At the Black Hat Security Technology Conference recently held in Las Vegas, Lennert Wouters, a cybersecurity specialist from KU Leuven (Belgium), shared his experience of successfully hacking Starlink user equipment. True, this was not a classic software hack, since the researcher had to make a so-called “modchip”.

The cost of manufacturing a chip connected to a Starlink subscriber terminal was $25. The chip caused a short-term short circuit, which disabled the built-in protection systems, after which the specialist gained access to the terminal. And already from it you can run any commands.

“Our attack could render Starlink user terminals unusable and allow us to execute arbitrary code.”Wouters said.

According to the researcher, the only reliable way to avoid such an attack is to create a new version of the main “dish” chip. Other ways to fix the problem. However, this hacking option provides direct access to subscriber equipment, and this is not the easiest option, but the Starlink system, apparently, is well protected from remote hacking. So its users hardly need to worry.

Unknown hackers, acting under the nickname Adrastea, hacked into the database of the largest European missile manufacturer – MBDA, formed as a result of the merger of the French Aérospatiale-Matra Missiles, the British Matra BAe Dynamics and the Italian Finmeccanica-Leonardo. This was reported by Security Affairs.

The attackers’ message about gaining access to the company’s network appeared on one of the forums. As evidence, a link to an archive with demo files was attached.

The total amount of stolen data was estimated by hackers at 60 GB. “The uploaded data contains confidential and confidential information about your company’s employees who took part in the development of closed military projects MBDA (PLANCTON, CRONOS, CA SIRIUS, EMADS, MCDS, B1NT, etc..) and about your company’s commercial activities in the interests of the EU Ministry of Defense (design documentation for air defense systems, missile systems and coastal defense systems, drawings, presentations, video and photo (3D) materials, contract agreements and correspondence with other companies Rampini Carlo, Netcomgroup, Rafael, Thales, ST Electronics, etc.”, the hackers wrote.

Adrastea is ready to discuss the cost of the stolen data array. MBDA has not yet commented on the incident.

MBDA manufactures a wide variety of missiles and related installations. For example, the company produces air-to-air missiles AIM-132 ASRAAM (short range, with IR guidance), MBDA Meteor (long range), MICA (medium range, with IR and radar guidance). The company’s product range also includes surface-to-air missiles – Mistral (MANPADS), MBDA Aster (medium and long range), Aspide Mk.1 (medium range), Sea Wolf (SAM), anti-ship (Exocet, Otomat, Marte, Sea Skua) and anti-tank (ERYX, Brimstone, HOT) missiles.

Samsung was the first company in the market to release the August security patch for its smartphones. Moreover, for three flagship lines at once: Galaxy S20, S21 and S22.

Today, owners of these smartphones in Germany began to receive updates, including a security patch. Usually, users from other countries do not have to wait long. The August security patch fixes dozens of vulnerabilities, so it’s quite important.

Samsung has sometimes been ahead of even Google in recent years, releasing security patches earlier and offering longer support for its flagships, although just three or four years ago, Samsung was almost the worst in this matter.