not charge the crowd nor beat up anyone with a camera and confiscate or smash their cellphones.
I'll keep my walkie talkie, because it contains no incriminating evidence nor provocating features.
If the cop sees me, he thinks "that guy is coordinating with his friends nearby" rather than "this guy is trying to broadcast the crackdown to the world, because he doesn't realize we've cut the world off".
It depends on which adversary you're facing, and how many people collaborate.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 01 2014, @10:58PM
> less expensive than clear proof that you belong on a dissident list, or worse
The authorities have cameras there already
> That's a feature you should market,
So now we've gone from "dirt cheap walkie talkies" to vaporware.
Go ahead and keep insisting that reality is wrong.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Wednesday October 01 2014, @11:07PM
Sure, reality is wrong...
The arab dictators got surprised by the power of cell phones during the Arab Spring; the rest of the world watched and learnt: This will never happen again.
From now on, if you protest any oppressive regime, your cell will either be rendered useless or used against you. Probably both.
If you don't believe that, I've got a very nice vintage bridge for sale, already by a bronze plaque dedicated to all gullible ACs.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 02 2014, @12:20AM
> From now on, if you protest any oppressive regime, your cell will either be rendered useless or used against you. Probably both.
And yet that hasn't happened, not in Ukraine, and not today in HK.
That you think walkie-talkies will be a viable alternative is ridiculous. Name one pre-smart-phone political protest that used walkie-talkies even one-tenth as much as cell phones are being used in HK today. Orange revolution? Nope. Velvet revolution? Nope.
Here's the thing - you go to war with the weapons you have. People don't have walkie-talkies. That smartphones are imperfect and carry risks does not make them unfit tools. All protesting carries risks.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 01 2014, @10:28PM
I've been in a company meeting that failed to have proper mute control, with about 1000 participants. Even though these were all polite, highly paid professionals, it was absolute mayhem and no one could hear the speaker. 50,000? Good luck.
Not to mention that I imagine it would be trivial to jam the walkie talkie bandwidth, and the rest of Hong Kong wouldn't notice or care (jamming cell phone bandwidth would have a considerably larger impact, so wouldn't be feasible).
If you're too stupid to use your device safely, then fine, don't use it. But in case you haven't noticed, cell phones + social media have been HUGELY successful in helping to unite and organize protests in the past decade. They've done much more good than harm.
Sometimes I feel like "anonymous cowards" are the only voice of reason on this site and Slashdot. So much groupthink and lack of logic or critical thinking from everyone else; it's disgusting.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 01 2014, @11:04PM
Sometimes I feel like "anonymous cowards" are the only voice of reason on this site and Slashdot. So much groupthink and lack of logic or critical thinking from everyone else; it's disgusting.
Get over yourself.
Bob_super just has a mental disconnect on this topic. Sure it is of the type where geek denies human nature and claims impractical alternative is superior which is a really common genre of mental disconnect for sites like this, but he hasn't even been modded up and he probably wouldn't be. Now if his posts and his follow-ups got +5 you'd have a point, but they wont and you dont.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday October 03 2014, @03:42PM
You should ask the families of the Tienanmen leaders whether the central government forgot about them. Thanks to people protesting with their cell phones, the Party can quickly get a list of the people who will spend the rest of their lives having more-or-less-minor administrative issues... Or worse.
Do that in other countries (HK is indeed special) and they will knock down your door, have some guy pay you a painful visit, or quietly put you on a no-fly list.
The Party doesn't forget the people who threaten the Almighty Stability.