Hackers targeting ATMs are usually relatively subtle. Sometimes they install a “skimmer” that collects hundreds of customer PINs that can be used to drain accounts remotely, or fraudulent cards that bypass security measures and dispense hundreds of dollars, even when there’s no money in the account.
But what if you could make an ATM simply spew out all the cash it had in a matter of seconds?
These types of attacks are known as “jackpotting,” and government officials are quietly warning ATM manufacturers and financial institutions that jackpotting hackers have been spotted targeting cash machines here in the U.S.
According to a Secret Service memo obtained by Krebs on Security, the agency has received information that cybercriminals are planning to use “cash-out crews” to target ATMs manufactured by Diebold Nixdorf. It cites a series of thefts over the past ten days and warn of possible upcoming attacks across the country.
“The targeted stand-alone ATMs are routinely located in pharmacies, big box retailers, and drive-thru ATMs,” stated the alert. “During previous attacks, fraudsters dressed as ATM technicians and attached a laptop computer with a mirror image of the ATMs operating system along with a mobile device to the targeted ATM.”
The Secret Service alert says that criminals can use an endoscope — a device usually inserted into the human body during medical procedures — to look inside the ATM and find a place to connect their laptop to the internal mechanism.
Once connected, the criminals use a jackpotting malware program called Ploutus.D to remotely control the machine. “In previous Ploutus.D attacks, the ATM continuously dispensed at a rate of 40 bills every 23 seconds,” said the memo. The ATM is then emptied of cash in a matter of minutes.
The security firm FireEye first reported on Plotus attacks back in 2013 in Mexico, calling it a “technique that had never been seen before.”
If confirmed, these would be the first “jackpotting” attacks in the U.S. The Russian cyber firm Group IB previously reported similar attacks in Europe in 2016, as well as ATMs targeted in Thailand and Taiwan.
The ATM manufacturer confirmed to Reuters that it also issued a warning to banks and financial firms, but a Diebold Nixdorf spokesman declined to comment further or go into any detail about specific banks that had been targeted or how much cash had been lost.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.