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Tesla Pwn2Own hacks and iOS push alerts abuse

Dan Virgillito
January 29, 2024 by
Dan Virgillito

Ethical hackers crack Tesla twice at Pwn2Own Automotive, popular iPhone apps found abusing iOS push notifications to steal data and the VexTrio TDS operation. Catch all this and more in this week’s edition of Cybersecurity Weekly.

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See Infosec IQ in action

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1. Hackers breach Tesla twice, earn $450,000 at Pwn2Own automotive

Hackers at Pwn2Own Automotive in Tokyo made headlines by hacking a Tesla car twice. This first edition of the event saw Team Synacktiv winning $450,000 for demonstrating serious security gaps. In total, the competitors unearthed 49 zero-day bugs in electric car systems, highlighting critical cybersecurity challenges in the automotive sector.

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2. Popular iPhone apps abuse iOS push notifications to spoof user data

Mobile researcher Mysk discovered many iOS apps, including TikTok and Facebook, use push notifications to secretly collect user data. This practice, which bypasses Apple's security, can create detailed user profiles. Apple plans to tighten API usage rules by Spring 2024 to stop this. Until then, users are advised to disable push notifications on their iPhone to safeguard their privacy.

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3. Security researchers VexTrio for running an illicit TDS operation

Infoblox reported that VexTrio, a group controlling over 70,000 domains, is significantly involved in cybercrime by operating a traffic distribution system. This system links compromised websites with hosts of malicious content. Described as a major threat, VexTrio is involved in scams, phishing, and malware distribution. Their sophisticated methods of filtering and redirecting internet traffic make them hard to detect and counter, posing a persistent challenge to cybersecurity.

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4. Threat actors attack WordPress database plugin with 1 million active users

Researchers have spotted thousands of attacks on a flaw in the Better Search Replace WordPress plugin. Identified as CVE-2023-6933, the flaw could let hackers execute code or steal data. The plugin's maker, WP Engine, has released a patch to fix this issue. It has also urged users to update their plugin immediately to protect against these security threats. Currently, Better Search Replace is active on 1 million WordPress sites.

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5. Exposed Trello API enables hackers to link private email addresses with accounts

Popular project management tool Trello recently experienced a data breach affecting over 15 million Trellow user profiles. A hacker named emo attempted to sell this data on a hacking forum. Although Trello stated the leak stemmed from public data scraping, security researchers found the leak involved exploiting an exposed API. Trello has since tightened API access, but concerns remain about potential phishing attacks using this data.

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See Infosec IQ in action

See Infosec IQ in action

From gamified security awareness to award-winning training, phishing simulations, culture assessments and more, we want to show you what makes Infosec IQ an industry leader.

Dan Virgillito
Dan Virgillito

Dan Virgillito is a blogger and content strategist with experience in cyber security, social media and tech news.