Zoom-Bombing Attack Targets U.S. Government Meeting

A Zoom bombing attack hit a U.S. government meeting that was held despite clear recommendations from the FBI not to use the software.

Zoom has been struggling with this security issue for a long time, and it seems to be a bigger problem for the company than any other vulnerability. To be fair, Zoom implemented a number of new security measures in the past few weeks, but it”s difficult to protect people against their own carelessness. 

The FBI issued a stark warning a few weeks ago regarding the use of Zoom and the dangers of Zoom-bombing, followed by advice to avoid using the platform for government affairs. Since it”s not a hard rule, some people continue using it, and a Zoom-bombing incident occurred during a U.S. government meeting.

The incident wasn”t made public at the time, but it was entered into the public record when representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sent a letter to Carolyn Maloney (R-NY), chairwoman for the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

“In spite of the warnings by the FBI and media outlets, on April 3, 2020, you held a Zoom-hosted Member briefing on women”s rights in Afghanistan with the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR),” wrote Jim Jordan. “During this important briefing, the session was “Zoom-bombed” at least three times. The impact of hacking and malware on Member and staff devices is still being determined.” 

Not details of the attack were given but, depending on the level of openness of the Zoom conference, attackers could even share images, download presentations, or simply shout offensive words. The purpose of the letter was to prompt government officials to stop using Zoom, at least until the proper authorities vet it.

Information about a potential zero-day vulnerability available for sale has been floating around for at least a week, although it has yet to be confirmed by Zoom. Furthermore, Zoom credentials are already selling on the black market, and that”s yet another possible attack vector.