EricDeveloper

KOREAN LARGEST CARRIER BEING HACKED

On April 18, 2025 (KST) , the biggest carrier with 40.4% market share (2,3104,000 users) SK Telecom (SKT) was hacked by unknown hackers. The company and government joint investigation team found a ‘BPFDoor’, a malicious code based on Linux backdoor. While it will be a hard to clarify who actually committed this attack, investigation team claimed that this attack might be executed by a Chinese hacker team ‘Red Menshen’.

On April 20, SKT officially reported to KISA(a government-derived to support internet development and cyber security organization) that there was serious information leakage, leaving issues whether the company followed or not the 24h-report rule. And two days later, the company officially announced that there was information leakage.

The leaked information was the company’s whole user’s phone number, IMSI (the sim number), Ki (user identification key) and etc… This means that literally the WHOLE USERS MUST CHANGE THEIR SIM CARDS.

What’s worse is SKT’s attitude.

1. They claim that they don’t have enough sim cards for current users, while still making new contracts for new customers who would make new contract or change carrier from their competitors. Currently Korean government forced not accept any new contracts and transfer contracts until the whole USIM cards are changed.
2. They did not notify in any type of way including text message for 3 weeks, only small pop-up for sorry in their OWN CARRIER APP.
3. They are hardly reluctant for exception of waiver fee for early termination of the contract. Some articles claim that it would cause trillions of Won (hundreds billion USD).
4. Meanwhile, Some internet users leaving comment that “You’ve got money to change CHUB(second wife) but not for chips(USIM)”. The president of SK and SKT Choi Tae-won spent 2 trillion Won (roughly 140 billion USD for divorce settlement as he was cheating his wife).
5. Under this chaotic situation, SK Telecom has made SK Broadband a wholly-owned subsidiary again after about five years. SK Broadband disclosed on the 14th that SK Telecom’s ownership stake in the company increased from the previous 74.3% to 99.14%. SK Telecom acquired these stakes for a total of 1.15 trillion won, valuing them at 11,511 won per share.

This shows the essence of Korean econimic and moral corruption. Economically, Chaebol is monopolize the infrastructure market and giving no intention on their customer’s privacy, fulfillment. JUST BOW NECK and say sorry once and shut their mouth until the chaos is covered by another chaotic issue. Maybe MR Taewon is praying for Korean President Election on June being whole mess so that most Korean people would magically forget what happened.