Russian Hackers Use Fake CAPTCHA to Infiltrate Ukrainian Government Computers

A suspected Russian cyberattack on a Ukrainian government organisation has raised concerns about the use of fake CAPTCHA checks to gain access to computer systems.

Cisco's cybersecurity researchers noticed unusual activity in the organisation's computer systems in April and found malware known as Amatera running on the system, which is capable of stealing sensitive information.

The researchers also discovered that the software was configured to connect to a server with an IP address based in Russia, suggesting a link to Moscow.

Cisco's report suggests that the attack may have started with fake versions of Google's CAPTCHA verification check on compromised websites, which would have run malware on victims' computers.