No, the internet access was down to finding a 0 day exploit in artifactory. However this was only get requests and they had to then use a url shortener to use other methods, then used a cybergym instance they found to run more long running things.
replyIt not just a case of saying “pls don’t”
You are incorrect. The article explicitly mentions the crawler/screenshotter service and httpbun.
replyYes but that wouldn't have worked if there were a firewall denying network access.
replyAssuming there were no exploitable systems that had network access. We’re already talking about a case where based on software forbidding access they still had access. Why would a firewall be different? Harder sure but its only at the level of “as far as we know no way of getting past this”.
replyThat's also my understanding.
replyThis part of the article describes it poorly:
> The agents initially had very limited access to the internet: they could load URLs
That’s astonishing levels of incompetence.
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