North Korean hackers exploited Seoul Halloween tragedy to distribute malware, Google says

FILE PHOTO: Women mourn at the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 29, 2022. REUTERS/ Heo Ran/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean government-backed hackers referenced the deadly Halloween crush in Seoul to distribute malware to users in South Korea, Google's Threat Analysis group said in a report.The malware was embedded in Microsoft Office documents which purported to be a government report on the tragedy that killed more than 150 people after tens of thousands of young revellers crowded into narrow alleyways.

"This incident was widely reported on, and the lure takes advantage of widespread public interest in the accident," the Threat Analysis Group said.