Qakbot: How the FBI, NCA and other European officials broke notorious cybercrime hacking network
The FBI, NCA and other European crime officials have removed a network of malicious software from thousands of infected computers, US officials have said.
The Qakbot software – a piece of code that lurked unseen in the majority of the computers it had secretly installed itself on – was used as part of online crimes, including ransomware attacks, for more than 15 years.
The criminal network behind it made around $58m (£45.8m) from victims, between October 2021 and April 2023, officials said.
Victims included an Illinois-based engineering firm, financial services organisations in Alabama and Kansas, a Maryland defence manufacturer and a southern California food distribution company, Los Angeles US attorney Martin Estrada said.
“Nearly every sector of the economy has been victimised by Qakbot,” Mr Estrada said.
US Attorney Martin Estrada said Qakbot malware had infected more than 700,000 victim computers. Pic: AP
In an operation dubbed “Duck Hunt”, the FBI along with Europol and crime and justice officials in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Latvia, seized more than 50 Qakbot servers and identified more than 700,000 infected computers worldwide.
By doing this, criminals were effectively cut off from their source.
The FBI then used the seized Qakbot infrastructure to remotely dispatch updates that deleted the malware from thousands of infected computers.
In the UK, the National Crime Agency ensured the criminal network’s UK servers were taken offline on Saturday, at the same time as Qakbot’s other infrastructure elsewhere.
Will Lyne, Head of Cyber Intelligence at the NCA, said: “This investigation has taken out a prolific malware that caused significant damage to victims in the UK and around the world.
“Qakbot was a key enabler within the cyber crime ecosystem, facilitating ransomware attacks and other serious threats.”
Read more:
Electoral Commission targeted by cyber attack
University of Manchester says its data ‘likely copied’
Growth of ‘hackers for hire’
Researchers said they believed the cybercriminals were in Russia or other former Soviet states, but Mr Estrada did not say exactly where.
What is Qakbot?
First appearing in 2008, Qakbot gives criminal hackers initial access to violated computers.
Usually delivered via phishing email infections, criminals could then install additional ransomware, steal sensitive information or gather intelligence on victims to enable financial fraud and crimes such as tech support and romance scams.
FBI assistant director in charge, Don Alway. Pic: AP
Once infected, the computers became part of a botnet – a network of computers infected by malware and under the control of a single attacking party.
Qakbot affected one in 10 corporate networks and accounted for about 30% of global attacks, a pair of cybersecurity firms found.
The operation has been the biggest success for the FBI against cybercriminals, but experts warned that any setback to cybercrime would likely be temporary.
Chester Wisniewski, a cybersecurity expert at Sophos – a UK-based security software and hardware company – said that while there could be a temporary drop in ransomware attacks, the criminals are expected to either revive infrastructure elsewhere or move to other botnets.
“This will cause a lot of disruption to some gangs in the short term, but it will do nothing [to stop it] from being rebooted,” he said.
“Albeit it takes a long time to recruit 700,000 PCs.”
UK
MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace steps down as Kirsty Wark among 13 who claim he made inappropriate sexual jokes
MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has stepped down over allegations he made a series of inappropriate sexual comments on a range of programmes over 17 years.
Broadcaster Kirsty Wark is among 13 people who have made claims, with Wallace being investigated by MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK.
In an interview with the BBC, the Newsnight presenter, who was a celebrity contestant on MasterChef in 2011, claimed Wallace used “sexualised language”.
“There were two occasions in particular where he used sexualised language in front of a number of people and it wasn’t as if it was anyone engaged with this,” Wark said.
“It was completely one-way traffic. I think people were uncomfortable and something that I really didn’t expect to happen.”
Sky News has contacted Wallace’s representative for comment.
Kirsty Wark. File pic: PA
‘Fully cooperating’
Banijay UK said the complaints were made to the BBC this week by “individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with Gregg Wallace on one of our shows”.
The company said the 60-year-old, who has been a co-presenter and judge of the popular cooking show since 2005, was “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”.
“Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate,” the company said.
“While this review is under way, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully co-operating throughout the process.
“Banijay UK’s duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations regarding behaviour are made clear to both cast and crew on all productions, with multiple ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, clearly promoted on set.
“Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.”
A BBC spokesman said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.
“We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.
“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.”
Previous investigation
Last month, Wallace responded to reports that a previous BBC review had found he could continue working at the corporation following reports of an alleged incident in 2018 when he appeared on Impossible Celebrities.
Wallace said those claims had been investigated “promptly” at the time and said he had not said “anything sexual” while appearing on the game show more than half a decade ago.
In an Instagram post following an article in The Sun newspaper, he wrote: “The story that’s hitting the newspapers was investigated promptly when it happened six years ago by the BBC.
“And the outcome of that was that I hadn’t said anything sexual. I’ll need to repeat this again. I didn’t say anything sexual.”
Read more from Sky News:
Davina McCall feeling ‘stronger’ after brain tumour surgery
Robbie Williams says people from the 90s shouldn’t be shamed
Alongside MasterChef, Wallace presented Inside The Factory for BBC Two from 2015.
Wallace and Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2014. Pic: PA
Wallace has featured on various BBC shows over the years, including Saturday Kitchen, Eat Well For Less, Supermarket Secrets, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals, as well as being a Strictly Come Dancing contestant in 2014.
He was made an MBE for services to food and charity last year.
Recorded episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals featuring Wallace will be transmitted as planned, the PA news agency understands.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports8 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway