China’s Coathanger Malware: Over 20,000 FortiGate Systems Hacked in Massive Cyber Attack
The Netherlands’ cybersecurity agency reveals the Chinese state-sponsored Coathanger malware attack on the Ministry of Defense was far more extensive than initially thought. Around 14,000 FortiGate systems were compromised in a “zero-day period,” highlighting the rising threat to edge devices.
Hot Take:
The Netherlands’ Ministry of Defense just got schooled in cybersecurity 101 – courtesy of a “Coathanger” from China. Next time, maybe invest in some better hangers?
Key Points:
- Attack by Chinese state-sponsored group targeted FortiGate devices.
- 20,000 FortiGate systems compromised, mostly during a “zero-day period.”
- Vulnerability: CVE-2022-42475, a critical buffer overflow bug in FortiOS SSL-VPN.
- Attackers used “Coathanger” malware to maintain persistent access.
- Many systems are still believed to be infected and controlled by attackers.
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