The Leakers$ hacking group has compromised digital LED billboards in Egypt, Malaysia, Brazil, and, according to unconfirmed reports, Iraq and China. The screens along busy highways and in public places were broadcasting adult videos.
The Leakers$ hacking group has compromised digital LED billboards in Egypt, Malaysia, Brazil, and, according to unconfirmed reports, Iraq and China. The screens along busy highways and in public places were broadcasting adult videos.
This is reported by Gizmodo.
The most high-profile incident occurred in Egypt on July 26 Avenue in Giza. Eyewitnesses stopped cars to film a pornographic video with superimposed text and a link to the attackers' Telegram channel. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, the screen belonged to a local company, Al Arabia United, which used software from an international contractor. After the cyberattack, the broadcasts were stopped and the screens were turned off.
Similar incidents were reported in the Malaysian city of Kluang and the Brazilian city of Campo Mayor. In both countries, billboard operators were forced to completely shut down their equipment and contact law enforcement.
The hacking group said the operation was extremely simple and did not require significant resources. According to them, the hackers, who went by the aliases Never, 19ylegal, CH, and Nivex, found thousands of vulnerable systems using a simple random network scan that lasted about two hours.
“This was a real vulnerability in the software responsible for transmitting content to LED screens. Using it, we gained access to display systems in several countries. Companies charge millions for developing infrastructure, but at the same time leave the screens connected to the Internet without even basic protection,” said a representative of Leakers$.
The group members claim that they are not extortionists, did not demand ransom or donations, but aimed to demonstrate the critical level of negligence of companies in the field of cybersecurity.
