Spam-bombing attack cripples e-mail accounts of Left party MPs
Unknown attackers have flooded the mailboxes of German federal parliament members from the Left party with thousands of e-mails. The Federal Office for Information Security has been engaged.
Massive cyberattack on Left party MPs
Members of the Left party in the Bundestag became the target of a massive spam-bombing attack on Monday. Their mailboxes were paralysed by thousands of e-mails, making them impossible to use. According to rp-online.de, the e-mails came from different senders, carried various subject lines and were written in different languages.
The attack affected exclusively members of the Left party. Mail traffic in the Bundestag overall was only affected by delays, as the servers have sufficient capacity. The Federal Office for Information Security in Information Technology (BSI) was notified and provided guidance to the affected MPs on how to filter the mass e-mails.
Independent of iPhone spyware attack
According to the authorities, this cyberattack is not connected to a parallel attack on iPhones belonging to Bundestag members and government officials. US corporation Apple had warned of malware called "Mercenary Spyware", which since Thursday has triggered notifications on iPhones.
Which government officials were affected by the spyware attack, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius could not disclose publicly. The German government takes both incidents very seriously, Kornelius stated. The BSI and digital ministers had published warnings early on, "because it must be assumed that devices could be compromised".
Spyware functions and infection method
According to the Federal Interior Ministry, the commercial spyware is frequently deployed by state actors against specifically selected individuals. Infection occurs without the involvement of those affected, for example through a prepared message that does not need to be opened – the so-called zero-click method.
Once a device is compromised, attackers can access messages in encrypted messengers, calls, contacts, calendar, location data as well as camera and microphone. However, a spokesman for the Federal Digital Ministry warned that Apple's warning message does not automatically mean that a compromise has actually occurred – it could also be a suspected case.
The authorities are working at full speed to investigate the background to both cyberattacks and to further develop protective measures.
Source: Die Zeit Kriminalität