Hackers Trick ATMs Into Spitting Cash

The FBI has warned that hackers might soon target ATMs in the United States. The warning follows cyberattacks against ATMs in Thailand and Taiwan. Hackers have apparently been able to develop an exploit which enables them to make ATMs spit out cash. Their accomplices simply stand close to the ATMs to pick up the cash that’s unceremoniously spewed out of the machine. No cards or pins required.

The FBI has said in a bulletin that it has been “monitoring emerging reports indicating that well-resourced and organized malicious cyber actors have intentions to target the US financial sector.”

The first attack of this kind took place in Taiwan earlier this year. Multiple ATMs started spitting out cash for no apparent reason. The hackers are believed to have made more than $2.5 million using this exploit at various locations.

The exploit is believed to have been developed by a group of Russian hackers known as Buhtrap. They are said to have tested the exploit on banks in Russia before deploying it in other countries across the globe.

Security experts are of the view that while ATMs in the United States tend to be better protected and regularly updated, many are still likely to be vulnerable to whatever exploit causes cash machines to just start spewing cash all over the place.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: General
Tags: cyberattacks, Hacking