Someone hacked into Asus computer systems and slipped backdoor malware into one of the agency’s laptop updates. As a result, the backdoor could allow hackers to freely get the right of entry to your laptop whenever and without your knowledge. You don’t have to be a computer safety specialist to recognize its significance. You need to know about the so-called “Shadow Hammer” assault and how to test if your device has been affected.
Asus and the Shadow Hammer Malware Attack
On the upside, your PC probably does not have that chance. Shadow Hammer simplest impacts Asus laptops, and there are no longer many. Researchers at Kaspersky Lab expected that around half of the 1,000,000 laptops acquired the contaminated update as an orchestrated assault going for walks from “June 2018 to November 2018 undetected until now,” in line with Miriam Cihodariu of Heimdal Security. With the news of the virus being announced on March 20, Asus and Kaspersky had already begun operating on methods to deal with it because Kaspersky alerted Asus to its lifestyles on January 31, 2019.
Kaspersky analyzed over two hundred samples of the inflamed replacement to determine the virus’s nature and who it could affect. The hackers hard-coded a list of 600 MAC addresses. Every tool that can connect to a network through cable or Wi-Fi has a Media Access Control (MAC) to cope with it, and they’re all specific. Having tough-coded a small list of MAC addresses indicates that the assault had predefined goals.
Check if Your System is Affected
So, as far as leaving your PC open to these hackers, it’s not likely that you’re part of the unfortunate six hundred. If you’re nonetheless worried, you may download ASUS’ Shadow Hammer diagnostic device and test your own PC. If you need a second opinion, download Kaspersky’s Shadow Hammer detection tool. Both types of equipment will examine your PC’s MAC addresses against the list of 600 MACs extracted by Kaspersky.
Asus has already restored the vicinity inside the state-of-the-art version of its Live Update software program (ver. 3.6.Eight). If you’ve got an Asus computer that obtained a terrible replacement, you’ve probably already acquired Asus’ repair. But if you’re not positive, you can download the safe version of Live Update from Asus. This version will close the backdoor — if you even have it.
Be aware that this changed into a concerted assault that infiltrated the fifth-biggest computer maker globally, and they controlled to contaminate a reputable update. A corporation of this size and nature needs to have protection on par with the finest countries globally. This is an early warning sign of the level of assaults that independent and state-sponsored hackers can make.
