Russian hackers fool diplomats in Ukraine embassies with ad for a cheap used BMW

Diplomats are some of the smartest people on earth, or at least we hope they are, as they navigate the complicated world of international politics. Several diplomats from at least 22 foreign missions stationed in Kyiv, Ukraine, fell victim to hackers who hid malware in images of a used BMW 5 Series.

Russian hackers hijacked a legitimate ad for the 2011 BMW 5 Series after discovering a Polish diplomat had shared the ad with several other embassies via email. The Russian hacker group – known by the nickname Cozy Bear, part of the Russian foreign intelligence service – embedded malware into the image gallery attached to the ad and lowered the price by almost $1,000 to attract more attention. The malware then infected any computer that clicked on the ad. Officials in the U.S. and Britain were able to identify the Russian hackers by comparing their techniques to other hacks in Europe, Africa, and elsewhere.