A virus disguised as private photos breached Ukraine’s air defense alert app, triggering nationwide false alarms about radiation, missile attacks, and chemical threats.
The Ukrainian “Air Defense Alert” application was compromised by hackers, resulting in a surge of false warnings sent to users across the country. Within a short period, the app issued alerts claiming imminent radiation exposure, chemical attacks, missile strikes—including a fictional “Hazelnut” missile threat—and reports of urban combat erupting in Kyiv. On official alert maps, the abbreviation “ZOV” briefly appeared.
The hacking group Hitcore claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the group, they gained system access through the app administrator’s computer: hackers impersonated a 17-year-old girl and sent a file named “ZAL-upa.” The administrator, believing it contained private photographs, downloaded the file, which then executed malicious code.
The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed the app had been targeted by an adversary and clarified that no radiation threat existed. The hackers stated their intent was to demonstrate vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s digital infrastructure and warned this would not be the last such incident.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880705400168448/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.