11.6.17 Dark Web and Cybercrime Roundup

CIA Worked With Private Corporation to Hack Windows Users

Following the FBI legal battle with Apple, the Israeli cybersecurity firm known as Cellebrite took the spotlight as law enforcement’s cellphone hacking go-to. Over time, information from Cellebrite and similar firms circulated and the public received a glance at that companies that create law enforcement’s hacking tools. Now, as a result of one of Wikileaks Vault 7 leaks, we know one of the cybersecurity firms used by the CIA—Siege Technologies from New Hampshire. It should, in reality, be of little surprise that the CIA needed help developing Athena and Hera, two tools exposed in the recent Vault 7 leaks. DeepDotWeb

Follow up: 76 Popular Apps Confirmed Vulnerable to Silent Interception of TLS-Protected Data

An infosec specialist known for finding vulnerabilities in iOS applications released the names of several apps that he found vulnerable in February. Will Strafach, the party responsible for the disclosures, contacted (or attempted to do so) the security contact for every company with a vulnerable application. He revealed the application name and vulnerability of numerous apps. Several popular applications leaked usernames and passwords. Banking apps included. Of those listed, some of the more frequently used were: HipChat, Panda Mobile Security, FOREXTrader for iPhone, and even Dolphin Web Browser. @chronic

UK Conservatives Pledge to Control Internet with New Regulations

Theresa May, Prime Minister of the UK and Leader of the Conservative Party, unveiled the party’s election manifesto and raised concerns in the process. Buried at the end of the manifesto is a line that points towards the party’s plans for the future of internet regulation and censorship: “Some people say that it is not for government to regulate when it comes to technology and the internet. We disagree.” This step is the unsurprising successor to many recent decisions from the UK government—and “logical” movement in alignment with the Prime Minister’s opinions regarding encryption and privacy. DeepDotWeb

Once Again, Judge Rules Against FBI in Porno Case

The FBI, faced legal backlash following the operation pacifier investigation. Despite being “the Bureau’s most successful effort to date against users of Tor’s hidden service sites,” the information obtained via the illegal NIT fails as evidence. And, according to numerous judges who oversaw the case, the information could not legally be considered evidence. And ultimately, without evidence, defendants managed to avoid major convictions and lengthy prison sentences—or any convictions in general. U.S. Magistrate Judge Franklin Noel recently suppressed the FBI’s evidence and called out the Bureau’s “misconduct.” DeepDotWeb

BKA Seized German Forum “Deutschland Informations Kontrolle”

The Germany’s Federal Police seized one of the few remaining darknet institutions that encouraged political conversation alongside several types of marketplaces. One of the more recent items on the marketplace was a database dump that consisted of the “the first and last name, mobile number,official telephone number, and e-mail address” of more than 100 Austrian police officers. Although the seizure and listing could be completely unrelated; no statement has been made by the police. Interestingly, the BKA once purchased an entire forum in a separate investigation. There is currently no mention of the seizure in the news.