Homeland Security Warns New Way Hackers Targeting Americans

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(FixThisNation.com) – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has put out a new warning that hackers have been using two new exploits that could allow them to access your computer through Google Chrome or an Excel spreadsheet.

Federal agencies have been given until January 23 to ensure that all of their systems are protected.

For common users who want to protect themselves from such attacks here are some things you need to know. Hackers will be targeting Microsoft Excel through a bag in a library called Spreadsheet::ParseExcel. This will enable them to run and control the malware remotely. Through the string in the library, the hackers will be able to use your computer to run programs.

This is not the first time that this exploit has been used. Barracuda, a Security firm, has noticed that Chinese hackers had been using the exploit last month and that through custom Excel attachments they could exploit the bug in order to run any program they wanted to.

To address this issue Barracuda introduced a patch.  However, as they have disclosed, open-source libraries might still be at risk. The company also issued a warning to all those who used Spreadsheet::ParseExcel and recommended that they review the bug and take any action needed.

The attack on Google comes through an open-source project, WebRTC which allows mobile apps and web browsers to communicate in real-time. Using this exploit hackers can overload your browser and cause it to crash in order to gain permission to do whatever they want on your device.

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