2023-05-09 22:09:54
The United States announced on Tuesday May 9 that it had neutralized, thanks to the FBI, one of the Russian spyware “most sophisticated”the source of numerous attacks against NATO member countries over the past twenty years.
This software, dubbed “Snake”, enabled the Russian security services (FSB) to “steal hundreds of sensitive documents in at least 50 countries”by attacking in particular the computer services of governments, the media or research centers, according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice.
“Thanks to a high-tech operation, which turned this Russian malware against itself, US law enforcement has neutralized one of the most sophisticated Russian cyber espionage tools”welcomed the Deputy Minister of Justice, Lisa Monaco.
According to US authorities, the software was guided from an FSB unit called “Turla”, located in Ryazan, Russia. He could identify and steal documents and remain undetected indefinitely. Its specificity: the agents of “Turla” exfiltrated this data using the global network of infected computers.
In 2018, the German Foreign Ministry revealed that it had been the subject of an unprecedented attack attributed by the media to the “Snake” software, also known as “Uroboros”.
Victims have also been identified in Belgium, Ukraine, the United States, Switzerland or Georgia.
“Perseus” and “Medusa”
“Snake” had been known to cybersecurity experts for at least ten years. The American cyber defense agency Cisa places its creation date around 2003 and believes that it has been subject to numerous updates over time.
It is “the most sophisticated cyber espionage tool in the FSB arsenal”also believes Cisa in a document published with its British, Canadian and Australian counterparts, emphasizing the stealth nature of the software.
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“It surprisingly has very few computer bugs, which is surprising given its complexity”these agencies also note.
After studying this software for many years, the American federal police succeeded in creating a tool, baptized “Perseus”, capable of communicating with “Snake” and ordering it to shut down without involving the host computer.
He was put out of harm’s way during the operation ” Jellyfish “, conducted by the FBI in coordination with foreign partners, said US Attorney General Merrick Garland. “We will continue to strengthen our collective defenses against the destabilization efforts of the Russian regime”he promised.
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