In a joint warning issued by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in Britain and South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, concerns over continuous cyber threats posed by North Korean state-linked hackers were highlighted.
These hackers persist in exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities within widely-used software applications as part of their global supply chain attacks. The primary objectives of these attacks, as indicated by officials, encompass financial theft, espionage, and acquiring advanced technologies to support the North Korean regime’s priorities.
The alert shed light on the modus operandi of these state-affiliated hackers, emphasizing their strategy of targeting victims through vulnerabilities present in third-party software applications and supply chains.
Notably, recent incidents, such as the infiltration of financial trading software developer 3CX, exemplify the scale and impact of these supply chain attacks. In this particular breach, hackers gained access to the source code of 3CX’s Windows and macOS systems, signifying the potential reach and severity of such cyber intrusions.
Attributions to North Korean hacking groups, including designations like UNC4736 by Mandiant and “Labyrinth Chollima” by CrowdStrike, have emerged. These groups, notably Lazarus, are notorious for their involvement in state-sponsored cyber activities, primarily aimed at funding the country’s nuclear and missile programs.
With such warnings, cybersecurity experts stress the critical importance of enhancing defensive measures, including security updates, network monitoring, and comprehensive cybersecurity training to effectively counter and mitigate these evolving cyber threats.
