APT20, a Chinese government-linked hacking group, has bypassed key fob-enabled 2FA in recent attacks on government orgs and managed service providers (Catalin Cimpanu/ZDNet Report)
2FA security measures protect against hackers, but sophisticated cyber attackers can bypass them. Last week, two of China’s main government agencies were targeted in separate hacks. Both attacks relied on stolen credentials—in one case, the attackers used a stolen 2FA token to access an official email account, and in the second case, they tried to reset a 2FA token on a connected VPN. This highlights the importance of ensuring that you have a strong, robust 2FA setup in place to protect your organization.
What is APT20, a Chinese government-linked hacking group?
APT20, a Chinese government-linked hacking group, has bypassed key fob-enabled 2FA in recent attacks on government orgs and managed service providers. APT20 is one of China’s most active hacking groups. They’ve been linked to various attacks, from industrial espionage to intellectual property theft to economic espionage. The group is known for its sophisticated command and control capabilities and is credited with the theft of more than 1 billion user credentials. APT20’s main objective was not cyber warfare but espionage—the theft of proprietary intellectual property and trade secrets. The group was focused on “economic gain” and “information dominance,” according to the researchers. But the hack also allowed the group to test out new capabilities, like its ability to create fake websites that mimic real ones, including ones belonging to governments.
How APT20 has bypassed key fob-enabled 2FA in recent attacks on government orgs?
The APT20 group is a People’s Liberation Army unit and is China’s largest and most advanced cyber attack unit. The group is responsible for cyber attacks, including phishing, malicious software, and other targeted attacks aimed at espionage and information gathering. APT20, a Chinese government-linked hacking group, has bypassed key fob-enabled 2FA in recent attacks on government orgs and managed service providers, It is estimated that APT20 is one of the world’s top 10 most active cyberespionage groups.
How APT20, a Chinese government-linked hacking group, has managed service providers?
APT20 is a Chinese hacking group that has targeted organizations worldwide, including the White House, U.S. defense contractors, banks, and more. They have recently been accused of stealing the passwords of individuals from organizations that use Google’s 2-factor authentication (2FA) to protect their accounts. Hackers gained access to passwords through social engineering attacks. The victims used the TOTP (time-based Time Password) protocol. This protocol is considered less secure than 2FA.
 How APT20 uses several techniques to steal information?
APT20 is a nation-state-sponsored hacking group responsible for multiple cyber attacks, including those targeting U.S. government agencies and defense contractors. The group’s operations range from spear-phishing campaigns to infiltrating high-profile networks, such as those used by the White House, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the State Department, and NATO. APT20 employs several techniques to steal information, including social engineering, credential theft, and malware.
Conclusion
In conclusion, APT20, a Chinese government-linked hacking group, has bypassed key fob-enabled 2FA in recent attacks on government orgs and managed service providers. The attacks targeted organizations running Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, Google Apps, and Citrix environments. The hackers used various methods to gain access, including phishing emails, SQL injection, and man-in-the-middle attacks. Once inside, they installed various tools to compromise accounts and steal credentials. Finally, they deleted emails and files, changed passwords, and created new user accounts. The attackers tried to conceal their identity by using the. onion TLD and other techniques to mask their location. APT20 has been linked to previous attacks against U.S. defense contractors and financial institutions, so there’s a possibility that this group is responsible for other high-profile incidents, too.
FAQs
1. What’s the significance of this attack?
This attack is significant because it shows the capabilities of APT20, a Chinese government-linked hacking group. It also shows the vulnerability of 2FA, a common authentication method used in online accounts.
2. What are the possible consequences?
The possible consequences include the theft of sensitive data, the compromise of security systems, the theft of credentials, and the compromise of sensitive information.
3. How can we protect ourselves?
Users should avoid using 2FA when it is not needed. They should also be careful about where they use their 2FA codes and should change them frequently.
4. What should we do?
Users should make sure that they have strong passwords and change them often. They should also keep an eye out for suspicious activity on their accounts.
