Introduction

Leadership turmoil at OpenAI. Citrix Bleed vulnerability implicated in ransomware attacks. QakBot seems to have a successor. The FSB deploys LitterDrifter in cyberespionage against Ukraine. Russian security firm says China and North Korea are the source of most cyberattacks against Russia. Privateers and auxiliaries engage targets of opportunity. Ann Johnson from Afternoon Cyber Tea talks about leading edge cyber innovation with Nadav Zafrir. And alleged war crimes may include cyber operations conducted in support of other, conventional, kinetic war crimes.

For links to all of today's stories check out our CyberWire daily news briefing:

https://thecyberwire.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/12/221

Selected reading.

OpenAI announces leadership transition (OpenAI)

A statement from Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella (The Official Microsoft Blog)

A timeline of Sam Altman’s ouster from OpenAI and Microsoft appointment (Reuters) 

Sam Altman leaves OpenAI: Everything you need to know (Computing)

OpenAI Employees Threaten to Quit Unless Board Resigns (Wall Street Journal)

Sam Altman to Join Microsoft Following OpenAI Ouster (Wall Street Journal)

Dozens of Staffers Quit OpenAI After Sutskever Says Altman Won’t Return (The Information)

AI to accelerate your security defenses (IBM)

OpenAI’s Board Set Back the Promise of Artificial Intelligence (The Information)

A New AI Lexicon: Existential Risk (AI Now)

Hackers Are Exploiting a Flaw in Citrix Software Despite Fix (Bloomberg)

Medusa ransomware gang claims Toyota Financial Services hack (Security Affairs) 

CitrixBleed Vulnerability Exploitation Suspected in Toyota Ransomware Attack (SecurityWeek) 

Yamaha and WellLife Network confirm cyber incidents after ransomware gang claims attacks (Record)

Are DarkGate and PikaBot the New QakBot? (Cofense)

Decrypting Danger: Check Point Research deep-dive into cyber espionage tactics by Russian-origin attackers targeting Ukrainian entities (Check Point Blog)

Malware Spotlight - Into the Trash: Analyzing LitterDrifter (Check Point Research) 

Russian APT Gamaredon uses USB worm LitterDrifter against Ukraine (Security Affairs) 

Russian Cyber Espionage Group Deploys LitterDrifter USB Worm in Targeted Attacks (The Hacker News) 

Remarks by Assistant Secretary Graham Steele at the Federal Insurance Office and NYU Stern Volatility and Risk Institute Conference on Catastrophic Cyber Risk and a Potential Federal Insurance Response (U.S. Department of the Treasury) 

Russian analysts point finger at China, North Korea over cyber activity (Record) 

How Pro-Ukrainian Hackers Have Undermined Russia's War Every Step Of The Way (WorldCrunch)

Ukraine says it has evidence of 109,000 Russian war crimes (POLITICO)

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