2023-05-09 18:05:45
The US Department of Justice announced, on Tuesday, that it had disabled “sophisticated” software used by Russian intelligence for two decades to spy in 50 countries. Including countries that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
According to US officials, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has been planting the “Snake” or “Europoros” software on computers around the world, with a focus on government networks, research facilities, journalists, and other targets.
The Justice Department said the FBI, during a year-long operation, neutralized the software by tampering with its code.
“Through a high-tech operation that made Russian malware attack itself, US law enforcement authorities neutralized one of Russia’s most sophisticated cyberespionage tools used for two decades to advance Russia’s authoritarian goals,” a statement from the department quoted Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco as saying.
The software has been known to computer security experts for at least a decade, and the US Cyber Security Agency (Sisa) said that Russian intelligence began developing it in 2003.
The agency described the software as “the most sophisticated cyber-espionage tool in the FSB’s arsenal,” noting that it was difficult to detect.
It was also designed to be easy to update and modify, but “it contained a few flaws given its complexity,” according to Sessa.
US officials say this allowed Russian intelligence to use the software undetected for years.
In at least one case, SISA said, the Snake software was planted in the systems of an unnamed NATO member state, giving Russian intelligence access to sensitive documents on international relations and diplomatic communications.
“The effectiveness of this type of electronic espionage depends entirely on long-term concealment,” the agency added.
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