In a highly sophisticated and targeted cyber espionage campaign, SolarWinds, a leading provider of IT management software, became the victim of a massive cyberattack disclosed in December 2020. This attack was orchestrated by allegedly state-sponsored hackers who managed to compromise the company's Orion software by inserting a malicious code into its updates. This backdoor, known as Sunburst, allowed the attackers unprecedented access to the networks of thousands of SolarWinds' clients, including top government agencies in the United States and numerous Fortune 500 companies. The breach's scale and the sensitivity of the data potentially accessed put at risk not only the financial assets and reputation of SolarWinds and its clients but also posed a significant threat to national security. The attackers demonstrated deep technical sophistication, enabling them to stay undetected for several months while conducting espionage and potentially extracting sensitive information.
Source: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa22-110a
"id": "sol501050624",
"linkid": "solarwinds",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "12/2020",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"