Avast Blog_Security News: Toyota puts car-hacking tech on the market

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Plus, Trump softens his stance on Huawei, Scary Granny creates real horror, and U.S. cities continue to grapple with ransomware

Hack your car with PASTA

For $28,300, consumers can now purchase PASTA (Portable Automotive Security Testbed). Created by Toyota, PASTA is an open-source testing platform that checks a car’s vulnerability to hacking. Dark Reading reported researchers can use the testbed to study how a car’s ECUs (engine control units) operate, as well as how elements of the vehicle communicate with each other. In addition to offering the sophisticated tool to consumers, Toyota believes there is an industry application to PASTA where other carmakers can use it in their own research and development. The tool is designed to simulate attacks and to test for other vulnerabilities and exploits, but not for hacking the vehicle while it is moving. PASTA is housed in a stainless steel briefcase, included in the price tag.

“Having tools that facilitate the work of security researchers to find vulnerabilities in car systems is more than welcome,” commented Avast Security Evangelist Luis Corrons. “The fact that PASTA is open-source and other car makers can adopt it is even better.”

This week’s fact

In 2017 alone, U.S. federal agencies reported 35,277 cyber incidents.

Trump’s comments on Huawei alarm security watchdogs

President Trump announced that U.S. companies can sell their equipment to Huawei if “there’s no great security problem with it,” reported Security Week. The president made the statement to reporters at the conclusion of the G20 Summit in Osaka, sparking concern among both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Trump had imposed tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports, and his proposed softer stance on Huawei worries lawmakers that he may be giving away the most powerful bargaining chip in the U.S.-China trade disputes.

The U.S. government currently has Huawei on an “entity list,” which bars it from receiving U.S.-made components without special permission from Washington. The company is the world’s second-largest supplier of smartphones, and cybersecurity experts suspect that the telecommunications giant might be exploited by Beijing for espionage and therefore a national security risk. Details of what the president’s comments mean for U.S. business relations with Huawei remain to be seen.

This week’s quote

“There’s something changing on the overall internet landscape: The majority of devices that are being connected to the internet are not computers and not mobile phones.” – New Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek in a Q&A

Scary Granny terrorizes Android users

The Google Play Store took down a horror game app that was found to infect the user’s device with malware, according to Bleeping Computer. Scary Granny ZOMBYE Mod: The Horror Game 2019, capitalizing on the success of legitimate horror game Granny, listed over 50,000 installs before security experts alerted Google to the game’s malicious behavior. The app reportedly functioned like a regular game, even earning many 4-star reviews.

The malware would lay dormant for its first 48 hours on the device, a tactic to avoid calling attention to itself. If the infected device was up to date, the malware would not impact it. But if it was an older Android, the malware launched phishing overlays that baited the user into entering Google log-in credentials. Along with burrowing into user accounts to siphon data, the malware also launched persistent malicious ads. The app cost users around $23 to download, but it has been unavailable since June 27.

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