FBI Malware Warning Hints At Sony Pictures Attack

The FBI has issued a warning about dangerous malware, and Reuters has acquired a five-page confidential document on it the agency sent to unspecified companies in the U.S. today. That document reportedly contains some information about the malware, and reports that it has been used in a "destructive cyberattack" in the US. The agency did not specify which company has fallen victim (nor if there is more than one), but it is believed to be related to the recent massive attack against Sony Pictures.Reuters reports the FBI document details some technical details about the malware, including that it "overrides all data" on the master boot record and hard drive of infected computers. Because of this, companies afflicted face extreme difficulty in recovering data, something the report says may be impossible "using standard forensic methods".

It is believed the attack detailed describes the recent breach that has affected Sony Pictures. Reuters says two cybersecurity experts reviewed the FBI document, and one said, "It looks exactly like information from the Sony attack." Though the FBI confirmed to Reuters that it did issue the warning, it declined to comment on whether Sony was affected by this malware.

The FBI report specifies the attackers as 'unknown', though it says the hackers used some software that had been compiled in Korean. This fuels speculation that North Korea is behind the attack as retaliation over the movie The Interview, which features Seth Rogen and James Franco in a plot to take down the nation's leader.

SOURCE: Reuters