SingHealth hacker's 'sophisticated' malware fooled even top anti-virus experts

SINGAPORE (Oct 5): Malware used to penetrate Singapore Health Services’ patient database system in June was so sophisticated that it tricked even experts at a top anti-virus firm, Solicitor-General Kwek Mean Luck revealed today at a public hearing convened by the Committee of Inquiry (COI) into the SingHealth cyberattack.

According to Kwek, investigations by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) found that the hacker – who was described as “an advanced, sophisticated threat actor” – used a combination of customised malware and open-source tools that evaded anti-virus software and were difficult to detect.

When the malware sample was passed to a “leading anti-virus company” for analysis, the company initially indicated that the malware was benign, the Solicitor-General told the COI on Friday. The anti-virus firm was not identified.

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