Do you want to shop online with Bitcoin but need guidance? Here’s a step-by-step guide for using Bitcoin for online purchases.
Determining whether Bitcoin’s value will rise or fall or whether it has a future can be challenging. This cryptocurrency faces many challenges, including uncertain regulation, high volatility, and scalability issues. However, one thing that is certain about Bitcoin is that you can purchase and use it online.
Platforms like BitQS enable individuals and enterprises to buy Bitcoin quickly with fiat money. Here, you sign up and load your crypto exchange account with the funds you want to spend on Bitcoin. After that, you can place a buy order and complete the transaction. Finally, transfer the digital coins to your crypto wallet and spend them on online purchases. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide for using Bitcoin for online purchases.
1. Set Up Your Digital Wallet
Satoshi Nakamoto wanted Bitcoin to be entirely anonymous. The intention was to have a peer-to-peer system that operates like cash but without a central controlling authority or intermediaries. Therefore, people should purchase and sell Bitcoin without providing financial or personal details. However, that’s not how Bitcoin wallets work. Most digital wallet providers require details like your name and email address. Also, they need users to link their crypto wallets to bank accounts. Nevertheless, you can shop with Bitcoin without providing personal or financial details.
2. Buy Bitcoins
Once you have a crypto wallet, you can purchase Bitcoin via a crypto exchange. The value of Bitcoin varies due to its volatility. However, Bitcoin’s value increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, hitting $68,000 per BTC. But you can purchase only a portion of this cryptocurrency and use it to shop, the same way you can spend a penny, dime, or nickel when using the U.S. dollar. Satoshi is the tiniest Bitcoin fraction you can buy and use to pay for online shopping.
Besides crypto exchanges, you can purchase Bitcoin locally. Several websites allow people that want to buy or sell Bitcoin to meet in public places. While this might sound strange, it’s similar to Craigslist transactions. Nevertheless, be cautious because criminals have scammed many people through this process.
3. Use Bitcoin to Shop Online
Once you’ve acquired Bitcoin, it’s time to spend it online. Several online retailers allow customers to pay with Bitcoin. Also, Shopify store owners take Bitcoin. Newegg and Overstock.com are also places where you can shop with Bitcoin. Once you’ve identified a vendor that takes Bitcoin payment, proceed to order your items or request the service you want.
On reaching the checkout point, get the retailer’s Bitcoin code and enter it in your wallet’s specific field. Indicate the number of Bitcoins to send and then confirm the transaction by entering the payment key. The vendor will receive your crypto payment almost immediately. Some vendors have QR codes that customers scan to complete the transaction. Using Bitcoin for online shopping is straightforward, provided you have digital coins in your crypto wallet.
Benefits of Shopping Online with Bitcoin
Many people shop online with Bitcoin for various reasons. The following are the primary advantages of shopping online with this cryptocurrency.
Control: No bank or government controls Bitcoin. Vendors won’t ask for your personal or financial information when you pay with Bitcoin. Thus, this cryptocurrency lets you control your funds and how you spend them.
Privacy: Bitcoin transactions are anonymous and private. Although somebody can trace your Bitcoin transaction, it will require time and effort. Thus, hackers can have difficulty accessing the user’s personal information since your real-world identity remains private.
Lower fees: Bitcoin transactions have lower charges than banks and other online payment methods. Therefore, you save money when you use Bitcoin for online shopping.
Parting Shot
Using Bitcoin for online shopping is pretty straightforward. Also, it has numerous benefits that compel many individuals to use it. Nevertheless, you must identify an online vendor or retailer that accepts Bitcoin since its acceptance is still low.
Just recently, Twitter lost its iconic blue bird and became X. It is still a bit confusing how to refer to the social media platform since both the name Twitter and the new X logo are all over the place, but for the purpose of this article, let’s stick with X/Twitter.
Changes are happening at a fast pace, and while some are here to stay, such as the name change and the rebranding, some are going back and forth. Elon Musk shared in a tweet that X/Twitter is going to have only dark mode. But then later, he said that light mode will also stay as an option since many people want it.
This platform will soon only have “dark mode”. It is better in every way.
So apparently, now X/Twitter will be in dark mode by default, but if you want to change it to light mode, you can still do that. However, according to Musk, the dim mode option is going away (at least for now). The dim mode is kind of a dark mode, but instead of the background being completely black, it is dark blue.
A lot of people have asked to keep light mode, so we will, but the default will be dark and dim will be deleted
Elon Musk frequently shares updates related to X/Twitter, often just mentioned in replies. So, if and when some will happen, we will see. But one thing is sure though, Musk wants to change the platform and turn it into a super app. The idea is for X not only to serve as a social media platform but to become a platform for communication and banking, or, in other words, a global marketplace.
The old days are gone, and it’s harder to get our hands on the old games that we played as kids. They live on in online services like Nintendo Switch Online. According to Engadget, Nintendo just released two classic Zelda titles to the Switch Online service.
The Nintendo Switch online service seems to be pretty popular. While not as robust as what you’d find with Playstation or Xbox, the subscription offers a wide selection of games from past consoles. Fans are able to relive titles from systems such as the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, and the SEGA Genesis.
If you’re interested in getting a plan, the standard plan costs $3.99/month ($19.99/year). However, the Online+ plan offers more features. The N64 and Genesis games are only available on this plan. It costs $49.99/year.
Two more classic Zelda titles just hit the Nintendo Online service
Imagine this: it’s 2001. You’re on a long road trip; “Who Let The Dogs Out” is blasting on the radio, and you’re tapping away on your Game Boy Color. If you were a Zelda fan, then you would have been playing these games on your hardware.
The first game on the list is The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. In this game, Link is on a journey to rescue the Oracle of Seasons from the clutches of General Onox.
The other game is called The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages. In this game, the evil sorceress Veran possesses the Oracle of Ages and uses her powers to go back in time and enact her evil plans.
These are great games to play, especially if you’re not familiar with the Zelda games for the portable consoles. Also, if you need a break from games centering around rescuing Princess Zelda. They’re available to play today, so you won’t have to wait. Just make sure your app is up to date and start playing.
UPDATE: Elon Musk has quickly changed his mind on this one, prompted by a ton of users in the comments. He said the following: “A lot of people have asked to keep light mode, so we will, but the default will be dark and dim will be deleted”. The original story is available below.
ORIGINAL STORY: Believe it or not, Twitter aka X will soon be available in dark mode only. This information comes straight from the company’s owner, Elon Musk. He said as much in his tweet, claiming that dark mode is “better in every way”.
Twitter will no longer be available in light mode, only dark mode will remain
At the moment, both light and dark modes are available on the platform. In fact, you can choose between two dark modes, a dim setting (dark gray), or lights out (pitch black, OLED).
That will no longer be the case, it seems. Elon Musk firmly believes the dark mode is the way to go, and while some would agree, that’s not the general consensus, of course. Many users still prefer light mode, and some prefer to have it in light mode during the day, and in dark mode during the night, which is understandable, and logical.
Many users are asking Musk to think again
Needless to say, this caused an uproar in the comments section. Many people asked Musk to retain light mode, while others questioned Musk’s logic here, claiming that the light mode is better in many ways.
We’re seeing many changes on Twitter these days, so quite frankly this is not all that surprising. Musk is no stranger to controversial decisions after all, so… there you go.
Twitter is in the middle of rebranding
In case you’re out of the loop, Twitter is in the middle of rebranding. It recently claimed the @x handle, and change its name and logo. Yes, the platform is now known as simply ‘X’, as that’s what Musk wanted.
We’ll see many more changes in the near future, however, as the remains of Twitter branding are still visible across the site. The platform is, however, for better or worse, now known as ‘X’. That will take some getting used to, that’s for sure, and many people will still refer to it as Twitter, at least for a period of time.
Meta is not happy about the exodus from Threads. Its Twitter-like (sorry, sorry – X-like) rival platform initially surged in popularity but struggled to maintain interest in the following weeks. More than half of the original users came, saw and… left. That’s why Zuckerberg’s Meta is now planning on developing retention ‘hooks’.A high-level Meta gathering brought together Zuckerberg and Meta executives. The audio from the meeting was heard by Reuters: “Obviously, if you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We’re not there yet”, Zuckerberg allegedly said at that forum.
As far as his own assessments on the Threads exodus, he considered the drop-off “normal”. He expected the drop-off rates to curb with the introduction of more features to the app, like a Threads desktop version and search functionality.
Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said Meta is looking at adding more “retention-driving hooks” to entice users to return to the app, like “making sure people who are on the Instagram app can see important Threads”.
Reels catch up with TikTok
Meanwhile, another Reuters report says that Reels videos are performing more than well, closing in on the ByteDance rival TikTok. Reels, available on both Facebook and Instagram, gather respectable numbers in terms of views – 200 billion per day, up from 140 billion last year.
“We can show Reels that we think you’re interested in based on our discovery engines”, Justin Osofsky, Meta’s head of online sales, operations and partnerships, said in an interview on Thursday and adds that the Reels’ boosted performance “creates a base that you have the opportunity to further monetize”.
According to recent sources, threat actors have been working on a new variant of cross-platform ransomware that is named “Akira”.
Akira was introduced to the cybersecurity sector in March 2023, which targets several financial institutions and organisations for stealing sensitive data.
Akira has been using a Tor website for their communications with perpetrators and for posting the leaked data publicly if their ransom demands are not met from any of the affected organizations.
Threat actors using ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) have increased among the cybercriminal community as several source codes of many ransomware were leaked online that are being used for malicious purposes.
Akira Tor website (Source: K7)
Akira Linux Variant
Threat actors have created unique public RSA keys and unique IDs for every organization they attack.
These identifiers are then used to find the appropriate decryption keys when the demands are met. In addition, the unique ID is also used for communication purposes.
Public RSA key (Source: K7)
The unique key ID and their corresponding public RSA key are linked along with the ransom note. Furthermore, the ransomware also consists of an exclusion list of files for encryption.
Exclusion list (Source: K7)
Unique ID for communication (Source: K7)
The ransomware not only consists of an exclusion list, but also contains a list of file extensions to be encrypted, which includes .sqlite, .sqlite2, and .sqlite3.
K7 has published a complete report on this ransomware which includes the command line arguments and other information.
Organizations are recommended to take extra precautions when it comes to ransomware attacks. It is safe to keep a backup of important files for recovering systems after a ransomware attack.
Avast has recently released a decrypter for the well-known Akira Ransomware on Windows. Additionally, they are currently working on a decrypter for the Linux version of the ransomware.
It is not recommended to pay ransom demands as there is no guarantee that the ransomware groups will decrypt the files.
The new Galaxy Z Flip 5 just launched, and it is already making people around the world talk. Whether it is about its features or its new hinge, people are talking about this device. A good number of these people are also considering buying this device once available.
Samsung did get some areas of this device quite right, one such area is the cover display. Truthfully, there are a few upgrades on this new clamshell folding device from Samsung in comparison with its predecessor. Aside from the new cover display which will attract buyers, Samsung also added a more powerful processor (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2).
This article won’t delve into details of this new device, as its coming review will give you all the information you’d need. In this article, you’d see how the new Z Flip device’s external display compares with another clamshell folding device that has a similar cover display. The device in question is none other than the Motorola Razr+ and you can learn more about it by clicking on this link.
Comparing the external display of the new Galaxy Z Flip 5 with that of the Motorola Razr+
Both the new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Motorola Razr+ take the external displays to a different level. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 launched with a 1.9-inch external display, and the successor to the Razr+ has a 2.7-inch external display. However, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Razr+ come with 3.4 and 3.6-inch cover displays, respectively.
These are massive upgrades from their previous models, especially for Samsung’s clamshell foldable device. In the clamshell folding market, these devices come with the biggest cover display a buyer could ask for. However, the Razr+ takes the crown as the clamshell folding device with the largest screen.
The large cover displays are not just on these devices as mere decoration. They are very functional, helping users access notifications and apps while the device is folded. With this screen, users can also treat the rear cameras as a selfie camera and take crisp pictures without flipping the device open.
However, when it comes to accessing apps from the cover display, the Razr+ takes the crown once again. This device offers users access to nearly all their apps directly from the cover display. Samsung, on its part, offers access to a good amount of apps, but not all apps users might need at this time.
Having the larger 3.6-inch screen also gives the Razr+ the upper hand in this comparison. While the difference in screen size might be negligible, it still makes a difference. The external screen on the Razr+ reaches the edges of the rear panel, giving users more estate to benefit from the full-screen mode.
Having the camera on the external screen from the Razr+ might be a drawback for some potential buyers. For the Galaxy Flip 5, its uneven external display might be off-putting for other users as well. Overall, the external display on the Motorola Razr+ seems to be the better pick when it comes to practicality.
Tecno is a smartphone company that has fallen under your radar, especially if you live in the United States. However, it’s a company you should keep your eyes on if you live in other countries. The company launched its Camon 20 series of phones, and we were given the opportunity to review and compare two of them. Here’s the Camon 20 Pro vs. the Camon 20 Premier.
These are two phones with several similarities and differences. In all honesty, a lot of the differences between these phones lie in the internals. We’ll dive into those internals along with the outward-facing differences to help you decide between them.
Before we get started
We have the full review of the Camon 20 Pro, and it proved to be a fantastic device. If you’re interested in looking at this phone, then you can see why we gave it a 5-star review. Click here to read the review.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Build and design
When it comes to the build quality of these phones, both of these phones feel pretty similar to one another. Both of them have backs made from soft plastic, so neither of them feels particularly premium in the hand. The Camon 20 Pro feels the least premium of the pair, as it’s the lightest.
The Camon 20 Premier has a bit more weight to it. It’s pretty noticeable, especially if you pick up the Pro after using the Premier for an extended period of time. The Premier just feels more solidly built. While that’s the case, both of these phones have plastic frames, and that subtracts from both phones’ feel in the hand.
All in all, these are both mid-range phones, and they feel like it when you pick them up. The Premier is the more premium of the two, and you’ll feel it.
Design
Both of these phones share an extremely similar design. This makes sense, as they’re both from the same line of phones. They both have soft-touch plastic backs that feel like leather to the touch. There’s a design on the back with lines running throughout; colliding with other lines and running to the edges. It’s a unique design that makes it stand out from the slew of metal and glass sandwiches.
There’s only one major design difference between these phones, and it’s the camera package. The area around the Camon 20 Pro’s camera package is an irregular pentagon that sticks out among the lines. Rather, the area is formed from where the lines aren’t. The Premier has the same pentagonal shape around the camera package, but there’s a piece of metal encompassing the camera lenses. The Pro has its lenses protruding separately.
Basically, it’s obvious that these phones are two very close siblings. If you’re looking for a more premium-feeling phone, then the Premier is the way to go.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Display
This is an easy one; both of these phones are using the exact same panel. The Camon 20 Pro and Premier have breathtaking OLED displays. In fact, the display is one of the best aspects of these phones. Images just pop with pleasantly juicy colors.
There are two color settings for these displays. There’s the Original color mode with more subdued colors. They’re responsibly saturated, and they’re for people who want a more toned-down experience. There’s also a Bright-colored mode. This will pump up the colors and make them pop more.
There’s also a color temperature slider that lets you dial in the color temperature that you want to see. It’s pretty precise. With screens this amazing, you can bet that you’ll have a great time watching content and playing games on either handset.
When it comes to brightness, both phones are equally matched. Both displays get plenty bright; much brighter than you’d need for indoor use. When cranked up to full brightness, they’re easily visible in the bright sun.
It doesn’t matter which model you pick up, you’ll be getting an absolutely amazing viewing experience.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: RAM and storage
The Camon 20 Premier takes the cake in one category. Both phones have the same 8GB of RAM. Also, they both have the option to expand it to a whopping 16GB using storage.
However, speaking of storage, the Camon 20 Pro comes with a handy 256GB of storage. The Premier, on the other hand, comes with 512GB of onboard storage.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Speakers
When it comes to the speaker quality, both of these phones are pretty close, but the Premier edges out the Pro by just a bit. The Premier’s have slightly more depth out of the box than the Pro’s. You’ll have to listen to them at the same time to really tell the difference.
I say “out of the box” because both of these phones have a pretty robust set of options to customize the sound. They both have the same set of controls, so you can tailor your sound on both.
You have an equalizer, four different sound profiles, your choice of stereo width, and which aspects you want to boost. At the end of the day, the Premier’s speakers will sound slightly better, but the difference is negligible to those who aren’t audiophiles.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Performance
On paper, the Camon 20 Premier should be objectively better. It’s running a more powerful processor, the MediaTek Dimensity 8050 while the Pro uses the MediaTek Helio G99. However, as we all know, on-paper specs don’t tell the whole story.
When it comes to day-to-day performance, neither of these phones slows down. I used both of these phones and, no matter the processor, they gave me consistently smooth performance. It didn’t matter if I was using them for video-watching, work, social media, or photography, these phones just did not want to slow down.
The Pro maybe dropped an animation frame slightly more than the Premier, but instances of dropped frames are extremely few and far apart. Tecno optimized the software excellently to work with the hardware.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Gaming
That’s day-to-day performance; gaming is a different story. This is the area where these phones show their differences. Gaming on the Camon 20 Pro is a decent to good affair. Running 2D games and most 3D games is a breeze. It only starts to slow down when trying to render more graphically intensive games like Genshin Impact or Star Rail.
Running these games at their top settings will make for a pretty stuttery experience, but they’re not unplayable. Knocking the graphics down to below normal will smooth things out. It’s for casual to heavier gaming.
The Camon 20 Premier, on the other hand, is much better at gaming. Of course, it tackles 2D games with no issue. In the case of more graphically intensive games, it’s able to tackle them as well. Moving back to Genshin, cranking the graphics to full didn’t phase this phone at all. It’s even able to run it at a good frame rate. It reaches 60fps at times and above 30fps when rendering a lot of the world. The Premier is much more of a gaming phone.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Camera
The camera is another where these two phones are distinct. In our review of the Camon 20 Pro, we noted that the camera was the weakest part of the experience. The pictures were lacking in the contrast and color departments. Pictures taken under direct sunlight looked as though they were taken on an overcast day.
When it came to video, it looked heavily compressed and the stabilization was just not there. All in all, the camera could have been better in just about every capacity.
However, the camera package of the Premier shows some notable improvements; actually, it’s like night and day. The Premier was able to produce pictures with more pleasing contrast and pleasant colors. Photos taken on an overcast day almost looked like they were taken under direct sunlight. One thing I’d say is that this phone tends to lean more toward the warmer side of the spectrum.
On the video front, videos still look compressed like the Camon 20 Pro’s camera. The 1080p videos didn’t have much detail, and cranking it up to 4K didn’t help much. However, the video stabilization was much better.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Battery
Back to the similarities; these phones have similar battery mileage. They both sport a 5,000mAh battery and they can both last you about a day and a half on a single charge. This goes for moderate to light usage. If you’re a heavy user, then you’re looking at about a day.
When it comes to charging, the Premier takes the prize. The Camon 20 Premier comes with a 45W charger in the box while the Pro has a 33W charger in the box. The Premier charges about 12%, but it won’t lead to a massive cut in overall charging time.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Software
Both of these phones are running the same version of HiOS version 13 running on Android 13. You won’t find a single difference in the software.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Misc features
When it comes to miscellaneous features, the Camon 20 Pro walks away with some wins. The Pro comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack while the Premier doesn’t. Also, while the Premier comes with twice the onboard storage, the Pro has microSD card expansion.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Price
Now comes the price. The price for these phones can vary depending on the vendor you’re looking into. On average, prices for the Camon 20 Pro seem to hover between $180 and $250. In short, it’s a sub-$300 phone that can be had for a steal if you find the right vendor. Just know that this phone isn’t native to the States, so you might have to pay import fees. As for the Camon 20 Premier, this phone’s price is around $360.
Tecno Camon 20 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 20 Premier: Final verdict
Both of these phones are fantastic. It doesn’t matter which phone you choose, you’ll be getting a strong smartphone experience. While this is the case, the Camon 20Premier overtakes the Pro in some key areas.
The Premier has more storage, better gaming prowess, and a much better camera. If you’re more focused on these areas, then the extra $100 or so might be worth it. However, you won’t have a bad experience with any of the phones.
Instagram has grown to be one of the most popular apps globally over the years, but a new study claims that Americans are desperate to delete it off of their devices. Suggesting its popularity within the country may be waning a bit. According to the study, which was conducted by VPNpro, Instagram overtakes all other apps in a single specific area. Apparently, it has a higher search volume with regards to deleting or deactivating than any other app.
It should be noted that the study only mentions US users. Furthermore, it only takes into account a small collection of apps. Specifically, the top 10 social media apps. Which also include Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter (now called X), Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and WhatsApp. What some might find interesting is that Meta owns three of these apps. Although that isn’t necessarily relevant to the study data.
Study says Instagram is the app that Americans want to delete the most
Based on the study’s information, Instagram is said to be the app that US users want off their phones more than any of the other top social media apps. The study says that users search for how to delete it 1.1 million more times than the second-closest app, which was Facebook.
Additionally, it claims users on the West coast want to delete more than anywhere else in the country. That being said, only 21 out of 50 states saw Instagram as the app that users most want to delete. States like California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and New York ranked highest out of all 50 states.
Interestingly, X and TikTok were ranked 4th and 5th respectively. Which might be surprising given how much they have both been in the media as of late with relation to negativity. Pinterest ranks number 10, with the study claiming there were only 7,501 searches related to deleting the app off mobile devices. WhatsApp, another Meta-owned app, ranked 9th with a total of 8,226 searches. While Facebook at number 2 had 1,005,860 searches.
A patch is now available for an Ivanti EPMM vulnerability that was used in a cyberattack on the ICT platform which is relied upon by a dozen Norwegian ministries.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added one new vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog affecting Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile, based on evidence of active exploitation. All Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies must remediate this vulnerability by August 15, 2023 to protect their networks against active threats.
We urge everyone else to take this vulnerability seriously and to patch as soon as possible since the vulnerability was used in a cyberattack on the ICT platform which is relied upon by 12 Norwegian ministries.
The vulnerability exists in Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM), formerly known as MobileIron Core, and impacts all supported versions as well as unsupported and end-of-life releases. Ivanti EPMM is a mobile management software engine that enables IT to set policies for mobile devices, applications, and content. The affected Norwegian ministries used it to manage mobile devices used by government employees and grant remote access to government systems and applications.
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database lists publicly disclosed computer security flaws. The CVE assigned to this vulnerability is:
CVE-2023-35078 (CVSS score 10 out of 10): Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM), formerly MobileIron Core, allows remote attackers to obtain Personally Identifiable Information (PII), add an administrative account, and change the configuration because of an authentication bypass, as exploited in the wild.
Ivanti has made a patch available for supported version 11.4 releases 11.10, 11.9 and 11.8 and recommends that you immediately take action to ensure you are fully protected. Customers can find the detailed information and how to access and apply the remediations in Ivanti’s Knowledge Base article (login required).
The vulnerability was discovered in Norway as a result of an investigation into a cyberattack on the ICT platform used by 12 ministries. The Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM) and the Norwegian Government Security and Service Organization (DSS) found the vulnerability but chose not to disclose any details until a patch was available.
In a statement, Erik Hope, Director General of the Norwegian Government Security and Service Organisation (DSS) said:
“We have detected a previously unknown vulnerability in one of our suppliers’ software. This vulnerability has been exploited by an unknown third party. This vulnerability has now been fixed. It is still too early to say anything about who is behind the attack or the extent of the attack. Our investigations and the police investigations will provide more answers.”
On their site, Ivanti describes the vulnerability as an authentication bypass vulnerability in Ivanti EPMM that allows unauthorized users to access restricted functionality or resources of the application without proper authentication. According to Ivanti the vulnerability was used against “a very limited number of customers.”
According to Shodan scan posted by BleepingComputer, more than 2,900 MobileIron user portals are presently exposed online, out of which around three dozen are linked with US local and state government agencies.
Image courtesy of BleepingComputer
It is strongly advised that all network admins apply the Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (MobileIron) patches as soon as possible. If this is not possible at short notice or you are using an unsupported version, you should restrict access to the platform as much as possible.
We don’t just report on vulnerabilities—we identify them, and prioritize action.
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