Hackers have used the Trident vulnerabilities in the Apple iOS mobile operating system and have used them to gain access to some of the social media accounts used by the Ukraine Government.
Criminal users use the Trident bugs to their advantage
Hackers have exploited the Trident vulnerabilities against a variety of targets, but the most recent attack was carried out against the Government of Ukraine. A hacker group known as SPRUT has claimed responsibility for the attack against the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Their Twitter and Instagram accounts were compromised. The National Guard’s Twitter profile is affected as well.
Security experts speculate that hackers used the Trident bugs to gain access to these targets. The criminals have posted messages such as “Country not found” and “Ukraine no more” in Russian as the country celebrated it’s independence from the Soviet Union. These hacktivist messages indicate that the group may be operating from the Russian Federation.
The Ukraine National Guard has released a public statement which states that the agency has regained access to their profile and attributes the criminal attack as perpetrated by “unknown people.”
Apple patched the Trident exploits last week however it seems that not everybody has secured their devices. Security experts warn that more attacks are likely to occur in the coming weeks as the hackers utilize various forms of bugs, Trojans and other ransomware against high-profile targets.
