Source: securityboulevard.com – Author: Richi Jennings
Dozor-Teleport hack, vandalism and data breach. But is it a Ukrainian false flag op?
Russian satellite communications provider Dozor-Teleport has been hacked, knocking it off the internet. Was it Prigozhin’s PMC Wagner that did the deed, or could it have been Ukraine? The SatCom service is known to be used by the Russian military, so either theory checks out.
The fog of war is thick. In today’s SB Blogwatch, we sound the horn.
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention: Eclectic Methodism.
Слава Україні — Героям слава!
What’s the craic? Daryna Antoniuk reports—“Hackers claim to take down Russian satellite communications”:
“Restoration may take several months”
A group of previously unknown hackers has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on the Russian satellite communications provider Dozor-Teleport. … Dozor’s parent company, Amtel Svyaz, also suffered a significant outage.
…
The group behind the hack claims to be affiliated with the notorious Wagner Group, the Russian private mercenary army that made global headlines last week when it marched toward Moscow to rebel against the Russian government. … Its commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, fled to Belarus. [But some] experts expressed skepticism that the group was involved.
…
The hackers claim that they damaged some of the satellite terminals and leaked and destroyed confidential information stored on the company’s servers. … Restoring the core network could [take] a few days [or] weeks, while reprogramming user equipment and achieving full restoration may take several months.
False flag? Joseph Menn pens, “Was it pro-Ukrainian hackers or Wagner rebels?”:
“It serves the Russian military”
Two groups claimed responsibility for the attack, one describing itself as a hacktivist organization and the other as part of the Wagner Group. … Multiple self-proclaimed hacktivists have attacked websites and critical infrastructure in Russia and Ukraine since the war began, but many of them coordinate with or are cover for military forces.
…
A connection to Wagner could be faked to promote more division in Russia. A real one would be more interesting.
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Dozor’s … customers include Russian soldiers in Ukraine. … It serves the Russian military and other federal services. … Military units on the move could find it … vital.
Who can tell us more? Michael Kan can—“‘Wagner’ Hackers”:
“Remains unclear”
In a Telegram message, the hacking group claims [it] defaced four Russian websites with a message titled: Who are the Wagners?
…
“On June 24th, the whole world watched our actions, listening to our every word. We showed how easily we can reach Moscow in a day without meeting any resistance. … We have shown that we must be reckoned with and that our strength cannot be curbed. … This is just the beginning—more to come.”
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But it remains unclear if [it’s] connected to the real Wagner group. So far, the official Telegram channel for the Russian military organization has yet to comment. … It’s possible that disgruntled segments of Wagner continue to revolt against Russian leadership. But some researchers suspect the hacks come from other parties looking to sow chaos in Russia.
It must be causing comms problems among the Russian military. u/BeachesBeTripin be looking back to WWII:
How many months until they’re using those old vacuum-tube box radios that they strap on someone’s back?
Does “The Orchestra” have the skills? Krokodil Addict—@nordicalien777—quips:
Wagner has a lot of experience with cyber crimes. I’m glad they’re using their skills on a deserving target for once.
Was it “The Mercenary Musicians,” though? Or a false flag? u/isleepinahammock thinks the latter:
I take this as a sign that the major core thrust of the spring campaign has now begun. … Nearly every exploit you find is single-use only. If you do something as dramatic as knocking out a satellite network, huge resources will be devoted to figuring how exactly how you did it, and how to keep you from doing it again.
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Because of this, you don’t just deploy these on mass scale on a whim. [You] hoard them and deploy them at critical times. What better time to destroy Russian military communications than right when you start your main offensive thrust?
Whoever it was, @reversemode pleads, “Not guilty”:
So far it’s difficult to trust any information about this incident. [But] Dozor uses common iDirect equipment, not a custom modem. [So,] if terminals have been actually wiped, the same approach would work for many other SATCOM providers.
Meanwhile, u/deejeycris is glad because he’s finally returning back home:
And Finally:
NSFW: A few swears
You have been reading SB Blogwatch by Richi Jennings. Richi curates the best bloggy bits, finest forums, and weirdest websites … so you don’t have to. Hate mail may be directed to @RiCHi or [email protected]. Ask your doctor before reading. Your mileage may vary. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Do not stare into laser with remaining eye. E&OE. 30.
Image sauce: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (public domain)
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Original Post URL: https://securityboulevard.com/2023/06/wagner-dozor-teleport-richixbw/
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