DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside
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Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside
#2How? Looks like Darkside transferred the money to an exchange (Coinbase?), didn't hide it well enough, and the FBI just grabbed it?
Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside
#3where's that sweet sweet transaction graph?
Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside
#4There are more technical details in the linked affidavit (page 6 and 7): https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1402056/downl...
They kept following transactions on the blockchain, but it's not clear how the private key became in the posession of the FBI.
Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside
#5There are more technical details in the linked affidavit (page 6 and 7): https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1402056/downl... They kept following transactions on the blockchain, but it's not clear how the private key became in the posession of the FBI.
The wetware is always the weakest link.
Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside
#6There are more technical details in the linked affidavit (page 6 and 7): https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1402056/downl... They kept following transactions on the blockchain, but it's not clear how the private key became in the posession of the FBI.
Netsec Twitter's theory is that the attacker(s) had a VPS operating in the US that the FBI was able to access and which contained the key to the wallet where the final payment ended up.
Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside
#7LOL... I simply don't believe any of these press releases. For all we know, the government negotiated a deal with the cyber-attackers to create this press release as a way to try to thwart future attacks. Seriously wouldn't put it past them one bit.
Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside
#8The most interesting and unknown question is how the DOJ/FBI came to be in possession of the private key.
Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside
#9There are more technical details in the linked affidavit (page 6 and 7): https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1402056/downl... They kept following transactions on the blockchain, but it's not clear how the private key became in the posession of the FBI.
Netsec Twitter's theory is that the attacker(s) had a VPS operating in the US that the FBI was able to access and which contained the key to the wallet where the final payment ended up.
Really? That seems like something fairly obvious to attempt to prevent from an attacker's viewpoint.
Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside
#10LOL... I simply don't believe any of these press releases. For all we know, the government negotiated a deal with the cyber-attackers to create this press release as a way to try to thwart future attacks. Seriously wouldn't put it past them one bit.
Well, evidence-less speculation is also useless, here's another one: maybe they have a quantum computer that spat out the private key?
Or they asked Google to hack the hackers' Android phones!