CASH! CASH! Hacking ATM Machines with Just a Text Message

As we reported earlier, Microsoft will stop supporting the Windows XP operating system after 8th April, apparently 95% of the world’s 3 million ATM machines are run on it. Microsoft's decision to withdraw support for Windows XP poses critical security threat to the economic infrastructure worldwide.

MORE REASONS TO UPGRADE

Security researchers at Antivirus firm Symantec claimed that hackers can exploit a weakness in Windows XP based ATMs, that allow them to withdraw cash simply by sending an SMS to compromised ATMs.

"What was interesting about this variant of Ploutus was that it allowed cybercriminals to simply send an SMS to the compromised ATM, then walk up and collect the dispensed cash. It may seem incredible, but this technique is being used in a number of places across the world at this time." researchers said.

HARDWIRED Malware for ATMs

According to researchers - In 2013, they detected a malware named Backdoor.Ploutus, installed on ATMs in Mexico, which is designed to rob a certain type of standalone ATM with just the text messages.

Microsoft Word Zero-Day Vulnerability is being exploited in the Wild

Microsoft warned about a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Word that is being actively exploited in targeted attacks and discovered by the Google security team. “At this time, we are aware of limited, targeted attacks directed at Microsoft Word 2010…” company said.

According to Microsoft's security advisory, Microsoft Word is vulnerable to  a remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2014-1761) that can be exploited by a specially crafted Rich Text Format (RTF).

An Attacker can simply infect the victim's system with malware if a user opens a malicious Rich Text Format (RTF), or merely preview the message in Microsoft Outlook.

Snoopy Drone Can Hack Your Smartphones

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) called Drones is rapidly transforming the way we go to war. Drones were once used for land surveillance, Delivering Pizza's, then equipped with bombs that changed the way nations conduct war and now these hovering drones are ready to hack your Smartphones.

London-based Sensepoint security researchers have developed a drone called 'Snoopy' that can intercept data from your Smartphones using spoofed wireless networks, CNN Money reported.

The Drone will search for WiFi enabled devices and then using its built-in technology, it will see what networks the phones have accessed in the past and pretends to be one of those old network connections.

Spoofing WiFi networks that device has already accessed allows Snoopy Drone to connect with targeted Smartphone without authentication or interaction. In technical terms, The Drone will use 'Wireless Evil Twin Attack' to hack Smartphones.

Android Privilege Escalation Flaws leave Billions of Devices vulnerable to Malware Infection

Android - a widely used Smartphone platform offered by Google is once again suspected to affect its users with malicious software that puts their android devices at risk. This time the vulnerabilities occur in the way Android handle the updates to add new flavors to your device.

Researchers from Indiana University and Microsoft have discovered [Paper PDF] a new set of Android vulnerabilities that is capable to carry out privilege escalation attacks because of the weakness in its Package Management Service (PMS) that puts more than one billion Android devices at risk.

The researchers dubbed the new set of security-critical vulnerabilities as Pileup flaws which is a short for privilege escalation through updating, that waylays inside the Android PMS and intensifies the permissions offered to malicious apps whenever an android update occurs, without informing users.