Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Solar Energy Spurt Comes Freighted With Chinese Nation-State Hacking WorriesThe European Commission froze funding for solar energy projects that use crucial components from Chinese companies such as Huawei, due to cybersecurity fears. The decision affects projects being funded by the European Investment Bank and other partner banks.

Attack Combines Social Engineering and Card Emulation to Execute Real-Time TheftHackers are using Chinese-speaking Android malware-as-a-service SuperCard X to carry out near-field communication relay attacks, siphoning payment card data and executing live point of sale and ATM transactions. Victims receive spoofed SMS or WhatsApp alerts purporting to originate from their bank.

OCC mum on who broke into email, but Treasury fingered China in similar hack months ago A US banking regulator fears sensitive financial oversight data was stolen from its IT systems in what's been described as "a major information security incident."…

Also: Penalty on Illegal Cryptomining in SiberiaThis week's roundup includes Do Kwon's trial, penalty on a Siberian firm over illegal cryptomining, 2024 drainer attack statistics, U.S. bank regulator's crypto stance, Gemini's CFTC settlement, China's blockchain plans and Hong Kong's push for DLT in banks.

Also: Ransomware Hackers Demand BaguettesThis week, Chinese spying, Italian hacking scandal, an FBI warning and Okta fixed a bug. Google mandated MFA, zero days in PTZOptics and a Mexican airport didn't pay ransom. Cybercriminals demanded baguettes, breach lettersin Ohio and Germany will shield white hats. The Italian DPA rebuked a bank.

Chinese-speaking adversaries are using a fresh Android banking Trojan to take over devices and initiate fraudulent money transfers from financial institutions across Latin America, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

Allegedly swiped more than 5.2M files and threatens to publish the lot Ransomware gang Hunters International reportedly claims to have stolen more than 5.2 million files belonging to the London branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), a Chinese state-owned bank and financial service corporation, and set a deadline of September 13 to release all the data.…

Also: UwU Lend's Hacks, Terraform Labs' Dissolution, Gemini's SettlementThis week, CertiK researchers allegedly stole money from Kraken, UwU Lend was hacked, Terraform Labs shut down, Gemini will pay defrauded investors, three entities claimed seized FTX assets, a Chinese bank suffered embezzlement and money laundering, and the SEC's crypto head is leaving.

Scammers' tactics are tiresomely familiar: get-rich-quick schemes and data harvesting China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has warned local netizens that fake wallet apps for the nation's central bank digital currency (CBDC) are already circulating and being abused by scammers.…

Also: Polish Prime Minister Says Previous Administration Deployed Pegasus SpywareThis week, the Zeus leader pleaded guilty, Prudential detected hackers, U.S. telecoms have to report breaches, Microsoft patched zero-days, researchers said Chinese threat intel is faulty, ransomware hit Romanian healthcare entities, Juniper was breached and Poland allegedly previously used Pegasus.

GoldPickaxe Malware Can Record User’s Face - Use Video to Commit Deepfake ScamsA Chinese-speaking cybercrime group with the codename GoldFactory has built a new Android and iOS banking Trojan, GoldPickaxe, that can harvest and steal personal details, including biometric face profiles, that attackers use to create AI-driven deepfakes to fool bank defenses, researchers warn.

Both iOS and Android Variants Can Record Face Videos, Used to Create AI DeepfakesA Chinese-speaking cybercrime group codenamed GoldFactory has built a new Android and iOS banking Trojan, GoldPickaxe, that can to harvest and steal personal details, including biometric face profiles, which attackers use to create AI-driven deepfakes to fool bank defenses, researchers warn.

Meanwhile, CISA joins the call to patch CVE-2023-4966 immediately amid reports of mass-exploit activity; at least 5,000 orgs remain exposed.

CitrixBleed patch has been available for around a month China's largest bank, ICBC, was hit by ransomware that resulted in disruption of financial services (FS) systems on Thursday Beijing time, according to a notice on its website.…

The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is restoring systems and services following a ransomware attack that disrupted the U.S. Treasury market, causing equities clearing issues. [...]

The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is restoring systems and services following a ransomware attack that disrupted the U.S. Treasury market, causing equities clearing issues. [...]

An unidentified threat actor compromised an application used by multiple entities in Pakistan to deliver ShadowPad, a successor to the PlugX backdoor that's commonly associated with Chinese hacking crews

Singapore's central bank has a gloomy vision of the future According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), trade barriers between US and China have resulted in geoeconomic fragmentation and will likely result in slower global growth and higher inflation.…

An Android banking trojan designed to steal credentials and SMS messages has been observed sneaking past Google Play Store protections to target users of more than 400 banking and financial apps from Russia, China, and the U.S