Financially-motivated threat actors hacked Uganda ‘s central bank system, government officials confirmed this week.
Ugandan officials confirmed on Thursday that the national central bank suffered a security breach by financially-motivated threat actors. The police’s Criminal Investigations Department and the Auditor General are investigating the incident.
A senior government official at the finance ministry confirmed that attackers compromised some central bank accounts.
“It is true our accounts were hacked into but not to the extent of what is being reported. When this happened, we instituted an audit and at the same time, and investigation,” State minister for finance Henry Musasizi told parliament on Thursday. “To avoid misrepresentation of facts, I wish to indulge the House that we be patient that when the audit is finalised, which is now at the tail-end, I come and report.”
The Bank of Uganda stated on Thursday it is relying on a police investigation into reports of offshore hackers stealing 62 billion shillings ($16.8M) from its accounts.
Local media reported that the threat actors that call themselves “Waste” is responsible for the attack. They compromised the systems at the Bank of Uganda and transferred the funds in early November.
The Waste group appears to be based in Southeast Asia, they transferred part of the stolen funds to Japan. Uganda’s central bank had already recovered over half of the stolen money.
The Daily Monitor newspaper reported that the attackers stole 47.8 billion shillings and that the stolen funds were transferred into accounts in Japan and the UK.
UK authorities froze $7M, though some was withdrawn. The syndicate reportedly received $6M in Japan, according to the Monitor.
“It alarmed me because this is our central bank,” the opposition’s Joel Ssenyonyi told fellow members of parliament Thursday. “I thought the government should help us understand; it is important that we know what exactly is happening.”
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Pierluigi Paganini
(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Uganda)
