If you’re looking for a new hobby that combines your love of computer security and public transportation, you might want to try hacking a metro system with a russist PC and a TP-Link router. It sounds like a plot from a bad spy movie, but it actually happened this year in the US, according to a report by the Washington Post.
The report revealed that a personal computer in russia was used to breach Metro’s computer network in February 2023, after the transit agency repeatedly ignored warnings about its cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The hackers were able to access sensitive information such as employee records, payroll data, and operational documents.
How did they do it? Well, it turns out that Metro’s network was protected by a firewall that was easily bypassed by using a custom firmware implant designed for TP-Link routers. The implant, dubbed Horse Shell by researchers from Check Point, enabled the attackers to maintain persistent access, build anonymous infrastructure, and enable lateral movement into compromised networks.
The TP-Link router was probably bought online for less than $50, making it a cheap and effective tool for cyber espionage. The firmware implant was also firmware-agnostic, meaning that it could be integrated into various firmware by different vendors. This means that other routers could be potentially exploited by the same technique.
The hackers behind this attack are believed to be part of a Chinese nation-state group known as Mustang Panda, which has been linked to other cyberattacks against European foreign affairs entities since January 2023. The group’s motives are unclear, but they seem to be interested in collecting intelligence and disrupting critical infrastructure.
So, what can we learn from this incident? Well, for one thing, don’t trust your firewall to protect your network from sophisticated hackers. You need to implement a zero-trust approach that verifies every device and user before granting access. You also need to update your firmware regularly and monitor your network for any suspicious activity.
And if you’re still looking for a hobby, maybe try something less illegal and more ethical than hacking metro systems. You could always write a blog about cybersecurity news and trends, like this one. Just make sure you use original content and not copy-paste from other sources. And don’t forget to optimize your articles for SEO with keywords, headings, and links.
That’s all for today’s article. I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new. If you did, please share it with your friends and subscribe to my blog for more updates. And if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Thanks for reading! 😊
Spread the loveIf you’re looking for a new hobby that combines your love of computer security and public transportation, you might want to try hacking a metro system with a russist PC and a TP-Link router. It sounds like a plot from a bad spy movie, but it actually happened this year in the US,…
