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Photo courtesy of CJ |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] As SK Telecom continues to face backlash over recent USIM hacking incidents, another major South Korean conglomerate has fallen victim to a cyberattack. A digital certificate file belonging to CJ OliveNetworks, the IT affiliate of CJ Group, has reportedly been compromised and misused in malware attributed to North Korean hackers.
CJ OliveNetworks Certificate Found Embedded in North Korean Malware
According to cybersecurity sources on May 7, a malware file linked to North Korea and released late last month was discovered to contain a digital signature issued by CJ OliveNetworks.
Digital certificates are used to verify that software comes from a trusted source and has not been tampered with. The presence of CJ OliveNetworks' certificate in malware strongly suggests that the certificate was stolen—likely by North Korean threat actors—raising serious security concerns.
CJ OliveNetworks confirmed that it became aware of the breach late the previous night and promptly reported the incident to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA).
Suspected Involvement of North Korea's "Kimsuky" Hacking Group
The hacking group behind the attack is believed to be Kimsuky, a well-known North Korean state-sponsored cyber unit. Chinese cybersecurity firm RedDrip Team reported that Kimsuky attempted to use the stolen certificate to launch an attack on the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), a national research institute.
CJ OliveNetworks is responsible for managing and developing the IT infrastructure for key CJ Group affiliates, including CJ Logistics and CJ ENM. The breach highlights the growing cybersecurity threats faced by South Korea’s largest conglomerates.
Growing Concern Over State-Sponsored Attacks Targeting Major Korean Firms
This incident comes amid heightened concerns about the vulnerability of critical IT infrastructure in South Korea, particularly as high-profile tech companies face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats from state-sponsored actors.
Security experts are calling for tighter digital certificate management protocols and improved coordination between corporations and national cybersecurity agencies to prevent future breaches.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
