Thursday, December 18, 2014




Complete DHS Report for December 18, 2014

Daily Report

Top Stories

 · Approximately 5,500 gallons of gasoline spilled into a harbor in Kake, Alaska, December 13 after a pump connected to a 7,000-gallon gasoline tank onshore was severed due to changes in the tide and wind. – Think Progress

1. December 16, Think Progress – (Alaska) Severed fuel pump causes 5,500 gallon gas spill in Alaskan Harbor. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed December 15 that approximately 5,500 gallons of gasoline spilled in Kake’s local harbor December 13 after a pump connected to a 7,000-gallon gasoline tank onshore was severed due to changes in the tide and wind. The U.S. Coast Guard stated that the area was secured and that they would continue to monitor and coordinate response to the situation. Source: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/12/16/3069971/severed-fuel-pump-6000-gallon-gas-spill-alaskan-harbor/

· An American Airlines flight en route to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, from Seoul, South Korea, diverted to Narita International Airport in Narita, Japan, after 14 passengers and crew members were injured by turbulence caused by a winter storm December 16. – CNN

6. December 17, CNN – (International) Turbulence injures passengers on American Airlines flight. An American Airlines plane en route to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, from Seoul, South Korea, was redirected to Narita, Japan, after 14 passengers and crew members were injured by turbulence caused by a winter storm December 16. Airline officials reported that 5 individuals were transported to local hospitals for treatment while the remainder of the 255 passengers and crew were provided accommodations until the rescheduled flight continued on to its original destination December 17. Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/16/travel/feat-american-airlines-turbulence/

· Two co-founders and 12 former employees of a compounding pharmacy in Framingham, Massachusetts, were arrested December 17 in connection to a 2012 meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people and sickened more than 750 people in 20 States after receiving tainted steroids manufactured by the pharmacy. – Associated Press

16. December 17, Associated Press – (National) 14 arrested, charged in meningitis outbreak. Two co-founders and 12 former employees of the New England Compounding Center, a compounding pharmacy in Framingham, Massachusetts, were arrested December 17 in connection to a 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people and sickened more than 750 people in 20 States after receiving tainted steroids manufactured by the pharmacy. The indictments were unsealed in federal court in Boston December 17. Source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/pharmacy-owners-arrested-12-meningitis-outbreak-27657190

· Nearly 680 students and staff at Oak Park Elementary District 97 schools in Illinois were absent December 15-December 16 after experiencing flu-like symptoms. – Chicago Tribune

19. December 16, Chicago Tribune – (Illinois) Number of absentees increases in Oak Park. Nearly 680 students and staff at Oak Park Elementary District 97 schools were absent December 15-December 16 after experiencing flu-like symptoms. A flu outbreak at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park the previous week sent students home early and canceled classes December 9–December 10. Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oak-park-river-forest-forest-park/ct-oak-park-illness-update-met-1217-20141216-story.html

Financial Services Sector

4. December 16, WDJT 58 Milwaukee – (National) Credit card fraud ring used over 3,800 stolen cards. Ten men from several States were indicted December 16 for allegedly running a payment card fraud ring that operated in at least 11 States, used over 3,800 stolen credit card numbers, and made fraudulent transactions totaling more than $1.7 million. The alleged ring would use the stolen payment card information primarily to purchase tickets to sporting and other entertainment events and then resell them. Source: http://www.cbs58.com/story/27644148/credit-card-fraud-ring-used-over-3800-stolen-cards

5. December 16, Reuters – (Florida) Former Miami-area mayor found guilty in mortgage fraud scheme. The former mayor of North Miami was found guilty December 16 of participating in an $11 million mortgage fraud scheme and affinity scheme that targeted the local Caribbean community in order to recruit straw buyers. The former mayor was suspended from office in May 2014 after being indicted. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/16/us-usa-florida-mayor-idUSKBN0JU2IF20141216

Information Technology Sector

24. December 17, Softpedia – (International) 10-year-old “mailx” vulnerability fixed in Debian, Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The developers of Red Hat Linux and Debian released updates that addressed two vulnerabilities in the operating systems’ mailx utility for Unix systems that could have been exploited by local attackers to execute arbitrary commands by using maliciously-formed email addresses. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/10-Years-Old-mailx-Vulnerability-Fixed-in-Debian-Red-Hat-Enterprise-Linux-467724.shtml

25. December 17, Securityweek – (International) phpBB asking users to change passwords following hack. The developers of open source forum software phpBB shut down their network following a cyberattack December 14 after attackers potentially gained access to hashed and salted passwords. The developers asked users who had registered accounts on phpBB.com and area51.phpBB.com to reset their passwords as a precaution. Source: http://www.securityweek.com/phpbb-asking-users-change-passwords-following-hack

26. December 17, Help Net Security – (International) Researchers confirm multiple Google App Engine security sandbox bypasses. Researchers with Security Explorations were permitted by Google to continue their investigation of security issues in the Google App Engine (GAE) Java security sandbox and subsequently reported 16 proof-of-concepts (PoC) codes to Google for evaluation. The researchers stated that details of the issues would be reported after Google reviews them. Source: http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=17765

Communications Sector

27. December 16, WVVA 6 Bluefield – (West Virginia) Copper thieves disrupt communications in McDowell County. Telephone and broadband service for approximately 240 Frontier Communications customers in McDowell County was disrupted December 16 when approximately 1,000 feet of cable was stolen by copper thieves. Source: http://www.wvva.com/story/27643550/2014/12/16/copper-thieves-disrupt-communications-in-mcdowell-county