ZeroFox Weekly Intelligence Brief

ZeroFox Weekly Intelligence Brief – September 30, 2024

TLP:GREEN

ZeroFox’s Weekly Intelligence Briefing highlights the major developments and trends across the cyber threat landscape. ZeroFox Intelligence is derived from a variety of sources, including—but not limited to—curated open-source accesses, vetted social media, proprietary data sources, and direct access to threat actors and groups through covert communication channels. Information relied upon to complete any report cannot always be independently verified. As such, ZeroFox applies rigorous analytic standards and tradecraft in accordance with best practices and includes caveat language and source citations to clearly identify the veracity of our Intelligence reporting and substantiate our assessments and recommendations. All sources used in this particular Intelligence product were identified prior to 12:00 PM (EDT) on September 27; per cyber hygiene best practices, caution is advised when clicking on any third-party links.

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Ukrainian Government Restricts Telegram Use amid Russian Spy Fears

What happened: Ukraine has implemented a ban on the use of the Telegram messaging app on official devices for government officials, military personnel, and critical workers. This decision stems from concerns raised by the head of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency, who presented evidence suggesting that Russian special services have the capability to spy on Telegram users and their communications. The restrictions are aimed at safeguarding sensitive information from potential interception by Russian operatives.

Biden Administration Proposes to Ban Russia and China-Made Vehicle Technology

What happened: The Biden-Harris administration proposed new rules to mitigate national security threats from connected vehicle technologies associated with China and Russia. The Department of Commerce has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to ban the import or sale of connected vehicles and related components, such as vehicle connectivity systems (VCS) and automated driving systems (ADS), designed or developed by entities linked to these countries. The proposal is the next step in investigating Chinese smart cars, which began in February. It follows concerns over misusing smart technologies for espionage, sabotage, or disrupting critical infrastructure. The rule would prohibit the import of VCS and ADS software by 2027 and hardware by 2030, with some exemptions for small producers.

Critical Infrastructure: A Lucrative Target

What happened: Several vulnerabilities have been identified in automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems that threaten critical infrastructure. Some of these are critical-severity bugs, and some are even unpatched. The 11 bugs observed can allow threat actors to have full control of an ATG system as an administrator, posing serious environmental risks. Recently, a water treatment facility at Arkansas City in Kansas was also the target of a cyberattack, forcing the facility to switch to a manual process to contain the cyberattack.