Hackers can Hijack Antivirus Software to Erase Data

In a report released this week, a top cybersecurity researcher revealed that many popular antivirus software programs had been exploited, for their ability to erase data, including Microsoft, SentinelOne, TrendMicro, Avast, and AVG. 

Yair Or, a consultant for the cybersecurity firm SafeBreach and works as a time-of-check to time-of-use vulnerability researcher, explained how the exploit works in a proof-of-concept document titled “Aikido” that outlines the method for exploiting this vulnerability. 

One of the most renowned martial arts forms is Aikido. It is one of the Japanese arts that use the movement and force of the opponent against the practitioner to achieve an advantage. 

According to Yair, it is possible to exploit this vulnerability to facilitate cyberattacks known as “Wipers,” commonly used to commit offensive war crimes. 

An eraser, also known as a wiper, is a type of malware designed to delete all the data and programs on the hard drive of the computer it infects to prevent it from functioning aptly. 

As stated in the slide deck,

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