Deep Dive – APT Sand Eagle

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Advanced Persistent Threat Sand Eagle

‘Sand Eagle’ made headlines 📰 for its ability to infiltrate some of the most secure devices on the market—iPhones 📱 used by high-profile Russian officials.

Dive Deep into the sophisticated APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) known as ‘Sand Eagle’, a cyber espionage operation linked to U.S. intelligence agencies. What are the limitations of current security measures and the challenges in detecting and preventing such advanced threats?

Host Lieuwe Jan Koning with special guest Martijn Peijer and ON2IT’s Rob Maas, explore how this APT utilized multiple zero-day exploits to infiltrate iPhones, compromising secure devices used by Russian officials.

What can we learn from this attack?

Uncover the methodology employed by Sand Eagle, including the exploitation of legacy systems, advanced programming techniques, and the stealthy delivery of spyware.

 

Infographic

For a complete overview of APT Sand Eagle and other attacks featured in the Evolution of Cyberwarfare Threat Talks; download the infographic.

Your cybersecurity experts

Lieuwe Jan Koning

Co-Founder and CTO ON2IT Group

Rob Maas - Field CTO, ON2IT

Rob Maas

Field CTO ON2IT

Martijn Peijer

Martijn Peijer

Cybersecurity Expert, Dutch Tax Office

Episode details

We talk you through the four-stage attack that leveraged multiple zero-day exploits. From exploiting legacy system vulnerabilities to the use of advanced return-oriented programming, our experts break down how this threat operated undetected and the immense resources likely involved in its development.

What challenges do modern cybersecurity measures face in detecting and preventing such threats? Why are proactive defense strategies so important? What are the limitations of current security tools and what do future developments offer?

  • Deep Dive into Zero-Day Exploits: Learn how Sand Eagle attackers chained together four zero-day vulnerabilities to gain unprecedented access to iPhone systems, a feat that required a significant investment of resources and insider knowledge.
  • Exploration of Attack Techniques: Understand the specific programming techniques used to bypass existing security measures, including the manipulation of legacy fonts, page protection layers, and memory mapping to achieve their objectives.
  • Proactive Security Measures: steps to enhance device security, as enabling iPhone lockdown mode, which can mitigate similar advanced threats.

Our experts also discuss the limitations of current security tools and what future developments might offer.

 

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